Published: 4 hours ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 10 hours ago by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
AEW
Since re-signing with AEW, “Jungle” Jack Perry has had his eyes on the World Championship, with a viable path to get there one day.
A former TNT, National, World Tag Team and FTW Champion, Perry would reveal his plan to become AEW World Champion after signing a new deal in July of this year.
That goal has seen the star face former AEW World Champions over the past months, with Samoa Joe at Grand Slam: France being the latest.
For Joe and Perry, the match was a qualifier for the Clockwork Carnage match at WrestleDream for the title that the former Jungle Boy covets.
Samoa Joe would qualify for the match at WrestleDream on October 17, raising questions about the direction of Perry’s plans:
It’s one loss!
The Clockwork Carnage qualifying match was an instrumental one in Perry’s journey to be AEW World Champion.
Had he won the upcoming match at AEW WrestleDream, his journey through the pantheon of former champions would have come to a somewhat abrupt end.
Instead, Samoa Joe marks the third former AEW World Champion that Perry has faced with the same result each time.
Three losses? How many champions?
If this were three losses against former WWE World Champions, it would be a relatively insignificant number of stars.
With the AEW World Champions, there have been eleven stars to hold the top title since its inception in May 2019.
Of those eleven, CM Punk is obviously a star that Perry can’t possibly face, leaving 10 former champions in total. Losing to three (Jon Moxley, Swerve Strickland & Samoa Joe), means that Perry has, so far, lost to 33.3% of former champions, just over a third of those to have held the title.
Easier challenges ahead for Perry?
If only that were the case.
Calling out Samoa Joe, Perry reflected on his, at that time, two losses, saying he was “getting (his) ass kicked all over the place”, but also learning something from each defeat.
When it comes to stars still to face Perry on his mission “to face the great former World Champions of AEW”, there are still: MJF, Kenny Omega, Hangman Adam Page, Chris Jericho, Bryan Danielson, and Darby Allin. None of those names suggests they’ll just roll over and take the loss easily.
Where does the mission end?
“AEW World Champion, “Jungle” Jack Perry”.
Perhaps the tide will turn. Perhaps the remaining two-thirds will underestimate Perry, with a result in the star’s favor.
As storytelling goes, though, it’s difficult to envision a time when the AEW World Champion would think “yep, that guy’s lost all those matches, that makes him a legitimate contender for my title.”
All that said
Despite the fact that he’s yet to see a win as he faces “the great former World Champions of AEW”, there is something to be said for the very idea of Jack Perry vs. Will Ospreay.
Both stars have styles that could gel incredibly well, creating memorable moments, regardless of the outcome and are yet to face each other. At their finest, both stars are masters of their game, with an intensity that can’t be denied.
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