Who wins the Wednesday Night Wars: 6 cases for AEW
By Amelia N
5. All Elite isn’t a developmental division
As much of a massive cult following NXT has received over the past few years, the fact still remains that it is, for all intents and purposes, WWE’s developmental division. Superstars are still “called up” from NXT to Raw or SmackDown, once they’re deemed seasoned enough. This might change slightly once the battle with All Elite is in full swing, but it still seems very much like NXT is being used for future superstars to hone their abilities, or in the indie veterans’ cases, to adapt their in-ring style to suit WWE‘s ultra-safe working style.
This is where it becomes a problem for WWE, and a potential game-changer for All Elite. If NXT is the place where green rookies are improving and where established wrestlers are adapting their ring work to suit their new employers, then it’s to be expected that significant mistakes will be made, or that dull-as-dishwater matches will occur.
That isn’t a problem in itself, but becomes one when you consider the fact that NXT is scheduled to be broadcast live going forward. There’s no room for the brand to have any big botches any more; considering the fact the show will be airing on a national TV network, any major mistakes stand a big chance of being viewed by casual or on-the-fence viewers as “unprofessional” or “sloppy”, which could make the same viewers call into question why WWE is broadcasting their seemingly ‘sloppy’ developmental division on live national TV.
This isn’t to say that All Elite won’t also have botches or dull matches, that would be a ridiculous thing to suggest. The thing that swings this in AEW’s favor is the public perception; if a casual viewer watches NXT and sees a notable botch or a boring match, then the question “why would they even put their developmental on TV?” could very easily lead to a swift change of channel.
Whereas on TNT, the same viewer will find a promotion airing its flagship show, with wrestlers that the casual viewer may well have heard of, such as Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, all having exciting matches with moves WWE won’t allow. Even Jon Moxley, whose name might not mean anything to a casual viewer, is instantly recognizable once he’s on screen.