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 = The tag team Battle Royal was disappointing, feeling like an uncoordinated mess at times. FTR’s presence would have improved the match, whilst Chris Jericho and MJF winning was admittedly a shame. The Acclaimed would have been a much better choice.
Britt Baker defeated Thunder Rosa in a fine women’s match, whilst Lance Archer defeated Eddie Kingston in a violent Lumberkack match. Overall, the matches on the show were good, with a few notable disappointments.
NXT = Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez once again impressed during the women’s Dusty Rhodes Classic. I cannot speak highly enough about Gonzalez, who genuinely comes across as the best ‘big’ woman that WWE has under contract. Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter performed well, but they could not defeat the irrepressible Kai and Gonzalez.
Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa also put on a fabulous match against The Undisputed Era, surprisingly coming out on top. There was so much to love about this match, which capped off a relatively strong night of wrestling.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = The wedding of Penelope Ford and Kip Sabian was a disappointment, especially as Miro continued to come across as a caricature of himself. There was no real excitement or intrigue to the segment, which brought down the overall quality of the show.
NXT = Pete Dunne and Finn Balor performed well on the microphone during their promo segment, with Edge clearly adding to the overall quality.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = One intriguing storyline was the reveal of KENTA at the close of the show, attacking Jon Moxley whilst appearing to be aligned with Kenny Omega in some form. I cannot wait to see where this goes, as KENTA is amazing and can definitely add to the quality of Moxley’s feud with Omega.
NXT = Tian Sha’s reveal was crazy and over the top, but I freaking loved it! I’ve not been high on Xia Li, but NXT has my attention now. I also loved the interaction between Edge and Karrion Kross, and I would love to see their interaction built upon.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = Dynamite felt slightly lethargic at times this week, although that is not to say the show was bad. The pacing could have been improved, however.
NXT = NXT was an exciting show. It benefitted from the announced appearance of Edge, with the show was paced extremely well.
WINNER: NXT
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for KENTA’s appearance at the close of the show. It creates an intriguing narrative whilst hinting at a further partnership with NJPW.
AEW also gains points for Lance Archer continuing to look strong.
AEW loses points for the wedding of Penelope Ford and Kip Sabian. It just did not come off well.
NXT gains points for the consistently high quality of both Dusty Rhodes Classic tournaments.
NXT also gains points for making Karrion Kross look dangerous.
NXT loses points for Santos Escobar vs Curt Stallion, which was unfortunately not as exciting as it could have been.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+2 / -1) / NXT (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = NXT
With a score of 5 to 1, NXT easily wins this week’s Wednesday Night War. The show was just so much more consistent, and I thoroughly enjoyed the show as a whole. Although Dynamite had its high points, it honestly paled in comparison to NXT.
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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