WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR:
AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
AEW = Cody vs Shawn Spears was a thrilling match, with Cody advancing in the AEW TNT Championship tournament. Their contest was compelling, with both men looking dominant. Cody winning was the right decision, whilst the finish of a pinfall from a Figure Four was a creative finish we don't often see.
Hikaru Shida defeated Britt Baker in a fabulous match, with Shida once again underlining how talented she is as a wrestler. Baker was also able to reaffirm how talented she is, with AEW’s women’s division continuing to go from strength to strength.
NXT = The ladder match to determine the number 1 contender to Charlotte Flair’s NXT Women’s Championship was an entertaining contest, however it was lacking in true drama. Io Shirai vs Flair is a true dream match, however only Shirai and Dakota Kai were realistic options for the win.
The cinematic approach to Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa fell flat, especially when compared to the cinematic matches we were treated to at WrestleMania 36. It went too long and didn’t feel like the feud ender it should have been.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = Brodie Lee questioned why his servants were dressed in such poor clothes, with Lee clarifying why they need to look better. The eloquent speech delivered by Lee was perfect, as his Exalted One character feels far removed from his WWE persona.
NXT = Finn Balor delivered a passionate promo to inform WALTER how he is on borrowed time, as he is coming to claim the NXT United Kingdom Championship. This was short, sweet, but oh so effective.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Matt Hardy challenged Chris Jericho to an elite deletion match, which is a tantalising prospect. Jericho continues to hype his feud with Hardy in such a way that Hardy feels more dangerous and important than he should perhaps be. Jericho in his current age is an incredible performer, and he alone has made this storyline feel important. Hardy adds to this, which makes for one hell of a storyline to proceed with.
NXT = Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa ended the latest chapter of their rivalry, with Gargano winning to come out on top. Their feud has been the highlight of NXT over the past few years, but it is now time to go in a different direction. It is also unclear if Candice LeRae is now a heel, or if her actions can be justified in isolation.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = AEW Dynamite was a delight to watch, with compelling matches and promos on offer. The AEW TNT Championship tournament is exciting, which adds to the excitement of each show.
NXT = NXT wasn’t a great show, as the overly complicated main event took away from the show. The show wasn’t flat out bad, but it died a slow death after the women’s ladder match.
WINNER: AEW
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for making the AEW TNT Championship tournament feel important.
AEW also gains points for Hikaru Shida continuing her great form, whilst also elevating Britt Baker to her best match yet in AEW.
AEW gains yet more points for the enjoyable commentary from Chris Jericho, which genuinely made the show feel more entertaining.
AEW loses no points as the show was faultless.
NXT gains points for a strongly booked ladder match.
NXT loses points for the misguided notion that Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa needed to be a long epic. Sometimes, less is more.
NXT doesn’t lose points for making the in ring debut of Rinku and Saurav feel underwhelming, as they didn’t have the right opponents to put them over. The reason I am not taking points away for this is that I am giving them the benefit of the doubt, as it is clear there is real potential hidden within the team.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+3 / -0) / NXT (+1 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = AEW
With a score of 6 to 1, AEW wins this week’s Wednesday Night War. Dynamite was a quality show this week, whereas NXT felt underwhelming. Half of NXT was dedicated to a convoluted cinematic match which never truly connected with fans, whilst AEW was able to offer better quality matches and storylines.
Hopefully NXT will improve next week, as Dynamite continues to be the premier wrestling show on a Wednesday Night. I love both shows, but unfortunately, NXT feels lacking in overall consistency.
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!
0 comments: