The boss Ross Casey subs in for Matt this week in the weekly head to head combat sports style scorecard of the Wednesday Night Wars. The only scorecard that matters! Last week AEW scored the first unanimous victory in 10 weeks. Would NXT respond or could AEW keep that run going!
Rd 1. - Garza/Rush (and proposal) - Moxley/Jobber (and Jericho invitation)
ROSS: The squash from Moxley was what it was, but I absolutely love seeing him packaged the way he is in AEW. The crowd love him. Jericho did a great job of relaying their history and a new backstory in terms of how he navigated Mox to AEW.
He put Mox over big time and I loved that we didn't get an answer - aside from a knowing Tim look at the camera. Does that make Jericho Brent?
I have to admit to being a little confused about the fan reaction to Garza. How have his antics in this feud garnered such crowd support? However the personal feud has been excellent in terms of intensity and this was no different. An EXCELLENT match and a weird, feel-good moment at the end, with the sleazeball getting a yes from his proposal as his fans lapped it up.
AEW had a strong start, but NXT smashed it.
NXT 10-8
JCH: And Chris Jericho’s undefeated promo segment run comes to an end. He was very good again, but this week the match up is against him. Also I don’t think I bought the chances of Mox joining the Inner Circle are high enough for me to buy it. I did like Jericho bringing up their history together. Again,. Very good from Jericho but Garza and Rush had another banger. Last time it was a balls to the wall match, this time it had feeling. They had built up the hatred towards each other and it came across here. Absolutely loved the match and what seemed to be a double turn. The proposal doesn’t really fit into my rating, but I have a heart. It was nice.
NXT 10-9 AEW.
Brum: Solid Mox squash to kick things off for AEW. Though the “Come Join My Stable” trope is overused by now, I thought the Jericho-Moxley face-off was decent enough. NXT started off with a bang. I’ve not enjoyed the previous Lio-Garza affairs as much as others but loved this instalment. I’m also a sucker for proposals. To the extent that I was thinking of giving this a 10-8, but AEW just about did enough to save face.
10-9 NXT.
Rd 2 - Grimes/Mendoza/Kushida - Butcher and Blade/Cody & QT
ROSS: A quick match between Mendoza and Grimes, with a decent backstory and a first ever win for Mendoza, but I have to say that the finish and hat steal left me a little cold.
I must admit that I had never seen The Butcher and The Blade before, but I enjoyed this match and their look. The addition of The bunny definitely improves their act in my opinion. She is great in this role.
The match was going along brilliantly, I was loving the QT Marshall character doing moves outside his wheelhouse to impress Cody, but it fell apart a bit at the end with the referee doing a terrible job of the 10 count whilst both The Butcher and The Blade were in the ring.
I liked Darby Allin lending his hand to Cody, but I hope this isn't the end of QT on my screens. What a lovable loser he is.
AEW 10-9. 19-18 NXT
JCH: Is anyone else really enjoying this Kushida/Grimes programme. I think Grimes has been fantastic. Raul Mendoza is a good wrestler and nice to see some continuity involving him in the storyline. I enjoyed the Butcher, Blade, Bunny trio on AEW but Cody seems to be somewhat treading water as they hold off on the MJF programme until I guess they have a PPV to build to? My only query (and it’s not one I’m unique in thinking) is why do the MJF turn so early in that case? They could have done the towel spot and MJF not reveal his reasons for a while longer. Darby turned up, so guessing he will side with Cody, who has no friends…despite his brother and his mates hanging out and being on the show. For those reasons I’m going for NXT
NXT 10-9 AEW. NXT 20-18
Brum: I liked how the AEW tag was structured. Having a top guy-jobber team but also letting QT get a hot tag was a fun way to do it. However, despite being a fan of The Butcher & The Blade, I don’t think their offence looked particularly impactful which is a problem for a debuting menacing tag team. I enjoyed the structuring of the NXT segment too. KUSHIDA being a bit of a rascal works for me. NXT was tighter but AEW had more to it so let’s go with a tie here.
10-10. 20-19 NXT
Rd 3. Banks/Ryker - MJF promo
ROSS: All the WSBF boys know that i am a huge Travis Banks mark, so to see him on NXT and pick up a big win in a decent little showing gave me all the feels.
However, The MJF absolutely smashed his promo, from making the camera grip kiss his ring, to using his man bun to attack him from behind, to then use Cody's speech impediment to draw heat, he truly is a despicable heel and I love that.
