AEW: Jack Perry on His Current AEW Absence & AEW Being “Too Afraid” to Bring Him Back, Queen Aminata on Her AEW Signing, More News

Jack Perry Comments on His Current Absence from AEW & AEW Being “Too Afraid” to Bring Him Back

As noted before, Jack Perry has been suspended from AEW since this past August due to his involvement in a backstage incident with CM Punk at AEW’s All In event. During his on-going suspension, Perry has been working for New Japan Pro Wrestling since this past January.

NJPW held a recent interview with Perry. One of the topics discussed included Perry’s thoughts about his current absence from AEW and if AEW is “too afraid” to bring him back to the company.

“Well, Japan for me is an opportunity, not to start over, but start a new chapter without having to apologize or pretend to be sorry for the actions of other people. It’s a way that I can stay true to myself and continue to grow despite everything that’s gone on.

Ripping that contract was a declaration. I’m not playing by your rules anymore. If (AEW) are too afraid to have me anymore, if the specter of Jack Perry is too much, they don’t want to deal with the conversations, the ramifications that brings, then that’s fine.

I don’t need them. I will go by myself across the world, all by myself, without any of my friends, without any of the things I’m used to, anything that’s been my life for the last five years, and I’ll do it on my own, make my own way.”

Perry also gave his thoughts about if he is still with AEW, a freelancer, or just representing House of Torture.

“Some of these things are unclear even to me (what company/group I’m representing), but I would say this: Loyalty is a two-way street, and I show loyalty to those who are loyal to me. As of now, certain parties have been very good to me, and I intend to repay that.”

Perry also gave his thoughts about his upcoming return to Chicago, hometown of CM Punk, for NJPW’s Windy City Riot 2024 event.

“I imagine people think I’ll be off my game in Chicago, and they couldn’t be more wrong. I’m absolutely thrilled to be back in the Windy City. The reaction that I know I’m going to get is exactly what this is all about. I’ve made it very clear that I’m not going to apologize to anybody, and I won’t pretend that things didn’t go down the way they did. I can’t wait to be in front of all these people who think they know what it’s all about, hearing what they think of me. I’ll be in my home country, but it doesn’t feel like my home anymore. So Shota, come over, give me your best shot, but if you think it’s going to be any easier, you’re sadly mistaken.”

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Queen Aminata Comments on Her Recent Signing with AEW

A recent episode of the AEW Unrestricted podcast featured Queen Aminata as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Aminata’s thoughts about her recent signing with AEW and getting the #AllElite graphic treatment.

“I wanna say it would have been better if it was a live (show when my AEW signing was unveiled) but, I don’t have any control over that. But, at the same time, I’m proud because everything that I’ve sacrificed along the way to make it to where I’m at today. My goal honestly was to tell him (my father) when I get signed, hey dad, I got signed. Finally, I’m not gonna hide it. But, that didn’t happen so now I just have to keep it in my heart and just go about it I guess. Yeah. No more crying. I promised myself, no more crying.”

Aminata also gave her thoughts about her becoming the first African born woman ever to sign with a major wrestling promotion.

“Coming from Guinea, I wouldn’t say there’s nothing special about it but there’s so much more because people from here don’t know Guinea. They know Africa, but it’s like, Africa, you know what I mean? I just wanted to give them something that they don’t know, tell them a story without talking to them that is showing them, hey this is where I’m from, but this is what you get. Especially with being signed, this is a bigger company that has a major platform for me, so what a better way for me to just express myself and show people my culture, my accent, and how proud I am to walk in there with my cape. It’s funny sometimes because some fans will be like, ‘Oh my god, that’s just a fake accent, are you really from Africa?’ I’m like, ‘Yes honey, I was born and raised in Africa. I still go back.’ I just had bigger dreams than I could realize in Africa, so I just took a chance on me and I gave it my all. I feel like I have two homes now, I have the USA and I have Africa. I’m happy to be here, at the same time I miss home. I’m so thankful for everything I’m building here and I know there is many more to come.”

Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com, Fightful.com

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AEW News & Notes

AEW recently released a new AEW Timelines video focusing on “La Mera Mera” Thunder Rosa.

As noted before, Kevin Kelly was recently fired from AEW over issues related to a recent online incident involving Kelly accusing AEW and ROH commentator Ian Riccaboni committing libel against him and also AEW officials were not happy with Kelly’s quality of work as a commentator for the company. Kelly recently announced on Twitter that he will be holding virtual classes starting in mid-April for wrestlers who want to improve their promo skills and announcers from around the sports world who wants to take their careers to the next level.

