For the first time in many weeks, NXT beat AEW Dynamite two weeks back to back. That too without having much help from the main roaster wrestlers. The first defeat was on 24th June 2020 by a huge margin of around 100k viewers. The second defeat for AEW was on the 1st of June 2020 by around 50k viewers. Even though AEW lost by the total viewership, but won in the 18-19 demographic ratings. But in my opinion, things aren’t looking good for AEW.
I feel that NXT will keep beating AEW in the ratings on a regular basis. Just to let you know, I am not a fan of WWE. But even though being an AEW fan I believe that they are going downhill every week.
When AEW Dynamite started with the PG-14 rating, I had very different expectations from them than what it is now. It is bad by no means, I believe AEW is still easier to watch than WWE, but that conversation maybe for another day.
I thought that AEW is going to be edgy with competitive wrestling matches, realistic storylines, etc. But instead, they are mainly doing indy outlaw mud show stuff.
Here are some reasons why I believe NXT will regularly beat AEW in the ratings.
Too much goofy comedy stuff
I think comedy is fine in wrestling, there definitely should be some comedy in wrestling between the matches to lighten up our mood. This helps us from getting burned out by the back to back competitive matches. But AEW is mostly doing comedy instead of serious stuff or putting up good matches. They put a comedy wrestler like Orange Cassidy in the main event with Chris Jericho, which drew the lowest ratings of the night.
They hired Marko Stunt who looks like a child, and he is beating wrestlers twice his size on AEW dark. Joey Jenella is out of shape and does not look like a wrestler. Sonny Kiss twerks in the middle of the matches. The Inner Circle does more comedy than heelish stuff. Kenny Omega makes weird faces. The list of goofy comedy is absolutely endless in AEW.
Very Weak Women’s Roaster
NXT women’s roaster is very strong the match between Sasha Banks vs Io Shirai beat the tag team match between Kenny-Hangman vs The best Friends in the ratings. The AEW women’s roaster pales in comparison to NXT. When it comes to technical woman wrestler in AEW, Hikaru Shida is the one who only stands out, there is no one else. Riho being the first AEW Women’s Champion, and then the Nightmare Collective BS completely crippled the AEW women’s division.
So whenever there will be women’s matches in AEW, you can expect people changing their channel to NXT.
Tag team matches with hardly any rules
AEW “claims” that they have the best tag team division, but I disagree. They have made the tag team rules a joke. They hardly follow any rules. They are more concerned about doing choreographed flip-flop moves rather than following the tag rules. Recently FTR is putting up great matches but the other tag team matches are absolutely annoying. The referees do nothing but stand around like a moron. Rick Knox is the worst referee I have ever seen for tag matches.
Small or out of shape wrestlers
Wrestlers in AEW are generally small, most of them are under six feet, apart from a few exceptions. Guys like Darby Allin, Jeoy Jenella, Jimmy Havock, Marko Stunt, and Orange Cassidy do not look like wrestlers. All of them look like your average guys. Guys like these won’t draw any money or ratings. Keith Lee from NXT can single-handedly beat AEW in the ratings.
Final Words
As an AEW fans I really want them to succeed. But in order to do that and compete with NXT in the ratings, they will need to learn how to make their own stars. NXT made their own ratings draw Keith Lee, but AEW is still depending on ex WWE guys like Jericho or Moxley to save them. AEW needs to push younger stars like Moxley and Hangman.