8 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (6 July)

Downs...

3. Messy In Construction, Not In Content

Habitual line-stepper Christian Cage attempted to take aim at Jungle Boy again last night, though Matt Hardy interrupted him and Luchasaurus before the duo could unpack the previous week's turn.

A messy segment then unfolded. Hardy called Cage "the Michael Jordan of being an *sshle", standing up for Jungle Boy, whom he has "gotten to know well" over the past few months, having previously feuded with the prospect and Jurassic Express. Matt could see Christian's motivations in using Luchasaurus to make as much money as possible to sustain his final few years in the business, having lived this himself with the Hardy Family Office, but was headbutted to the shadow realm and put through the timekeeper's table after a typically cutting Cage response.

The references to Jeff Hardy's recent struggles could have been left on the cutting room floor. Cheap heat done well is still effective, and Cage is a master of this domain, but claiming that Matt was making his brother "sound like the sober one" was rough. It's not quite comparable to building an entire storyline around an intoxicated Jeff mowing Sheamus down, urine samples and all, though.

But it was the segment's construction, not the content, that was the real issue. Matt Hardy was unconvincing in establishing Jungle Boy as somebody he now wants to stand up for after feuding with him for so long. Similarly, his continued attempts at interrupting and speaking of Christian hampered the segment's flow, leading to an unsatisfying conclusion. Going through the timekeeper's table is the AEW equivalent of a spear through the barricade in WWE - we see it almost every week at this stage.