How The Wednesday Night War Was Won On The Very First Night

Inner Circle
AEW

The Inner Circle was formed. The Elite had competition in their quest to dominate the wrestling landscape.

This faction war spawned so many matches because this form of storytelling allows for so many dovetailing permutations. Hangman Page defeated Sammy Guevara ahead of his Full Gear match opposite PAC, building a midcard attraction while maintaining the overarching thread. Santana and Ortiz's victory on October 2 landed them in a big match opposite the division's flagship players at Full Gear. Cody's connection with his brother allowed for the indirect heat angle that saw Hager break Dustin's arm, intensifying Cody's resolve to win the big one on November 9. The Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara Vs. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page Full Gear go-home match created a logical foundation for yet another sensational retread of the all hell breaks loose brawl.

Seeping into the title picture while creating an enormous canvas all of its own, the Elite Vs. Inner Circle war was all meant to culminate in Blood & Guts, a match nailed-on to rival the 1.4 million number generated by the premiere. That's how - and why - you book. The pandemic f*cked up the plans for that WarGames-inspired battle (Stadium Stampede was wonderful, context-dependent consolation), but the narrative blueprint won the war.

NXT gave away its biggest theoretical ratings draw of a programme in a quarter of an hour; AEW storyboarded the next six months of the main event scene in the same timeframe.

These weren't just flashpoint moments that drove the first battle. They each embodied the respective philosophies of both shows.

CONT'D...(4 of 6)

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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!