AEW

“Jungle Boy” Jack Perry admits he’s never seen a top NJPW star’s match in his life.

At AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Jack Perry will challenge SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. SANADA issued an open challenge for the top prize in New Japan Pro Wrestling, which Perry accepted.

As previously reported, SANADA spoke to Tokyo Sports and admitted to having no knowledge of Jungle Boy while calling their upcoming bout “sad.”

In a new interview with Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone, Perry was asked about SANADA’s comments. He replied:

“I’m gonna be completely honest. I was a little bit relieved when I saw that because I’ve been feeling a little guilty, kind of secretly. I’ve never seen a SANADA match in my life, and I was feeling a little bit guilty about that, like, ‘Oh my god, that’s kind of rude, whatever.’”

“But then he said [that], and I was like, ‘Okay. That’s great.’ I haven’t watched anything, other than Kenny and Will Ospreay, in New Japan since Cody and Kenny and the Young Bucks left and started AEW, so I have not seen any of that.”

“I don’t really keep up with that. I thought Okada was the champion last time I was caught up with things, but it is what it is.”

“I don’t think he has any particular reason to know too much about me, but I think it’s gonna be fun because we’re gonna learn pretty much everything there is to know when we’re kicking each other in the face on pay-per-view.”

Further explaining the match in a more general sense and not knowing who the current champion was before the announcement, Jungle Boy stated:

“I’m excited. I feel like there’s momentum on my side. I knew there was gonna be an open challenge, and to be completely honest, I didn’t even know who the champion was, but I knew I was gonna take it.”

“Because for me, it’s not… I’m looking forward to the match and getting in there with him and experiencing what this is gonna be like against a top Japanese talent, but for me, my goal that I said at the very beginning of the year is that I’m going to become a world champion.”

“It doesn’t really matter to me who ends up across the ring from me. It’s about the championship that he has. That’s what the deal is for me. I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna take the championship, bring it back to AEW, and it’s gonna be a good night.”

“Jungle Boy” Jack Perry will face SANADA’s Just Five Guys stablemate DOUKI on the June 23 edition of AEW Rampage ahead of Forbidden Door.

Transcription via Fightful

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• Jungle Boy Jack Perry
• AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
• SANADA
• AEW

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