WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR:
AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
AEW = This week marked the start of the AEW World Championship tournament, with all four quarter final matches taking place. Kenny Omega reinforced how dominant he can be thanks to his swift victory over Sonny Kiss, whilst Hangman Adam Page and Wardlow also looked strong. It was Rey Fenix vs Penta El Zero M that stole the show, as the brothers put on a fantastic contest. Fenix picking up the win was a surprise, but damn, it was so much fun.
The Fatal Four Way tag team match was a solid main event to cap a fine show, with The Young Bucks setting up a match against FTR for the AEW Tag Team Championship at Full Gear. The action was frenetic and off the hook, whilst the post match beatdown was perfectly executed.
NXT = NXT featured a number of short matches this week, with some coming off better than others. Ember Moon looked great as she swiftly defeated Jessi Kamea, however Bronson Reed didn't really benefit from his two quick victories over Austin Theory. Squash matches have a purpose, but they need to be utilised sparingly on the same show.
The main event of the evening was for the NXT Tag Team Championship, with Breezango defending against Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan. It was a solid and enjoyable encounter, with the challengers defeating Breezango to win the titles. Although not as strong as the tag team main event on Dynamite, it was still thoroughly enjoyable.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = The promo segment between MJF and Chris Jericho was all kinds of incredible. Not only was the passive aggression hilarious to watch, but their musical number was just the perfect kind of cheese. It was funny, but I absolutely appreciate how AEW is prepared to take risks.
NXT = Johnny Gargano was tortured by his very own spin the wheel, landing on match types that he would not appreciate. This was a funny segment, fully reinforcing how this new character may be a chicken shit heel, but he can still retain a sense of humour with deadpan comments.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = FTR destroyed The Young Bucks to close out the show, fully underlining how they mean business. The attack was ruthless and co-ordinated, which makes it one of the best booked feuds in AEW at the moment.
NXT = Legado Del Fantasma continued to wreak havoc on the NXT roster, sending a message to the rest of the roster that they mean business.
It has to be noted that Pat McAfee teaming up with Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan is highly intriguing. As a personality, I hate McAfee. But even I have to acknowledge he could be a benefit to the NXT roster.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = As ever, Dynamite was an exciting show. The match quality was consistently high, whilst the promo quality was much improved over recent weeks.
NXT = NXT was a strong show, however it lacked in a few areas. Not all matches were consistently good, whilst the show felt longer than Dynamite did.
WINNER: AEW
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for making Kenny Omega look dominant in his swift victory over Sonny Kiss. He is once again The Cleaner, and this version of Omega means business.
AEW also gains points for the cheesy music number between Chris Jericho and MJF. Words cannot do it justice!
AEW loses points for featuring a number of issues with the audio. Some promos were simply hard to understand.
NXT gains points for creating a sense of intrigue with The Undisputed Era.
NXT also gains points for using Pat McAfee in the right capacity. Being the mouthpiece for Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan is guaranteed way to draw heat.
NXT loses points for not feeling focused this week. With Halloween Havoc taking place next week, I expected a much stronger episode.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+2 / -1) / NXT (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = AEW
With a score of 4 to 2, AEW wins this week's Wednesday Night War. Dynamite was the much more consistent show, and whilst NXT is an entertaining show, Dynamite is just that bit better at the moment.
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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