Last week saw the first of two weeks of head-to-head PPV-calibre shows from AEW and WWE. After much anticipation, the ratings revealed that WWE had won the week with the NXT Great American Bash.
While NXT was a solid show last week, featuring what I felt to be a stand-out performance by Timothy Thatcher and Oney Lorcan, and a strong main event with Sasha Banks and Io Shirai, it wasn’t the best of the two. AEW delivered a good show with week 1 of Fyter Fest and week 2 looked to be even better. Even so, with the NXT main event of Adam Cole vs Keith Lee for both NXT singles championships, it was always going to be tough.
In the end, the lure of what was arguably NXT’s biggest possible main event did the work and helped pull in the viewers and win the week for ratings. In terms of overall viewers, NXT stood tall with 759,000 while AEW trailed closely behind with 715,000. As with last week, AEW won the “key demo” (18-49) with a .27 rating against NXT’s .20 – this doesn’t sound like a lot, but it equated to a 17-place difference in the rankings. Fans on both sides of this tribalistic wrestling war have strong opinions on the ratings, but you can’t argue NXT’s victory for the third straight week is significant. It’s just a shame that some on the WWE side seem to want AEW to fail – no competition is, after all, what’s given us the painfully stale main roster product we have today.
Ratings aside, did NXT come out with the better show this week and beat AEW on two fronts?
AEW Dynamite: Fyter Fest
Last week’s show was the best of the week, but this week’s was even better.
After weeks of build-up, “Le Champion” Chris Jericho took on “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy in the main event in what was probably the biggest match of the latter’s career. It didn’t fail to live up to the hype and the two delivered a fantastic match. Unfortunately, Orange Cassidy isn’t quite what he was when the crowds were in the buildings, and his is a gimmick which benefits exponentially from it. As a result, his big time to shine felt somewhat anticlimactic. What nobody should be questioning, however, is his ability to put on a strong performance. Clearly, Y2J is a veteran of the industry who’s been considered one of the best since, well, forever, but it didn’t feel as if Orange was being carried. He held his own and the match wasn’t one to miss. That said, the stronger main event (more on that later) on the other show did offer higher stakes and AEW has become a tad predictable with their “newbie vs. veteran” matches in that the newbies never get the win. An upset victory is due soon.
The opening match, AEW Tag Team Champions Kenny Omega and Hangman Page against Private Party, was also great, and saw the champions hold onto the titles. After the slightly disappointing match between the champs and Best Friends last week, I was somewhat concerned about what we’d get especially with the “greener” team of Private Party. Luckily, Omega seemed to be back on form and Private Party were out to prove their naysayers wrong. If it wasn’t for the eight-man tag team match that came later, this could’ve been the best match on the show.
Butcher & Blade and Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix vs. The Young Bucks and FTR was phenomenal. If you’ve not seen it, you should go out of your way to. Three of these four tag teams are easily in the conversation for best in the business today and there’s no arguing why after seeing this. Butcher & Blade, the least experienced and well-known, did well in this match, too. Being part of this vibrant division is only going to make them better and better. Fenix, however, was the true star. The moment of the match came when he hit a Canadian Destroyer from the inside of the ring over the ropes and to the other guys on the floor below. It was a sight to behold. This guy has real superstar potential and could be as big as Rey Mysterio once was. This was match of the night from both shows, with fast-paced, exciting, and technically perfect action.
In a real blast from the past, Brian Cage was awarded the FTW (F*ck The World) Championship by Taz, its original creator, due to Jon Moxley’s absence from the show. For those who don’t know, Taz created the FTW Championship, billing it the “real” World Championship, back in ECW, when actual World Champ Shane Douglas was unable to defend it due to injury. It was a cool moment that will have meant something for long-term wrestling fans but undoubtedly alienated newer ones. I do wonder where they go with it, though. If Cage wins next week, he has no need for a “fake” title. If Moxley wins, unless in a backhanded way (odd for a babyface champion), Cage can’t claim to be the real champion anymore either. As always with wrestling, these things are often best judged later.
The rest of the show was OK, but not particularly remarkable. The Dark Order and Colt Cabana defeated SCU in a match that was made to look worse by its position after two better tag matches. Not only that, but I don’t get the appeal of Cabana. He’s just not interesting. It seems a waste for Brodie Lee after spending years floundering in WWE. Nyla Rose did a promo – she’s getting a manager. The manager gimmick is overdone in AEW at this point. Unless it’s someone really interesting, I can’t see it elevating her at all.
Next week is Fight for the Fallen, with Jon Moxley vs. Brian Cage for the AEW World Championship in the main event.
WWE NXT: Great American Bash
This was a one-match show if there ever was one, something that was reflected in the way the viewership changed as it progressed.
Adam Cole and Keith Lee had an incredible match, that saw Lee win the NXT Championship and retain the North American Championship. Both are great talents, but this match was clearly designed to make Lee the dominant challenger. While it was a somewhat typical big-guy/little-guy match in its dynamic, the story and athleticism on display took it to that next level. One problem with the match was when Adam Cole hit a Panama Sunrise (Canadian Destroyer) on Lee – it was totally unbelievable for someone of his size. Nevertheless, it didn’t take away from the overall product and the show closing scene of Lee standing tall with both belts was fantastic to see. Here’s hoping he doesn’t eventually get ruined on the main roster as so many have. I have no faith after all these years.
Perhaps the only other good match saw Jonny Gargano defeat Isiah “Swerve” Scott. It was entertaining but not to the level of previous Gargano matches. It’s a shame for him – he’s done everything and reached his peak in NXT months ago, but he’d never get a good push on the main roster to make it worthwhile him heading to Raw or Smackdown. I’m not sure where he goes from here.
The other member of the Gargano household, Candice Le Rae, had a boring Street Fight against Mia Yim. There were numerous weapon spots and a pretty cool finish (Swinging Neckbreaker by Le Rae from a table balanced on the top rope onto a pile of chairs) but it was your typical slow-paced WWE brawl. Because of the slow pace, most of the match comprised of selling weapon shots, and it was during this downtime that I became aware of how obnoxious I find the ‘fans’ banging on the plexiglass. It’s now a staple of every WWE show, and while I’m glad they finally brought fans in (although wish they’d have been more careful with precautions) the banging really makes it hard to sit through.
Otherwise, there was really nothing else of note. Bronson Reed, billed as NXT’s resident “thicc boi” (groan), defeated Tony Neese in a match between two guys who’ll never go anywhere in their current roles. El Legado del Fantasma defeated Drake Maverick and Breezango in a reasonable match that could’ve been a million times better if WWE would allow guys to have their individual styles. For a stable comprised of three former luchadores, Legado del Fantasma had a match that was disappointingly like every six-man tag you’ve ever seen in WWE.
Overall, it was an OK show that was saved by a big-time main event. While it gave NXT the ratings win this week, it was their biggest match, and it’s obvious there’s nothing else on the show that can follow it. After spending so long building up Adam Cole, and subsequently Keith Lee as his challenger, they really need to refocus and develop some other stars.
This week’s winner: AEW Fyter Fest
AEW pulled out all the stops to have a great show even without their scheduled World Championship main event. NXT gave us one brilliant match on an otherwise forgettable show. It was nowhere near as close as last week.
Can NXT continue the ratings winning streak when both shows get back to business-as-usual next week?
Featured Image Credit: WWE (fair use)
