10 WWE Decisions AEW SHOULD BE Scared Of
Quest For Ratings.
Whilst much of wrestling Twitter didn't really know what to do with itself after NXT's impending move to Wednesday Nights on USA Network became an impending reality, All Elite Wrestling's Nick Jackson was typically quick to keep his typing finger on the pulse in under 280 characters.
"We aren't scared" followed "Bring It On" on the youngest Buck's timeline as the details were fleshed out, with both messages suggesting a willingness to embrace the Wednesday Night War narrative rapidly conjured up in light of the news.
NXT is a curious weapon for WWE to utilise in its attempt to push back the potential charge of AEW's as-yet-untitled weekly television show. It doesn't have quite the in-built audience of a Raw or SmackDown in terms of quality, but the profile of the viewer skews closest to the potential All Elite regular.
The prevailing hope here is that show quality will decide the weekly winner rather than budgetary or marketing reach. As wrestling fans, the want should be for your precious investment to be earned rather than purchased by squabbling billionaires.
Despite the huge push expected from both sides ahead of the first head-to-head on October 2nd, AEW's brand spanking new offering currently has a touch more curiosity around it in the bubble than whatever the rebadged and enhanced black-and-gold brand may put out.
But this is only the very beginning of this remarkable story...
10. NXT's Start Date
By design or happy accident, WWE have played a blinder with the scheduling of their redefined NXT in a manner that mirrors how Eric Bischoff kicked off WCW Nitro the last time two organisations went head-to-head on the same night of the week.
They...didn't go head-to-head.
Bischoff picked September 4th 1995 to launch his show because there wasn't competition that week. Raw's preemption was a perfect opportunity for 'Easy E' to find the existing wrestling audience looking for something else to watch and capture them with familiar faces and hot angles.
Two weeks before All Elite Wrestling launch their weekly show, WWE can do the same with NXT. The gulf in numbers between those that watch WWE and its developmental brand is unknown, but the company have a fortnight to transpose one on to the other and make AEW seem inferior in the process.
Bischoff found several ways to reduce the value of Raw when it was on the air, let alone when it wasn't - can he be the one to offer any advice on how to do the same at a critical stage of a nascent war?