It’s been a clean sweep after four weeks in the Wednesday Night Wars for All Elite Wrestling in rating supremacy. However, the quality of the shows I believe is split. Going into week five, I’ve pondered: Do we value ratings too much versus what we like on an individual basis? AEW has run away with the rating victories so far, but WWE NXT is still producing a great product to combat AEW Dynamite. This week, AEW Dynamite is live from Charleston, West Virginia while WWE NXT remains at its studio location of Full Sail University.
Here is how AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT unfolded through week five of the Wednesday Night Wars:
AEW Dynamite; Charleston, West Virginia
AEW Dynamite live from Charleston, West Virginia opens with Tony Schiavone and Cody stepping off of a plane. Cody hugs his brother, Dustin Rhodes, before walking from the plane to the limousine with Schiavone. The contract signing for the AEW World Championship at AEW Full Gear between Cody and Chris Jericho is later tonight, so Schiavone is accompanying Cody to the arena in the limousine.
1) “The Best Ever” Sammy Guevara (2-2) vs “Hangman” Adam Page (3-3)
In the early stages of the match, Sammy Guevara and Adam Page exchanged strikes, but that was a losing battle for Guevara. Once the match got to the outside of the ring, Guevara was able to whip Page into the guardrail and even the playing field. Back inside of the ring, Page threw Guevara with a Fallaway Slam.
Sammy Guevara answered back with a Samoan Drop on Adam Page, then went to the top rope. Instead of doing something high risk that may have had a high reward, Guevara hopped back down from the top rope just to slap Page across the face. On the apron, Guevara tried to get back on offense, but Page countered with a Sidewalk Slam. Back into the ring, Page would hit a Pop Up Powerbomb for a two count. About a minute later, Page hit the Buckshot Lariat for the pinfall.
Winner: Adam Page (4-3)
After the match, Adam Page said, “At Full Gear, I’m going to do some ‘Real Cowboy Sh*t’ and I’m gonna’ take Pac’s head off!” TNT wasn’t on the censors for that one.
2) “Portugal’s Perfect Athlete” Shanna (0-0) vs Hikaru Shida (1-1)
The action goes to the outside of the ring pretty quickly in this match as Shanna attempts a Suicide Dive, but Hikaru Shida cuts her off with a knee. Shida then folds open a steel chair and leaps off of it to connect an Ohori no Tamashii on the outside. Back into the ring, Shida connects with another Ohori no Tamashii to Shanna in the corner of the ring. After trading strikes, Shida countered with a Hurricanrana. Following Shida’s Hurricanrana, Shanna did a version of Angel’s Wings for a two count.
Shanna started to put things together on offense, connecting with a Diving Foot Stomp on Hikaru Shida as she is bound on the middle rope for a two count. Shanna went to the outside of the ring apron, but Shida caught her in a suplex position, connecting a Superplex from the outside back into the center of the ring. Shida goes for an Ohori no Tamashii, but Shanna counters with a pin for a two count. This time, Shida connects with the Ohori no Tamashii followed by a Falcon Arrow, but Shanna kicked out at two. Shida connects with the Three Count immediately after for the pinfall.
Winner: Hikaru Shida (2-1)
The Rock n’ Roll Express walk out with the AEW Tag Team Championships. They’ll be awarding them to the winners of The Lucha Bros versus SoCal Uncensored. Santana and Ortiz attack The Rock n’ Roll Express from behind. Ortiz and Santana Powerbomb Ricky Morton through the entrance stage. The Young Bucks come out to help The Rock n’ Roll Express, but Santana and Ortiz runoff.
Tony Schiavone and Cody are in the limousine on the way to the arena and they are talking about Cody not being nervous about his match at Full Gear with Chris Jericho. Schiavone shares a story about Dusty Rhodes meeting Willie Nelson, with the moral that Dusty made Nelson wait for him by the pool that day. Cody shared that he isn’t nervous about a match with Jericho or The Inner Circle, but his mother will be at Full Gear. He wants to impress her and he’s more fixated on that.
3) John Silver & Alex Reynolds, and QT Marshall (0-0) vs Best Friends (0-0)
The Best Friends are being announced to the ring by Morty of “Rick and Morty” since AEW is doing a promotional cross over regarding a new season of “Rick and Morty” coming out on November 10th, 2019.
Trent Baretta is dressed up like Morty while Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy are dressed up like Rick. I’ve never witnessed anything like it, but I’ve seen Swamp Monster accompany Cassidy to the ring before, so I can never say I am surprised by the strange world of wrestling. Taylor hits a Standing Sliced Bread on QT Marshall. Following that, Baretta and Taylor hit the Sole Food/Half Nelson Suplex double team on Alex Reynolds. Marshall cuts off the Best Friends hug, so Cassidy comes in the ring to confront.
Orange Cassidy gives a couple of nonchalant kicks to QT Marshall before giving a proper Dropkick. Now, as a trio, the Best Friends hug. Cassidy does a Suicide Dive to Alex Reynolds and Marshall on the outside. Best Friends hit the Strong Zero on John Silver as Trent Baretta is credited with the pinfall.
Winners: Best Friends (1-0)
Continued on the page below.
