It's week 23 of the WedHead2Head. The combat sports style scorecard of the Wednesday night Wars. For those of you who missed the podcast with Brum, AEW won by Knockout last week in a matchup that didn’t earn a write up.
Overall score is NXT 10-8 AEW, with 4 draws. OG contributor Matt Connolly is back this week and took the lead on creating the segments. So he will lead us off. Thanks Matt.
Form Guide:
Week 22 - AEW by Knockout.
Week 21 - NXT by majority decision
Week 20 - NXT split decision
Week 19 - AEW unanimous decision.
Week 18 - AEW Majority decision.
1. CODY/JIMMY HAVOC VS AUSIN THEORY/TYLER BREEZE
Matt: Decent enough opening match on AEW. Nice to see Havoc being given a chance on the main show after his winning run on dark. Kind of felt a bit perfunctory though as there was little doubt Cody would come through unscathed. Interesting opener on NXT. Nice little older head prevails story here and I'd be pleased if these two continue to have matches. Austin Theory is still the future of the business. More to chew over on NXT for me so first round goes there way.
NXT 10-9 AEW
Brum: 2 fun matches to kick off the return of WH2H after last week's AEW knockout. On last week's WSBF podcast, in the PushTradeTurn round, I suggested Havoc should be pushed. Big Tony was clearly one of our 7 listeners as he put Jimmy vs Cody to open Dynamite! I liked how this match started off friendly and ramped up to Cody hitting his finisher twice in anger.
I wasn't too excited about Theory Breeze going in but enjoyed the match. I liked the simple story of Theory losing because of showboating too much. I also thought the shit talking from Theory helped with no crowd. Unfortunately their match didn't involve Jimmy Fucking Havoc so it can't win.
AEW 10-9.
JCH: I found it so difficult to get into the matches on the shows this week. I did really enjoy Kenny Omega on comms though. Great insight from him and Cody later on. For that I’ll give the win to AEW!
AEW 10-9
2. JAKE THE SNAKE PROMO VS DAMIEN PRIEST/DOMINIC DIJAKOVIC/KEITH LEE CONFRONTATION
Matt: Jake cuts good promo shocker. Not really much to say as AEW seem to be spinning the wheels a bit with the Archer stuff which in the current climate is understandable but looking forward to what happens if he debuts next week. I love all the big lads in the NXT picture but it is going in circles a bit right now. I'll give NXT the edge but neither segment got me excited.
NXT 10-9 AEW. 20-18 NXT
Brum: Not loads to say about either segment here. Looking forward to the triple threat on NXT next week but this particular segment was Loch Fyne.
Jake is at his best in AEW when Lance "I think Disturbed's cover of Sound of Silence is better than the original" Archer is off screen. With that said, there wasn't loads to this promo.
10-10. AEW 20-19 so far.
JCH: Sue me Shafi, I am enjoying the Lee, Priest, Dijakovic interactions. Roberts is cutting good promos but it’s to lead to a Lance Archer vs Cody match… cheers.
NXT 10-9 AEW. 19-19
3. DARBY ALLIN/KIP SABIAN + DARBY ALLIN PACKAGE VS KILLIAN DAIN/TEHUTI MILES - CAMERON GRIMES/TONY NESE
Matt: I'm a fan of Darby Allin but I'm not as high as others it would seem. I like Kip Sabian. He and Penelope give me strong Michaels/Sherri vibes. Fine match. The two efforts over on NXT did there job but I'm a little bummed Nese didn't get more time with Grimes. I'll give AEW the nod because I got more from their match.
AEW 10-9 NXT. 29-28 NXT
Brum: Darby Allin is probably a grade A pissfalcon IRL, but fuck me, he's an entertaining wrestler. I love that in addition to the batshit coffin drop, his other finisher is a mad technical pin. Props to Sabian too. I wasn't a massive fan of his work on the British scene but he's stepped up since joining AEW. Music choice for the Darby vignette was odd but worked well.
I hate saying this but I have zero interest in Dain these days. I'd like to see a character refresh, maybe in NXT UK. Grimes & Nese was a fun match but not enough to take the round.
AEW 10-9. AEW 30-28 so far.
