9 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Jan 27)

1. Starring Dax Harwood As Ole Anderson

The hype was real for Dax Harwood vs. Jungle Boy, with the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, WrestleTalk's Louis Dangoor, and others reporting on the pretaped bout's supposed quality before it aired, citing internal sources. They were right: this thing ruled.

Harwood vs. Jungle Boy was the kind of bout you could slot into any era of wrestling from the 1970s onwards and it would be right at home. This was timeless, classic pro wrestling with a layout that will never stop being effective, featuring a grinding heel performance from the FTR man, great underdoggery from his opponent, and targeted limb work that paid off with the finish. The kind of bout that rewards you for paying attention, with small details carried through the entirety of the bout.

Dax wrestled like his surname was Anderson. His control period largely focused on him trying to sandpaper Jungle Boy's facial features off his skull, and he worked like a true ring general, controlling the pace, closing angles, and working around his weakened left arm, not through it. Harwood may have won if not for that arm, in fact. Unfortunately for him, Jungle Boy's targeted comebacks damaged the limb to the point that the FTR man had no choice but to tap when the finishing submission was applied, making this not only a spirited JB performance, but a smart one as well.

The feud will continue, as the unshackled Cash Wheeler and Tully Blanchard helped Harwood cuff Luchasaurus to the ropes afterwards, cutting the horns off his mask. Marko Stunt, SoCal Uncensored, and Top Flight made the save before they could chop Jungle Boy's mane.

Great stuff. Rich in psychology, storytelling, and everything that makes pro wrestling awesome, Harwood and Jungle Boy crafted the most rewarding AEW match of 2021 so far.