WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR:
AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
AEW = Every match on offer this week was of a very high quality, which made this week's episode of Dynamite feel stacked. The opening match was yet another example of AEW's strong tag team division, with Kenny Omega and Hangman Page defeating SCU in a frenetic AEW Tag Team Championship match. Omega showed exactly why he is one of the best wrestlers in the world with his strong performance, whilst SCU underlined how talented they are in their own right.
MJF defeated Jungle Boy in a crazy match, with Jungle Boy looking strong in defeat. The victory for MJF was never really in doubt, but he made Jungle Boy look like a credible star. This is something that WWE often struggles to establish, therefore it is great to see AEW build their so called lower stars up. It is also worth noting that the main event of Jon Moxley vs Santana was a fun little match that felt stylistically different from the rest of the show.
NXT = None of the matches on NXT this week rivalled the quality of those on offer on Dynamite, however that is not to say they were bad matches. Dakota Kai vs Candice LeRae was a fun little sprint, with Kai's victory solidifying her threat to Tegan Nox at this weekend's NXT TakeOver: Portland pay-per-view. Bianca Belair also prepared well for the upcoming event by easily defeating Santana Garrett, and although these matches were not exciting, they served their purpose well.
Adam Cole took on a fired up KUSHIDA, with KUSHIDA putting on his best performance since he made his NXT debut. KUSHIDA made fans believe he could win the match, especially when he locked in the Cross Armbreaker, however Cole's overwhelming ability allowed him to wrap up the match in a convincing fashion. This was a better main event than AEW's offering, however AEW had much stronger and entertaining matches overall.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = Britt Baker was interviewed by Tony Schiavone and promptly explained how she actually improved Yuka Sakazaki's health by knocking out her tooth. Baker came across as a really strong heel here, especially as she genuinely believes she is in the right. This was highly effective and made Baker look like a star.
After capturing the AEW Women's Championship, Nyla Rose proceeded to run people down backstage, including Kenny Omega and Britt Baker. This made Rose look even stronger, and perfectly matched her developing monster character.
NXT = Tommaso Ciampa delivered a passionate promo about how he never lost Goldy in the ring, but rather had to vacate her. This was a strong promo as you really felt sympathy for Ciampa, but he looked dangerous in his delivery which increases the anticipation for his match with Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver: Portland.
Bianca Belair delivered a promo after her match with Santana Garrett, noting how Rhea Ripley is still looking past her towards Charlotte Flair. This brought out the NXT Women's Champion, who stated she was actually looking through Belair. This was an effective promo which helped build Belair as a credible challenger to Ripley's title.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Jeff Cobb made his AEW debut to destroy Jon Moxley, which well and truly demonstrated how the odds are stacked against Moxley as he takes on Chris Jericho and Inner Circle. This was both shocking and highly entertaining, with this storyline deservedly earning the highest focus in the company.
Dustin Rhodes declared Jake Hager a failure and asked him to enter the ring to show him what he is made of, however Hager walked away. This was an incredible storyline development as Rhodes looked really strong and valiant, whilst the anticipation for their upcoming match was increased to a level I didn't think was possible. This was really well played out, and I cannot wait to see what is in store next.
NXT = Dakota Kai was attacked by Tegan Nox after her match with Candice LeRae which increased the anticipation for their upcoming match. Both Kai and Nox feel they are better than the other, with Kai feeling justified in her destruction of Nox at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. However, Nox is superbly playing the valiant face in pursuit of revenge, which makes this storyline one of the most exciting in NXT.
Adam Cole and Tommaso Ciampa had a staredown as NXT went off the air, which was an exciting way to build to their titanic collision at NXT TakeOver: Portland. They are arguably 2 of the strongest wrestlers in NXT, and NXT has perfectly built towards Ciampa's quest to reclaim Goldy.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = Dynamite was an amazing show this week, with perhaps the best single week of matches in the brief history of the company. Each match was amazing, surpassing the match quality on offer in NXT.
NXT = NXT was a fantastic show this week, with a good mix of matches and promos. The build to NXT TakeOver: Portland was clear and effective, and I cannot wait to see what happens this Sunday.
WINNER: AEW
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for showcasing Nyla Rose's AEW Women's Championship victory on Dynamite. It reached a larger audience on television, which is great for establishing Rose as a dominant monster.
AEW also gains points for making the tag team division feel important.
AEW loses no points as Dynamite was a near perfect show.
NXT gains points for featuring KUSHIDA in the main event, especially as it was his best performance in an NXT ring. Hopefully this means he will be pushed soon, as he is an incredibly talented wrestler.
NXT loses no points as this was a great show to build anticipation for this weekend's NXT TakeOver: Portland pay-per-view.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+2 / -0) / NXT (+1 / -0)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = AEW
With a score of 4 to 3, AEW wins this week's Wednesday Night War. Both shows were incredible, however the match quality on offer on Dynamite was amazing. NXT built towards this weekend's NXT TakeOver: Portland pay-per-view effectively, but AEW was overall just that little bit better. Welcome to Wednesday nights, the best night of the week for wrestling!
That's my pick for the better show of the week, but how do YOU stand?
Which was better, Dynamite or NXT?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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