Wednesday Night Wars

[Duffman]

I don't think AEW can do no wrong.

But I see why they have such a following.

Starting with the single greatest announce team in wrestling. And they've just consistently churned out good show after good show.

Yes, the womens division needs some talent additions (althogh if WWE can get Becky over, any of these girls can get over)

And yes there's a ton of dives and leaps and flips over the rope (but you can also say that about WWE at this point).

They have their own stuff to work on.

But NXT needed a card full of WWE superstars, including it's most popular woman (somehow, makes me want to give up on humanity), and arguably it's most popular tag team, PLUS a team that had the SD belts this month, to beat AEW for once. That's not a sustainable model.

sending top talent down to the JV team is not a sustainable model.

You know what is a sustainable model? Treating NXT like a third brand like WWE has done ever since it moved to USA 2 months ago. WWE didn’t just bring down the RAW & SmackDown talent out of their ass to try to beat AEW for once, they did it because they’re building to a pay-per-view on Sunday that in NXT is a part of and just like they have been doing for 20+ years, when it comes to Survivor Series you always have wrestlers from the other brand appearing on the other shows.

and the only people advertised for NXT this week were the Revival, everyone else showed up un-announced or made a small post on Twitter maybe an hour before the show teasing an appearance. And if you wanna point to the fact the Triple H put an open challenge on Monday, he also did something similar 2 weeks ago when The Club appeared on NXT and that show did 100k viewers less than this show.

So either the Revival are bigger draws then AJ styles and The Club, or people are actually invested in the PPV and tuned in excited to see what might happen regardless of who was teased.

The notion online is WWE brought down all those people because they were desperate to beat AEW when if you actually look at the facts WWE is just booking shows as they normally would on a build up to Survivor Series, it’s just people are more interested this year because it features NXT as well.

Enough people are conveniently overlooking the fact that for the sixth time in eight weeks AEW lost viewers from the week before, and the only time the gained viewers was pre-and post a PPV, now yes NXT has done the same they’ve lost viewers as well but they’re also WWE’s 3rd brand not the major show in the company as a AEW is.

 

[The Q]

You know what is a sustainable model? Treating NXT like a third brand like WWE has done ever since it moved to USA 2 months ago. WWE didn’t just bring down the RAW & SmackDown talent out of their ass to try to beat AEW for once, they did it because they’re building to a pay-per-view on Sunday that in NXT is a part of and just like they have been doing for 20+ years, when it comes to Survivor Series you always have wrestlers from the other brand appearing on the other shows.

and the only people advertised for NXT this week were the Revival, everyone else showed up un-announced or made a small post on Twitter maybe an hour before the show teasing an appearance. And if you wanna point to the fact the Triple H put an open challenge on Monday, he also did something similar 2 weeks ago when The Club appeared on NXT and that show did 100k viewers less than this show.

So either the Revival are bigger draws then AJ styles and The Club, or people are actually invested in the PPV and tuned in excited to see what might happen regardless of who was teased.

The notion online is WWE brought down all those people because they were desperate to beat AEW when if you actually look at the facts WWE is just booking shows as they normally would on a build up to Survivor Series, it’s just people are more interested this year because it features NXT as well.

Enough people are conveniently overlooking the fact that for the sixth time in eight weeks AEW lost viewers from the week before, and the only time the gained viewers was pre-and post a PPV, now yes NXT has done the same they’ve lost viewers as well but they’re also WWE’s 3rd brand not the major show in the company as a AEW is.

I look forward to nxt getting crushed at SS. They’re cute and fun, but it’s clear that the talent is a cut below, but the creative is better than the main roster. Really needed to keep bischoff.

 

[futballiscool]

Since you're an AEW fan, do you subscribe to the dirt sheet narrative?

It's common sense that they're helped by the Survivor Series storyline and main roster guest appearances if that's the question

 

[Duffman]

I look forward to nxt getting crushed at SS. They’re cute and fun, but it’s clear that the talent is a cut below, but the creative is better than the main roster. Really needed to keep bischoff.

