WWE Moves NXT to USA Network

WWE confirmed weeks of speculation this morning as NXT will air weekly on Wednesday night’s, live on USA Network at 8:00 pm EST beginning September 18. NXT will still emanate from Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. However, it will no longer serve as fist run programming for the WWE Network. This move was made in an attempt to get a two-week head start on All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) show on TNT, which will air live directly against NXT beginning October 2.

Wrestling insiders wondered not if but when Vince McMahon would respond to the emerging threat of AEW on television, and now we have our answer. Using NXT to cut off AEW at the pass and dilute their audience is a multifaceted, multimillion endeavor. Since 2010, NXT has been a developmental brand in main roster clothing. NXT can no longer be a prioritized training ground with the move from streaming to cable television. The fire of AEW can’t be fought with programming that isn’t on equal footing. To casual fans, developmental means minor league.

NXT will air two hours, live, every Wednesday, as opposed to filming multiple episodes once a month for a staggered release. NXT is the number one watched show on the WWE Network. Removing the show from its first run lineup could have a negative effect on the already low number of network subscribers. Every streaming service needs at least one linchpin program to succeed. Netflix has Stranger Things. Hulu has The Handmaid’s Tale. WWE Network now has…?

What is most interesting about this move is the landscape shift NXT will undertake. Vince McMahon is the primary shot caller for Raw and SmackDown while Triple H was the creative force behind the success of NXT. That was only the case because McMahon considers cable television more of a priority than streaming content. With this shift, there is no way Vince McMahon doesn’t take the creative reigns of the black and yellow brand.

Historically, McMahon doesn’t push wrestlers the physical stature of NXT Champion Adam Cole and the Undisputed Era. Popular character acts such as the talented and flamboyant Velveteen Dream go from being the belle of the ball to a second rate comedy act. The most important thing of all, NXT favors professional wrestling over sports entertainment. Storylines are engaging and straightforward. Talent means something. Wins and losses actually matter. That is the opposite of how Vince McMahon runs a television product. The NXT we used to know is gone.

Vince McMahon making presumed changes to NXT is even more of a head-scratcher considering who they are competing with. AEW is going to be a sports-orientated program where wins and losses matter. It’s precisely what diehard wrestling fans have been vigorously clamoring for ever since WWE has become a stale, homogenized version of the genre. The funny things is, NXT was WWE’s professional wrestling show tucked safely away from the prying eyes of a sports entertainment fanatic.

Having NXT’s wrestling centric product going up against AEW’s wrestling centric presentation would be the ultimate treat for wrestling enthusiasts. AEW is believed to have a better in-ring product, but NXT in its current form would have put that theory to the test. Instead of fighting fire with fire, Vince McMahon, presumably, is going to eliminate the hard-hitting wrestling aspect that makes NXT special, turn it into the same monotonous programming that has turned the audience away, and use that platform to combat the alternative program.

Change is coming to NXT in a significant way. Longer shows mean more wrestlers will be needed. Plus, with the brand jumping wild card rule in effect, big-name stars will undoubtedly appear on the show. Imagine The Miz vs. Adam Cole in a TakeOver main event for the NXT Championship? Yep, that is where things could very well be headed. Will there be an NXT draft where WWE Superstars pledge their allegiance to the new brand on the block?

If I could make one booking decision, I would get rid of 205 Live and move the cruiserweight division to NXT. It could be repackaged and hyped as something that will now only be seen on that show. It will be cool to see talents such as Matt Riddle, Johnny Gargano, and KUSHIDA performing on a bigger stage. Ultimately, NXT winning the upcoming Wednesday Night War wouldn’t be a surprise. After all, NXT is now a main roster brand of WWE.

AEW TV Debut Set for October 2nd on TNT.

It’s official folks, All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) live television show will air weekly beginning on Wednesday, October 2nd, from 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm on TNT. The show will emanate from the Capital One Center in Washington DC, the site of the Sting vs. Hulk Hogan (formerly named the MCI Center) match from Starrcade 1997. AEW looks to be the first major promotion with the ability to absorb a significant piece of the pro wrestling market share from WWE since WCW during the Monday Night Wars in the mid to late ’90s.

AEW already announced a tournament to crown their inaugural tag team champions will be the focal point of their show during its initial launch. Their pay-per-view on August 31st, All Out will run some angles promoting to their TNT debut.

Also, with rumors of WWE moving NXT to Fox Sports 1 on the same day and time as AEW’s Wednesday time slot, this could be the genesis of a new wrestling war. The show will be preempted on Christmas Day, which is usually when TNT airs A Christmas Story in a loop for 24 hours.

