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Who Will Win This Battle: AEW or WWE?

Will you be watching Dynamite or NXT?

Justin Barrasso

Who Will Win This Battle: AEW or WWE?
Who Will Win This Battle: AEW or WWE? /

Let’s be honest.

This isn’t AEW against NXT.

Tomorrow night, it is AEW against WWE in a rare-but-significant head-to-head battle.

Since TBS is running the National League playoffs on Wednesday night, Dynamite airs tomorrow instead of its regularly scheduled time slot on Wednesday. That means NXT will have direct competition from the pro wrestling realm, and the executives in WWE are taking this opportunity very seriously.

Advertised for this week’s NXT programming are a plethora of stars, including John Cena and Paul Heyman. They will corner, respectively, Carmelo Hayes and Bron Breakker, a rather significant bout between two future staples of the main roster. Cody Rhodes is also making a rare trip to the Performance Center to deliver a “major” announcement, and Asuka steps into the ring against rising star Roxanne Perez.

If that weren’t enough, Becky Lynch is the reigning NXT women’s champion, which means she should also appear. Between Lynch, Cena, and Rhodes, those are three former WrestleMania headliners. This is a better lineup than WWE typically offers on Raw. One more thing: The Undertaker–yes, The Undertaker–is scheduled to appear. With the intimate setting at the PC, WWE should embrace the moment and build a set that is reminiscent of the early years of Monday Night Raw in the Manhattan Center.

WWE is seeking a new media rights deal for Raw and NXT, but one strong rating–even if it comes attached with a strong number in the coveted 18-49 demo–will not suddenly make a network enamored in their programming. From the WWE side, their objective is more pointed. This is a chance to show everyone, specifically AEW owner Tony Khan, that there is only one king of the industry.

Yet this is also an opportunity for Khan to highlight his challenger brand. Throughout the past four decades, multiple wrestling companies have emerged and then faded, proving they were nothing more than a watered-down version of the WWE product. But AEW prides itself on being the answer to all of WWE’s issues. Centered around pro wrestling, this Dynamite is a chance to show the strength of their brand.

Tomorrow’s Dynamite is “Title Tuesday”. Khan will be celebrating his birthday with the in-ring debut of Adam Copeland, who wrestles Luchasaurus. Chris Jericho adds his star power to the festivities, wrestling the newest member of the Callis Family–Powerhouse Hobbs. There are also the two title matches on the show, with women’s champion Saraya defending her belt against two-time former champion Hikaru Shida–and Jon Moxley is scheduled to return and challenge Fenix for the International title.

Moxley has been out of action since suffering a concussion last month during his match against Fenix. Knowing he was in a difficult spot, Moxley called an audible and dropped the belt, which was not the intended plan. Given the serious nature of concussions, it is fair to question whether we will see Moxley perform on Wednesday. If he does not receive clearance, or all parties agree that he should not wrestle, AEW could still garner viewers by putting Moxley back on commentary. If a replacement is needed, my choice would be the beloved babyface MJF, who could turn this into a world title match.

Dynamite is wisely built around Bryan Danielson and his match against Swerve Strickland, who will soon challenge for the world title. There is also a match pitting “Switchblade” Jay White against Hangman Page, and their history from New Japan Pro-Wrestling will be celebrated.

If there were ever a time to introduce Mercedes Moné to AEW, this feels like the perfect opportunity. Formerly known as Sasha Banks in WWE, an appearance from Moné would be the single biggest surprise of the night.

WWE is expected to win the ratings battle. With Cena, Taker, Lynch, and Rhodes, how can they lose? So it would be a real source of pride for AEW if they can generate a better rating. And although it is easy to get swept up in the excitement, it is just a rating. Wrestling is built around great matches, promos, and moments–not who wins a weekly rating. Does anyone remember any of the specific ratings from the famed ­Raw-Nitro battles? But I’m sure there are a flood of memories of some unforgettable moments.

Ultimately, the stakes are not that high. Losing this week’s ratings battle does not signal the demise for either company. This is a small litmus test, though one that will be overexaggerated in signature pro wrestling form to the advantage of whomever wins.

This is not the “Monday Night War” reincarnated–it is a Tuesday night tug-of-war. One similarity between this and the fabled WWE-WCW battles is that the result will be the same. It is a victory for wrestling fans, especially considering both shows can be recorded (and, for those of us of a certain age, we rest easy knowing no VCRs will be needed).

Competition brings out the best in pro wrestling, and that will be on display tomorrow night.

May the best show win.

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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