I'm looking forward to the stipulations for their match being announced in a few weeks and I never thought that is something I would be bothered about in terms of a reveal. Bloke just has it.
AEW 10-9. 28-28
JCH: Hi Trav. I was expecting Banks to be cannon fodder for Brum’s favourite son here, but No the decided to heat up UK for world collide. Good stuff. MJF delivered another strong promo. His delivery is so good. If anyone can prolong this feud by just talking about the next time he’s gonna talk its MJF (or Jericho, or Cody to be fair).
AEW 10-9 NXT. NXT 29-28.
Brum: STUPID SEXY TRAVIS BANKS. Great to see Trav on NXT and getting a win. However, I’d have preferred it to be over literally anyone else on the roster. The Forgotten Sons are absolute pony & Jaxson “Cool Name Bro” Ryker is the worst of the three. MJF is a bloody treasure. Great promo. This would have been a 10-8 if I wasn’t so happy for Trav getting a win.
10-9 AEW. 29-29
Rd 4. - Kai/Yim - Sakura/Swole
ROSS: You could tell that Big Swole was far more green than Sakura in this one and certain parts were fairly sloppy, but the bigger talking point from this match was how fun it was. Emi Sakura is an absolute diamond and I love her gimmick a lot. I always watch her matches with a smile on my face and this was no exception. Shoutout to Tony Schiavone for his entertainingly awful James Brown impression.
Fun wasn't on the cards in the feud match between Kai and Yim, but the match was definitely better than AEW's offering. Kai winning by nefarious means was great for her new character and the post-match was savage. A win for NXT.
NXT 10-9. 38-29 NXT
JCH: The AEW women’s division is coming along. I’ve seen them come in for criticism, but they have basically started from scratch 10 weeks ago, so it will take time. They are now bringing in some new talent and the fact that the likes of Shida and Sakura have been established early means that the wins for Statlander and Swole put them in good stead already. Unfortunately for them in this segment, the NXT women’s division has a bit of a head start and Kai and Yim is a feud with feeling, which looks to be continuing.
NXT 10-9 AEW. NXT 39-37.
Brum: Enjoyed watching Kim & Dakota go at it here. NXT are still doing a great job at keeping the majority of their women’s division interesting. AEW are continuing their “throw stuff at the wall & see what works” mantra for their women’s division and, unlike last week, tonight’s didn’t really land. Not a bad match but I enjoyed the NXT one more.
10-9 NXT. 39-38 NXT
Rd 5. - Breezango/Singhs - Sabian & Spears/Omega & Page
ROSS: How about that Breezango entrance, huh? Sadly, this was mostly memorable for a horrific looking apron bomb and what looked like a dislocated elbow for Fandango. Tough to watch.
Penelope Ford and Kip Sabian are a tremendous double act aren't they? I know at the moment it's very Andrade and Zelina lite but I'm looking forward to their journey together. This match was going along nicely and then we got the silly Tully tied and gagged stuff with Janela.
That doesn't seem very babyface to me? On the other team, I very much enjoyed the story and interactions between Omega and Page. Adam is clearly frustrated at his win/loss record and he showed no sign of cowboying around here. This will definitely lead to a match between them down the road and I am here for it.
AEW 10-9. 48-48.
JCH: Well this is a mismatch on paper. In reality the NXT tag exceeded (admittedly low) expectations. It’s still not enough to take the round though, despite the continuation of the Janela/Spears feud that interests me zero amount, Kenny Omega hit a couple of big knees that seal the points.
AEW 10-9 NXT. NXT 48-47.
Brum: Dear AEW, Please stop doing the Lights Out spot. Kind regards, Matt B. It’s ridiculous how many times they’ve used it for such a fledgling company. Also, using it for a debuting heel faction makes sense. Using it for a tied up Tully, not so much. This annoyed me greatly, but the rest of the match was decent enough to beat the Breezango Singhs mehfest over at NXT. Especially when you consider the Page cheeky tag finish which could make things interesting with him & Kenny.
10-9 AEW. 48-48
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Rd 6 - Carter/Belair - Luchasaurus/Guevara (and post match)
Ross: The extended squash by Luchasaurus over Sammy didn't do much for me, but I really enjoyed Jericho on commentary and the post-match angle. The unofficial three count was clever booking and Hager looked badass.
However, it was better than the NXT offering here, with Belair and Carter putting on a match that failed to ignite the crowd.
