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It's time for the 7th 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're now entering one of the most extraordinary periods in professional wrestling history, as the COVID-19 pandemic completely changes the industry and forces both companies to abandon the live audiences that helped define their first five months of competition. ACEFIELD RETRO is jumping back into the DELOREAN for March 18 through May 27, 2020, as we revisit eleven consecutive Wednesdays, AEW's Double or Nothing pay per view and the unprecedented adjustments both promotions were forced to make almost overnight. AEW is coming off Revolution with Jon Moxley beginning his reign as the company's second World Champion, while NXT is dealing with the fallout from TakeOver: Portland and the cancellation of its planned TakeOver: Tampa Bay event during WrestleMania weekend. What had been an increasingly competitive battle built around major championship matches, passionate crowds and weekly television ratings suddenly becomes something entirely different. With travel restrictions affecting roster availability, traditional venues becoming unavailable and both companies attempting to produce wrestling television during an international public health emergency, we're examining how AEW and NXT adapted to circumstances nobody could have anticipated when the Wednesday Night Wars began in October 2019.

Over on TNT, AEW is attempting to preserve its momentum following Revolution while completely rethinking how Dynamite is produced. The March 18 broadcast moves to Daily's Place in Jacksonville, where Brodie Lee makes his debut as the Exalted One of the Dark Order and Matt Hardy arrives to join the Elite in their increasingly personal rivalry with Chris Jericho's Inner Circle. The originally scheduled Blood and Guts match is postponed, forcing AEW to find another direction for one of its biggest programs, while emergency television tapings at the Nightmare Factory in Georgia allow the company to continue producing Dynamite with a significantly reduced roster. Jon Moxley successfully defends the AEW World Championship against Jake Hager before beginning a new rivalry with Brodie Lee, whose arrival quickly transforms the Dark Order into a legitimate threat at the top of the card. The introduction of the TNT Championship creates another important opportunity, with Cody, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, Dustin Rhodes and Lance Archer competing in an eight-man tournament that ultimately leads to Cody defeating Archer at Double or Nothing to become the inaugural champion. We're also revisiting the continued development of AEW's women's division, Hikaru Shida's rise to the championship picture and the creative decisions that helped the company maintain its identity despite the absence of its usual roster and audience. Everything culminates at Double or Nothing on May 23, where Brian Cage debuts and wins the Casino Ladder Match, Hikaru Shida defeats Nyla Rose for the AEW Women's World Championship, Moxley retains against Brodie Lee and the Elite defeat the Inner Circle in the first Stadium Stampede match inside TIAA Bank Field. With Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, the Young Bucks and Matt Hardy turning an empty football stadium into one of the most unusual main events in AEW history, we're examining how Stadium Stampede became a defining attraction of the pandemic era, whether Double or Nothing successfully delivered without a traditional audience and how Cody's TNT Championship open challenge, Brian Cage's arrival and the continued development of the Dark Order established AEW's direction heading into the summer.

Meanwhile, NXT is navigating an equally complicated situation as WWE relocates much of its television production to controlled environments and abandons the original plans for WrestleMania weekend. The cancellation of TakeOver: Tampa Bay forces several major matches onto weekly television, including the six-woman ladder match won by Io Shirai and the cinematic One Final Beat confrontation between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Their rivalry, which had been one of the defining stories of the Black and Gold era, reaches another major turning point when Candice LeRae helps Gargano defeat Ciampa, establishing a new direction for both Gargano and LeRae as villains. Charlotte Flair defeats Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 36 to capture the NXT Women's Championship, bringing one of WWE's most established main roster stars back into the brand and creating a developing rivalry with Ripley and Shirai. Adam Cole continues his historic NXT Championship reign as the Undisputed ERA remains central to the men's division, while Keith Lee maintains his momentum as North American Champion and Karrion Kross emerges as a dangerous new presence. Travel restrictions prevent Pete Dunne from returning to the United States, leading to Timothy Thatcher replacing him as Matt Riddle's tag team partner before their partnership collapses and Imperium captures the NXT Tag Team Championships. Their rivalry eventually produces the first Fight Pit match on May 27, with Kurt Angle serving as special guest referee. We're also following the interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament, created because Jordan Devlin cannot travel from the United Kingdom, and the remarkable story of Drake Maverick continuing to compete after being released by WWE during its April 15 personnel cuts. Outside the weekly competition, we're examining WWE's decision to present WrestleMania 36 across two nights without traditional spectators, the widespread talent releases, the disruption of international travel and how the pandemic exposed the difficulties of maintaining a global wrestling operation when performers and production personnel could no longer move freely.

