13 Match Star Ratings For AEW Full Gear 2022

10. Luchasaurus Vs. 'Jungle Boy' Jack Perry - Steel Cage Match

Jungle Boy Jack Perry
AEW

There's little more rewarding in the experience of wrestling fandom than the feeling that a talent is entering a performance through which they'll be remembered - and this was the case with Jungle Boy Jack Perry here.

Luchasaurus was excellent too, but he selflessly provided the base from which Perry ascended. He monstered and bloodied Perry early, finally resonating as a beast more than the somewhat cartoonish Christian Cage substitute he had felt like in the wider storyline. Mercifully, the decision to open the cage door and have the action sprawl to the outside served only as brief excuse to pay tribute to the original Hell In A Cell match, and while this clash couldn't compare to the Undertaker's terrifying, best-ever individual performance, it was different elsewhere.

This was a classic babyface triumph modernised without detracting from the emotion of the story. The various high spots never felt like Perry was getting his sh*t in because, in a towering performance, it was difficult for Perry to get his sh*t in.

In the best spot of the match, one that encapsulated the story, Perry only managed to hit the vaulting Canadian destroyer after Luchasaurus had set up a chair with the intention of slamming him through it. AEW booked that heat angle to build and make sense of this electrifying spot. Perry didn't attempt a risky, crowd-popping strategy; he used it as an alert means of surviving. Fantastic storytelling.

The big splash from the cage will be remembered as Perry's big highlight moment, but that sequence was masterful.

Star Rating: ★★★★½

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!