It’s been quite some time since NXT and AEW consistently battled head-to-head on TV.
Every once in a while, an AEW episode will get moved to a Tuesday, forcing the shows to compete for the same audience. However, for the most part, the brands have kept to their own as of late.
In the early days of AEW Dynamite, the “Wednesday Night Wars” were a real thing. The competitor wrestling brand battled it out with NXT from late 2019 to 2021, with the head-to-head ratings being a hotly discussed topic in the industry.
While you might imagine such a competitive environment being stressful and maybe even disliked by those behind the scenes, it’s something at AEW’s Nicholas Jackson misses.
“Competition breeds excellence,” he told Justin Barrasso of Undisputed. “One thing I actually kind of miss is when we’d battle it out weekly on Wednesday nights. It was exciting, seeing who would have the better night. It makes you feel more alive.”
The “Wednesday Night Wars” came to an end when NXT was moved to Tuesday nights, a day before Dynamite airs.
Approaching five years since AEW first launched, Jackson believes that the promotion has been a net positive for wrestling. He opened up about the opportunities it has provided, and how it has given fans a new option.
“Dynamite and the existence of AEW has created a much healthier economy for all of the people in the wrestling business,” he said. “So many of us have been blessed with the ability to provide for ourselves and our families for years to come. I don’t think that can be considered a bad thing to anyone, no matter who you’re a fan of. Dynamite has given fans of a specific taste their weekly hit of dopamine. Dynamite has given wrestlers a large platform to express themselves creatively.”
