Well, folks, just when you thought the wrestling drama couldn’t get any thicker, Jack Perry decides to crank it up a notch at NJPW’s Windy City Riot in Chicago. If you’ve been keeping tabs, you know Perry and CM Punk had a bit of a tussle at AEW’s All In last year, and the fallout’s been messier than a chili dog at a ball game.
On a brisk Friday night, Perry strutted into the ring with a bit of Chicago flair, sporting the city’s flag over his shoulders—a clear nod to Punk, who pretty much made that flag a wrestling wardrobe staple. But wait, there’s more! Perry turned around to reveal “cry me a river” emblazoned on the back of his jacket, stirring the pot like a chef at a soup kitchen.
But Perry wasn’t done there. During his scuffle with Shota Umino, he even tried to pull off Punk’s trademark GTS move. Talk about throwing shade! Umino wasn’t having it, though, and turned the tables with a DDT before sealing the deal with a Death Rider.
The backstory here? Perry and Punk’s disagreement over using real glass in a match escalated quickly last September, leading to a heated exchange caught on camera and Perry’s indefinite suspension. Meanwhile, Punk got the boot from AEW, only to make his WWE comeback while Perry took his talents to NJPW, joining the House of Torture.
With Perry expected to weave back into AEW’s narrative soon, courtesy of the Young Bucks’ storyline shenanigans, it seems the drama dial is only going up. As Perry keeps playing up the controversy, one thing’s clear: in the world of wrestling, the show—and the drama—must go on!