3 Reasons firing TJ Perkins was a mistake, and 3 reasons it was best for business.

Theodore James Perkins, like many adolescents, decided he wanted to be a pro wrestler in junior high. Unlike many adolescents, he actually did it!

TJ Perkins had his first match at the tender age of thirteen years old. He looked so young that promoters insisted he wear a mask to hide his true age, and his first gimmick, Pinoy Boy, was born.

After wrestling in the California and Mexican promotions, he expanded to the New Japan Pro Wrestling company, where he rubbed shoulders with such cruiserweight legends as Rocky Romero and WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan.

He got noticed by TNA wrestling, now known as Impact, but never earned major accolades under the name TJ Perkins. He was the second man to portray the Suicide character for TNA before switching to calling himself Manik. Neither name helped him get over.

Perkins had better luck on the independent circuit, winning over a dozen titles, but it seemed like his career had finally taken off when he signed with WWE.

Perkins went on to win the first cruiserweight classic and became WWE's inaugural cruiserweight champion of the modern era.

Recently, Perkins was released by the company. Here are three reasons that may have been a mistake, and three that it was best for business.

Was a Mistake #1: TJ Perkins is one of the most experienced cruiserweights working today

When it comes to cruiserweight wrestling, the WWE has many talented performers in its ranks, such as Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy.

However, neither of those men has as many years of experience in the wrestling ring as TJ Perkins. TJ's career has seen the rise and fall of WCW, ECW, and the ultimate corporatizing of the sports entertainment field. He's seen styles change, and has, by and large, kept himself relevant to the ever mutating wrestling world.

TJ Perkins's presence will be sorely missed in the WWE locker room, where his experience could have helped a lot of up and coming talent.

Best for Business #1: TJ Perkins rubbed a lot of people the wrong way backstage

TJ Perkins displays his agility and propensity for violence.

While it's always good to have a veteran presence in the locker room, sometimes you have to find the right person for the job, and that right person is NOT TJ Perkins.

Reportedly, TJ Perkins was difficult to work with backstage, both with his fellow pro wrestlers and, even worse, backstage producers and officials.

TJ Perkins has been wrestling for longer than some of the WWE's top stars have even had careers, and no doubt in that time he has accumulated a vast wealth of knowledge. However, there is a way to carry oneself backstage that TJ evidently never learned. No one is bigger than the pro wrestling business, but TJ Perkins's conceited attitude may have rubbed many the wrong way in the WWE locker room.

Was a mistake #2: He was the first Cruiserweight champion of the modern era

TJ Perkins at the inaugural Cruiser Weight Classic, which he won.

When you're trying to build up a legacy, it's important to have a sense of history. For example, the WWE is fond of mentioning that Pat Patterson was the first ever Intercontinental champion in company history.

Bayley and Sasha Banks likewise made history as the Boss n Hug connection managed to capture the WWE women's tag team titles at Elimination Chamber.

But when the time comes to list the lineage of the Cruiserweight title, it's quite likely that TJ Perkins will be working or will have worked for a rival promotion. The WWE loathe to mention superstars who no longer work for them--look how quickly Chris Jericho was snubbed from the intro to their programming after he signed with All Elite Wrestling--and leaving out any mention of TJ Perkins will feel weird because he was the first ever Cruiserweight champion.

Best for Business #2: TJP Just wasn't that popular

While TJ Perkins has been wrestling for a very long time and does have a fanbase, it simply doesn't compare to the size that men like Daniel Bryan, John Cena, and Roman Reigns can lay claim to.

TJ Perkins merchandise didn't sell very well, despite the aforementioned loyal fan base. Due to his somewhat off-putting persona, he never really managed to resonate with the WWE Universe in ways that Mustafa Ali and Buddy Murphy have done.

It comes down to a cost benefit analysis, and when you crunch the numbers TJ Perkins simply didn't justify his presence either on 205 Live or any of the WWE's brands. Add in the fact that he was somewhat difficult to work with backstage in spite of his low q ratings and you can definitely see why WWE made the right decision in letting him go.

Was a Mistake #3: They just gifted a high-profile wrestler to All Elite Wrestling

TJ Perkins checks a lot of boxes when it comes to the talent All Elite Wrestling have been interested in acquiring.

The times, they are a changing.

Just one year ago, WWE had no serious competition, and indeed no prospects for serious competition in the North American wrestling market. While Impact/TNA has been around for over a decade, they have never proven themselves to be a serious threat to the WWE's market share.

That also goes for Ring of Honor, who has carved out a niche as a place for 'pure' pro wrestling. But with the advent of All Elite Wrestling and the fortunes of the billionaire Kahn family backing it, there might actually be a chance for WWE to face a serious market competitor.

TJ Perkins may not have been the most popular wrestler on the WWE roster, either with fans or backstage, but he did enjoy a high profile thanks to his victory in the CWC and first run as Cruiserweight champion. He might end up in All Elite Wrestling, and if he does the WWE will have no one to blame but themselves.

Best for Business #3: TJ Perkins didn't fit the mold of a WWE superstar

TJ Perkins beckons his foe to return to the ring.

TJ Perkins might have been a big deal on the independent circuit, but he was never really cut in the mold of a WWE superstar.

While TJ Perkins is quite athletic and is one of the best technical wrestlers of his generation, he simply has too plain of an appearance and personality to make it in the WWE. Impact had similar problems with him, which is probably why they hid him under the Suicide, and then Manik, full body costumes.

Sadly, despite his talents in the ring, TJ Perkins just had a hard time getting the WWE Universe emotionally invested in his matches. Buddy Murphy and Cedric Alexander have similar skill sets, but are much better at working the crowd. His release from the WWE thus is not a mistake, but a good business decision.

There you have it; Three reasons the WWE firing TJ Perkins was a mistake, and three reasons it was best for business. Questions or comments? Please leave them below the article and thanks for reading!