Jack Perry’s transformation into “The Scapegoat” has defined his recent run in AEW, and he recently revealed that the concept originated from a private conversation with Chris Jericho.
During an appearance on the Battlegrounds podcast, Perry detailed the period following the incident at All In. He stated that Jericho reached out to check on his status during the fallout from the event. According to Perry, the inaugural AEW World Champion specifically used the term that would become Perry’s new moniker during their text exchange.
“I was texting Chris Jericho actually and he was sort of checking in on me during that time and he was saying, ‘How’s it going, man?’ And I said, ‘It’s actually really not good.’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, it sucks, man. They’re making you the Scapegoat for the whole thing.’ And as soon as I saw that, I was like, ‘That is cool. I like that.’”
Following that period, Perry underwent a significant presentation shift. He dropped his previous “Jungle Boy” persona to become a heel for the first time in his career. He officially returned to AEW programming in April 2024, fully adopting The Scapegoat identity forged from that interaction with Jericho.
While his creative influence remains present on-screen through Perry, Jericho himself has not appeared on AEW television since April. Regarding his status, AEW President Tony Khan recently told the Torg and Elliott show that he wants Jericho back in the company, instructing fans to “stay tuned” for his return.