Chad and Zach of WrestleCorp recently interviewed TJ Perkins (Manik of TNA fame) and talked to him about a variety of subjects in the near 90 minute interview. Below are some highlights.
On being a part of TNA off and on since 2004:
“They’re like my ‘Star Wars’ and I’m like their R2-D2. I’ve seen all of it. Just wondering around the background mostly. I’ve seen the whole story play out. Nobody listens to me because they can’t understand me.”
How did his signing in 2013 come about?
I was actually under contract with Ring of Honor and they (TNA) had reached out to me the year before around Destination X, and I wasn’t available but they expressed interest overall, generally speaking kinda moving forward. And at the time Ring of Honor, me and ….not a lot of the guys, very few of us actually, there were a few that – I think they were still getting acclimated with the new ownership and the new format for the major league style television and events. They were having trouble managing the schedule as it relates to the roster.
So a few of us were having trouble getting consistent dates and I was one of them; I believe the Young Bucks were a couple of other guys. We had a roster meeting – like a locker room meeting one day, Jim Cornette called it, the reason for the meeting was actually because he wanted guys to stop bickering with one another. Guys were like doing shoot interviews and he was like, ‘Can we all just cut it out, it’s affecting our work place, lets just get along and do some stuff’, cus we had an incredible roster there. ….He wanted everyone to settle down because people were bickering, he also mentioned that if anyone feels uncomfortable or unhappy or whatever to let ‘let us know, you can leave’. I raised my hand and usually guys don’t do that in that situation, not that people are spineless but if we’re being honest a lot of people are spineless. They won’t (raise their hand) but a bit later they’ll make their big stand behind closed doors, then talk a big game later and complain.
I didn’t want to be that guy, so I wanted to raise my hand and I did, they said ok and they’ll meet with me later and told them later that I’m not unhappy at all, I know the position you guys are in, I know the position that I’m in, and that maybe it’d be better if I moved on and did some other things. I let them know I had another offer and they were totally cool. Hunter (Johnston) and Jim, they were both like ‘Yeah that’s no problem, we’ll handle your contract’ and Jim was like ‘Do you need me to make any calls’ like ‘Can I make a recommendation for you, is there anything you need?’, Jim was incredibly gracious. He’s probably one of my favorite people to ever work under. And that was that.
So they let me out and it was totally awesome the way they handled it. The next thing I knew I was doing live events and some pay per views for TNA and they were trying to figure out what to do with me.
Did you feel like TNA knew how to use you?
*Laughs* “No! Not at all! Absolutely not. I don’t think they know how to use almost anybody they have. I don’t mean that in a negative way, I just feel like…there’s a lot of times….like in the “Monday Night Wars” and Bret’s moved over to WCW and Vince is concerned ‘They’re not going to know how use him, he’s not going to be happy there’. And when Shawn was going to go and he said the same thing, “they’re not going to know what to do with you.” I sorta feel like they-TNA, have trouble placing the talent that they have. They’re great at acquiring guys but sometimes I feel like they don’t know how to get the most out of the people that they have. So I was definitely in that same boat.”
On his TNA release:
“I wasn’t upset at all. I wasn’t surprised but I wasn’t expecting to not get renewed. Things like that happen.”
Would you go back to TNA:
“Maybe, I still feel like that I would (want) a healthier office and management atmosphere. I feel like it’s discouraging in many ways. There’s no such thing as a brass ring there. I feel like if you take the ball and run with it and they didn’t call that play for you, that they would tackle you – that your own team would take you down. That’s the kind of atmosphere they make the guys feel. I would definitely want to go back, I don’t have any reason not to just that it’s a more healthier professional atmosphere.
On his future – Is GFW in the cards?
“That’s more like a waiting game. they’re (Global Force Wrestling) at the stage where they need to hit the launch pad hard, jump starting things on the business hand. I know they have a lot of stuff and are good to go. If it’s a loading bar, they’re waiting to hit 100% and they’re more like 93%. I’m definitely opened to continuing with them and that would be the plan as well. I’m sort of just seeing what’s out there and letting it come to me. I don’t really have a bucket-list anymore. I kind of finished my bucket list when I was 21. I’ve done everything I wanted to do. There’s definitely stuff that’s in the works, and I can’t really elaborate on it. But yeah I am in a holding pattern on purpose by design for myself.”
Go to the following address for a direct link to the show: http://noeentertainment.com/wc4tjirrrlus2am/
WrestleCorp airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST. The show has been on the air (in some variation or another) since 2010, and has featured interviews with Jeff Jarrett, Seth Rollins, J.J. Dillion, Kyle O’Reily, and many many more. For more details go to NOEentertainment.com.
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Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
