T. J. PERKINS

I didn't want wrestling anymore; I wanted to not want it. But I couldn't get a job anywhere, which was part of the reason I was homeless. I couldn't get a job pumping gas. I couldn't get a job working at a warehouse, I couldn't get a job at Baskin Robbins, I couldn't get a job anywhere.

When I was maybe 22, 23 years old or so, I was sort of floating in between New Japan, Ring of Honor, TNA - not really committed to one place.

I grew up on WWE. Eddie Guerrero is my everything. He's my hero, as are Shawn Michaels and Tiger Mask. I tried to model myself after them.

I've done stuff in the past and followed in the footsteps of my heroes, and each time, it felt a little bit surreal.

I've been hit in the head a lot, but I don't think I have any problems, but I can't, for the life of me, remember a lot of my road stories and good times. When times are bad enough, that's all you can ever think about.

I got thrust into some great things when I was really young.

At the Cruiserweight Classic finale, I said... I don't know if people had looked it up, or if they had heard it before, but it was an old Zen proverb. 'Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, you chop wood, carry water.' It can be interpreted a lot of ways, but for the most part it's about staying in the moment.

I try to take each moment at a time.

It's really exciting to be able to represent the cruiserweights and go to Monday Night Raw. I grew up watching Monday Night Raw, and it's really a big dream of mine to perform on that stage.

I went to Japan and I lived there. I lived in Mexico for a year. I went to Europe. I lived in Canada.

I didn't want wrestling anymore; I wanted to not want it. But I couldn't get a job anywhere, which was part of the reason I was homeless. I couldn't get a job pumping gas. I couldn't get a job working at a warehouse, I couldn't get a job at Baskin Robbins, I couldn't get a job anywhere.

When I was maybe 22, 23 years old or so, I was sort of floating in between New Japan, Ring of Honor, TNA - not really committed to one place.

I got to do a lot of good things at a young age. I really kind of knocked out my bucket list when I was really young.

Things will come and go, and your life will go on, but you don't want to get too ahead of yourself.

I sort of approach wrestling the way Johnny Depp approaches movies. I don't really care necessarily what I'm portraying.

I grew up watching Super J-Cup tournaments and things like that, and those were pretty cool.

Lucha libre culture was part of my wrestling upbringing. I'm Filipino, so it wasn't a part of my normal upbringing, but it's what gave me my start. I get a lot of my technical and high-flying wrestling from that.

I try to take each moment at a time.

I could program the VCR when I was really young.

It's really exciting to be able to represent the cruiserweights and go to Monday Night Raw. I grew up watching Monday Night Raw, and it's really a big dream of mine to perform on that stage.

I went to Japan and I lived there. I lived in Mexico for a year. I went to Europe. I lived in Canada.

I grew up on WWE. Eddie Guerrero is my everything. He's my hero, as are Shawn Michaels and Tiger Mask. I tried to model myself after them.

So much of what I do has been based off of my heroes and guys I've watched come up.

I'd really like to go back to New Japan because it feels like home, and I love that place so much.

Rich Swann is probably the only guy who's more charismatic among this whole bunch than me, and I think it showed in our match.

Part of the reason why Kobe Bryant is such a big inspiration to me is because he was shipped off to the Lakers right out of high school. He went from English class to the Great Western Forum.

I grew up kind of self-supported, that kind of environment, because my parents both worked for airlines.

I've been hit in the head a lot, but I don't think I have any problems, but I can't, for the life of me, remember a lot of my road stories and good times. When times are bad enough, that's all you can ever think about.

I got thrust into some great things when I was really young.

I've done stuff in the past and followed in the footsteps of my heroes, and each time, it felt a little bit surreal.

At the Cruiserweight Classic finale, I said... I don't know if people had looked it up, or if they had heard it before, but it was an old Zen proverb. 'Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, you chop wood, carry water.' It can be interpreted a lot of ways, but for the most part it's about staying in the moment.

I was an all-sport athlete growing up. My dad, I think, hoped I would go to college on a scholarship.

Gran Metalik was a student in CMLL when I was there as a teenager, and I was in main events and big time matches, so I used to see him in the gym all the time.

A lot of the ups and downs for me, especially the downs, I feel like it came in a lot of indirect ways because I didn't appreciate what I had.