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In the lead-up to the much-anticipated Tuesday night showdown between WWE's NXT and AEW Dynamite, Tony Khan, AEW's CEO and GM, displayed his trademark outspokenness on social media. While retweeting a story where WWE's Triple H and Shawn Michaels expressed optimism about NXT's performance, Khan tweeted an image, labeling them, or perhaps just Triple H, as a "bald ahole." The image in question was a reference to a scene from the HBO comedy series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," featuring Larry David as the "bald ahole."
This move by Khan drew comparisons to the competitive dynamics of the 1990s wrestling war between World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and WWE, as noted by Dave Meltzer on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. Meltzer expressed concerns that Khan's behavior resembled WCW's actions during their rivalry with WWE.
Meltzer recalled a pivotal moment when WCW, once leading in the ratings, began to lose ground to WWE. He pointed out that WCW had enjoyed a year-and-a-half of dominance but ultimately couldn't sustain it. WWE's emergence, fueled by the rise of Steve Austin, marked a turning point.
WCW's Downfall and Infamous Challenge
What followed, according to Meltzer, was a noticeable unraveling of WCW, both in terms of content and decision-making. He cited the infamous incident when WCW's Eric Bischoff challenged Vince McMahon to a fight, which coincided with a decline in the quality of WCW's programming.
However, Meltzer was quick to clarify that AEW's programming quality was still strong despite Khan's provocative tweets. He expressed hope that AEW wouldn't follow WCW's path.
In the ratings battle on Tuesday night, WWE NXT emerged victorious with 921,000 viewers and a 0.3 rating in the crucial 18-49 demographic. AEW Dynamite, on the other hand, garnered an average viewership of 609,000 and a 0.26 rating in the same demographic. This outcome signaled a significant win for WWE's NXT in the Tuesday night ratings war.
The competitive landscape between WWE and AEW continues to captivate wrestling fans, reminiscent of the historic Monday Night Wars of the past. As these promotions vie for viewership supremacy, the wrestling world eagerly anticipates their next moves in this ongoing battle for dominance.