CJ Perry – ‘Tony Khan Planned My AEW Debut In Chicago’

On a recent edition of the “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” podcast, CJ Perry discussed the circumstances regarding the lead-up to her AEW debut at WresleDream 2023.

Perry also spoke about her ambitions for her ascent in the wrestling industry and why she is less likely to enter the ring herself.

You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:

On the lead-up to her AEW debut: “I was really excited. I was so excited to return the wrestling, especially in Chicago. I love Chicago, I actually debuted in WWE in Chicago my first live promo was in Chicago. I can’t remember the exact date but it was the beginning of March, CM Punk had just left so everyone’s like are you gonna be okay there are gonna be CM Punk chants. And I feel like I held my own I with Miro and so then we did, the first time that ‘We want Lana’ chants happened was in Chicago and Miro came out. At the time he was Rusev and came out with a really bad Russian lawyer. And it was on my birthday and they started chanting ‘We want Lana.’ So that was cool. And my official babyface turn happened there in WWE. So it’s really cool to be able to have that special moment with AEW debuting there because I love Chicago and the fans have always rooted for me so much. So it’s really awesome to be able to, like have that special connection with them now with AEW as well.”

On the timing of her debut and not following Miro when he joined the company: “Well, when Miro first joined AEW I was still in WWE. So that was in 2020. And he started there September I think, and so I couldn’t, I was in, in WWE still. And I had a very lucrative contract I was on and on TV every week. So we both thought it made sense for me to stay. And then I finished my time a year later. And Miro wanted me to come over to AEW, and he was plugging me into the story. And that’s how I got the name hot and flexible. So I needed a little bit of a break. At the beginning. I wanted to be home for a little bit and I wanted to do things. I didn’t want to jump right back on the road. And so I took a little bit like about a year, and it was just trying to figure out the time, you know, like, Tony Khan has great things going on his show, and it’s just I had things going on and Miro had things and we just it’s all about timing.”

On appearing with AEW for the first time in Chicago: “No, it definitely was not that way. It was all Tony Khan, Tony Khan wanted it in Chicago. And when I heard he wanted it in Chicago was like, Oh my gosh, that’s so cool. Because I love Chicago is my favourite American wrestling city. I mean, I say that about every city, but you know, I like trying to find the silver lining of everything. So there was, Miro was pushing, a lot of this was his idea. And a lot of the story and he wanted it to be in London. But Tony really had a vision for it to happen in Chicago. And he is from Chicago, I love Chicago. And so when I heard all that, I was like, Oh my gosh, that’s amazing. Because he loves Chicago, and I love Chicago. So here we go.”

On possibly wrestling again in AEW: “Hmm, such an interesting question. So I want to be the best of all time, I want to be the best wrestling manager of all time. I want to be when people think of like, people often want to be managed by Paul Heyman, because he is the best manager of all time right now. Right? I wanted that spot. And so I want people to be like, I want CJ Perry to manage me, I would rather do that than try to become champion or fight whatever for championships, and be the best hustler for those people to be champions, and create a legacy and a name that way. I just feel that’s my calling. So if at some point I gotta like fight some bitches in the ring, of course, I’ll fight some bitches in the ring.”

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