AEW and NXT Wednesday Night War: 3 winners of night #14

This week’s Wednesday Night War between AEW and NXT gave us plenty of highlights, but these three wrestlers were responsible for the best of them.

With another week of NXT and All Elite Wrestling (AEW): Dynamite in the books, it’s once again time to highlight the three (or more) standout wrestlers from this Wednesday Night “War” based on their in-ring work, a deft promo, or both. But first, let’s look at some honorable mentions:

Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page: This week’s Dynamite opened the proceedings with a four-team elimination tag team match to determine the next challengers for SoCal Uncensored’s AEW Tag Team Championships. The fast-paced, spot-filled romp delighted everyone not named Baron Corbin for the roughly 19 minutes it lasted, and it also inched us further to Page’s impending heel turn. With he and Omega getting the win, don’t be surprised if Page betrays his partner in their match against SCU next week.

Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) and Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake and Zack Gibson): If you love tag team wrestling, then this week’s NXT was the show for you. We’ll get to the other Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic quarterfinal match, but this one, which featured the underrated Grizzled Young Veterans and the reunited Time Splitters, deserves just as much praise. Kushida and Alex Shelley picked up right where they left off in 2015, but the impressive return was soured by a GYV win.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman: Diamond Dallas Page’s in-ring return exceeded expectations, and it was thanks in large part to MJF bumping around like a madman for him. Friedman’s performance in that six-man tag match illustrated why the 23-year-old is already one of the best heels in the business, using every trick out of the rulebreaker’s handbook while making his opponents – Page, Dustin Rhodes, and QT Marshall – look great via his selling.

#DIY: It was refreshing to see Johnny Gargano help his old buddy Tommaso Ciampa repel the Undisputed Era despite feuding with someone else (more babyfaces should do that). The impromptu reunion was a setup for #DIY’s official return at Worlds Collide against Moustache Mountain in what is a tag team dream match.

Keith Lee: After having his leg Pillmanized by the Undisputed Era earlier in the night, Lee miraculously recovered to send the UE — who were arguing with Gargano and Ciampa in the Full Sail parking lot — scurrying later in the show, even tossing a few security guards along the way. This could signal that he’s winning the North American Title from Roderick Strong next week.