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 = This week's episode of Dynamite featured a number of solid matches, with Jon Moxley kicking off the show with a dominant win over Ryan Nemeth. Hangman Adam Page vs Isiah Kassidy was an extremely fun match, with Page underlining what credentials he brings to AEW. Nyla Rose vs Britt Baker was better than it had any right to be, but the undoubted success of the night was the main event, in which Lance Archer defeated Rey Fenix in a barn burner of a match. Overall, AEW succeeded with the quality of it's matches this week.
NXT = NXT featured a number of strong matches this week, combining great action with solid storytelling. Zoey Starks had an extremely memorable match against Io Shirai, and despite losing, she looked like a real star. I was also impressed by Xia Li as she easily defeated Kacy Catanzaro, which undoubtedly makes her look like a real threat to the women’s division.
The highlight of the night, however, was Karrion Kross vs Santos Escobar. This was a fantastic No Disqualification match, with Kross arguably putting in his best performance inside an NXT ring. Escobar was put over as a star, even in defeat.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
AEW = Jon Moxley's promo at the beginning of the show was pure quality, setting up the dangers of his Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch with Kenny Omega at Revolution. Moxley actually sounded like he lives to be put in pain, which sets him out as the favourite on paper. His cadence was perfect, and he came across as an absolute madman here.
NXT = NXT featured some solid, if not spectacular promos this week. The Way performed well on the microphone, but there was nothing major to write home about.
WINNER: AEW
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
AEW = Inner Circle were able to get one over The Young Bucks this week, beating up their father and leaving him a bloody mess. This personal touch to their feud was great to see, which I much preferred to having their parents show up with them at the beginning of the show to take photos. Sting and Darby Allin also enjoyed a strong week, taking out Brian Cage and Ricky Starks in emphatic fashion.
NXT = Adam Cole showed how much of a bastard he is by turning on Roderick Strong, finally cementing the end of The Undisputed Era. This was quite impactful, whilst also setting up multiple future matches.
WINNER: NXT
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
AEW = Dynamite was a fun show which benefitted from tight pacing and scheduling this week. The show felt fresh and exciting, whilst setting up Revolution in a positive manner.
NXT = NXT was a fantastic show, combining solid wrestling with superb storyline development. The pacing of the show was great, whilst the scheduling of the show was a benefit to the overall enjoyment factor.
WINNER: NXT
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
AEW gains points for Jon Moxley's stunning promo, which absolutely set him up as a madman.
AEW also gains points for Darby Allin zip lining into the ring in the style of Sting. It was cool to see, but this moment was made even better when Sting hit the Stinger Splash and Scorpion Death Drop shortly after.
AEW gains even more points for making a heel vs heel match come across well. I expected little from Nyla Rose vs Britt Baker, but I was pleasantly surprised.
AEW loses points for the forced manner in which The Young Bucks' parents are being used to make them feel like white meat babyfaces again. Unfortunately, it is not a tactic I agree with. Let them be intriguing tweeners!
NXT gains points for the superb manner in which Xia Li has been rehabilitated. She looked like an absolute monster against Kacy Catanzaro, with her final kick coming off really well.
NXT also gains points for making Santos Escobar feel important, even if he required assistance from his henchmen.
NXT gains even more points for giving us the most evil version of Adam Cole yet. I am fully behind his transformation, Bay Bay!
NXT loses no points this week.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: AEW (+3 / -1) / NXT (+3 / -0)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = NXT
With a score of 6 to 3, NXT wins this week's Wednesday Night War. Both shows were incredible, but it was NXT that was the tighter show overall. In all honesty, there is very little to complain about in regards to these two shows 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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