The term “Dynamite” has been trademarked by AEW for several months with all signs pointing to it being the name of the show. Ticket information is expected to be announced on July 29th for the history-making show. TNT, the former home of WCW Monday Nitro, is available in an estimated 89 million homes.

Matt Jackson, Kenny Omega and Nick Jackson

AEW will mark the first time a major pro wrestling show will air consistently on Wednesdays. Raw and Nitro cemented the genre’s place on Mondays. SmackDown has spent long periods of its twenty-year history on Thursday, Friday, and currently on Tuesday with a return to Friday nights in October with the move to Fox.

ECW on TNN aired on Fridays during its run, WCW placed Thunder on Thursdays, and TNA/Impact also made Thursday night their home. Wednesday has been mostly untouched by televised wrestling content on cable and TNT is an excellent platform for AEW to launch.

Superstar talent will be vital for AEW’s long-term success. Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley (formerly Dean Ambrose) are the two most recognizable names on the roster. Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, SCU, Pentagon, and Fenix are the most prominent stars with the diehard audience.

MJF is a name on the rise and a high level heel in the making. Jungle Boy has the potential to be a star, and AEW is going all-in with their women’s division. CM Punk is appearing at the Starrcast convention adjacent to the AEW pay-per-view. Rumors are running rampant that Punk is signing with the promotion, which would be a game-changer.

Ever since WCW went out of business in 2001, fans have been wondering if a wrestling centric alternative can thrive on a mainstream level. It is clear Vince McMahon is out of touch with what the audience wants. There has never been a better time for a new promotion to enter the space, and AEW’s potential is white-hot.

AEW Officially Announces TV Deal

After months of speculation, All Elite Wrestling (AEW), which launched in January, has landed a TV deal with TNT. The press release issued by AEW and Warner Media announced that AEW will begin airing live weekly matches on TNT in primetime later this year.

Details on when the show will air, timeslot and title have yet to be revealed. It was also announced that AEW’s inaugural event, Double or Nothing on Saturday, May 25 at the MGM Grand Graden Arena in Las Vegas will air live on traditional pay-per-view and BR/Live streaming platform.

The media rights deal was negotiated by AEW president and CEO Tony Khan and Bernie Cahill, co-founder of Activist Artists Management, LLC, an entity where Khan is also an investor and partner. Khan is the son of billionaire Shahid Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

All Elite Wrestling is describing themselves as a talent-forward, fan-first league whose inclusive approach to creating a high-quality sport-based product with less scripted, soapy drama, and more athleticism and real sports analytics.

This announcement echos the ghosts of wrestling’s past with TNT being the former home of WCW Monday Nitro. This will be the first time professional wrestling will be on a Ted Turner owned network since WWE bought WCW in 2001.

Dusty Rhodes was a creative force behind the scenes for NWA/WCW in the ’80s and ’90s. His son, Cody Rhodes is an Excitive Vince President for AEW, allowing him to serve as a key decision maker.

AEW has a talented roster featuring Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Cody, The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), “Hangman” Page, Brandi Rhodes, Brit Baker and SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky). Jim Ross will be the lead commentator along with Alex Marvez and PWG’s Excalibur.

AEW will undoubtedly sign some more high profile names before their debut television show in the fall. Dean Ambrose recently left WWE and has already gone back to his original moniker, Jon Moxley. Of course, CM Punk is always a possibility and being able to sign Pentagon Jr. and Fenix to full-time contracts will bring a lot of depth to an already stacked roster.

For years, wrestling fans have always wondered if a wrestling centered pro wrestling show can be successful on a mainstream level. WWE is not just the biggest name in the wrestling genre, but to many, they are the genre.

It’s similar to the music industry where fans feel there are more talented performers on the independent level than there are on a commercial platform. However, sometimes, talent isn’t enough, and it takes commercial appeal and presentation to become vastly popular.

Great professional wrestling action, on its own, is not going to make AEW accessible to the masses. Ring of Honor has been using that formula since its inception in 2002. While they have grown over the years, they have already reached their ceiling.

This is the best opportunity the industry has had in years for a second company to gain a significant piece of the wrestling market share. A compelling mix of wrestling and story with a little something different. Something that is not being done in wrestling right now is what AEW needs to present.

Because if they don’t, and it comes off as a retread of every other promotion that has tried and failed before them, professional wrestling might genuinely become, in the abstract, sports entertainment.