The whole “5 year head start” argument doesn’t make any sense as NXT doesn’t really get to build on it. It has to continually start again which is why it always feels like a fresh show rather than a show desperately trying to have big names for the sake of having big names like WWE main roster and WWE light, AEW.
Judging AEW against NXT might make AEW fans feel happy when they look at the numbers but even though AEW are trying to be as mainstream as possible, they’re still judged against a show that isn’t supposed to be mainstream. It places AEW firmly as a second tier show. Not to say it means it’s a bad show (NXT gets the least Nielsen households excited but I’d still say it’s the best show) but it won’t be considered a big deal.
If people are still comparing AEW to NXT after this move, then AEW’s marketing needs some help. NXT though will be fine. It’s designed to be the underdog that actually offers the only real alternative to WWE main roster (especially as ROH is dead) and it’ll still be that.
I keep seeing this? Is this fan fiction? Or did Hunter actually accuse AEW of “bullying them”? Considering what WWE did to WCW, I have a hard time seeing him use those words.
Ironically, NXT just beat AEW in the demo last night.
I dont get why fans even care about the ratings so much. I guess it’s WWE’s fault for using them so much when doing shows like the Monday Night Wars. Personally I’m just happy that both shows are doing well and I think both Khan and HHH deserve a lot of credit for what they have created. Considering WWE already puts out 5 hours a week, the fact that an additional 4 hours has been put out and is actually being watched by millions is nothing but success across the board IMO.
HHH most likely didn’t say anything about being bullied from Wednesday.
They got moved because NBC Sports is shutting down and hockey is going on Wednesday nights. If that hadn’t happened NXT would still be on Wednesdays. USA network is happy enough with the results to move NXT to Tuesday. I don’t really see the decision as having much to do with AEW.
I don’t expect you to answer this, but why are fans online all worked up about this an accusing him of using the word “bullying”? Just seems weird to me.
There are no crowds right now, and the only visual metric for success fans of AEW can attach themselves to is seeing a “ratings win”.
To many, this is a sign of health of the promotion they’re enjoying and rooting for. And the more they are able to stave off a WWE backed competing show, the more hope their is that the product they enjoy will succeed and continue on.
It’s not hard to understand, especially given the non-stop romanticizing of the Monday Night Wars, by WWE for the last twenty years.
Yeah, the strange thing about the “war” is perhaps there’s people who are through and through AEW fans who truly want NXT (and WWE) to lose or die or whatever, but there’s an at least equal side who likes both or prefers WWE and…well…if Dynamite does terrible in the ratings, that’s the entire content of AEW and it probably goes away [unlike if NXT falls by the wayside], and there’s an extreme few of wrestling fans who actually want that, so it was never going to feel the same as WWE and WCW where there were two equivalent (as seen at the time) companies and no one actually believed one side just winning would mean the loser going away.
Ideally, it would be great if both shows would draw all the viewers of the other show. It would give AEW and NXT well over a million viewers. Both things succeeding would just be better for everyone