Newly crowned WWE Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins is coming hot off his win in the Cruiserweight Classic and his successful title defence against Brian Kendrick at WWE Clash Of Champions, but it appears as though he is also facing some major backstage heat as well.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (courtesy of F4WOnline), the Cruiserweight champion is taking some backstage heat from people in the business about mentioning that he was once homeless. This is because so many people in the business also started off like Perkins when they worked the independent scene and lost their homes as well.
"People are telling me that there are too many guys [saying], 'we were just like that too, what's so special about that'," Meltzer said.
While making the media rounds these past few weeks, Perkins has been mentioning his struggles living on the streets stating that it still keeps him motivated. A recent interview with For The Win best highlights these remarks:
"I'm not a terribly sentimental guy, but I kept a lot of old stuff from that time in my life," Perkins said. "I have my food stamps card from when I was homeless. I also have the key to the first place where I got evicted from.
"There were many places where I got evicted from, but I still had that first key. It was a simple reminder for years of the places I couldn't go back to. The further away it's gotten, the more motivating it became to me because I didn't have to go back there. I didn't really think about it until I was in the ring after the match. That was the first thing in my mind: I don't have to stay at that key."
Perkins also gave his thoughts on the Cruiserweight Classic after being approached with the idea in the first place:
"Personally, I never really have expectations because I don't like there to be a level where the bar is set, generally speaking. It prevents you from reaching well beyond what you expected and great circumstances that you think you can't reach. I try to keep an open mind and that's' what I did with this.
"It came at a time when I was a free agent. It had been a long time since I had the freedom to do what I wanted where I wanted. I had a lot of opportunities on the table to return to Japan or return to Mexico and domestically as well.
"This was an opportunity that was just that — an opportunity. I don't think the administration had any idea how far this could go and how well it could go. I felt like this was like a time to better myself. I stuck with it with no expectations and it's all happened so fast. Before I knew, here we are."
Do you think the heat for Perkins backstage is justified? Is it truly inappropriate for the newest member to the Monday Night RAW roster to be discussing his struggles in his early life?
For the latest WWE news, live coverage and rumours, visit our Sportskeeda WWE section.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
