WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR:
AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
AEW = AEW had an inconsistent week in relation to the quality of their matches, however the strongest match of the show was Lance Archer vs Colt Cabana. This was a quarter-final match in the AEW TNT Championship tournament, with Archer looking dominant as he strides into the semi-finals with serious momentum.
Jon Moxley defended his AEW World Championship against Jake Hager, however the empty arena match was a long and drawn out mess. Unlike the cinematic approach of WWE, AEW used a more realistic presentation for the match, but it came off poorly. The match went far too long, highlighting the inherent flaws that Hager possesses.
NXT = Aside from the 3 squash matches which didn’t really do much for the show, the matches on NXT were fun and entertaining. Finn Balor vs Fabian Aichner was extremely well thought out, with Balor looking strong and determined.
The main event of Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher vs Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong was incredible, with Thatcher coming across as a true star. All 4 men worked hard to put on a good match, and they truly succeeded in capping off this week’s show in the best possible way.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = Jake Roberts opened the show with a smart promo, championing Lance Archer as the one wrestler who should win the AEW TNT Championship. This was a great promo to remind fans of the immense promo skills that Roberts possesses, whilst providing Archer with a sense of validation.
NXT = Velveteen Dream unleashed a passionate promo on Adam Cole, which once again criticised Cole for choosing to play video games instead of appearing on NXT. This brought out Finn Balor to challenge Dream to a match next week, which made the promo feel more impactful.
El Hijo del Fantasma was introduced to fans in a well produced vignette to set him up as a dark horse to become NXT Cruiserweight Champion. It was effective in garnering interest for his debut next week.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Dynamite didn’t have a great focus on storylines this week, with a greater focus on matches. Chris Jericho continues to commentate on matches, which is entertaining and could lead to an interesting angle next week.
NXT = Killer Kross made his debut at the end of NXT this week, taking out Tommaso Ciampa in a brutal fashion. Ciampa will seemingly be Kross’ first feud in NXT, which should ensure he can get over well with NXT fans. As this also marked the end of Ciampa’s feud with Johnny Gargano, it will be interesting to see what Gargano does next.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = AEW wasn’t a terrible show, however it was greatly affected by a poor main event. The bloated match brought down the rest of the show.
NXT = NXT was a good show this week, with an increased focus on promos and more impactful matches. It wasn’t perfect, but it was entertaining.
WINNER: NXT
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for using Jake Roberts to endorse Lance Archer. This is the validation Archer requires in order to propel himself into the main event scene.
AEW also gains points for using Orange Cassidy well in comedic moments. The show doesn’t always need to be serious, and some of the most entertaining moments on Dynamite tend to be Cassidy related.
AEW loses points for giving the main event more than 30 minutes. It exposed how bad Jake Hager is in longer matches, whilst making the rest of the show feel worse by association.
NXT gains points for debuting Killer Kross in such a memorable fashion.
NXT also gains points for continuing to highlight storylines in an effective manner, even when some of the wrestlers involved remain at home or even in another country.
NXT loses points for featuring a Raquel Gonzalez loss. In order for Dakota Kai to remain dangerous, her x-factor also needs to be dangerous.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+2 / -1) / NXT (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = NXT
With a score of 4 to 2, NXT edges this week’s Wednesday Night War. Both shows were good, however Dynamite was let down by a bloated and uninspiring main event. NXT was more consistent, but both shows were a clear step below the high level of entertainment that fans are used to.
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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