WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR:
AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
AEW = Dynamite featured Cody’s latest weekly challenge for the AEW TNT Championship, with Ricky Starks taking up the opportunity for himself. Their match was a fabulous encounter that allowed Starks to ingratiate himself with AEW fans, and whilst he did not win the match, he was elevated by Cody.
Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara vs Best Friends was a solid match to cap a great AEW show, with Best Friends stealing what could be considered an upset victory over the Inner Circle members. The action was exciting and off the hook, which is exactly what AEW has become famous for.
NXT = There was an added focus on women’s wrestling this week, with Bayley and Sasha Banks defending the Women’s Tag Team Championship against Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart. Despite the Herculean efforts of the NXT regulars, they were ultimately unable to dethrone Bayley and Banks. The match was exciting and fun to watch, with everyone involved underlining just how talented they are.
Imperium also defended their NXT Tag Team Championship against Breezango in yet another quality match, and likewise with the women’s match, the Champions were able to retain their titles. This match reminded fans just how talented Breezango are, whilst reinforcing how intimidating Imperium are. They may be missing the Ring General, but Imperium continue to put on top calibre matches in NXT.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = Dynamite was short on promos this week, however Taz once again excelled on the microphone as he ran down Jon Moxley. He is a great mouthpiece for Brian Cage, and he once again knocked it out of the park this week.
NXT = Adam Cole delivered a great promo to underline his dominance in NXT, setting up a Champion vs Champion match on the July 8 episode of NXT. Cole has a talent for gripping you with his promos, as he sounds believable with every single word he utters. This was a solid promo to reinforce just why he is the longest reigning NXT Champion.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Dynamite advanced a few storylines this week, setting up Chris Jericho vs Orange Cassidy for Fyter Fest and notably keeping Britt Baker relevant by including her on commentary. Jon Moxley vs Brian Cage was also developed further via Taz’s promo, whilst Cody questioned his position in The Elite due to the apparent lack of visibility from the rest of the members.
NXT = Storylines were suitably advanced on NXT this week, with multiple wrestlers clamouring for a shot at both the NXT North American Championship and NXT Championship, which highlighted the importance of both titles.
Io Shirai also made time to take out Bayley and Sasha Banks to end the show, which suggests their brief visit to NXT may be extended by a few weeks. It was intriguing to see, and I cannot wait to see if a feud develops between these women.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = Dynamite was an exciting show to watch. The pacing was great, whilst the match content was interesting and entertaining.
NXT = NXT was a fun and gripping show, with the show never once feeling rushed. The pacing was solid, whilst the match content was better than recent weeks.
WINNER: AEW
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for continuing to book Britt Baker as an over the top heel despite her injury. It is important she remains visible in order to keep her strong for an eventual match with Hikaru Shida.
AEW also gains points for making Orange Cassidy feel important. Yes, he was doing well as a comedy character, but it finally feels like he could break out even more through his feud with Chris Jericho.
AEW loses points for continuing to use Billy Gunn as an in ring competitor. He is past it, and there is no way in hell that MJF should be wrestling for nearly 10 minutes before securing the victory.
NXT gains points for Roderick Strong’s therapy session. It was so camp and hilarious that I couldn’t stop laughing.
NXT also gains points for continuing to build up Dakota Kai. She has been one of the most underrated wrestlers in the women’s division, therefore having her succeed again sets her up perfectly for a future shot at the NXT Women’s Championship.
NXT loses points for continuing to feel directionless with Aliyah. It is unclear what her role in NXT is, as every single match she has is poor and inconsequential to the rest of the show.
NXT also loses points for the Robert Stone storyline. He’s a joke at this point, and unless he is able to convince Rhea Ripley that she desperately needs him, I struggle to see how he can reclaim his relevance.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+2 / -1) / NXT (+2 / -2)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = AEW
With a score of 3 to 2, AEW wins this week’s Wednesday Night War. Despite the fact that both shows were high quality, Dynamite felt more entertaining overall. NXT’s storyline development is currently better than AEW’s, but the match quality on Dynamite is much better.
Once again, it is a delight to be able to experience both shows and be so thoroughly entertained. Keep it up, guys and gals!
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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