JCH: The lack of intensity around NXT really took me out of Grimes vs Nese, which is a shame as I like both wrestlers. Darby Allin can be entertaining with no crowd and I liked the video package. Darby for the win.
AEW 10-9 NXT. 29-28 AEW
4. CHICO ADAMS/JAKE HAGER + JAKE HAGER/JON MOXLEY CONFRONTATION + JON MOXLEY PROMO VS ALIYAH/IO SHIRAI - CANDICE LERAE/KAYDEN CARTER
Matt: I think I am in the minority who like Hager. I'm fine with him and Mox going at it. I don't have particularly high hopes for the match but it's a defence that Mox will need if he is going to have momentum.I hated the Xia Li injury angle.
Any feud where two competitors cry about their injuries is just naff. Nice to see Io of course and LeRae Vs Carter was fine but NXT just left me cold here whereas I have at least some interest in the AEW angle.
AEW 10-9 NXT. 38-38
Brum: I'm not really a fan of this Hager/Mox feud. Hager looks like a beast but I think he needs a bit more of a singles run first. I would have also preferred him to sell the Paradigm Shift more than he did.
Io is in the ladder match - whoop! Candace got an alright match out of Kayden and was probably enough to give NXT the round.
NXT 10-9. AEW 39-38 so far.
JCH: Was watching AEW with my mum (she was disappointed in the lack of Riho) and she wondered why Chico Adams didn’t get an entrance. Hager is weird. He’s entertaining as the straight man, but am I sold on a Moxley/Hager program….I’m not sure.
Io is back! YEAHHHHH. NXT win.
NXT 10-9 AEW. 38-38.
5. BRODIE LEE/QT MARSHALL + DARK ORDER PACKAGE VS BRENDAN VINK+SHANE THORNE/DANNY BURCH+ONEY LORCAN
Matt: A dig at Vince McMahon. I'll allow it but thats two weeks running now for Brodie so lets leave it there and focus on building your own stock. Size of Thorne's partner was what got me about the NXT effort. I like his look. Match was ok.
I'll say AEW take the round here as NXT just felt like it was filling time and reminded me of the days before they signed half the indies.
AEW 10-9 NXT. 48-47
Brum: Not sure about Brodie's Vince thing. I think it looks petty. I get what they are doing but I don't think it works. Also, him using Bray's finisher setup is double petty. I'm not a WWE person so I'm not being defensive, it just makes me eye roll.
His attire is shocking too. I love Brodie Lee but they have totally fucked his debut. He should be with Jake. Sad face. The backstage segments didn't work well here either. I find Austin Gunn very annoying.
Vince is going to love Brendan Vink. In other news, he has the face of a miscellaneous Aussie seam bowler. This match was alright and enough to pick up the win.
NXT 10-9. 48-48 so far.
JCH: Regular readers will know I love the 1s and 2s, but I can’t remember this match happening. Brodie Lee takes the win for the steak and red wine table scene. Some of those shots of the steak had me drooling.
AEW 10-9 NXT. 48-47 AEW
6. KENNY OMEGA/SAMMY GUEVARA VS MATT RIDDLE/RODERICK STRONG+MALCOLM BIVENS+BIG LADS DEBUT
Matt: AEW put on a solid match here but I was taken out of it slightly by the ad breaks. Still, Guevara's stock is always rising and going twenty minutes with Kenny won't harm that.
On paper a Strong/Riddle match should clean up and were it fought under normal circumstance it surely would of, but bar the tense wrestling exchange early on this one didn't fly for me, which surprises me.
The beatdown at the end adds depth to a tag division that badly needs it and it's cool to finally get Bivens debuting but it was not the most explosive debut for these big lads so I'm cautious. AEW nick it for me.
AEW 10-9 NXT. 58-56
Brum: Kenny Sammy was a lot of fun but think the lack of crowd was a hindrance here. Nothing felt big. With that said, Sammy kissing the Brandi drawing and Brandi's reaction were both fantastic. I feel bad for this segment not getting anything as it was the highpoint of the night for AEW but unfortunately it went against a really good match.
Riddle Strong was a hoot. Their decision to go with a lot of mat work is smart as the lack of crowd wasn't as noticeable as it was in the more spot heavy AEW match. We also get a debut! These new lads look a bit green though. That Irish Whip into the corner was pretty horrific. But you can't complain when it means you get STOKELY FUCKING HATHAWAY.
