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What's the story?
Last night's episode of 205 Live was supposed to feature another match between former Cruiserweight Champions TJP and Rich Swann, but the former ended up being replaced by Ariya Daivari. The reason behind the change could be that TJP is currently suffering from an injury.
In case you didn't know...
TJP (then known as TJ Perkins) was the winner of the inaugural Cruiserweight Classic in 2016, becoming the first Cruiserweight Champion of the new era in the process. TJP was a bit of a bust as champion, however, and quickly lost the title to The Brian Kendrick.
Since losing the title, Perkins has worked mostly as an auxiliary heel, working alongside Neville in his feud with Austin Aries. Since July TJP has been involved in what began as a friendly rivalry with Rich Swann, but it seems as though the gloves are off.
The heart of the matter
Swann and TJP were initially supposed to do battle on 205 Live last night, but it was announced that TJP was to be replaced by Ariya Daivari. TJP did make an appearance during the match, distracting Swann and allowing Daivari to pick up the victory.
TJP didn't look in the best of shape, however. The Fil-Am Flash came out on to the top of the stage with a pair of crutches, along with a large knee brace on his right knee. Whilst this could well just be part of the story, the Wrestling Yoda himself added fuel to the fire with a cryptic tweet after the match.
WWE is yet to confirm or deny the injury.
What's next?
The rivalry between Rich Swann and TJP has taken place entirely on 205 Live, so we will have to wait a week to see how severe the injury to TJP is. Neither man is currently booked for SummerSlam, although a multi-man cruiserweight bout may well end up on the pre-show.
Author's take
TJP's injury seemingly came out of nowhere, so I'm going to put my money on this being a part of the bigger story. Last week's 205 Live concluded with Swann saying 'I'm starting to know who you are' to TJP, and this 'fake' injury could lead to further clarity in Swann's eyes.
If the injury is indeed legitimate then it remains to be seen how much time Perkins will miss. It is a good sign that WWE is keeping him on television, however, so one must assume that it isn't a major setback.
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