A few weeks back, I was extremely lucky and got to interview one of the most innovative wrestlers on the TNA roster, TJ Perkins (the man also known as Manik). But before we get into the mind of TJ Perkins, let’s take a look at how he got to where he is in the wrestling world right now.
Teddy James Perkins started wrestling at a very young age. At 13, he began training in a Lucha Libre school and was wrestling under a mask at the age of just 14. He’s wrestled all over the world, most notably in Japan and Mexico, where he started his climb to the top. In 2002, he wrestled for NJPW and, to this day, he still holds the record for being the youngest non-Japanese wrestler to work for the company.
Perkins has also wrestled for PWG and ROH, and made his TNA debut in 2004 as a masked wrestler called Puma. Perkins went on to have various dark matches until he got his shot in 2013. As Suicide, he defeated Joey Ryan and Petey Williams to earn a shot at the X-Division Championship in a triple-threat match against Kenny King and Chris Sabin. Although he came up just a little bit short in that match, the rest, as they say, is history.
So, here we go. Let’s see what the man behind the mask is all about!
What attracted you into wrestling as a career, and at what stage in your life did you know it was something you wanted to do?
To be honest, I oddly always knew I would be a wrestler. Wrestling was my main interest since I could barely walk. My earliest memories when I was 3 or so are watching Saturday Night’s Main Event with my dad. He had me hooked on it as a baby. As I grew up, I was so engulfed by it that I just assumed that’s what my future was. In fact, I was so immersed in it that I even thought everyone else did it too. It’s like I only saw wrestling in my future. There was never really a defining moment. In a very odd way, it sort of chose me. I didn’t exactly choose wrestling.
It must be a lot harder to wrestle in a mask. Does it restrict your vision much, and does it bring its own complications to your high-flying style?
It can yes. My current mask is the most difficult actually. It is actually the most flexible and comfortable, but it does present some vision difficulties and other things. However, I was raised to not ever have an excuse for my performances. So whether it’s a shaky ring, sketchy opponent, or some kind of gear malfunction, I hold myself to the same standard as if the elements were 100% in order. Sometimes, due to my history of wearing many different masks, I do in fact fly blind in there. Sometimes I jump and just mentally track the rope in order to hit it because I can’t see it, same with my opponents. It’s just a matter of composure, and putting on the big boy pants and getting it done. Nike: Just Do It.
Of all the masked wrestlers I know of, we don’t see any without their masks on a regular basis, but we see you without your mask in backstage segments. Was that a deliberate choice?
Of course it is. A misconception about masks is that it automatically means mystery. In fact originally, masks were used, not to mask one’s identity, but rather the age of the wrestler, so that they can extend their career or in my case when I was 13, begin early. Currently, my mask is simply a symbol. No more than Sting’s face paint, or AJ’s hood. It’s a portrayal that gives fans and opponents an image that can be believed in. Same reason Tony Stark dons the mask even though he revealed who he was, or Captain America. I used to wear checker print for the same reason. It’s an image to be associated with. In this case, it adds a sense of sharpness and intensity that my other wise boyish face would not have. Everything I do is deliberate.
It’s a pretty unique angle. Is that what attracted you to the character?
I like the freedom I have right now. Much of my success is taking an image that people assume to be one way and do the exact opposite with it. There is no definition for Manik. It is “supposed to be” anything. People assume skull means dark, or tormented, and that mask means mystery. That’s an assumption. Manik has never had a definition. Barely a back story at best.
To be honest, I have more freedom now than when I was dressed as myself. It’s liberating to use a situation like I have, where people think you are painted into a corner, and make so many possibilities come to life with it.
You’ve said on Twitter that you base your wrestling style on lucha libre, but I’ve never seen some of the moves you use before. Did you come up with your move set yourself?
The only things I have come up with myself are the Fireman’s carry/Pele kick and the leg lock submission I used on Sabin this past match (Dave: their X-Division match from September 26th). I call them The Detonation Kick and The Figure Four Deathlock respectively. Everything else I’ve picked up from my experiences. 99% of what I do comes from Lucha Libre or catch wrestling. Everything people see has more or less been developed decades ago. I’ve seen it in training when I lived in Mexico City, I’ve seen it on live cards. Everything the trendy modern Indy guys do is absolutely not their creative baby. Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble. So generally, much of technical wrestling can be linked to older lucha Libre because the art itself is founded on catch wrestling – the backflips and headscissors. Although I have spent my 15-year career travelling the world and learned many authentic lessons all over.
Is there any one person in the wrestling industry that you look up to most?
Good question. My biggest influence was Eddy Guerrero. Both professionally and personally for obvious reasons.
If you could wrestle anybody – past or present – who would that be? And for what reasons?
Eddy for one. His wrestling IQ was so incredibly high. I take a lot of pride in my wrestling IQ. Not trivia, not move cataloging, but rather process and mechanics. Being able to make reads and make the right calls on a moment-to-moment basis. I have a very strong reputation among my peers for my high proficiency in wrestling IQ. So for that reason, I feel like I could’ve learned a lot from him. Also KENTA – just for the Lolz.
What pointers would you give to someone if they came to you and asked about getting into the wrestling industry?
Be prepared to sacrifice everything. Your goals and dreams, no matter what you want to do in life, will not come to you. This is especially true with wrestling. Many talented people fail because they can’t be bothered to go out and find the opportunity. It’s like Muhammad Ali used to fear…. every minute you let up, someone else is working twice as hard to make your dream come true for them. So actually, I’d like to sum up what I’d say with an old Wayne Gretzky quote: “you miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take.”
Life doesn’t care about your accuracy. So you’d better take every chance you can regardless of failure.
TNA have taken a lot of flack recently for various reasons, but if you had the power to add something to the X-Division what would you do, and why?
I would like to test the ability of marketing co-main events with the X-Division. In a world where we have welterweights that outdraw heavyweights for main-event status in boxing and MMA, it cannot be said that smaller performers cannot be more significant. I believe with an open mind from a marketing perspective, every division can be interchangeable.
What has been your greatest achievement in your wrestling career to date?
Good question. Probably restoring my career after losing everything and being homeless.
With that said, has there been a low point?
I believe my last answer killed 2 birds with one stone ha-ha.
It was an honour and privilege to get behind the thought process of TJ Perkins. If you want to keep up to date with him, then check out his Twitter @MaskaraManik. He’s also got a special one for his suit! That’s @ManikIMPACT. I hope you all enjoyed reading my interview with TJ. It was a pleasure to speak to him and I really enjoyed doing it.
Don’t forget to catch me on Twitter @ecwdave and you can read my blogs at ecwdave.blogspot.com
Dave
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