It’s week 18 of the sports style combat scorecard of the Wednesday Night Wars. After a slow start AEW is on the comeback trail. This week they look for a third win in a row. Joining regulars myself (JCH) and Brum is the England cricket team’s biggest fan with an Australian accent. The delightful Dom Van Dam.
Form Guide:
Week 17 - AEW unanimous decision
Week 16 - AEW split decision.
Week 15 - NXT split decision
Week 14 - Majority Draw
Week 13 - AEW majority decision
Individual Judge Form Guides (week 17-13, L-R)
JCH - A-N-A-D-A
Brum -A -A -N -D- N
Guest - A -A -N -A -A
AEW has 9 judge wins, there have been 2 judge draws and NXT has 4 judge wins over the last 5 weeks.
Rd 1: Rush/Devlin vs Battle Royal
JCH: I’m taken back to my thoughts on the NXT women’s battle royal from a month or so ago and AEW suffered similar problems in the early stages here. Like then they are establishing a division, so they wanted to give everyone a shine, which is fine except the opening stage of the match is just a load of bodies punching. I did appreciate JR and Schiavone pushing the fact that the big man is a threat still, even though they never win! Classic Battle Royal bingo. The meat of the battle royal was good and continued some more stories. I didn’t hate the Dark Order and the fact why will be seemingly feuding with SCU means at least they are both in the same segment. Best Friends and the Butcher/Blade and Bunny moved along nicely, and the Elite/Inner Circle continue to bubble along as well as the big win for the Bucks to set up a match we want to see against their friend and Foe, Page and Kenny. Also, that springboard into the Superkick from Guevara was FIRE!!!
On the other side Devlin and Rush just had a very strong match. Devlin continues to establish himself on NXT and I will be consistent and penalise the first half of the battle royal as I did on NXT. We start with a draw.
NXT 10-10 AEW
Brum:The opening match on NXT gives us Jordan Bloody Devlin. Devlin is fantastic & I enjoyed Lio’s feud with Garza but this match didn’t quite hit the lofty heights I expected. Still a really good match though.
Lots going on with the AEW Battle Royal. The way they started with everyone on the outside gave me PTSD for the TNA Reverse Battle Royal. I liked the Dark Order elimination of SCU and MY BOY RAVEN WAS THERE IN THE BACKGROUND! I’ve been hoping he’s the exalted one for weeks but unfortunately, wrestling logic dictates that it can’t be him now
📷
That same logic dictates that it can’t be Daniels either so (now that Marty has an office job) does that make Matt Hardy the heavy favourite?
The other main story of the Battle Royal was the Bucks’ quest. I wasn’t sure if they were going to keep the Bucks & Kenny/Page big encounter smouldering away a bit longer, but it seems they are pulling the trigger for Revolution. With that said, I think that will just be the first chapter in a longer story. Finally, go back & watch that superkick from Matt on Sammy. Eek.
10-9 AEW.
DVD:NXT and AEW both open round 1 in incredibly strong fashion this week. On the black and gold brand we have a fantastic match with Devlin and Rush. Maybe the 2 most exciting workers on TV anywhere. Everyone continues to remind us that Devlin has been identified by Shawn Michaels as a special talent. Doesn’t take a genius to work that out but whoever put the title on Devlin is being proved right every week. Extra marks because he wins with “Somebody’s poisoned the waterhole!”
Dynamite begins with a Tag Team Battle Royal which had all the makings of a calamity. I don’t usually like battle royals but this one was really well booked and great fun. It finishes with a great pay off with The Bucks looking to wrestle Page and Omega. Additionally, the result builds the tension for the tag title match later in the evening.
A fast paced and exciting start for AEW and there’s a story being told. But if I don’t give the round to a match between probably my 2 favourite TV wrestlers, well I will never give NXT a round.
NXT 10-9
Rd 2: Shanna/Statlander (w/Britt comms) vs Carter/Green (with Bianca)
JCH:Britt Baker continues to excel in her new heel role, this time on commentary, where she now seems to have some weird frenemy thing going with Tony. . Speaking of excelling, Bianca Belair entering the ring in the middle of a match to call out Charlotte Flair was superb. Despite constant losses on the big stage Bianca continues to smash it, you have to wonder how many times they can go down that route before some of her shine begins to wear off. With those two top performances cancelling each other out we go do the matches to decide the round. Chelsea begins to establish herself on NXT, but for me Statlander is further along and her and Shanna take the points here. Also, quick aside why was JR so annoyed about pie. “why is it always pieface, why can’t it be cake. Some people like cake. I like cake.” What a random subject to be really angry about.