And the ratings tell a particularly fascinating story as the Wednesday Night Wars continue under circumstances that make traditional comparisons increasingly complicated. AEW opens the pandemic period on March 18 with 932,000 viewers compared with NXT's 542,000, although WWE's decision to present a nontraditional episode built around interviews and previously recorded material contributes to the unusually large gap. Dynamite follows with 819,000 viewers on March 25 against NXT's 669,000 before dropping to 685,000 on April 1 compared with NXT's 590,000. The competition becomes extraordinarily close on April 8, when NXT draws 693,000 viewers against AEW's 692,000, winning by just 1,000 viewers, and NXT follows with another narrow victory on April 15, attracting 692,000 against Dynamite's 683,000. AEW regains the advantage on April 22 with 731,000 viewers compared with NXT's 665,000 and maintains its lead through the remainder of the period, although Dynamite falls to 654,000 viewers on May 13 against NXT's 604,000. Both programs rebound on May 27, with AEW attracting 827,000 viewers following Double or Nothing and NXT drawing 731,000 as it builds toward TakeOver: In Your House. Across these eleven Wednesdays, AEW wins nine total-viewership battles compared with NXT's two, averaging approximately 741,000 viewers against NXT's 643,000 and maintaining its advantage in the important adults aged 18–49 demographic throughout the entire stretch. We're examining why both promotions experienced such significant audience fluctuations, whether AEW's taped programming and reduced roster affected viewer interest, how NXT's championship matches and special attractions influenced its performance and why the absence of traditional crowds makes this period so difficult to compare with the opening months of the competition. Behind the scenes, we're also looking at Tony Khan's emergency production decisions, Triple H's efforts to preserve NXT's identity within WWE's larger operation, the differences between Daily's Place and Full Sail University, and how both companies began experimenting with cinematic wrestling and unconventional production techniques to compensate for the atmosphere they had lost.

More than anything, Episode 7 is about two wrestling companies being forced to reinvent their television products at the exact moment the Wednesday Night Wars were beginning to establish themselves as one of the industry's most compelling rivalries. AEW enters the pandemic with considerable momentum from Revolution but suddenly finds itself producing television with limited personnel, unavailable international talent and no certainty about when live audiences will return. Yet the company introduces Brodie Lee and Matt Hardy, establishes the TNT Championship, crowns Hikaru Shida as Women's World Champion and delivers Double or Nothing with Stadium Stampede becoming one of the defining spectacles of the entire period. NXT answers by redistributing its canceled TakeOver matches across weekly television, bringing Charlotte Flair into its women's championship picture, concluding another chapter of Gargano and Ciampa's rivalry and developing the Fight Pit and interim Cruiserweight Championship tournament as distinctive attractions. We're examining which company adapted more effectively, whether AEW's willingness to embrace unusual presentation gave it an advantage over NXT's more traditional approach and how much of the creative success or failure during this period can reasonably be separated from the extraordinary circumstances surrounding production. The pandemic also raises larger questions about wrestler safety, WWE's personnel cuts, the economics of producing television without ticket revenue and the long-term consequences of an industry suddenly forced to operate without the audiences that had always been essential to its presentation. By May 27, AEW has successfully completed Double or Nothing and is beginning to build toward Fyter Fest, while NXT is preparing for TakeOver: In Your House and an increasingly aggressive summer television schedule. The Wednesday Night Wars are still going strong, but the competition now looks almost nothing like the one that began the previous October. This is the beginning of wrestling's pandemic era, a period of tremendous uncertainty, unexpected creativity and decisions that would shape both companies for years to come. 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

It's Thursday, and you know what that means! It is time to walk through those Tavern doors and order up a round of professional wrestling coverage from The Two Bad Chads! This week we talk AEW and all the happenings of the week! Make sure you go to patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern for all your Tavern needs!

It's time to get RAW! It's time to get DOWN! This week we recap Crown Jewel '26, preview the Survivor Series War Games matches, and discuss the week that was WWE. All that and more on your #1 source for all things WWE on the Turnbuckle Tavern. This is the RAW DOWN!

