Whilst NXT waved the white flag and has conceded the “Wednesday Night Wars” to upstart rival wrestling company AEW, Dynamite continues its victory lap with a blockbuster main event as Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs The Laredo Kid & The Lucha Brothers. Christian Cage also returns to in-ring action against Frankie Kazarian. Victory is sweet for AEW!
Christian Cage defeated Frankie Kazarian via Pinfall (Killswitch)
Cody versus QT Marshall ended in a No Contest
Jon Moxley defeated Cezar Bononi via Referee Stoppage (Sleeperhold)
Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers defeated The Lucha Brothers and Laredo Kid via Pinfall (One Winged Angel)
Allie ‘The Bunny’ and Nyla Rose defeated Tay Conti and Shida via Pinfall (Rabbit Hole)
Best Friends defeated Miro and Kip Sabian via Pinfall (Running Power Slam)
In a previous article, Andy detailed why NXT should move timeslots to benefit them, one of those reasons was the benefit on both sides
Both Will Flourish
There’s been a couple of occasions where both NXT and Dynamite have aired unchallenged due to network requirements or holidays. These instances are the key to my argument as to why NXT and Dynamite would be better off separate. The last time that NXT aired unchallenged, they drew a strong 0.8 whilst Dynamite drew over a million in their last unopposed broadcast.
The point is that whilst both programmes are on the same night, we can’t yet see their true potential. Can NXT stand out as the true third brand of WWE and rival the ratings of their red and blue counterparts? Can Dynamite be the first non-WWE show in over 20 years to consistently rival the flagship programme of Raw?
I would suggest that these questions can only be answered if NXT was to bite the bullet and change to a Tuesday or Thursday night. It’s as much in their best interests as it is in AEW’s, as the NXT product doesn’t deserve to be overlooked by a television audience that seems to have made up its mind. Unlike the frightfully poor WCW storytelling of 2000/2001, NXT shows no signs of creative stagnancy and is still flourishing in that department. Dynamite isn’t necessarily better than NXT either, with the black and gold brands women’s division for example being vastly superior in terms of booking and attention. But the numbers don’t lie and NXT needs to realise that.
NXT and Dynamite on different nights equal better ratings for each, greater significance for NXT as a brand and the opportunity for AEW to really show what they’re made of.
Now that AEW has claimed victory, this could be a turning point for both of the brands, the only way is up!