AEW 10-9. 58-57 AEW.
JCH: Bianca Belair is very good, she does seem to be spinning her wheels a bit in NXT right now and this was just a reminder that she is around. Carter got to showcase herself as well and it’s nice to see that 2nd tier of NXT women getting chances on this bigger stage. AEW will be taking this round though. Jericho on commentary was probably the deciding factor. He was great here and the post match with Jungle Boy scoring the visual pin sets up next week nicely. Jericho reminding us that ‘it doesn’t count’ inched the cake.
AEW 10-9 NXT. 57-57.
Brum: Fun segment here from AEW. Match was entertaining & Jericho did a great job on commentary. The post-match with Jungle Boy was a good setup for next week too. The Belair match was fine (she is suited to squashes with her offence) but not enough to pick up the win.
10-9 AEW. 58-57 AEW so far.
Rd 7 - Balor/Lee/Ciampa - Young Bucks/Proud & Powerful
Ross: I was really looking forward to the AEW main event, but the Texas Death match stipulation made this a worse match in my opinion. The lack of selling and lack of cohesion sometimes aimed at The bucks was very apparent in this due to the fact they had carte blanche to do what they wanted. Not to say it wasn't enjoyable, it just didn't hold my attention like a straightforward bout would have done.
For me, the NXT main event was the superior main event. Despite watching what seems like a million triple threats of late, this one rocked and I think the right man won. The finish was fantastically shot and keeps Lee strong.
NXT 10-8. 67-66 NXT.
JCH: Two really strong main events here in very different styles. The table filled street fight in AEW and the triple threat over in NXT. I don’t have a lot to say here except I enjoyed both these matches and I think they’re both worth checking out.
AEW 10-10 NXT. 67-67.
Brum: 2 big main events tonight. The AEW was fun but I had some gripes. I don’t mind spotfests but you can protect the offence better than they did tonight. The worst example was Nick doing a madflip off the stage on to Ortiz through a table & Matt pinning him immediately & only getting a 2 count! Not a 2.9 or even a 2.5, but a 2.0. The kind of two count you get after taking a bog standard clothesline. Frustrating. NXT on the other hand had zero issues. Great match with a well executed finish. Well done boys.
10-9 NXT. 67-67 so far.
Rd 8 - Ripley & Baszler videos/No 1 contender videos - Dark order video/Pac promo
ROSS:I really enjoyed The Dark Order recruiting practice video, that was a lot of fun. It's a modern twist on the ministry of Darkness abductions from years back. PAC's promo was short, simple and to the point. He made valid points and showed incredible intensity, as always.
I didn't really see why we had to see which car Shayna drives, but I enjoyed seeing her Hall Of Pain list. The Rhea package was short but did a job in building up her likely win next week.
DRAW 10-10
JCH: It comes down to the backstage/video stuff for me this week and their is a clear winner for me. Despite another really good PAC promo the Shayna/Rhea videos were excellent. I really like the human element these packages brought and I am very much looking forward to their match next week. The Dark Order stuff continues to exist. It’s fine, but they need to nail the pay off.
NXT 10-9 AEW.
Brum: R8: For the packages, I usually rate AEW over NXT but couldn’t separate them tonight. The Brandi one was my favourite but not enough to take the win.
10-10.
Overall
Ross: 77-76 NXT.
JCH: Another couple of solid shows here, both with strong main events. I think NXT deserves the win as Garza vs Rush was my highlight of the week.
NXT 77-76 AEW.
Brum: Though next week is being set up as the big head-to-head, I still enjoyed both shows tonight. AEW was entertaining throughout & NXT had 2 cracking matches to bookend the show. My gut says NXT was the better show but the scores have it at even.
77-77
What a tight week. NXT is a point away from its first unanimous decision, but If we'd all scored one segment a point the other way then AEW would have taken the win.
NXT has the 'Big Mo' (momentum) heading into the big end of year shows next week.
OVERALL SCORECARDS
NXT - 5 (by split decision - 3, by majority decision - 2)
Draw -3 (2 majority draws, 1 split draw)
AEW - 2 (by majority decision - 1, by unanimous decision -1)
INDIVIDUAL SCORECARDS:
JCH: NXT - 6; Draw - 2 AEW - 2
Brum: NXT - 2; Draw - 4; AEW - 4
Matt C: NXT - 3; Draw - 1; AEW – 4
Ross : NXT - 2; Draw - 0; AEW - 0
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