13 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (Jun 3)

2. Jungle Boy Gets Elevated In Defeat

The TNT Championship match continued Cody's long-standing recording of elevating up-and-coming wrestlers in defeat, with Jungle Boy taking his place alongside Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, and Joey Janela, as 'The American Nightmare' becomes quite the star-maker.

This main event was fierce and competitive. Both men worked hard and fast with Jungle Boy taking the early shine before Cody started wearing him down, grounding the more exuberant man with holds. The momentum gap was widened during the commercial before Cody took a heavy hit when Jack Perry shoved him into a well. Was the blade job necessary? Probably not, but it gave Jungle Boy something to attack when they got back inside, allowing him to show a mean streak in what was the biggest singles match of his career.

Both competitive tumbled from the top rope and through a table on the outside in the bout's biggest spot, with Jungle Boy taking the worst of it. Inside, a whipping Cross Rhodes scored the victory.

Jungle Boy looked very, very good here. He gave 'The Nightmare' a spirited, tough fight, and was undone by a big bump and an extra spicy version of Cody's finisher, with Tony Schiavone putting it over like the Jurassic Express man had levelled up - and he had.