T. J. Perkins

Theodore James Perkins, known in the wrestling world as T. J. Perkins or TJP, was born on September 2, 1984. He embarked on his professional wrestling journey in 1998, quickly establishing himself as a talented performer. By 2001, Perkins had made his mark in Japan, becoming the youngest wrestler to compete in a New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) ring, showcasing his early promise and dedication to the sport.

Throughout his career, Perkins has made significant contributions to various wrestling promotions, including Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Evolve Wrestling, and NJPW. His time in TNA was particularly notable, where he adopted the masked persona of Manik, a character inspired by the Suicide gimmick. During this period, he captured the TNA X Division Championship and became a member of The Revolution stable, further solidifying his reputation in the wrestling community.

In 2016, Perkins participated in WWE's Cruiserweight Classic tournament, where he emerged victorious, earning the title of the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Champion. His tenure with WWE lasted until February 2019, after which he returned to Impact Wrestling and continued to make appearances in various promotions. In 2020, he achieved further success by winning the Impact X Division Championship for the second time and rejoined NJPW, where he later became the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion alongside Francesco Akira.