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 = Kenny Omega defeated Matt Sydal in an extremely entertainng match to kick off the show. Sydal genuinely came close to defeating Omega to earn a future shot at the AEW World Championship, but the overwhelming power of Omega proved to be too much to overcome. The rest of the matches on the show delivered in spades, with Nyla Rose vs Tay Conti coming across much better than it had any right to do so. Overall, this was a very satisfying and effective night for matches on Dynamite.
NXT = Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez once again looked like true superstars against Io Shirai and Zoey Stark, creating a match that left fans entertained. It was a shame that the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship match couldn’t match the quality of the opener, but the show was at least redeemed by Jordan Devlin defeating KUSHIDA in a cracking little bout.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = Britt Baker delivered a scathing promo this week on Thunder Rosa, whilst also targeting Mick Foley, of all people. Baker dubbed herself a Hardcore Legend, noting she achieved that accolade in a shorter timespan than Foley. This was a stunning promo from Baker, who added that the letters AEW come second to DMD.
NXT = The sit down promo between Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly was an entertaining and gripping way to progress their storyline, with both men truly excelling on the microphone.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Dynamite felt slightly lacking in real storyline development this week, however I appreciate the slow burn nature of some of the more prominent storylines. AEW have fully established that they can successfully draw out a feud to a satisfying conclusion.
NXT = WALTER created some excitement for his feud with Tommaso Ciampa, whilst Adam Cole vs Kyle O’Reilly, Finn Balor vs Karrion Kross, and Io Shirai vs Raquel Gonzalez were suitably advanced and highlighted to create hype for NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = AEW was paced well this week, feeling much tighter and well organised than it has for a while.
NXT = NXT was a strongly paced show with solid and logical booking, which was only let down by a few matches coming off poorly.
WINNER: AEW
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for the sterling performance from John Silver, who has quietly developed such a fervent cult following as of late.
AEW also gains points for continuing to keep Inner Circle off the show, further cementing what a destructive job The Pinnacle did when taking them out a few weeks ago.
AEW gains even more points for Nyla Rose dancing. I shouldn't find it funny, but I couldn't help it.
AEW loses points for the inconsistent manner that Kenny Omega is being presented in. Something feels off with his character at the moment, but I can't quite pinpoint what exactly.
NXT gains points for creating some real hype for NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver.
NXT also gains points for the chaotic climax to the show.
NXT gains even more points for pushing Raquel Gonzalez hard. She deserves it considering the improvement she has made over the past 12 months.
NXT loses points for the disappointing NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship match. This wouldn’t have happened if Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez were still holding the belts.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+3 / -1) / NXT (+3 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = AEW
With a score of 5 to 3, AEW wins this week's Wednesday Night War. Both shows were strong offerings, but it was the overall tight nature of Dynamite that secures the victory for AEW this week.
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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