Well considering NXT has pretty much dominated the main roster in the build up, yeah they’re probably gonna lose at the pay-per-view. But you know what that means, WWE gave NXT the wins on shows more of their fans watch. It would be one thing if they had Raw and SmackDown dominate them on TV and then NXT barely get a few fluke wins on the pay-per-view, but the fact that they’ve given NXT such dominating wins on TV even if they lose at the pay-per-view they still come out ahead because they look better on the shows more people watch.

 

[The Q]

Well considering NXT has pretty much dominated the main roster in the build up, yeah they’re probably gonna lose at the pay-per-view. But you know what that means, WWE gave NXT the wins on shows more of their fans watch. It would be one thing if they had Raw and SmackDown dominate them on TV and then NXT barely get a few fluke wins on the pay-per-view, but the fact that they’ve given NXT such dominating wins on TV even if they lose at the pay-per-view they still come out ahead because they look better on the shows more people watch.

tbeyve also had a numbers advantage.

the revival and Daniel Bryan burials are rather head scratching. Especially since they gave Bryan a huge push immediately after.

 

[Duffman]

tbeyve also had a numbers advantage.

the revival and Daniel Bryan burials are rather head scratching. Especially since they gave Bryan a huge push immediately after.

Jesus I don’t think you know what the word burial means considering every person who lost you consider them buried, the revival, Daniel Bryan, Drew McIntyre, etc.

None of those people got buried, they had competitive matches or looked strong and just happened to lose at the end. You can’t claim someone wrestling a 20 minute match and they lose is buried.

 

[The Q]

Jesus I don’t think you know what the word burial means considering every person who lost you consider them buried, the revival, Daniel Bryan, Drew McIntyre, etc.

None of those people got buried, they had competitive matches or looked strong and just happened to lose at the end. You can’t claim someone wrestling a 20 minute match and they lose is buried.

this is like Hartford beating the Rockies. I matter how you spin it, it’s a bad look.

 

[wildturkey]

FWIW, AEW's viewership seems to be steadying out in the 800k to 900k weekly. They are winning the younger viewer (18 to 35, 18 to 45) target demos weekly, which is where advertisers spend their most money. NXT has gained some viewers, and won in "total" viewership this week. But considering that AEW's audience is largely staying in the same range, especially in the target demo, NXT gains aren't coming from people who decided to not watch AEW. They're two separate audiences. NXT's gains are likely coming from SD and/or Raw viewers and they're also skewing older.

 

[The Q]

FWIW, AEW's viewership seems to be steadying out in the 800k to 900k weekly. They are winning the younger viewer (18 to 35, 18 to 45) target demos weekly, which is where advertisers spend their most money. NXT has gained some viewers, and won in "total" viewership this week. But considering that AEW's audience is largely staying in the same range, especially in the target demo, NXT gains aren't coming from people who decided to not watch AEW. They're two separate audiences. NXT's gains are likely coming from SD and/or Raw viewers and they're also skewing older.

wasn’t that the demo that won the Monday night wars?

 

[The Q]

You know what is a sustainable model? Treating NXT like a third brand like WWE has done ever since it moved to USA 2 months ago. WWE didn’t just bring down the RAW & SmackDown talent out of their ass to try to beat AEW for once, they did it because they’re building to a pay-per-view on Sunday that in NXT is a part of and just like they have been doing for 20+ years, when it comes to Survivor Series you always have wrestlers from the other brand appearing on the other shows.

and the only people advertised for NXT this week were the Revival, everyone else showed up un-announced or made a small post on Twitter maybe an hour before the show teasing an appearance. And if you wanna point to the fact the Triple H put an open challenge on Monday, he also did something similar 2 weeks ago when The Club appeared on NXT and that show did 100k viewers less than this show.

So either the Revival are bigger draws then AJ styles and The Club, or people are actually invested in the PPV and tuned in excited to see what might happen regardless of who was teased.

The notion online is WWE brought down all those people because they were desperate to beat AEW when if you actually look at the facts WWE is just booking shows as they normally would on a build up to Survivor Series, it’s just people are more interested this year because it features NXT as well.

