The Wednesday Night Wars' Biggest Ratings Draws Revealed

These AEW and NXT wrestlers are winning big on Wednesdays.

by Andy H Murray
Bianca Belair
WWE

This week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter features a brief but interesting writeup based on data compiled by the premiere pro-wrestling business analyst, Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, revealing the biggest individual needle-movers in the Wednesday Night Wars.

Per the report, Bianca Belair stands as "the biggest draw compared with what would be expected based on usual patterns" across AEW and NXT. She is followed by The Inner Circle, Mia Yim, Rhea Ripley, MJF, Cody, Jungle Boy, Io Shirai, Matt Riddle, and Dakota Kai.

Some surprising names in there for sure, but caveats are required. While Thurston's survey was based on "how much different characters grew or lost ratings based on the usual rating for that position in the show," the data is limited, and only encompasses AEW Dynamite from 10 October to 2 December and WWE NXT from 6 November to 2 December. Meltzer also notes that segment positioning must be taken into account, as wrestlers involved in the openers will generally fare better than those featured later on in the night.

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Regardless, it's interesting to see a name like Belair stand out at the top of the people. The result is testament to her power as a growing WWE star.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.