AEW 10-9 NXT. 20-19 AEW.
Brum:The NXT women’s match didn’t really tickle my giblets. I like the idea of the Chelsea Green & Robert Stone characters though so hopefully it will go somewhere. As for the finish, I noticed they didn’t replay it so was that a botch? I only say that because Mauro called it an Unprettier but Carter was facing upwards on the drop rather than downwards. Apologies if she’s used that variation of the move before or in TNA but it looked strange. Belair Kanyeing in was fun but did upset the flow of the match.
Not a lot to say about Shanna Statlander. Possibly Statlander’s weakest match so far but it was still better than its NXT counterpart.
10-9 AEW. 20-18 AEW so far.
DVD:Round 2, in classic Britwres style is a women’s matchup.
Over on AEW the match is solid, like all of the Statlander TV matches, but what stood out to me was the excellent commentary. I really enjoy the dynamic between Schiavone and Britt Baker. Baker is the mean girl who uses the cuckhold Tony like a punching bag while he still kisses her ass.
Speaking of Mean Girls! The Bianca bel air promo is fire. Everything I love. Kanye, mean girls and internal rhyme. Simple, but genius. I can’t split them here.
AEW 10 - NXT 10. NXT 20-19.
Rd 3: Nyla Rose interview vs Ciampa/Austin Theory segment
JCH:Two good promo segments here. Nyla setting her stall atop the NXT women’s division and seemingly setting up a couple of challengers in Statlander and Swole, I really liked what Ciampa did however. The Theory interactions were well done from the start and the Gargano promo was sensical. No ‘Why Johnny Why?’ He knows why and I liked the tease of a Loser Leaves NXT match at Mania. If they get last years match here and it’s for the last time, then I’m all good with that.
NXT 10-9 AEW. 29-29
Brum:R3: I enjoyed the Ciampa segment. His “not tonight” line to Theory was great & it was fun seeing him get more & more pissed off. The AEW segment did its job but wasn’t as entertaining as the NXT piece.
10-9 NXT. 29-28 AEW so far.
DVD:We have interview/promo segments up next.
How cool is Tommaso Ciampa? Really bloody cool! NXT doing well to sell the upcoming match with Gargano in a different way. Ciampa is willing to eliminate Gargano from his life but he kept the babyface gleam by having Theory attack Ciampa first from behind. Theory took a hell of a beating here; Ciampa drills him!
You know what? Nyla Rose is a decent promo. But all the juxtaposition between quiet and yelling isn’t enough to take the points off NXT here.
NXT 10 - AEW 9. NXT 30-28.
Rd 4: Mendoza/Wylde/GYV (plus promo) vs Mox/Cobb (plus aftermath)
JCH:Gibson and Drake look like they’re here to stay! Full time promotion to the Black and Gold. Good stuff. Might they be back against the Broserweights for the Mania tag team match? I bloody hope so. Gibson getting mic time as well. Fantastic. They’re up against it this week though as Mox and Cobb had a good solid match as well followed by some excellent post-match continuation. Sidenote - Guevara singing Jericho’s theme with the crowd was also excellent. The Darby return was the big moment and 3 Revolution matches continue to build nicely in this segment. Something I would have tried to do on Extreme Warfare Revenge back in the day. Tone definitely played that. Interested to see where Cobb goes from here, he seemed to be a mercenary for the Inner Circle rather than a member
AEW 10-9 NXT. 39-38 AEW.
Brum:How is Wilde a face? He’s the most punchable person in wrestling. Have you seen his fucking entrance? What a knob. GYV are wonderful so great to see them on the main NXT permanently. I hope this mean that it’s a rematch of them vs the Broserweights at the Mania weekend TakeOver. Simple squash but entertaining & the post-match promo was good too.
Though it’s another round to AEW. Good match between Cobb & Mox and they got the finish right. I’m not sure on Cobb’s status with AEW but the cheeky pin protects him enough for the future. Yet another blackout spot from AEW! I’ve complained about this in prior weeks but that pop was pretty hot so I’ll turn a blind eye to it this time.
