5 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dynamite (June 28 - Review)
3. We Heard From Jungle Boy Jack Perry...
...and we might need a while to come to terms with it.
First, the positives; Perry aping the appearance of Christian Cage when he explained his own heel turn was a very nice aesthetic touch. Detailed enough to make first responders feel smart but broad enough for everybody to spot, this builds investment from all corners of the audience. Referring to Hamilton as "Toronto" felt like an accident but it got great heat as he barrelled on with his point, and when he ran for the hills away from Hook it was as if he wasn't going to stop until the car he dove into had crossed back over the US border.
And more's the point, who was driving the car?
The meat of the segment was weak, though. Too weak. He's a sunglasses-inside sex haver, and it's all our fault that he's...happier now? He buried the FTW Title while trying to pepper in his aspirations to win it. He's not letting people here Baltimora's Tarzan Boy anymore, even though when there was a connection with the fans it was forged in iron by that. What are we doing here? Who knows or cares - that's the insta-heel tropey fare that has plagued television wrestling forever.
The character and company have earned their let-it-play-out privileges, but this wasn't the strongest start.