Enough people are conveniently overlooking the fact that for the sixth time in eight weeks AEW lost viewers from the week before, and the only time the gained viewers was pre-and post a PPV, now yes NXT has done the same they’ve lost viewers as well but they’re also WWE’s 3rd brand not the major show in the company as a AEW is.

It makes zero sense to treat them as being on par with SD and Raw. Where are guys developing if not the minor league roster?

 

[Duffman]

It makes zero sense to treat them as being on par with SD and Raw. Where are guys developing if not the minor league roster?

The WWE performance Center, you know the thing that's existed since 2013 and teaches people how to adapt to the WWE style of wrestling and place to practice your promo skills. Where literally every new hire spends a bit of time before they debut on a show.

Sorry to disappoint you but NXT isn't the reality tv show for rookies it was 10 years ago.

 

[The Q]

The dirt sheet narrative, best I can gather, is that AEW can do no wrong, is great/excellent, etc and NXT (really WWE) is complete shit, can't do anything right, etc

It's something I noticed a couple, three weeks ago when Traci Brooks (Kazarian's wife) was scolding "fans", i.e. non-AEW fans, to enjoy all the wrestling that's out there and not to "pick a side". Forgettting to mention the narrative, pushed primarily by AEW, that WWE is the drizzling shits and AEW is where it's at.

Wanna pretend it’s just a dirt sheet narrative now after THAT?

 

[ChrisperJ10]

The WWE performance Center, you know the thing that's existed since 2013 and teaches people how to adapt to the WWE style of wrestling and place to practice your promo skills. Where literally every new hire spends a bit of time before they debut on a show.

Sorry to disappoint you but NXT isn't the reality tv show for rookies it was 10 years ago.

Smarks! Sorry to disappoint you! Lol

 

[DefCONNOne]

I don't think AEW can do no wrong.

But I see why they have such a following.

Starting with the single greatest announce team in wrestling. And they've just consistently churned out good show after good show.

Yes, the womens division needs some talent additions (althogh if WWE can get Becky over, any of these girls can get over)

And yes there's a ton of dives and leaps and flips over the rope (but you can also say that about WWE at this point).

They have their own stuff to work on.

But NXT needed a card full of WWE superstars, including it's most popular woman (somehow, makes me want to give up on humanity), and arguably it's most popular tag team, PLUS a team that had the SD belts this month, to beat AEW for once. That's not a sustainable model.

"I don't subscribe to the dirt sheet narrative but let tell you about the dirt sheet narrative, a.k.a. telling you why NXT (really WWE) ain't shit!!" - The Q

 

[The Q]

"I don't subscribe to the dirt sheet narrative but let tell you about the dirt sheet narrative, a.k.a. telling you why NXT (really WWE) ain't shit!!" - The Q

after the burial of the top brands at survivor series...it’s no longer a dirt sheet narrative.

 

[DefCONNOne]

It's common sense that they're helped by the Survivor Series storyline and main roster guest appearances if that's the question

It's not. I defined what I mean by the dirt sheet narrative in post #118, if you're interested to know.

 

[DefCONNOne]

after the burial of the top brands at survivor series...it’s no longer a dirt sheet narrative.

That NXT ain't shit, can't do anything right, etc.? If you say so.

 

[DefCONNOne]

Wanna pretend it’s just a dirt sheet narrative now after THAT?

After what? It may surprise you to find out, but I only watch the shows on Wednesday night. Except last night, where I fell asleep during AEW.

 

[The Q]

That NXT ain't shit, can't do anything right, etc.? If you say so.

They just wasted a major big 4 Ppv to try to win the Wednesday night war.

after that nonsense I’m definitely team AEW.

 

[DefCONNOne]

They just wasted a major big 4 Ppv to try to win the Wednesday night war.

after that nonsense I’m definitely team AEW.

I don't know what fantasy land you're living in. But here in reality, WWE didn't try to win the Wednesday night war.

You can continue to carry on peddling the dirt sheet narrative. Or pushing it, if you will.