Jack Perry has reflected on a period of profound personal and professional change, opening up about how the fallout from All In 2023 reshaped his outlook on wrestling and on himself.
Speaking on Up Close with Renee Paquette, Perry discussed the aftermath of his highly publicized backstage altercation with CM Punk, explaining that the difficult period that followed ultimately became a turning point in his career.
Perry admitted that the months following the Wembley Stadium incident were challenging, but also necessary for his growth. He explained that the experience forced him to let go of the pressure to be universally liked — something he had been carrying for much of his early career.
“I feel like I’ve grown a lot from it, but I feel like the growth came from a lot of it sounds dramatic to say pain, but it wasn’t the nicest of times, for most of that time,” Perry said. “It really freed me in a lot of ways. It’s kind of like before all that feels like another lifetime at this point, and I think back to how I felt before that, and a big thing I had was like, it sounds silly, I just wanted everyone to like me.”
Before his suspension and subsequent character shift, Perry said he placed enormous pressure on himself to succeed and to present a flawless image. That mindset, he explained, made public criticism far more difficult to process.
“I was new to being on TV. This was my dream job since I was a little kid, and I wanted to do it perfectly, and I wanted everyone to like me, and it’s not something I worry about so much in my real life, but this was different,” Perry said. “I wanted to micromanage it and make it perfect. So then when I would come up short of that, it was very disappointing, and coming up short of anything sucks, but doing it in such a public way, and then there are a million people telling you you’re a piece of s**t or whatever, it’s hard.”
Eventually, Perry said he reached a point where he stopped chasing external approval altogether. That realization allowed him to focus on his own goals rather than the expectations placed on him by fans or critics.
“Through all that, I finally realised there are some people that are never gonna like me no matter what I do, and in a way that was really freeing because then I was like I don’t have to worry about that anymore, what do I wanna do?”
Perry returned to All Elite Wrestling programming at All Out 2025 following a nine-month absence. Upon his return, he attacked The Young Bucks and reunited with Luchasaurus, effectively reforming Jurassic Express.
The duo has since re-entered the tag team division, setting their sights on teams that benefited during their time apart — marking a new chapter in Perry’s career shaped by experience, self-reflection, and a renewed sense of purpose.
