For a while, fans had been expecting “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry to make a heel turn. His increasingly aggressive match work and some of his promos hinted at the classic change of attitude that he was about to bring to AEW programming.
That, of course, culminated at Forbidden Door, when Perry attacked Hook after losing an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match to Sanada.
With Jungle Boy’s heel turn will apparently come a change in presentation for him, according to a report from Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended).
Since 2021, Baltimore’s “Tarzan Boy” has been Perry’s theme song, getting the crowd to wave their arms while the music plays. Now that he’s no longer a babyface, AEW logically plans to change the song. However, there is no word yet on what Perry’s new song will be or when AEW will introduce it.
While not mentioned in the report, perhaps it’s time for Perry to switch things up with a change of look. A heel turn after four years as a babyface could open the door for a new hairstyle or gear if he and AEW decide to do so. Perry has kept largely the same look throughout his time with the company, so now might be the perfect time for a change to solidify his new status.
Perry and Hook look set to feud into the summer as AEW’s All In and All Out shows approach. A program culminating at All In, at Wembley Stadium, could amplify Perry’s change in attitude and give Hook his biggest platform since joining the company.
It will be intriguing to see how Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite and subsequent shows kick off this new era for Perry and whatever other alterations AEW has in store. There could be a steady unveiling of Perry’s new music and other changes, but either way, it’s a much-needed transformation for a character who has been largely unchanged for the past four years.