8 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts (29 Jun)

4. Christian Cuts Jungle Boy To Pieces

"Dark" Luchasaurus, as a concept, threatens to get a little hokey, but we're not there yet. That a man as slick-tongued as Christian Cage could manipulate the big lad into turning on Jungle Boy is believable, particularly after a failure as crushing as the World Tag Team Title loss, when both Jurassic Express members are mentally vulnerable.

Could it have used a little more time on the stove? Absolutely. Luchasaurus deliberating for at least another week or two following Cage's incendiary heel promo would've added additional heft.

This remains an area of improvement for AEW's stories and angles across the board.

Nonetheless, Cage's second big promo on Jungle Boy and his family, in which the only apology he gave was to say sorry that the prospect's entire family wasn't dead (except his mother), was tremendous. Few wrestlers are as loathsome and despicable as a locked-in, heel Christian. Following this was a note-perfect Luchasaurus squash of Serpentico, who was terrified by the big man's mere presence and put down by Jungle Boy's Snare Trap combined with a nerve hold.

Cage has often delivered great work when shielded by a gigantic, domineering opponent, and Luchasaurus is a better wrestler than Travis Tomko was. This new duo should be allowed to be complete pricks together for at least a month before Jungle Boy returns heroically.