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This week on Wrestling Tonight, Acefield Retro breaks down a Crown Jewel that delivered two title changes but still felt like very little moved forward. Roman Reigns beats Sami Zayn, but why is the WWE Champion's reward another man's approval? Chelsea Green defeats Liv Morgan before Tiffany Stratton ends her 97 day championship reign in three seconds, while Cody Rhodes stops the referee's count to punish Randy Orton with his own punt. We discuss what actually mattered, including Penta and Je'Von Evans becoming World Tag Team Champions as Oba Femi dismantles Bronson Reed.

We also cover reports that WWE wrestlers left Riyadh before Sunday's attacks and landed in South Carolina. With some production staff potentially still handling the arena breakdown, we distinguish the confirmed reporting about talent departures from the less definitive information about staff. PWInsider reported no known WWE personnel affected, while Reuters reported damage in Riyadh's financial district.

Then we dig into Blood & Guts beating an NXT loaded with John Cena, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes. Dynamite drew 792,000 viewers against NXT's 552,000, with nearly 80% more viewers aged 18 to 49 despite TBS being available in 21.3 million fewer homes. We examine the surge among younger audiences, the missing streaming figures and NXT's preemptions, plus why Halloween's NXT victory over Collision tells a different story. AEW earned a major win, but can it keep those viewers when the cages come down?

Cena also unveils the John Cena Classic, bringing WWE two episodes of Raw on December 14, with the tournament in Orlando and the regular show in Perth. Cody is the first invitee, talent from Raw, SmackDown and NXT will participate, and Club WWE voting will help shape the field. We discuss the spinner inspired championship, Cena's planned Survivor Series appearance and why this needs to create an opportunity for somebody beyond the established headliners.

Over in Pro Wrestling EVE, four championships change hands at Elite Encounters 2. Kay Lee Ray defeats Kris Statlander after Session Moth Martina's interference goes wrong, Skye Blue ends Lucy Deathmatch's 72 day reign, and Marina Shafir takes the International Championship from Miyu Yamashita. HANAKO and Maika also capture the tag titles, giving EVE plenty to follow up beyond the initial excitement of new champions.

We preview the week's television, including The Vanity Project defending the NXT Tag Team Championships against Dusty Classic winners Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno. Dynamite brings Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher face to face, Brodido against New Level, Ciampa against Speedball for the National Title, and Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir against Jay White and Mercedes Moné. Then we look ahead to Full Gear, including Ospreay vs. Fletcher, Moné vs. Shafir, a Texas Death Match for the trios titles and Anarchy in the Arena. Plus, Leon Slater defends against Trey Miguel at TNA Destination X, and Hechicero faces Zack Sabre Jr. at CMLL/NJPW Lucha Kingdom.

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Until the following week, when we wine and dine with you kings and queens, stay out of the alley and away from the pork and beans. God luck and good speed.

It's time for the 6th 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're now entering February 2020, with AEW coming off a January that saw the company sweep the Wednesday night ratings, secure its television future with WarnerMedia and begin finding a much stronger creative direction after a difficult December. ACEFIELD RETRO is jumping back into the DELOREAN for February 5 through March 11, 2020, as we revisit six consecutive Wednesdays, AEW's Revolution pay per view in Chicago and NXT TakeOver: Portland. Both promotions are delivering some of their strongest wrestling since the competition began, with major championship changes, increasingly personal rivalries and two important events that will help define the early months of 2020. But what makes this stretch especially fascinating is that we're watching the final weeks of wrestling television as everyone knew it before the COVID-19 pandemic completely changes the industry.

Over on TNT, AEW is building toward Revolution with several of its biggest stories finally reaching their breaking points. Jon Moxley continues fighting through Chris Jericho's Inner Circle, defeating Ortiz, Santana and Jeff Cobb before finally dethroning Jericho on February 29 to become the second AEW World Champion. Kenny Omega and Hangman Page successfully defend the AEW World Tag Team Championships against SCU and the Lucha Brothers before facing the Young Bucks at Revolution in a match that becomes one of the most celebrated tag team encounters in wrestling history. Cody endures MJF's humiliating ten lashes, survives Wardlow inside a steel cage and finally gets his opportunity for revenge, only for MJF to steal the victory with his diamond ring. Nyla Rose defeats Riho to capture the AEW Women's World Championship, Kenny Omega and PAC deliver an outstanding thirty minute Iron Man match, Orange Cassidy makes his AEW singles debut against PAC and Death Triangle emerges as a new force within the company. We're examining how these matches and rivalries helped AEW establish a more consistent identity, why Revolution became such an important event for the young promotion and how Tony Khan's increasingly focused creative direction was beginning to pay off. Behind the scenes, we're also looking at Revolution's commercial success, AEW's growing confidence following its WarnerMedia extension, the competition for available talent and the company's preparations for Blood and Guts as March begins.

