AEW and NXT Wednesday Night Wars: 3 winners of night #9

Who stood out the most on the pre-Thanksgiving editions of AEW: Dynamite and NXT? Well, this list will pick out the three who did just that.

On Thanksgiving Eve, NXT and All Elite Wrestling (AEW): Dynamite gave us plenty to be thankful for as wrestling fans. Both shows once again delivered their respective blend of great in-ring action and tractor beam-strength storytelling.

As is the case every week, this column will spotlight the three workers who stood out the most on either broadcast with their promo work, their wrestling acumen, or some combination of both. But before we get to the lucky trio, here are some honorable mentions:

The Dark Order: We saw another faux propaganda PSA vignette courtesy of the former Super Smash Bros. on this past Wednesday’s Dynamite. While the content is very disparate from Bray Wyatt’s “Firefly Funhouse” in many ways, the videos have captured a similar inviting tone that’s necessary to get over the cult aspect of the tag team’s gimmick.

Dakota Kai: Only time will tell if turning the affable Kai heel at NXT TakeOver: WarGames was the right move, but the NXT creative team has done alright getting her newfound vicious streak over. Her eventual explanation promo will likely determine if this has legs, but for now, her beatdowns will do.

Finn Balor: Balor scored a clean pin over Tommaso Ciampa this past Wednesday. While one could argue that the match further exemplified NXT’s recent hot shotting tendencies, the win and the post-match Pele Kick to NXT Champion Adam Cole reaffirmed Balor as a future title contender.

Keith Lee: For this. Hopefully, that GIF lives on for decades to come.