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At the tail-end of 2019, the Wednesday Night War was a fiercely competitive weekly ratings battle between AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT. Throughout 2020, AEW has taken a dominant lead by broadening its viewership and establishing a strong following within the key 18-49 demo. While NXT has enjoyed sporadic surges this year, broadly speaking, AEW has ruled the past 12 months.
Both companies have experienced setbacks, as they've dealt with injuries and numerous challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ratings battle between the two shows continues to excite fans every week. With that being said, here are five key moments that defined the Wednesday Night War during 2020.
1) Rhea Ripley winning gold gave NXT an edge in the Wednesday Night War
Twelve months ago, Rhea Ripley’s stock couldn’t have been higher. After her stirring performance at WWE Survivor Series, Ripley seemed destined for success on the main roster. It was just a matter of time until The "The Nightmare" dominated on WWE RAW or WWE SmackDown.
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As 2019 was coming to a close, Ripley was quickly closing in on NXT gold. She finally squared off with Shayna Bazler for the NXT Women’s Championship. The main event positioning of this match highlighted the star power of NXT's women's division. After a competitive back and forth battle, Ripley hit an avalanche Riptide from the second turnbuckle for the three count. Ripley dethroned Baszler, and the Full Sail crowd was euphoric.
Mauro Ranallo's screams of "the tide has turned, the tide has turned!" perfectly described the significance of this remarkable moment. Ripley's victory genuinely felt like a turning point in the Wednesday Night War. Fans rushed the ring and carried Ripley on their shoulders to create one of the most memorable endings in NXT history.
2) The Dark Order standing tall on AEW Dynamite was a low point of the Wednesday Night War
On the same night as Ripley’s coronation, AEW suffered a shocking letdown in the Wednesday Night War. An episode of AEW Dynamite ended with the Dark Order ambushing the Young Bucks. This assault felt cartoonish and goofy compared to the raw emotion of Ripley's victory. It remains one of the worst endings in AEW's tenure on TNT.
The crowd responded to the segment with groans of frustration, and this reaction spoke volumes. Evil Uno and Stu Grayson simply weren’t being taken seriously as the leaders of a featured faction. Plus, the fans' expectations for the Young Bucks were much higher. Though Matt and Nick Jackson were two of the company's top stars, they were stuck in disappointing feuds.
On this December night, the contrast between the shows was glaring. So it's not surprising that the black-and-gold brand decisively won the ratings battle. But in the weeks that followed, AEW managed to get back on track. Sometimes, it takes a crushing defeat to bounce back even stronger. That's exactly what happened here.
AEW rebounded, and the company started regularly winning the ratings battle in the Wednesday Night War. The Dark Order became a fruitful stable, and the members of The Elite followed various paths to success.
3) AEW Dynamite Homecoming turned the tide in the Wednesday Night War
The electricity of the Homecoming edition of AEW Dynamite has been viewed as a crucial moment in the Wednesday Night War. A boisterous crowd contributed to a memorable night of in-ring action on TNT. For Tony Khan, this positive momentum alleviated some of the pressure after NXT led the ratings battle at the end of 2019.
With this show, AEW presented a loaded episode of Dynamite that gave fans a renewed sense of confidence and optimism regarding the direction of the company. The main event of The Elite (Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks) facing the Death Triangle (PAC and the Lucha Bros) stole the show.
This incredible contest was just what AEW needed to remind fans of the show's excellent wrestling. It also restored Dynamite's status as a must-see program. Week after week, AEW continued to offer similarly star-studded main events.
Sure enough, in the days that followed this episode, TNT and AEW reached an agreement that extended Dynamite’s tenure on the network through 2023. This contract was a turning point in the Wednesday Night War. AEW took this sign of faith and ran with it. The company hasn't looked back ever since.
4) A historic NXT Championship Match helped NXT bounce back in the Wednesday Night War
The decision to deliver a landmark Champion vs. Champion match on free TV represented the heated nature of the Wednesday Night War. Hoping to earn a win over AEW Dynamite, NXT gave away a truly remarkable match on the USA Network. After a lengthy losing streak in the ratings battle, NXT needed a victory. As the saying goes, desperate times, desperate measures.
Aware of the widening gap between the shows, the black-and-gold brand went all-in on a July episode of NXT. The Great American Bash featured a clash of titans between NXT Champion Adam Cole and NXT North American Champion Keith Lee. At the time, Lee's momentum was unstoppable. In the main event, the two Superstars put on a match that was worthy of a spot on any NXT TakeOver.
For NXT, Lee's crowning moment remains a highlight of 2020. This progression represented a statement for the brand, as it seemed like Lee would take his place as its top star. But Lee's subsequent booking let a lot of fans down.
By handing over the NXT North American Championship in the name of "competition," Lee undercut the status of this career-defining victory. Lee also dropped the NXT Championship just over a month later. So NXT quickly squandered this momentum in the Wednesday Night War.
5) AEW: Winter is Coming tipped the scales of the Wednesday Night War
Billed as "Winter is Coming’", the December 2 episode of AEW Dynamite may have been a night that permanently changed the Wednesday Night War. It had one of the most dramatic and memorable match endings of the year. Heading into the show, the AEW World Championship Match was billed as the biggest match in Dynamite’s history. With such a major main event, AEW put on a show that felt like a pay-per-view.
With two months to go until the company's next pay-per-view, many fans expected the show to set up a final clash between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley at AEW Revolution. But few fans could have predicted the wild finish to this match. Omega turned heel and aligned with Don Callis. To launch AEW into a new era, Omega took the AEW World Championship from Moxley.
AEW capitalized on the sizable audience that tuned in for the title match. "The Icon" Sting made his unforgettable AEW debut. Shaquille O'Neal also appeared on the show, and it wound up attracting 913,000 viewers.
This stacked show propelled AEW to new heights in the Wednesday Night War. In the weeks that followed, NXT has been fairly unable to keep up with Dynamite. This pattern seems like it will continue heading into 2021.