Meanwhile, NXT is heading into TakeOver: Portland with the Undisputed ERA's championship dominance beginning to unravel and several of the Black and Gold brand's most important rivalries approaching major turning points. Keith Lee successfully defends the NXT North American Championship against Dominik Dijakovic in an incredible heavyweight encounter, Finn Bálor defeats Johnny Gargano and Dakota Kai defeats Tegan Nox in a violent street fight with help from the debuting Raquel González. Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne complete their unlikely rise as the BroserWeights by defeating Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly to capture the NXT Tag Team Championships, while Adam Cole retains the NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa after Gargano shocks everyone by betraying his former partner. Rhea Ripley successfully defends against Bianca Belair before Charlotte Flair attacks her and accepts the challenge for WrestleMania, bringing one of WWE's biggest main roster stars directly into NXT's championship picture. In the weeks following Portland, Jordan Devlin defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Lio Rush, the Velveteen Dream continues his rivalry with Roderick Strong and the women's division begins qualifying for a planned ladder match at TakeOver: Tampa. We're examining whether Portland belongs among the strongest TakeOver events of the era, how WWE was positioning NXT heading into WrestleMania and what Charlotte's involvement revealed about the company's evolving approach to its third brand. Outside the Wednesday night competition, we're also revisiting Goldberg defeating Bray Wyatt for the Universal Championship at Super ShowDown, the continued rise of Tessa Blanchard in Impact, Marty Scurll's expanded responsibilities in Ring of Honor and the wider wrestling industry's increasingly competitive talent market.

And the ratings continue telling an interesting story as AEW maintains its Wednesday night advantage, although NXT is beginning to narrow the gap compared with January. On February 5, Dynamite draws 928,000 viewers against NXT's 770,000, before the competition tightens considerably on February 12 when AEW attracts 817,000 against WWE's 757,000, a difference of only 60,000 viewers. Following TakeOver: Portland, NXT improves to 794,000 viewers on February 19, but Dynamite still wins with 893,000, while the February 26 go home show for Revolution draws 865,000 against NXT's 717,000. Across those four Wednesdays, AEW averages 875,750 viewers compared with NXT's 759,500, giving Dynamite an advantage of 116,250 viewers per episode and extending its winning streak to nine consecutive Wednesdays in 2020. But while AEW wins every February head to head battle, its average audience actually declines from January as NXT's improves, suggesting the competition is becoming closer despite the weekly results. We're comparing those numbers with Raw and SmackDown, examining whether acclaimed events like TakeOver: Portland and Revolution actually translate into sustained television growth and looking at the different business realities facing WWE and AEW. As we reach March 11, we're also examining how the rapidly developing coronavirus crisis is about to make traditional ratings comparisons considerably more complicated.

More than anything, Episode 6 is about two wrestling companies hitting an important creative stride just as the entire industry is approaching an unprecedented disruption. AEW delivers Revolution, crowns Jon Moxley as its new World Champion and produces an extraordinary tag team championship match that demonstrates how effective its long term storytelling can become, while NXT answers with TakeOver: Portland, another outstanding showcase for the Black and Gold era built around Keith Lee, Finn Bálor, the BroserWeights and the latest chapter of Gargano and Ciampa's complicated history. AEW is continuing to win the television competition, but NXT is showing why its roster and TakeOver formula remain among the most respected in professional wrestling. We're also looking at how WWE's WrestleMania plans, its controversial decision to put the Universal Championship on Goldberg and the wider wrestling landscape were developing before everything changed. By March 11, AEW is preparing for Blood and Guts, NXT is building toward TakeOver: Tampa and WWE is still planning WrestleMania 36 as a major stadium event, with nobody fully prepared for the shutdowns and empty arena wrestling that will follow. This is the dividing line between the opening chapter of the Wednesday Night Wars and the completely different competition that emerges during the pandemic, making these six weeks one of the most fascinating periods we've revisited so far. 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!

It's Thursday, and you know what that means! It is time to walk through those Tavern doors and order up a round of professional wrestling coverage from The Two Bad Chads! This week we talk AEW and all the happenings of the week! Make sure you go to patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern for all your Tavern needs!

It's time to get RAW! It's time to get DOWN! We preview and predict WWE Crown Jewel '26 and recap the week in WWE. All that and more on your #1 source for all things WWE on the Turnbuckle Tavern. This is the RAWDOWN!

Turnbuckle Tavern is powered by G FUEL and Official Dick Lazer. Use code TAVERN for 20% off at GFUEL.com and DickLazers.com.

This week on Wrestling Tonight, Acefield Retro breaks down a loaded Wednesday as CM Punk challenges Grayson Waller for the NXT Championship opposite AEW Blood & Guts. With John Cena appearing and Cody Rhodes presenting the Dusty Classic trophy, WWE is giving fans plenty of reasons to tune in. But can NXT turn the attention into something lasting for Waller, and where does Tony D'Angelo fit after the controversial finish at Halloween Havoc?

We also discuss WWE's reported backstage succession plan, with Shawn Michaels expected to replace Bruce Prichard following his reported retirement after WrestleMania 43. AJ Styles could take on greater responsibilities in NXT, but who would handle creative if Michaels moves on? We look at what these changes could mean for WWE and where Styles' interest in developing younger talent fits into the picture.

Chad Gable pins CM Punk at a WWE house show, and we explain why that result deserves a mention on television. Meanwhile, reports indicate Punk and Kevin Owens did not refuse to travel to Saudi Arabia, with their SmackDown match always planned for that show. We separate that clarification from the broader reporting about talent safety concerns and examine why WWE's assurances need to leave room for wrestlers to speak up as Crown Jewel approaches.

Over in AEW, we preview both Blood & Guts matches as Will Ospreay, Adam Copeland, Darby Allin, Steven Borden and The Young Bucks prepare to face the Don Callis Family. The women's match brings together Triangle of Madness, Divine Dominion and Persephone against The Brawling Birds, Wrathlander, Willow Nightingale and Queen Aminata. Plus, Darby goes from wrestling Hechicero in Arena Mexico to completing the New York City Marathon just days before stepping inside the cage.

Then we look at AEW's New Year's Smash schedule change, which avoids a clash with SmackDown and puts Dynamite after college football playoff coverage. Can AEW turn that lead into new viewers? We also cover Paul Walter Hauser leaving MLW over creative differences and the pointed message that closed his otherwise appreciative farewell.

In New Japan, Taiji Ishimori and Robbie X face Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita in the Super Junior Tag League final at Power Struggle. We discuss the redemption story, Blake Christian and Lee Johnson narrowly missing the final, and the uncertainty surrounding a future championship opportunity. Then we preview the week's television and look ahead to Crown Jewel, Full Gear, Destination X and Lucha Kingdom, including Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher and The Death Riders against The Cut in Anarchy in the Arena.

Join our Patreon for just $2.99 a month at PATREON.COM/THETURNBUCKLETAVERN for exclusive content, and follow @turnbuckletavern across social media.

Until the following week, when we wine and dine with you kings and queens, stay out of the alley and away from the pork and beans. God luck and good speed.

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!

It's Thursday, and you know what that means! It is time to walk through those Tavern doors and order up a round of professional wrestling coverage from the Two Bad Chads for this edition of The Flagship! This week, we break down Fright Night Dynamite as Queen Aminata dethrones Persephone to become TBS Champion, Jay White and The Cut leave Claudio Castagnoli on a stretcher and the Death Riders head toward Anarchy in the Arena at Full Gear. Kyle Fletcher beats Jack Perry and secures his World Championship showdown with Will Ospreay, while Darby Allin survives Josh Alexander with Steven Borden back in the fight ahead of Blood & Guts. Plus, the Motor City Machine Guns take a 2–1 series lead over FTR, Swerve Strickland brutalizes Bandido to push his Texas Death demand and Marina Shafir confronts Mercedes Moné! Make sure you go to patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern for all your Tavern needs!