Celebrity Picks: TJP (Professional Wrestler)!!
Hello Grue-Lings,
Today for Celebrity Picks we have Impact Wrestling star TJP. T.J. Perkins has worked for WWE, TNA as Suicide, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and now Impact Wrestling.
He has a former TNA X Division Champion, WWE Cruiserweight Champion, and WWE Cruiserweight Classic Tournament winner. He was also known as ring names Manik and Puma.
In 2001, He began training at New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)’s Inoki Dojo in Los Angeles along with Ricky Reyes, Rocky Romero, and Bryan Danielson. In Japan, he put a mask on and became Puma, a masked character with similarities to Tiger Mask, and he began teaming with Tiger Mask IV. He then took the name of TJP and took part in NJPW’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
Perkins spent time in Mexico with Rocky Romero and Bobby Quance, where the trio trained with and wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. In December 2004, Puma won the All Pro Wrestling (APW) Worldwide Internet Championship by defeating J.J. Perez. In May 2006, Puma defeated M-Dogg 20 to win the UWA Canadian Championship.
On June 27, 2008 at Knockdown Dragout 2, the team of Perkins and Liger Rivera (collectively known as Famous For Fearless) challenged La Ola Del Mal for the EWF Tag Team Championship, and were successful.
In 2006, Puma wrestled as part of MTV’s inaugural television taping for the Wrestling Society X (WSX) promotion, participating in a battle royal but being eliminated by Vampiro and competing in dark matches against Altar Boy Luke and Human Tornado. On June 1, 2008, at Mach One Wrestling’s debut show, he won a battle royal to become the NWA Heritage Champion.
He began working for Dragon Gate USA and Evolve in 2010 as TJP.
On May 23, 2013, Perkins wrestled on an episode of Impact Wrestling as Suicide, defeating Petey Williams and Joey Ryan. The win earned him an X Division Championship match against Kenny King and Chris Sabin at Slammiversary XI in an Ultimate X match, which was won by Sabin.
On June 29, at the tapings of the July 4 episode of Impact Wrestling, Perkins began using the ring name “Manik”, while retaining a modified version of the Suicide costume and mask. On July 18, at the tapings of the July 25 episode of Impact Wrestling, Manik won the vacant X Division Championship by defeating Greg Marasciuolo and Sonjay Dutt in a three-way Ultimate X match.
Perkins appeared on the October 19, 2009, episode of Raw; he was scheduled to face The Miz but was replaced by Marty Jannetty before the match as a part of the storyline.
On May 7, 2016, Perkins defeated Fred Yehi at Evolve 61 to qualify for WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic tournament. In the tournament he defeated Da Mack in the first round, Johnny Gargano in the second round, Rich Swann in the quarter finals, Kota Ibushi in the semifinals and Gran Metalik in the finals to win the tournament and become the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Champion. His entrance paid homage to the Nintendo Entertainment System.
On the June 7 tapings of Impact, Perkins returned to Impact Wrestling, defeating Ace Austin. In September he forged an alliance with Fallah Bahh, and they began feuding with Michael Elgin. On the March 31, 2020 TNA Retro Special episode of Impact TJ returned as Manik teaming with Suicide as his two former personas joined together to pick up a victory. Here is Celebrity Picks with TJP:
.
.
.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET:
It’s my favorite horror franchise. Freddy is my favorite horror character because his ability is unique. To only be harmful in a persons dreams seems so helpless but the impending doom of inevitably falling asleep and become helpless yourself is such a great way to create tension and despair in the victim/viewer. Such a creative and scary take on a horror killer character.
.
.
.
SCREAM:
Same creator as Nightmare, but a very real take on a horror villain. It’s such a throwback feel with “Whodunit?” as the theme. I also love it because it’s both a slasher and a teen movie mixed into a mystery. The killer being killer-by-committee is such a great plot twist, and with an iconic look.
.
.
.
HALLOWEEN:
Michael Myers is really the original and the slasher everyone thinks of in general. Some might say Jason because everyone thinks hockey mask when they think of slasher films, but most of the traits originate with Michael Myers, including a mask. The franchise to me has better longevity and refrained from becoming as “campy”(pun partially intended) as the Friday the 13th in later sequels and maintained a more serious and dark tone. It’s also synonymous with the horror holiday and season and along with Nightmare has the most recognizable soundtrack of all horror movies.
.
.
.
THE CONJURING:
Conjuring is very much part of new horror, which many purists probably don’t really like in general. But I love The Conjuring because it’s a great take in the “Haunted House” theme and very well done in my opinion in the modern style. Also being a fan of the Warrens and with these movies being based on true events is a big hook for me. The movie also ties in a lot of side stories that would be covered in other movies so for me it really gives a deep dive into the life of the Warrens while still telling an individual chilling story.
.
.
.
POLTERGEIST 3:
To this day I still can’t stare into mirrors for too long. Just can’t do it. Thank you Poltergeist 3.
.
.
.
BRAM STROKERS DRACULA:
I love Dracula as far as classic horror mythology. It’s my favorite of the original mythical monsters we all grew up with. I love the idea of vampires, the folklore behind it. There’s such a human element to it that isn’t quite present as deeply in werewolves or Frankenstein or lagoon monsters. The story of Jonathan Harker, Mina, Count Dracula and how Dracula stalks and psychologically torments his prey etc is just so cool and dark and terrifying to me.
.
.
.
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE:
Sticking with vampires I’ve always loved this movie as well. The various abilities in vampire folklore make them so terrifying to me. I feel like a werewolf or Frankenstein or a lagoon creature are escalator monsters, and quite primitive in their approach. The werewolf being the more terrifying of the 3. However vampires have a certain cunning trait to them, they aren’t just monsters…they are also human enough to out-think you as well. I also think their transformation and appearance is the most terrifying of all the classic monsters. This movie highlights the story of 2 vampires that really demonstrates all the various traits that vampires have. And it’s terrifying to think about if it were possibly a reality.
.
.
.
SWEENEY TODD:
The last on my list is actually a musical. Sweeney Todd the demon barber of Fleet Street. I love this story. The villain is the hero. The art style of old England and a traditional barbershop is something I particularly love. And the story of the descent of a man who loses the love of his life only to find it again and lose it again is almost a Hitchcock type of irony the way it plays out.
.
.
.
.
.
.
