How NXT Has Already Won The Wednesday Night War

by Michael Sidgwick
Roman Reigns King Corbin Dolph Ziggler
WWE.com

Every promotion in the U.S. seems to be drawing from the same set of fans. Not every Dynamite viewer watches RAW, and vice versa, but a maximum of 2.6 million viewers settle in to watch SmackDown on FOX. Those numbers have tumbled since the heavily promoted debut, as interested casual fans drawn to the much-hyped show have been repelled by the WWEness of it all, in that guy the Rock bantered off in week one is now dominating the programme.

NXT, of course, is canonically superior to SmackDown following the events of Survivor Series. SmackDown, anecdotally, feels like one wrestling show too many for the hardcores, and this is reflected in viewership and social engagement. The FOX deal is key to WWE's success over the next five years, and WWE has focused entirely too much on Wednesday nights.

Regardless: Vince McMahon, the man who can no longer tell stories, has controlled this narrative. Vince, in his old age, has this bizarre ability to ruin stars by making them feel normal.

And that is precisely how he has won the Wednesday Night War.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!