Pro wrestling fans were ready for “WWE NXT” and “AEW Dynamite” on Wednesday night, putting the day’s inauguration activities to rest.
Rating numbers released on Wednesday for “AEW Dynamite” and “WWE NXT” were up in the key 18-to-49 demographic area. “AEW Dynamite” had a .36 rating in that space and an additional 90,000 viewers from last week. “WWE NXT” posted a .15 rating in the same demographic area with an increase of 105,000 viewers.
Total audience numbers for both shows combined was 1,513,000 fans.
There might have been a little bit of fear that viewership would be affected by another political event. Wednesday’s numbers put those worries to rest, though.
WWE NXT, AEW Dynamite Battle It Out For Ratings
Both shows from All-Elite Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment, respectively, air at the same time. The shows have fans either using their clickers or setting their DVRs. Many of them consider it “The Wednesday Night Wars,” harkening back to decades ago when WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” went head-to-head against WCW’s “Nitro” on Monday nights.
“WWE NXT” saw Timothy Thatcher beat Tommaso Ciampa in a match inside the Fight Pit for their main event.
“AEW Dynamite” put together “The Inner Circle Tag Team Challenge” as their main event match. The team of Chris Jericho and MJF (with Wardlow) defeated the teams of Ortiz and Santana and Sammy Guevara and Jake Hager. MJF caught Guevara in a roll-up pin for the one-two-three, making Jericho and MJF the top tag team in “The Inner Circle” faction.
Ric Flair Reveals All-Time Favorite Wrestling Moment
It’s interesting to note that “WWE NXT” has a mix of pro wrestling veterans and up-and-coming talent. “AEW Dynamite” does, too, but their Wednesday night lineup contains a lot of well-known names.
Speaking of pro wrestling veterans, no one fits that category better than “The Nature Boy” himself, Ric Flair.
Flair is one of the greatest in-ring performers and talkers on the microphone in WWE history and beyond. Recently, Flair was a guest on this season’s final episode of comedian Kevin Hart’s “Cold As Balls” show. Kevin Hart and his guests make their way deftly into a tub filled with ice and water prior to their conversations.
Flair says that his all-time favorite wrestling moment actually took place in a 2003 match with Shawn Michaels for the WWE.
“I get asked that a lot, and there have been so many, but it would be the match with Shawn (Michaels),” Ric Flair said in his chat with Hart. “I’m 59 years old.”
The match happened at Bad Blood, a WWE pay-per-view card. Flair beat Michaels after Randy Orton smacked Michaels with a chair shot.
H/T: Cageside Seats
