NXT Vs. AEW: Head To Head
6. Match Quality
NXT, over the last two years, has soared close to New Japan’s stratosphere.
Johnny Gargano earned an unreal critical reception through his searingly dramatic epics. He elevated the athletic, convoluted modern style by performing with so much heart and emotion. Velveteen Dream’s body of work is less consistent, but there’s such a winning character and charisma to it. He fills that larger-than-life character void while performing close to the unreal global standard. Sometimes. Roderick Strong’s matches, while less celebrated, are explosive bangers enhanced by a relentless, intoxicating physicality.
AEW’s limited output has been mixed, but more diverse. Cody and Dustin Rhodes’ old school epic was timeless. Perfect. Kenny Omega has operated below his usual standard while still putting together a rich and spectacular match with ageing workhorse CIMA in the draining Florida heat.
There’s a sense that the best is yet to come.
And there’s a sense that the NXT product is losing focus. Indulging itself.
The celebrated Gargano main event parodied itself at TakeOver: Toronto, and the recent Breakout tournament, which lacked buzz, was far closer to 205 Live than the Cruiserweight Classic in its verve—a worrying premonition of the watered-down style to come, perhaps.
NXT wins this battle.
For now.
NXT 2 - 3 AEW