Examining T.J. Perkins' Direction, Upside and Long-Term Potential

T.J. Perkins is a graceful bird among a flock of graceful birds. Whether it be via his backstory or performances in prime-time matches, the high-flyer will have to find a way to stand out from the rest of the stacked WWE cruiserweight division.

The Los Angeles native is a skilled in-ring performer, a wrestler who defies gravity with little effort and a man who has been toiling between the ropes since he was a teenager.

After wrestling for TNA, in Mexico or in armories and community centers to sparse crowds around the country, Perkins earned himself the opportunity of a lifetime. WWE named him as one of the 32 wrestlers in the inaugural Cruiserweight Classic tournament in the summer.

He flourished against each of his opponents, dabbing and dancing along the way. 

Many expected a bigger name such as Kota Ibushi or Zack Sabre Jr. to win the event, but WWE instead went with Perkins. The victory netted him the resurrected Cruiserweight Championship and brighter spotlight.

He has since clashed with veteran Brian Kendrick on Raw and at the recent Clash of Champions pay-per-view while WWE slowly introduced the rest of the cruiserweights who charged on to the Raw plains.

Perkins has been tasked with leading the division as champ.

Early on, WWE has done well to provide Perkins with bells and whistles. His entrance is a vibrant, colorful hat tip to early video games.

The company has talked up his path to stardom, one that saw him go homeless for a stretch. He is in the midst of a feud with a former tag team champ in Kendrick, who is enjoying a career renaissance. 

The pins are all set up for Perkins. He must throw enough strikes to surpass his talented peers or else slide into a background role.

Strengths

Perkins is an eye-catching performer. He's highly athletic, quick and armed with an entertaining in-ring arsenal.

It's clear he has fun while competing too. He beams while in battle and throws in a touch of funk while on the attack.

Add that to his memorable retro entrance, and Perkins has a good number of ways to get fans' attention.

It will be his matches that will most help him make a name for himself, though.

During the CWC, he was one of the most steady showmen. He excelled against Johnny Gargano and Rich Swann. He and Ibushi put on a show-stealer. And in the tourney finale, Perkins and Gran Metalik put on a bout worthy of that stage. 

Praise for Perkins filled the internet throughout the event. Those who didn't know much about him quickly found out he was a clutch performer.

Former WWE head writer Alex Greenfield tweeted that Ibushi vs. Perkins was one of the top clashes of the CWC for him.

He wasn't alone. Perkins made a lot of fans throughout the tournament and will continue to add to his fanbase as WWE gives him more chances to shine.

Obstacles

In between the ropes, Perkins is Superman. Outside of it, he is very much Clark Kent.

Perkins is underwhelming as a talker. He's vanilla on that front. For now, he hasn't shown the larger-than-life quality that is so key to success in the squared circle.

That will make it difficult for him to remain one of the crowded cruiserweight division's best.

Kendrick is more of a master of facial expressions. Tony Nese has the better build. Cedric Alexander is an even better athlete than the champ

On the post-Clash of Champions Raw, the other cruiserweights looked like bigger stars at times. Kendrick killed it in the backstage interview while the crowd was in the process of turning on Perkins. Alexander and Rich Swann teamed up in a fun bout, and Nese looked excellent opposite Perkins in their non-title tilt.

Kyle Fowle of the A.V. Club wrote that Perkins ended up "looking like the least interesting man in the bunch."

It's early, but that has to concern him. WWE is flush with cruiserweight talent. It's not hard to imagine the company anointing someone else the division's king if Perkins can't cut it verbally.

Long-Term Potential

Perkins' trajectory is dependent on how charismatic he can become. He's a likable guy, but he will need to be more than that.

Should things remain as is, with him thriving in the ring but being bland otherwise, his career will look at lot like Juventud Guerrera's. The Juice was a three-time WCW cruiserweight champ. He was often a key part of the division in the '90s but is not remembered as fondly as the best competitors from that span suhc as Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero.

Something along those lines would certainly be a successful career for Perkins, but he's capable of more with growth.

The more well-rounded he gets, the more impact he will make on the division and on Raw as a whole. Should Kendrick bring out more fire in him or should Alexander and Nese drive him to improve, Perkins is capable of moving outside of the cruiserweight world and grabbing a handful of midcard titles.

His history says he will work like hell to get to that point.

Be sure to check out previous editions of this ongoing series:

• Alexa Bliss
• Braun Strowman
• Heath Slater
• Eva Marie