It's time for the 5th episode of Season 8 of SHOT OF NOSTALGIA and we're continuing our journey through the WEDNESDAY NIGHT WARS between AEW DYNAMITE and NXT. We've officially entered 2020, NXT is coming off its biggest ratings victory of the competition and AEW is looking to recover from a December that exposed some serious creative problems. ACEFIELD RETRO is jumping back into the DELOREAN for January 1 through January 29, 2020, as we revisit the first five Wednesdays of the new year, AEW begins finding its footing heading toward Revolution and NXT builds toward TakeOver: Portland. With the excitement of the original launch and WWE's Survivor Series campaign behind them, both companies are now facing the challenge of keeping audiences invested in their regular weekly television product. Over on TNT, AEW is beginning to establish a clearer direction for its biggest stars while making some important changes behind the scenes. Jon Moxley rejects Chris Jericho's invitation to join the Inner Circle, survives a vicious attack that leaves him with an injured eye and defeats PAC to earn his AEW World Championship opportunity at Revolution. Kenny Omega and Hangman Page develop an increasingly complicated partnership that leads them to the AEW World Tag Team Championships after defeating SCU aboard Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea, while Cody accepts MJF's humiliating conditions for their eventual confrontation. The company brings back Bash at the Beach, Britt Baker begins developing the arrogant personality that will transform her career and the Nightmare Collective continues struggling to connect with audiences. But the biggest development comes on January 15 when WarnerMedia announces a multiyear extension of AEW's television agreement, reportedly worth approximately $175 million over four years, along with plans for a second television series. We're examining why Tony Khan's increasing involvement in creative oversight was becoming so important, how the company was responding to its December criticism and what the television extension meant for AEW's long term survival. We're also revisiting the Marty Scurll and Dark Order speculation, Brian Cage's reported signing, the Revival's contractual situation and the growing competition for established wrestling talent. Meanwhile, NXT is attempting to maintain the momentum it established at the end of 2019 while preparing for another major TakeOver event. Keith Lee builds on his breakout Survivor Series performance by winning a fatal four way to become the number one contender for the NXT North American Championship before defeating Roderick Strong on January 22 to capture the title and disrupt the Undisputed ERA's championship dominance. Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne form the unlikely BroserWeights partnership and advance through the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, eventually defeating the Grizzled Young Veterans to earn an NXT Tag Team Championship opportunity against Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly. Bianca Belair wins a seventeen woman battle royal to challenge Rhea Ripley at TakeOver: Portland, Finn Bálor continues his increasingly aggressive run and Tommaso Ciampa moves closer to reclaiming the NXT Championship from Adam Cole. We're also revisiting Worlds Collide, where Imperium defeats the Undisputed ERA, Ripley retains against Toni Storm and Jordan Devlin captures the Cruiserweight Championship, along with Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler's remarkable Royal Rumble performances. Outside the ring, we're examining WWE's recruitment of established talent like Killer Kross, the uncertainty surrounding Velveteen Dream's injury and the challenge of maintaining NXT's identity while WWE continues expanding its international developmental system. And the ratings tell an absolutely fascinating story as AEW immediately reestablishes its Wednesday night advantage after NXT's strong December finish. On January 1, Dynamite draws 967,000 viewers against NXT's 548,000, although WWE is airing its year end awards program rather than a regular episode of live wrestling. AEW follows with 947,000 viewers against 721,000 on January 8 and 940,000 against 700,000 on January 15, the same day WarnerMedia announces its major television extension. The competition becomes considerably closer on January 22 when Dynamite draws 871,000 viewers against NXT's 769,000, before AEW closes the month with 828,000 against WWE's 712,000 on January 29. Across all five Wednesdays, Dynamite averages 910,600 viewers compared with NXT's 690,000, giving AEW an advantage of 220,600 viewers per episode and a clean sweep of January. But AEW's own audience declines throughout the month, raising questions about whether winning the weekly competition necessarily means either company is experiencing sustained growth. We're also comparing those numbers with Raw and SmackDown, examining WWE's much larger television footprint and what AEW's new agreement with WarnerMedia reveals about the business realities behind the Wednesday Night Wars. More than anything, Episode 5 is about the moment AEW begins turning its early growing pains into a more focused television product while NXT continues demonstrating why the Black and Gold era was so highly regarded. Moxley's pursuit of Jericho, Omega and Hangman's championship success and Cody's increasingly personal rivalry with MJF give AEW several meaningful stories heading toward Revolution, while Keith Lee's rise, the BroserWeights' Dusty Classic victory and the developing championship programs surrounding Adam Cole and Rhea Ripley keep NXT moving toward Portland. AEW is winning the ratings battle and securing its television future, but NXT is still delivering major championship moments and some of the strongest in ring wrestling anywhere in the industry. We're also looking at how the wider wrestling landscape is changing through talent negotiations, Impact Wrestling's controversial Tessa Blanchard championship victory and WWE's preparations for another Saudi Arabia event. Four months into the Wednesday Night Wars, both companies are beginning to establish what their competition will look like over the long term, with no idea that the entire wrestling industry is only weeks away from an unprecedented disruption. Don't forget to grab your weekly Shot of Nostalgia to continue FLASHBACK FRIDAY ON THE TAVERN. As always, tip your bartenders & learn from the past!
