WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR:
AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
AEW = Every single match on Dynamite this week was an unmitigated success. From an in ring perspective, Hangman Adam Page vs Kazarian was an absolute delight to watch. The action was high octane and compelling to watch, with Page underlining how talented he is as a singles wrestler in his own right.
The main event of the evening was a Parking Lot Brawl between Best Friends and Santana & Ortiz. This was a frenetic encounter, with the match featuring just the right amount of violence. It was hate filled and passionate, properly getting the hatred across to make this match almost perfect. This was AEW violence done perfectly.
NXT = NXT featured some solid matches this week, with Breezango successfully retaining their NXT Tag Team Championship against Imperium. The strength of NXT's tag team division was on full display here, with all four men busting their asses off to put on a great match.
Damien Priest vs Timothy Thatcher was an extremely hard hitting match, with Priest once again displaying why he is considered a future star of WWE. The contest was highly watchable, with both men coming across really well.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = AEW listened to recent criticism of their promo heavy shows, therefore there was a clear reduction in the amount of promos. Eddie Kingston excelled on the microphone as he championed the abilities of his stable.
NXT = NXT was light on promos, but Tegan Nox gave a great promo. Her feud with Candice LeRae is starting to really heat up, and she showed this week that she can consistently perform well in promo segments.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Storylines were also focused on less this week as the wrestling took centre stage, but Jon Moxley continued his feud with Taz as he aligned with Will Hobbs to take on Brian Cage, Ricky Starks and Lance Archer. The addition of Darby Allin to his team makes their six man tag team match next week look like a mouth watering prospect.
NXT = Tegan Nox gave a stirring promo to highlight how her feud with Candice LeRae is just getting started. This remains an intriguing storyline that could potentially send Nox to the upper echelon of NXT's women's division.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = Dynamite was a flawless show. The increased focus on wrestling over promos led to an absolute barnstormer of a show. Pacing was great, whilst everything else lined up perfectly.
NXT = NXT was a strong show, with a good mix of promos and matches. The pacing was good, but it could not touch Dynamite this week.
WINNER: AEW
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for featuring two hours of the best wrestling in their history. From top to bottom, the card was absolutely amazing.
AEW also gains points for the intriguing alliance between Taz and Jake Roberts. Having Brian Cage, Ricky Starks and Lance Archer on the same team is a terrifying prospect.
AEW loses no points for an almost flawless show.
NXT gains points for continuing to push the women's division as one of the true highlights of the show. Io Shirai vs Shotzi Blackheart felt like a real coming out party for Blackheart, who now feels like a viable threat.
NXT also gains points for making the NXT North American Championship feel special whilst being held by Damien Priest.
NXT loses no points as there was nothing truly negative about the show.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+2 / -0) / NXT (+2 / -0)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = AEW
With a score of 5 to 3, AEW wins this week's Wednesday Night War. Dynamite was a perfect two hours of wrestling, with NXT also putting on a great show. Wednesday nights are amazing at the moment, and both shows deserve all the plaudits they get.
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: