AEW Tops NXT in TV Ratings with Parking-Lot Fight Main Event

AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT aired on the same night Wednesday for the first time in several weeks, and it was Dynamite that prevailed in the ratings battle.

According to Showbuzz Daily, Dynamite averaged 886,000 viewers on TNT, while NXT on USA Network drew 689,000 viewers. Last week, Dynamite brought in 1.016 million viewers in its normal time slot on Wednesday night, while NXT garnered 838,000 viewers last Tuesday.

The main event of Dynamite was a Parking Lot Fight pitting Best Friends against Santana and Ortiz. Best Friends won the match with some help from Orange Cassidy, and they put an exclamation point on the victory when Trent's mom, Sue, flipped off Santana and Ortiz.

Dynamite also featured several matches meant to put over some of its biggest stars in a significant way. Chris Jericho and Jake Hager beat Private Party, "Hangman" Adam Page defeated Frankie Kazarian, FTR got past Jurassic Express in a non-title match, MJF won a squash match, and Thunder Rosa beat Ivelisse to retain the NWA World Women's Championship.

All Elite Wrestling also set the stage for an intriguing match next week, as AEW world champion Jon Moxley will team with Will Hobbs and Darby Allin against Lance Archer, Brian Cage and Ricky Starks.

NXT was headlined by a North American Championship match in which Damian Priest defended against Timothy Thatcher. While Thatcher had Priest in some precarious positions, The Archer of Infamy was successful in his first title defense.

The NXT Tag Team Championship were also on the line, as Breezango retained the straps in a rematch against the previous titleholders, Imperium.

The opening match of the night had potentially big implications as well with NXT women's champion Io Shirai facing Shotzi Blackheart in a non-title match. Blackheart had her best showing to date and pushed Shirai to the limit, but The Joshi Judas prevailed.

Elsewhere on NXT, Tommaso Ciampa won a squash match, Kushida beat Austin Theory, and the team of Drake Maverick and Killian Dain beat Undisputed Era's Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish by disqualification.

Also, NXT general manager William Regal announced that next week's show will see a No. 1 contender for the NXT Women's Championship determined in a Battle Royal and that the No. 1 contender for the NXT title will be decided in a gauntlet match.

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