7 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Dec 18)

4. Reasonable Criticism: Answered

AEW has drawn reasonable criticism for introducing characters cold, and failing to put over the stakes and machinations behind featured, built TV programmes. The most recent example saw the company not air MJF's recent promo, in which he explained that he bought the services of the Butcher, the Blade and the Bunny to torment Cody.

Ahead of Jungle Boy's 10 minute showdown with Le Champion, AEW screened a short training vignette, that drew raves on social media, on Dynamite. They didn't rely on the core base to seek it out because it's either lazy, or it doesn't do enough to pull in the TNT audience, or both. That vignette was basic but very effective and very artfully done; as Jungle Boy lifted weights and ran the distance, Jericho's delightfully nasty promo from a few weeks back - "I think you're a piece of sh*t" - raced through his mind. This put over the idea that the match had consumed him, which in turn put over its importance.

AEW supplemented it by fleshing out Jungle Boy's character and backstory via sit-down interview with Jim Ross, which wasn't as powerful, but it did the job: this is a sympathetic act to get behind and believe in, and he is intent on repaying that faith.