When AEW broke a million for its first three episodes in October, WWE dedicated November to elevating NXT in the eyes of the casual fan. A frantic race to Survivor Series weekend saw the show somehow juggle contradictory booking elements well, and the potential appearance of Raw and SmackDown superstars on Wednesdays enhanced interest beyond the brand's hardcore base.
AEW, meanwhile, struggled to follow up on the well-received Full Gear pay-per-view. A destination had given Dynamite clear focus but the lack of follow-through was jarring for those that had been satiated by early promise. Conversely, NXT's post-Survivor Series stint was even better than the run-up - the roster felt alive all over again without the main roster influence, and several captivating angles climaxing on December 18th saw NXT score one of its only three ratings wins thus far.
This ebb and flow between the shows was thrilling, and will likely happen as the "War" continues in earnest, but a bigger picture was coming together that blew away Vince McMahon's NXT reduction plan - both shows were gathering steam.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