10-9 AEW. 39-37 AEW so far.
DVD:GYV have been booked to be surprisingly strong so far this year. Their match here is pretty much a TV squash but the most important part of the segment is the post-match promo.
“The land of the neck beards and the home of the ignorant yanks.” Inspired stuff as usual from The Scouser.
On AEW we have a true test for Gee-yon Moxley in the form of Jeff Cobb.
Cobb is built like a monster through the commentary. He’s come in to lose really, but it doesn’t matter because of how well he’s presented. I would love to see Cobb vs. Hager down the line if he can stick around and turn on the Inner Circle.
Anyway, the match here is great and keeps both men strong for a bit of a sprint.
Here come the troops after the Mox roll up.
Darby Allin is a Star. That is all.
AEW 10 - NXT 9. NXT 39-38.
Rd 5: Elite/Lucha Bros vs Broserweights 1s&2s
JCH:Again, two strong tag matches going here. Riddle’s pre match mic time continues to be enjoyable. ‘The wellness policy, that’s a thing here’ being a highlight. I think I have to give the edge to AEW though. I wanted to see Page and Omega vs the Bucks and this match got us there as well as being excellent. Rey Fenix running the ropes and volleying people will never get old. The post-match dissension between Page and The Bucks now means even more as they are now set to face off in 10 days time. Game on. Rare segment defeat for Rids, but AEW is on a clutch run here .
AEW 10-9 NXT. 49 -47 AEW
Brum:4 Progress alumni in the tag match (out of 10, I think, on the whole show). Fun match. But not as fun as the AEW tag title match. This was great. Enjoyed the big false finish & the post-match continues the story. JR gets some stick these days but I think he nailed the commentary during the aftermath.
10-9 AEW. 49-46 AEW so far.
DVD:Why do fans insist on chanting “you deserve it?” It genuinely ruined the whole Broserweights promo, which otherwise would have been pretty funny.
I wonder if having Riddle pandering to the crowd will eventual lead to a Pete double Cross and turn. I hope so, this could be a main event level feud.
Until then, I think NXT might have missed a trick by having the 1s and 2s pick up a surprise win here to further develop the story of the differences between Rids and Dunne. But anyway, I guess they’ll keep them strong for a while yet.
AEW’s Tag Title match is ridiculous. Fantastic match, probably wasted on TV but I’m not complaining.
Excalibur tells us that a miscommunication between Page and Omega will mean the end of their
title reign.
Has anyone booked Rey Fenix vs Will Ospreay? That’s absolute money. Fenix is actually a joke. That walk the ropes kick then springboard rana to the outside sequence is madness.
Here’s the miscommunication from Page and Omega, but Omega kicks out. Great story.
Post-match, Page tries to do the right thing by his partner, but Omega stays with The Bucks so Page just starts pounding beers on the way out to mend his broken heart. I’ve been there buddy.
What a segment.
AEW 10 - NXT 9. NXT 48-48 AEW.
Rd 6: Wardlow/Cody vs Dream/Strong
JCH:This Dream v Roddy stuff is weird. We had a discussion on the group chat this week about whether Dream is a face or a heel. I think he’s always been a heel. He’s always a dic. The match was good, it had Roddy in it, so it’s not going to be anything else. But I’m rooting for Marina to come out and Slap the smirk of Dream’s face here, either that or Roddy to beat him up. AEW delivered a fantastic main. Cody continues to knock it out of the park with the emotional feeling of his matches. And it’s not just him, everyone is playing a part. MJF and Brandi both deserve plaudits as well. Even Coach Arn seemed useful this week. Wardlow did his job well. The finish was superb. I’m ready for revolution now.
AEW 10-8 NXT. 59-55
Brum:This wasn’t quite as crisp as some previous NXT main events but as this was a personal feud, it’s supposed to be a bit grimy. Good match & nice to see Dream back.
There is no one like Cody in wrestling. In terms of fusing emotional beats into wrestling matches, he’s a bloody wizard. I know I praised him in the last segment, but the only downside to this match was JR’s “will one be enough?” line on the Cross Rhodes which telegraphed this wasn’t the finish. This whole arc has been wonderful though & can’t wait for Cody vs MJF.
