CM Punk and Jack Perry’s brawl at All In 2023 brought a ton of attention to the company for all the wrong reasons. Even after AEW showed the footage, they went into overtime to remove it. Although Perry stayed off television for far longer than it took for Punk to make a return to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, he is now enjoying a strong stretch of booking for Tony Khan’s company.
Well over a full year has passed since the physical altercation between CM Punk and Jack Perry at Wembley Stadium. The incident led to Perry receiving an indefinite suspension and Punk being fired from the company. Jack Perry is now the reigning TNT Champion and has successfully defended the title five times since winning it.
Darby Allin told the New York Post that Jungle Boy had a shelf life and that the ‘Hollywood’ version of Jack was not believable, but the current version is where he needs to be. In the end, although it took some time to get back on television after Brawl In, Jack Perry has certainly benefited from the whole situation.
“If anybody’s benefited from the incident that happened last year at All In, it’s Jack Perry, because now what he is, I feel like is kind of where he always needed to be. Honestly, it sounds crazy, but it’s awesome. Because when he was Jungle Boy, I felt like it was just too hokey and had a shelf life, if that makes sense. Like there was a glass ceiling with Jungle Boy, and then when he first became a bad guy, Hollywood Jack, or wherever the hell he was, it just wasn’t believable. Nothing he was doing was believable. It felt like a horrible made-for-TV Lifetime movie network character.”
Regarding a potential new television deal for AEW, Darby Allin stated that when it happens, it does not mean it’s time to get comfortable. As of this writing, AEW and Warner Bros Discovery have exited their exclusive talks window, but those conversations are still reportedly amicable.
“Everybody literally needs to work harder. Once we get a new TV deal, it’s not time to be like, oh yeah, let’s celebrate. Like, which is fine. I think when someone makes a lot of money, they almost feel like they don’t have to work. They feel like people have the best work ethic when they have nothing, they’re broke, they’re like living paycheck to paycheck. That’s the work ethic we need to have at all times.”
Both Darby Allin and Jack Perry were featured at AEW Grand Slam 2024. Allin competed in the main event of Dynamite. On the September 28 AEW Collision, Perry defended the TNT Title against Minoru Suzuki. He has a long road ahead of him in AEW, and it’s hard to argue that he’s not in a better position with the company at this point.
We will keep a close eye on this story and so many more in the pro wrestling world. Both Darby Allin and Jack Perry are considered to be pillars for AEW, and they will continue representing the company for a long time to come.
What’s your take on Jack Perry’s status in the pro wrestling world, even after his brawl with CM Punk? Let us know what you think in the comments section!