NXT 10-9. NXT 58-57 so far.
JCH: Now Matt Riddle vs Roddy Strong should be right up my alley, sadly by this point my apathy for the NXT in-ring segments was fully set in and I just couldn’t get into it.
Omega and Guevara managed more, they got me into the match especially down the stretch and Cody’s comms was really good as well. Upset win on JCH scorecard as Riddle takes an L.
AEW 10-9 NXT. 58-56
7. CHRIS JERICHO/MATT HARDY PROMO VS JOHNNY GARGANO/TOMASSO CIAMPA PROMO+KILLER KROSS TEASE
Matt: AEW felt a bit clunky here. At a pure guess I would say big sections were not scripted and regardless of the talent involved I think this needed direction. Jericho's interactions with Vanguard and the teleporting Hardy sequence were the sort of goofy fun I want from Broken Matt though. More of this going forward.
I'm sick to death of Ciampa/Gargano so NXT's closing did nothing for me but the tease of Killer Kross has me excited. AEW take this one.
AEW 10-9 NXT
Brum: I'm not the biggest fan of the Hardy segment. Jericho chatting to Vanguard 1 was fun but didn't really enjoy much else. I think the act was fun for a while in Impact but now it feels like an old comedian doing a worn out catchphrase. Commentary undersold the teleportation too which was a bit jarring.
This wasn't the hottest Ciampa Gargano segment to date but lukewarm for them still has a sizzle to it. I thought HHH played his role well too. 2 weeks time should be mad. I just hope they both survive it.
NXT 10-9.
JCH: Tough segment to grade here. BT sport App cut out NXT just as Killer Kross video hit and I’m furious it’s not a loser leaves NXT match, but I did quite like the segment.
AEW was a mixed bag. Chris Jericho was outstanding, the camera man singing his theme, cutting a promo on a drone, playing the straight man getting annoyed at Hardy’s bollocks. Kenny and Cody saying ‘we’re right here’ whilst he slagged them off. On the other side - I hate Broken Matt Hardy.
I hate his ridiculous language in his promos. The South Carolina trawl whilst using medieval terminology. It’s ridiculous. Talking about all the dead people watching. Go home mate. But on the other hand Jericho was so good. Jericho wins the segment 10-9, Hardy loses it 10-9. I’m giving a 9.5-9.5. It’s my scale, if Meltzer can do it so can I.
NXT 9.5 - 9.5 AEW.
OVERALL SCORES
Matt: AEW take this but neither show was particularly memorable. Disappointed that AEW continues to ignore its women's division but it feels harsh criticising anything about the shows right now whilst we are aware of the limitations.
AEW 68-65 NXT
Brum: After being 2 rounds down after the third, NXT win 4 on the bounce to take the win. Were these strong shows for either brand? No. Did they both deliver in very tough circumstances? Yep. I thought NXT was the more enjoyable show overall and the scores back that up.
NXT 68-66 AEW
JCH: It’s a weird time, there are some good segments, I also loved the Gunn club backstage at AEW. AEW continues to have more interesting wrestling in the no-fans era. I think Cody and Kenny being on comms was a big factor in the AEW matches being better.
AEW 67.5-65.5
WINNER BY SPLIT DECISION….AEW
AEW close the gap to one week again as they score victories on mine and Matt’s card. Brum scoring the week for NXT. Brum and Matt agreeing on just one segment this week. That could be a record!
NXT is starting to show Take-over matches from next week. That could help them? It should at least give them some stakes. These strange times continue.
OVERALL SCORECARDS
NXT - 10 (by split decision - 5, by majority decision -3, by unanimous decision - 2)
Draw -4 (3 majority draws, 1 split draw)
AEW - 9 (by majority decision - 3, by unanimous decision -2, by split decision - 3, By Knockout - 1)
INDIVIDUAL SCORECARDS:
JCH: NXT - 11; Draw - 3 AEW - 9
Brum: NXT - 9; Draw - 5; AEW - 9
Matt C: NXT - 5; Draw - 1; AEW – 6
Ross : NXT - 3; Draw - 1 AEW - 1
DVD: NXT -0; Draw - 1; AEW - 1
Sal NXT - 0; Draw - 0; AEW - 3
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