Top five pivotal moments in the Wednesday Night War in the last 12 months

4) A historic NXT Championship Match helped NXT bounce back in the Wednesday Night War

Keith Lee on WWE NXT

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.

Are you ready? The Great American Bash RETURNS tomorrow night on #WWENXT with @shirai_io facing @SashaBanksWWE, NXT's first-ever STRAP MATCH and much more! #NXTGAB https://t.co/iUmAMlHC00

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) June 30, 2020

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.

Keith Lee defeated Adam Cole in the main event of night two of the Great American Bash to become the new NXT champion. Lee also retained his NXT North American championship, making him the first man in NXT history to hold two... https://t.co/ImY8WECUWY pic.twitter.com/YD6XlGcxMw

— Tim Fiorvanti (@tim00) July 9, 2020

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.