As noted before, AEW hired former WWE Regional Director of Live Events Kosha Irby this past January to be their new Chief Operating Officer and officially confirmed his hiring this past Tuesday. Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that Irby has taken on most of the responsibilities that former VP of Live Events and Tourin Rafael Morffi held in the company. Those spoken to reportedly stated that Irby has been receiving a lot of praise within the company for his work. It was reported that Irby has introduced a “fresh” approach to managing logistics and optimizing event locations that was stated to be viewed as being more efficient than how AEW ran things in previous years.

In a recent interview with the Orlando Sentinel, WWE’s Becky Lynch gave her thoughts about Mercedes Mone’s contract with AEW being one of the highest ever paying deal for a female wrestling in pro wrestling history. Lynch stated “I think that’s an important part, getting paid equally for the equal work and the equal position we are at right now. Women’s evolutions and revolutions are fine and well, but making sure that they equate to contracts and financial reward for these things, when we are doing equal work, is hugely important.“

In a recent interview with Bodyslam.net’s Maps & Graps podcast, Willow Nightingale gave her thoughts about Mercedes Mone recently joining AEW. Nightingale stated “Now with Mercedes kind of entering the fold, I have already stated that I think she’s gonna be a game-changer. She obviously has changed women’s wrestling or had a hand in changing women’s wrestling and the perception of it. Coming into our division, which is what, maybe four, five years old, and the direction that we’ll go, I think it’s all good stuff. I think it’s all a good sign, for all of us, for everybody in the locker room. So now we’ll have to let it all unfold in front of us and see how it plays out.” Nightingale also gave her thoughts about the story she is currently hopeful of being able to tell with Mone in AEW. Nightingale stated “I think the last time we faced each other, it was very clearly, we both want to win this championship, this is a first-time encounter, and potentially the only time we would have an encounter at that point. Now, the tone has definitely shifted she to the injury, due to the fact that she’s sticking around. This isn’t a one-off kind of thing. Now we have to kind of figure out we fit into each other’s lives. I’m still not really sure where she stands with me. I don’t feel great about how things ended the last time we wrestled, but I do still think very highly of her, obviously, and I hope she can see that my intentions are good. I hope she can see that I appreciate her and I think she’s a great wrestler, but I’m also a great wrestler.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

As noted before, Ryan Nemeth was involved in a backstage incident with former AEW talent CM Punk at an AEW Collision show this past June over a tweet Nemeth had made calling Punk the “softest man alive” following an unscripted shoot promo Punk gave directed at Hangman Adam Page. In a recent interview with Sportskeeda’s WrestleBinge podcast, Nemeth clarified his tweet that was directed at Punk. Nemeth stated “There are some things I can talk about and some things I can’t talk about. I can very happily tell you about my tweet. The top good guy on the TV show was missing for eight months due to what I was told was a triceps injury, right. On his very first night back, he, in character, called someone else soft. I thought, ‘Well, I’m a heel, this is a babyface, we both work for the same wrestling company. He gets injured more than anyone who has ever wrestled, and on his very first night back, in character, called someone else soft.’ I thought, ‘What else am I supposed to do? Of course I must respond to this. In character,’ and I did. Anything beyond that, I’m probably not safely able to talk about at this time. I think that’s a very reasonable thing for a bad guy heel to say in response to a heroic babyface who seemed to be a little hypocritical. Is that fair?” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

In a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, Nick Aldis gave his thoughts about if he felt any resentment towards Cody Rhodes over how his career skyrocketed after the first All In event and how he felt a little bit betrayed after All In over The Elite not telling him of their plans to launch a new company that became AEW. Aldis stated “I think in this business, if you start playing the comparison game, you can really go down a rabbit hole of bitterness and resentment very quickly. I felt a little bit betrayed when I found out that they were all familiar, they were all aware of Tony Khan and they’d been sort of plotting this thing (AEW). As we progressed a couple of months forward, it was clear it was a done deal. So in that respect, I guess I felt I could have been informed of that sooner. But I just looked at it from the perspective of that piece of business meaning Cody and I at All In did nothing but good things for all of everyone involved. It wasn’t like people looked at me as if I were finished. We tore the house down and we had the match that everybody remembers, the real main event of that show. That built my credibility, and off the back of that we were able to launch an entire show that at that time had a strong sustainable audience. I landed a six-figure contract off the back of that also. Cody obviously had the pipeline to a billionaire. I only had a millionaire, but whatever, it’s all just part of the tapestry of your career.“