Last Wednesday night on AEW Dynamite, we witnessed the first number, one contender, to Cody’s brand spanking new TNT championship.
Following a clean loss to Maxwell Jacob Friedman during an outstanding contest back at the AEW Double or Nothing PPV, Jungle Boy has bounced back with a new zest of momentum.
As promised, we’re to expect Jungle Boy challenging Cody for the TNT title this coming Wednesday, in what should be another stellar encounter. There’s next to no doubt that both performers are capable of crafting a truly captivating wrestling match. The champion certainly has an experience advantage, but the challenger isn’t to be taken lightly.
Both competitors are quick, possess great technical prowess, and even on a stature point of view, fairly evenly matched. With Cody taking the height advantage but not by far. This feels like a classic case of experience versus youth, and in these instances, it can go either way.
It may seem farfetched for a title change to happen so soon, after seeing the recent events unfold on AEW and where their emphasis has been directed towards. The whole premise of introducing the new TNT title involved a lengthy tournament that became embroider in a feud with Lance Archer.
I do believe there’s a strong case to have Jungle Boy gain what some may describe as an upset victory. There are three reasons too this theory, with a hint of speculation added in for good motion. Speculation that may come to fruition, as the seeds appear to be planted for a significant character change to develop from this.
In a nutshell, the belief is there’s more for AEW to work by having a title change at this juncture rather than not.
So let’s delve right and examine these three areas, shall we?
Cody to the dark side
Off the cuff, there’s been stirs among fans that emanated from Cody’s historical responses when questions of revolving around the introduction of a secondary title were directed towards him. He publicly answered by commenting that such an idea wouldn’t be a benefit. The fans persisted and eventually, an announcement was made that a new championship would land on AEW.
Shortly after this announcement, we see Cody ascend through the tournament and become the inaugural champion. He wants to be a fighting champion, just like his legendary father, the great Dusty Rhodes. Straight out of the gate, the TNT championship already feels credible, with a great talent holding it. It’s clear that he’s literally living his own dream.
On the other hand, dreams don’t last forever. In fact, reality can throw plenty of curve-balls along the way that can even change a person. Beneath the finely dressed, well-spoken, and modest demeanor, lies an obnoxious heel waiting for a triggering point. And a damn good heel at that.
Upon capturing the gold, Cody is making bold statements, he’s relishing in his own greatness. If you alter your perspective, those are hellish tendencies buried beneath it all. That’s not even counting his debatably hypocritical stance on bringing the belt into the promotion either.
This man has been starved of championship glory, after permanently taking himself out of the world title picture. The TNT champions confidence level is at an all-new high, he’s relishing this attention. Who’s to say that won’t be a disadvantage? What happens if he’s bested by a younger athlete, who’ll compromise his vision for the belt that ‘he’ wants to build a legacy with?
Well, Cody could become desperate to reclaim that opportunity, perhaps to a fault. By failing to win back the championship, his role of being executive vice president may force Jungle Boy into a fair few sticky situations. This can spell a classic abuse of authority angle, that surrounds the unjust punishment of perhaps the most sympathetic baby-face in the whole promotion, Jungle Boy.
That being said, there’s an ugly side to Cody, one we’re itching to see brought out to the surface. His promo work cuts straight to the bone, he’s passionate and when these traits are used for evil, it works wonders for creating a compelling story.
A hint of a turn showing jealous or resentful attitude against Jungle Boy would go a long way with future booking ideas, as well as develop Cody’s character with an air of caution that will keep the fans guessing when or how it will escalate.
How to build a star
As stated in the previous slide, I described Jungle Boy as a sympathetic figure. Each win keeps him edging up the ladder, yet a loss doesn’t keep his image down for too long. He has easily grown to become the stand out attraction from the Jurassic Express group.
Their unity has served as an ideal vehicle for demonstrating his talents to a global audience, without the lack of star-power becoming a problem in the early goings.
Is the booking behind Jungle Boy flawless? Hardly, but AEW hasn’t done him an injustice either. They’ve made a conscious effort to elevate his persona and build a perseverant image and it blends with his performances incredibly well.
At 22 years-of-age, it’s impressive to see how Jungle Boy seamlessly blends into the roster. He doesn’t look green, out of place, and always puts a tonne of energy into the present moment. By earning a title shot at the TNT championship last week, the opportunity to face Cody feels like a testament to his efforts.
To build a star, we need the audience’s attention fixated. For that to occur, memorable moments need to be carved into a wrester’s career. The question must arise, who would benefit the most out of Cody or Jungle Boy winning this coming Wednesday?
Jungle Boy has everything to gain, while Cody actually has very little to lose. The champion and challenger are at two entirely separate stages in their respective careers and standings in the company. Cody will always be regarded as a top guy, inside and outside the ring. Whether the long term plan is a lengthy reign, I think AEW can afford a sudden interval or break up of this plan.
AEW has a homegrown talent in Jungle Boy. Giving him the spotlight and capture the TNT championship unexpectedly, that will provide a memorable moment and serve as an investment into his and the company’s future.
He doesn’t need to hold it for a substantial amount of time, however, people are bound to be more engaged with him defending it against anybody. Which brings us to our third and final point.
Spontaneity
When looking back on recent weeks, especially surrounding the TNT championship, it all progressed in a rather predictable fashion. The tournament itself featured a rivalry, that led to Cody taking on his nemesis Lance Archer. It was all wrapped up in a nice bundle but did not seem all that exciting.
Following on from this, Cody has announced he’ll defend the TNT championship on a weekly basis. Not only that wrestlers outside of AEW are welcome to challenge for it. On paper that sounds great. They’re both solid ideas that help distinguish it from the world title.
On the other hand, these announcements do give a predictable picture of the foreseeable future. This undoubtedly gives a vibe that Cody isn’t expected to lose any time soon. We’ve seen a number of similar instances where this has occurred in other promotions. Then again, is that what AEW and Cody want you to believe?
It must be said, I find Cody has an excellent mind for the wrestling business. That doesn’t mean to say he’s always right, although his finger does seem firmly on the pulse in delivering on what fans will appreciate watching the most.
The possibility of swerving the viewers into a false sense of security can be smoothly executed by the fact they’ve led expectation away from Jungle Boy, focussing primarily on the champion in regards to the future plans.
By having Jungle Boy plunged into the mix, every defense from that point becomes a topic of added speculation. The impending defeat would be felt seconds away when fighting every challenger that came his way. A vibe that will truly engage the audience and rally supporters in Jungle Boy’s corner each week.
The majority of people watching AEW Dynamite this Wednesday are going to be counting Jungle Boy out. He doesn’t look like he should win. The scene doesn’t appear to be set, there’s no juicy gossip or speculation that teases otherwise. That makes this a fantastic time to strike. To stir Dynamite up and reintroduce a key ingredient: spontaneity.
Everyone can expect a solid match, no question there, just be wary to expect the unexpected. Because once it’s all said and done, a new TNT champion could be crowned, a significant milestone for an up and coming star on route to a decorated career ahead of him.