"HHH shaking in his boots," "We are so back" - Fans erupt after AEW pulls off huge shocker; defeats WWE in ratings

AEW pulled off a massive upset this week, as television ratings for Dynamite surpassed those drawn by WWE NXT. Wrestling fans have now shared their reactions to the topic on social media.

The Tony Khan-led promotion hosted the Beach Break edition of AEW Dynamite this week in the NOW Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The episode featured many of the promotion's top names, including Hangman Page, Will Ospreay, Toni Storm, The Hurt Syndicate, MJF, Jon Moxley, Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland and more. Audiences also witnessed Skye Blue's return and Mina Shirakawa's official debut as a member of the All Elite roster.

The star-studded show has paid dividends in ratings, as it was revealed that Dynamite: Beach Break raked in a total viewership of 682,000, a marked improvement over last week's figures. The episode, furthermore, managed to outdraw the May 13 edition of WWE NXT.

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Fans quickly took to X/Twitter to share their reactions to AEW's Wednesday-night show beating NXT with respect to viewership numbers this week. Several users voiced their excitement over the fact, with one suggesting that the debut of former WWE Superstar Zach Gowen could have played a role behind the ratings drawn by Dynamite: Beach Break, while others speculated that improved booking, marketing, and promotional tactics could be the cause.

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"Zach Gowen is a draw!" suggested a user.

"All is right with [All Elite Wrestling] now. At last, they can go back to bragging about beating the WWE's developmental brand," wrote a user.

"Dynamite Cooking!!!" tweeted a fan.

"They did it! With all that extra marketing, they got ground breaking numbers….hahahaha," tweeted another fan.

Whether TK and company can keep their momentum going en route to Double or Nothing 2025 remains to be seen.

Match results for this week's AEW Dynamite

The 293rd episode of Dynamite, which was presented as the latest edition of the Jacksonville-based promotion's Beach Break TV special, aired five high-stakes matches, including a championship bout. Check out the results for the show below:

Hangman Adam Page and Will Ospreay defeated Josh Alexander and Konosuke Takeshita
Ricochet defeated Zach Gowen
Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley (c) defeated Top Flight [World Tag Team Title Eliminator Match]
Mina Shirakawa defeated Toni Storm (c), AZM, and Skye Blue [Four-Way Women's World Title Eliminator Match]
Jon Moxley (c) defeated Samoa Joe [AEW World Title Steel Cage Match]

It remains to be seen what All Elite Wrestling has planned for Collision: Beach Break this weekend.

About the author

Anurag is an AEW writer for Sportskeeda Wrestling. He holds a BA and MA degree in English along with a TEFL certification to teach English. Before Sportskeeda, he worked as a Content and Correspondence writer at Nayabad Titas, a theater group. He has also worked as a English language tutor.

To ensure complete accuracy, he uses internet resources, social media platforms, and especially pieces composed by his peers to find solid, verified information that he presents as objectively as possible. Thanks to his academic background, he can research different subjects thoroughly.

Anurag's interest in wrestling began as a child. He watched RAW and Smackdown frequently from age 10 or 11 and was officially hooked by the YES Movement story in WWE heading into WrestleMania 30.

As a lifelong wrestling fan and lover of stories, Anurag would read news, articles, and other content about the talent and events he enjoyed watching. His understanding of the business continued to grow with time, and his interest in the art and sport of wrestling led him to pursue a career as a writer.

Apart from writing, he loves to read books, watch movies and television programs, play and listen to music, and write poetry and fiction.

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Edited by Anurag Mukherjee