Welcome to another edition of Wednesday Night War from Smark Out Moment, where we compare this week's episodes of AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT and determine which one of the two was the better show.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR:
AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
AEW = Dynamite featured a collection of multi wrestler matches this week, such is the nature of wrestling contests on a memorial show. Everyone worked hard to put on a night of strong wrestling and entertainment that would have made the big man proud.
NXT = Most matches this week on NXT were of a good quality, with Pete Dunne vs Roderick Strong the clear match of the night. It was hard hitting and exciting, which was a great way to remind fans how strong they both are. Johnny Gargano vs Leon Ruff was a solid main event, but it wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = The promos for this week's show were tailored to celebrating the life of Brodie Lee, with wrestlers sharing their thoughts and feelings for Lee. It was emotional and gut wrenching, as I fully expected it to be.
NXT = Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly worked well on the microphone this week, displaying a fire that keeps their feud well and truly relevant.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Storylines were not the focus of this week's show, and understandably too.
NXT = Karrion Kross and Damien Priest kept the interest alive for their titanic collision at New Year’s Evil, whilst Mercedes Martinez well and truly put the NXT women’s division on notice.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = For a memorial show, Dynamite was paced well. The matches all worked well, whilst the special touches to honour Brodie Lee's life were touching. The scheduling was as tight as it could be, all things considered.
NXT = NXT was a great show this week, combining awards with matches and storylines to keep fans engaged.
WINNER: AEW
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for putting on a memorial show that Brodie Lee would have been proud of. His passing has hit the wrestling world hard, therefore this show was a great way to give back to a man that lived for professional wrestling.
AEW also gains points for the manner in which everyone put their heart and soul into their performances. Results did not matter tonight, as it was all about remembering Brodie Lee. The fact that everyone worked hard for him was a loving bonus.
AEW loses no points this week, as the purpose of this show was to remember and honour the life of Brodie Lee, which it did perfectly.
NXT gains points for giving the end of year awards to everyone who deserved them. Adam Cole and Io Shirai have been the pillars of NXT this year.
NXT also gains points for putting on a strong show whilst being fully aware of the importance of this week’s episode of Dynamite.
NXT loses points for not putting Pete Dunne vs Roderick Strong in the main event spot.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+2 / -0) / NXT (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = AEW
With a score of 5 to 2, AEW wins this week's Wednesday Night War. It is hard to grade both shows against each other when AEW provided a memorial show for Brodie Lee, as it is less about a war and more about celebrating the life of a wrestler that meant so much to men and women in both companies. This was a fabulous night of wrestling from both shows, and I feel proud to be able to experience such wrestling. Thank you to everyone who works hard to put a smile on the faces of fans and fellow wrestlers alike.
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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