After taking care of business against Team Filthy in the opening match of New Japan Pro Wrestling Battle in the Valley, “Shooter” Shota Umino was ready to go to the back to celebrate alongside his teammates Jacob Fatu and Fred Rosser but was cruelly interrupted when out of nowhere, the man formerly known as Jungle Boy, Jack Perry, made his shocking return to professional wrestling in San Jose, California, jumping Jon Moxley's protege and beating the bricks off of him in front of a shocked crowd.

And the best part? After dispatching Umino, Perry took out his AEW contract and tore it up, declaring himself the “Scapegoat” for the All In brawl with CM Punk that resulted in the “Best in the World” being fired by the promotion with cause.

Goodness, between the running knee, the beard, and the torn-up contract, it's safe to say NJPW Strong has rapidly become the show to watch on this particular Saturday night, which, considering Battle of the Belts IX and Hard to Kill are also on, is saying something.

What does this mean? Is Jack Perry officially done with AEW? Is New Japan risking its relationship with AEW in favor of some short-term pop by booking the former Jungle Boy? Or is this all on the up-and-up behind the scenes, with TK working out this return alongside Rocky Romero, Gedo, NJPW, and Perry himself? Only time will tell, but after over four months away, it's clear Perry still has things he wants to accomplish in the squared circle, and no one, not even Khan, is going to stop him from doing just that.

Eric Bischoff wanted to see Jack Perry fired from AEW in September.

When news broke that both CM Punk and Jack Perry were going to be indefinitely suspended as AEW's disciplinary team attempted to figure out how punishments for the duo's actions at All In 2023, it was understandable that the “Second City Saint” would garner all of the headlines.

Some wanted to see him fired, others, like Jim Cornette, felt he did nothing wrong, and others still felt that it was Perry, not Punk, who deserved the harshest discipline, as none of this would have happened without his “cry me a river” comments on the pre-show.

Discussing the matter on his 83 Weeks podcast shortly after Punk's firing, Eric Bischoff let it be known that, in his opinion, AEW would have bene wise to simply cut the former Jungle Boy loose instead of formulating some future return plan, as he simply wasn't a big enough star to justify extensive rehabilitation.

“Just cut the guy loose. First of all, you're talking about a thimbleful of talent, to begin with. He's really only there because his dad [Luke Perry] was a soap opera star — that's it. Otherwise, he's making $200 a night on the indie circuit somewhere,” Eric Bischoff said via TJR.

“This guy is not a star, he'll never be a star. By virtue of the fact that he thinks using real glass is going to get him heat, [it] should tell you everything you need to know about his potential. He doesn't understand the very fundamentals of the business.”

Turning his attention to Khan's place in the “Brawl In,” Bischoff let it be known that he actually felt sorry for Khan in the situation, as he'd never had to deal with such a contentious situation in any of his other ventures. While it would be hard to say goodbye to both members of the fight, in the opinion of Bischoff, it felt like the easiest way to ensure a clean break.

“These are things that can all be addressed and be fixed, but not if you're constantly inhaling bad air,” Bischoff noted. “Just wipe this thing clean, chalk it up as a learning experience. It is a learning experience because I have empathy for Tony — he's learning on the job.”

So, with Jungle Boy now in New Japan Pro Wrestling – at least physically speaking – did Bischoff get his wish? Did Tony Khan fire his former tag team champion instead of finding a way to eventually bring him back as part of the Adam Copeland-Christian Cage storyline? Or is this all part of a bigger cross-promotional storyline? Well, while fans don't yet know, considering TK spent a night live-tweeting Wrestle Kingdom 18, he's certainly aware of what happened and will likely have some sort of comment on the situation in the future, be that a Jinder Mahal-esque social media smear or at the Revolution 2024 press conference.