AEW 10-9. 59-55 AEW so far.
DVD: It’s main event time. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Cody is the best promo in wrestling. Even him just talking about a cage match and what it means has got me so pumped for it and I’m not really in to cage matches.
The cage looks badass! Really tall looking, I think because it goes to the floor and had the scaffolding. There’s gonna be some cool spots in AEW cage matches in the future. This one is mostly just brutality. A fun match and a superb finish, developing the story further. I can’t wait for Revolution.
On the other channel, Roddy Strong is fighting for his family, even going so far as to swear on them. This makes him much more likeable than The Dream.
Nothing much stood out to me in the match, but it was, of course, great. But the spectacle of the cage, the blood and the finish were enough to have AEW pick up another narrow scrap.
AEW 10 - NXT 9. 57-56 NXT
Rd 7: the rest - Keith Lee/Reeves/Dijakovic, Kai/Gonzalez, Era promo at start, Forgotten Sons twitter vid, Balor vs Action Figures pitch, MJF/Cody recap.
JCH:NXT had a lot more segments this week, but does that make it better? I enjoyed the Kai/Gonzales explanation. It made sense and that is all we ask for most of the time. Keith Lee continues to excel, Dijakovic leaning slightly heel…The Forgotten Sons Face turn???? That’ll please Brum. AEW barely had any backstage segments but featured a heart-warming feature on their new action figures, which was excellent, and a recap on the Cody/MJF feud, which was also very good. I’ll split the difference here and go draw.
NXT 10-10 AEW.
Brum: Forgotten Sons turning face should mean this is a 10-6 to AEW but I’ll put my Jaxson “I spell my name like a 12-year-old” Ryker hatred aside. Lots more in the extra segments this week on the NXT side so they pick up the bonus point for a consolation goal.
10-9 NXT.
DVD: I think I’ve outlined most of my thoughts on the promos in other segments.
The one that stood out though was Finn Balor. It was simple, direct and effective. That guy is on fire. His announcement is what I look forward to most for next week.
NXT 10 - AEW 9
Overall
JCH:It’s a landslide win for AEW here, they nearly swept the board and it felt like that would be the case watching it. Sometimes I feel one show has edged it and the segments will come out the other way, but not here. AEW is on a run of excellent shows, this could well have been the best one top to bottom. Everything is peaking for Revolution and I’m excited to watch nearly all of the matches. Can they keep this going without a PPV to build for coming-out of next week is a question that needs answering, but that won’t affect this week’s score. NXT wasn’t bad, it just pales in comparison this week to a really hot AEW.
AEW 69-65 NXT
Brum:How things have changed, eh? For a while in H2H, NXT was smashing it every week but the tides have very much turned. It was the same margin of victory on my scorecards as last week, but the differences felt greater overall. It will be interesting to see if they can keep up the momentum in next week’s go-home show.
AEW 68-65 NXT
DVD:It’s happened again. As a whole I enjoyed Dynamite much more as a wrestling show. But when it’s broken in to rounds we come out all square. 2 excellent wrestling programs. It’s a great time to be a fan. Drink lots of water; look after your mates.
AEW 66-66 NXT
Winner by Majority Decision AEW - The comeback is well and truly on as AEW pick up a 3rd win on the spin to narrow the gap to 2 as their hot streak continues. Whilst they took a bit of time to find their feet, they now seem to have hit on a good mix of character work and wrestling and they are preparing the rewards. As all 3 of us said no-one things NXT is bad, but it’s struggling to keep up at the moment with AEW’s top work.
Join myself and Brum next week when we are reunited with OG reviewer Matt Connolly.
OVERALL SCORECARDS
NXT - 8 (by split decision - 4, by majority decision - 2, by unanimous decision - 2)
Draw -4 (3 majority draws, 1 split draw)
AEW - 6 (by majority decision - 2, by unanimous decision -2, by split decision - 2)
INDIVIDUAL SCORECARDS:
JCH: NXT - 9; Draw - 3 AEW - 6
Brum: NXT - 6; Draw - 5; AEW - 7
Matt C: NXT - 5; Draw - 1; AEW – 4
Ross : NXT - 3; Draw - 0; AEW - 1
DVD: NXT -0; Draw - 1; AEW - 1
Sal: NXT - 0; Draw - 0; AEW - 2
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