WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR:
AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
AEW = Kenny Omega and Hangman Page vs Private Party opened the show this week, with both teams putting on a fabulous match. Not only did Omega and Page put in a better performance than last week, but Private Party looked ever so strong in defeat. Their match was exciting and was performed at a blistering pace, which was the perfect way to open the show.
Orange Cassidy vs Chris Jericho was a quality match to main event Fyter Fest, with both wrestlers putting on a near classic. Cassidy proved he is more than just a comedy character, whilst Jericho underlined why he still has much to give to the wrestling industry.
NXT = The Great American Bash was main evented by the champion vs champion match, with Keith Lee ascending to the top of the NXT mountain by finally ending the amazing NXT Championship reign of Adam Cole. Their match was highly intriguing, and despite the pre match spoilers, it was a thrilling match which kept fans invested in the outcome.
Mia Yim vs Candice LeRae was a fabulous old school street fight, with the hatred they held for each other clear in the stiffness of their attacks. Legado del Fantasma defeated Breezango and Drake Maverick in an entertaining contest, which underlined just how talented and dangerous Legado del Fantasma are.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = Taz’s major announcement was the return of the FTW Championship. His promo came off really well as he built Brian Cage up as a true renegade and the biggest badass in the wrestling business. Taz is the perfect mouthpiece for Cage, with this segment really putting Cage over well.
NXT = A video package aired for Io Shirai vs Tegan Nox, with their NXT Women’s Championship match taking place next week. It was a well produced promo segment which played to the strengths of both women, with Nox highlighting how Shirai had assistance from Asuka last week.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Despite the conspicuous absence of Jon Moxley, Taz was able to create more tension and intrigue for next week’s AEW World Championship match. It may have only been a brief promo segment from Taz, but it was highly effective in making fans crave next week’s matchup.
NXT = Robert Stone’s desire to recruit more wrestlers to his brand continued this week, with Shotzi Blackheart turning him down. His desperation is admirable at this point, however it was extremely hilarious to see him sell being run over by her tank.
Johnny Gargano is seemingly on yet another collision course with Finn Balor, which is something to look forward to as they clearly work well with each other.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = Night 2 of Fyter Fest was an entertaining show which succeeded with the quality of it’s matches. No single match disappointed, whilst the show felt extremely well put together.
NXT = Night 2 of The Great American Bash was an exciting show, with the match quality once again matching that of a typical TakeOver event. Once again the visual presentation for The Great American Bash was better than the presentation of Fyter Fest.
WINNER: NXT
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for showcasing the return of the FTW Championship, better known as the Fuck The World Championship. This was an amazing throwback to old school ECW, which allowed Brian Cage to gain a level of credibility that he otherwise wouldn’t have had.
AEW also gains points for the crisp manner in which FTR and The Young Bucks worked together. Their teamwork told a great story, and I cannot wait to see them compete against each other soon.
AEW also gains points for cementing Orange Cassidy’s ascent to the upper midcard. He can genuinely be seen as a contender to the AEW TNT Championship, if not the AEW World Championship.
AEW loses no points for putting on another pay-per-view calibre show.
Although not a reason to dock points from AEW, it has to be noted that there were connection issues with the FITE app for many customers at the beginning of the show. Not everyone has access to TNT, therefore it was a shame to see fans struggle using this method of watching AEW.
NXT gains points for having both Mia Yim and Candice LeRae compete in street clothes for their street fight match. This underlined just how much they wanted to take each other out.
NXT also gains points for re-debuting Mercedes Martinez in a dominant manner. Perhaps it will be second time’s a charm for Martinez in NXT.
NXT also gains points for the build to Adam Cole vs Keith Lee, which made it feel like one of the most important matches in NXT history.
NXT loses no points for putting on a TakeOver calibre show.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+3 / -0) / NXT (+3 / -0)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = NXT
With a score of 6 to 4, NXT wins this week’s Wednesday Night War. Both shows were incredible, with night 2 of each respective show matching and even surpassing the quality from last week. NXT was just a tad stronger than AEW, and this was evident from the quality of each main event. Orange Cassidy vs Chris Jericho was a great match, but Adam Cole vs Keith Lee was just a smidge better. That sentiment can be applied to both shows, with NXT ahead in almost all areas.
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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