WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR:
AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
AEW = Eddie Kingston made his AEW debut by answering Cody's open challenge for the AEW TNT Championship, proceeding to goad Cody into accepting his request for a no DQ match. The action was off the hook from the moment the bell rang, with Kingston and Cody putting on a suitably brutal match. The brutality was ramped up when Cody took a Powerbomb onto a pile of thumbtacks, which was a great spot to see on television. Cody defeated Kingston with a Figure Four, but Kingston certainly left a mark on his debut.
Jurassic Express took on Chris Jericho and Jake Hager in the main event of Dynamite, with Jurassic Express putting on a great performance against Le Champion. Jungle Boy once again displayed his undoubted talent, whilst Luchasaurus showed he can still go in the ring despite being over 65 million years old. Hager looked surprisingly strong, whilst Jericho worked well to make his opponents look good. The match finish was good as it also protected Jurassic Express.
NXT = Karrion Kross vs Dominik Dijakovic was a tantalising match, with Dijakovic taking the fight Kross in a way that no-one else has done so far on NXT. Kross was rattled by the power offense of Dijakovic, but Kross delved deep into his maniacal box of tricks and took Dijakovic out using the steps. This brought out Keith Lee who begged for Kross to stop, but he secured the victory with a submission to underline the threat he poses to Keith Lee's NXT Championship.
The other standout match on the show was Dexter Lumis vs Killian Dain, which a was a hard hitting and frenetic match. Both men put on a great performance, with Lumis once again showing how much potential he has in NXT. Matches seemed just a tad more consistent in their quality on NXT this week when compared to AEW.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = Jon Moxley delivered a promo in which he revelled at the sound of snapping the tendons and ligaments in Brian Cage's arm at Fight for the Fallen. This was a strong promo as it paints Moxley as a savage beast who enjoys inflicting pain on those who dare to challenge for his AEW World Championship.
Britt Baker once again gave a great promo, this time talking about the conspiracy in AEW that is against her. Her segments are short but sweet, and the rapport she has with Tony Schiavone is classic.
NXT = The video package for Isiah Scott was a strong way to build towards him as a potential future star. He came across well, with no aspect of the package feeling disingenuous.
Keith Lee delivered a strong promo to start the show to explain how he would be relinquishing the NXT North American Championship. This wasn't because he didn't want the title, but rather that he would prefer to give an opportunity to someone else. This was a strong all round promo to give the title the respect it deserves.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Dynamite wasn't a show heavily driven by storylines, which was a shame to see. Jon Moxley and Brian Cage continued their feud, with Taz noting that Cage will never be in a position to tap again, whilst Moxley revelled in the pain he caused Cage last week. The issue is there was no urgency with this feud, and there is not another storyline on the roster that feels important enough to be truly entertaining.
Hangman Adam Page was the subject of an offer from Brodie Lee to join The Dark Order, but he rejected it as he doesn't want to join a cult. This led to him being attacked by most of The Dark Order, only for FTR to come out and ward them off. Kenny Omega eventually came out to even the numbers, but the slow burn storyline of Omega not trusting FTR continues against the backdrop of Omega and Page vs The Dark Order next week for the AEW Tag Team Championship.
NXT = Robert Stone expanded his brand by recruiting Mercedes Martinez, which is potentially the recruitment he needed to validate his brand. It will be interesting to see how this develops over the coming weeks.
Karrion Kross is on a collision course with Keith Lee for the NXT Championship, and this week Kross decimated Dominik Dijakovic to send a very clear message to Lee. Scarlett may carry the feud on the microphone with Lee, but Kross' in ring performances are louder than words. This is only the beginning of their feud, but it is clear we are looking at a great little storyline.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = Dynamite was a solid show this week, featuring an entertaining mix of strong matches and interesting promos. As the first standard episode of Dynamite for three weeks, there was no let up as everyone tried their best to put on a great show. The show was paced well, but it would have benefittted from better storyline progression.
NXT = NXT was a fun show, with no single match or segment coming off poorly. Matches felt more important this week, whilst stars like Karrion Kross and Dexter Lumis shone brightly. The pacing was great, whilst the show was logically booked.
WINNER: NXT
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for Cody taking a Powerbomb on a pile of thumbtacks. That was a spot reserved for a pay-per-view, so to see it on television was quite the shock.
AEW also gains points for The Butcher and The Blade selling steak shots like they were made out of metal. A small touch which was funny to watch.
AEW loses points for the tepid manner in which the Women's Tag Team Tournament: The Deadly Draw was announced. There was little fanfare, and it is doubtful they can get a solid roster of 16 women to make it a tournament worth watching.
NXT gains points for Robert Stone yet again selling the tank attack like a boss. He is by far the funniest thing on NXT, and in the current climate of COVID-19, a dose of comedy is very much welcomed.
NXT also gains points for Bronson Reed becoming the first wrestler to secure a place in the NXT North American Championship match at NXT TakeOver: XXX. It is long overdue for him to receive a decent shot at moving up the card.
NXT loses no points as there were no negative aspects to the show that warrant points being deducted.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+2 / -1) / NXT (+2 / -0)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = NXT
With a score of 5 to 2, NXT wins this week's Wednesday Night War. NXT felt more polished as a whole, but that is not to say that Dynamite wasn't great. Cody once again showed why he is the MVP of AEW, but that was not enough to beat the consistency of a solid episode of NXT.
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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