6 Superstars let go by the WWE in 2019 - Where are they now?

#3 T.J. Perkins

The leader of the cruiserweights

Theodore James Perkins, famously known by his ring name T.J. Perkins or TJP, first began his training at the age of 13, at a local lucha libre school in his hometown of Los Angeles, California.

TJP battled in several promotions before joining WWE and even tried out for the company multiple times in 2009. He signed his first contract with the company in 2016 and qualified for the Cruiserweight Classic.

TJP remained with the company for over three years and won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship once during his tenure. He battled his final match against Humberto Carrillo, after which he was released from his contract by WWE in February 2019.

In an interview with Gary Cassidy, TJP stated the following about his differences with the company:

“I’m disheartened at the lack of priority for my community and Asians in general, and my goals, but I would never have a problem being told, "No." I can make any situation work. My unhappiness mostly stemmed from the culture of the lower administration. The micromanaging from writers and producers and the way guys are played favorites and manipulated. It makes the job not fun.”

You can check out the full interview in the video below:

Since parting ways with WWE, TJP has returned to Impact Wrestling where he’s seen as a much bigger star. Apart from that, he has also appeared in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) where he took part in the Super J Cup.