WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR:
AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
AEW = The overall match quality on Dynamite this week was extremely high and consistent, with no single match coming across poorly. Although Hikaru Shida vs Anna Jay didn’t set the world alight, it was certainly a decent effort. Hangman Adam Page and John Silver also put on a spectacular contest, with both men excelling.
The main event of the evening was a solid and entertaining tag team match. PAC and Rey Fenix took on The Butcher and The Blade in a hard hitting contest, fully highlighting how intense the feud is between Death Triangle and Eddie Kingston. The match ending was surprising, as The Butcher and The Blade secured a statement victory.
NXT = NXT felt like a one match show, with Kyle O’Reilly facing off against Pete Dunne in a Ladder match for the WarGames advantage. This was a spectacular match that never let up once, featuring a high level of violence for a television bout. Dunne won thanks to interference, but it was the fans who truly won.
Candice LeRae vs Ember Moon was solid, if not great. It felt like a standard women’s match, one which would have benefitted from a higher level of suspense. Overall, matches were ok this week, but they took a clear backseat to storyline development.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega and Taz all excelled on the microphone this week. The intrigue for next week’s show is palpable, with all three of these stars contributing to that sense of increased intrigue.
NXT = The Undisputed Era gave a solid promo to underline how Pat McAfee will be going up against a different version of the stable at WarGames. This was effective, if not slightly predicatable.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Death Triangle vs Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley vs Kenny Omega were further advanced this week, however it was the offer to Hangman Adam Page of a place in Dark Order that piqued the interest of fans.
NXT = Toni Storm attacked Ember Moon to turn heel and join Candice LeRae’s WarGames team, however the turn itself fell flat. It didn’t make logical sense, which is a huge disappointment as this was yet another female heel turn.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = Dynamite was a solid and throughly entertaining show, combining great matches with impactful promos. The pacing was great, with a much more logical sense of show progression.
NXT = NXT was an exciting show which mixed great storyline development with logical matches. The main event was off the hook, which contributed to the solid pacing of the show.
WINNER: NXT
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for creating a lot of hype and anticipation for next week’s show in an organic manner.
AEW also gains points for creating a sense of intrigue with Lance Archer helping Death Triangle. Although it’s clear they are not allies, their issues with Eddie Kingston do overlap.
AEW loses points for once again making Miro look like a fool. Get this man away from Kip Sabin!
NXT gains points for putting on a match worthy of securing the hallowed advantage to WarGames.
NXT also gains points for the return of Grizzled Young Veterans. The NXT tag team division can only benefit from their presence.
NXT loses points for Toni Storm’s heel turn. It was nowhere near as impactful as it perhaps should have been.
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. It was a true return to form for AEW, whilst NXT remained just as entertaining and consistent as it has been recently.
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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