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Ex-WWE Champion Surprisingly Returns To Company After 7 Years

By Sridhar Krishnan • Published Jan 18, 2026 10:37 EST
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A former WWE star surprised fans by reappearing under the company’s banner after 7 years.

TJ Perkins officially signed with the Stamford-based promotion in 2016. Earlier in 2009, he had participated in a couple of tryouts.

He made his first appearance as J.T. Quinn by wrestling Sheamus in ECW, which ended in a disqualification after Shelton Benjamin attacked The Celtic Warrior.

Perkins returned to the Indies, competing in promotions such as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Ring of Honor.

He was also signed with Total Nonstop Action between 2004 and 2016.

After signing with WWE in 2016, he competed against the likes of Johnny Gargano, Kota Ibushi, and Fred Yehi in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament. He defeated Gran Metalik in the final to become the inaugural Cruiserweight Champion.

Down the line, he wrestled at various pay-per-views. In 2017, he was repackaged as TJP. While he did not win any other titles in the promotion, he played a significant role in the development of the cruiserweight division.

He was released from his contract in 2019.

TJ Perkins Returns To WWE

Following his departure from WWE, TJ Perkins resurfaced in the independent circuit.

The 41-year-old currently works as a freelancer. A while ago, industry reports revealed that he had returned to the Performance Center as a guest coach to provide his veteran insights to budding wrestlers.

On January 17, he made his first appearance under the company’s umbrella by competing in a four-way match in AAA. The match was filmed for future broadcast, confirming that Perkins was back in action again.

WWE announced the acquisition of the Mexican promotion in April 2025, news which was broken by Michael Cole during the WrestleMania 41 pre-show.

Since then, both companies have collaborated on multiple supershows, including two Worlds Collide events and Triplemania.