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When the Wednesday Night Wars between WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite began in 2019, many fans thought of the legendary war between WWE and WCW. Like that unforgettable battle for ratings, the modern day comparison motivated both companies to step their game up. Every week, they hope to deliver must-see wrestling content.
In 2020, both shows started using TV specials that were more like mini pay-per-views. In doing so, they wanted to entice viewers to choose one side over the other. The Wednesday Night Wars have often split the fans' views over which company delivered the better show on any given week. These specials have ramped up the competition even more.
With over 13 different TV specials in the Wednesday Night Wars this year, the battle has been fierce between the opposing shows. Let's take a look at this year's five best TV specials on WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite.
#5 NXT Great American Bash (Wednesday Night Wars - July 1st & 8th)
To compete with Fyter Fest on AEW Dynamite, WWE brought back the Great American Bash on the July 1 and July 8 episodes of WWE NXT. Beginning with this show, NXT has brought back a old WCW hallmarks during the Wednesday Night Wars.
The first night of the Great American Bash was headlined by a dream match between Sasha Banks and NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai. Banks, a top star on the main roster, returned to NXT for this remarkable match. This marquee bout helped propel NXT to one of their highest rated segments in the Wednesday Night Wars this year.
The main event of the second night was one of the most highly anticipated encounters in NXT history. North American Champion Keith Lee defeated NXT Champion Adam Cole to win the brand's main title. With the victory, he become its first dual singles titleholder.
Plenty of fun contests were sprinkled across the two shows. Tegan Nox triumphed in a Fatal 4-Way to become Shirai's next contender. Plus, Dexter Lumis beat Roderick Strong in a Strap Match. In this two-week stretch, WWE NXT brought out the best of its roster. In doing so, they won the ratings battle of the Wednesday Night Wars for two consecutive weeks.
#4 AEW Bash At The Beach (Wednesday Night Wars - January 15 & 22)
AEW beat NXT to the punch by bringing back Bash At The Beach, another WCW hallmark, earlier this year. This event took place on January 15 and January 22. The second show was filmed on the Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise ship. This location brought a unique ambience to the event.
The first week kicked off with an energetic Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match to determine the next challengers for the AEW World Tag Team Titles. Kenny Omega and Hangman Page defeated the Young Bucks, the Best Friends and Proud 'n' Powerful. The show also featured also a mini tournament to determine the Number One Contender for the AEW World Championship.
Jon Moxley beat Sammy Guevara in a fun sprint and PAC overcame Darby Allin in a solid main event. In the second night's main event, Moxley defeated PAC to become the next challenger for Chris Jericho's AEW World Championship.
The second night of Bash At The Beach was opened by one of the most underrated TV matches of the Wednesday Night Wars. Page and Omega took down SCU to become the second AEW World Tag Team Champions. This bout was a tremendous encounter that highlighted the partnership between Omega and Page.
Both nights won in the ratings and included solid contests, such as the Inner Circle vs. Jurassic Express. Plus, the iconic DDP returned to the ring. The shows also built up the feud between MJF and Cody Rhodes. This rivalry provided plenty of engaging segments for the Wednesday Night Wars in 2020.
Overall, Bash at the Beach certainly helped AEW start the year on a strong note. Plus, it remains memorable because the second week was filmed on a cruise ship, and few other shows have done that in recent memory.
#3 AEW Fyter Fest (Wednesday Night Wars - July 1st & 8th)
The Wednesday Night Wars were particulary contested this pas July. AEW Fyter Fest was held as a television special over two weeks this year. These two episodes were built up for several weeks. The show was directly matched up against NXT Great American Bash. Although All Elite Wrestling lost the ratings battle, they put on the better overall show in both weeks.
Night 1 was headlined by an entertaining AEW World Tag Team Championship Match. Kenny Omega and Hangman Page successfully defended the gold against The Best Friends. Fans also witnessed Cody beating Jake Hager in an overachieving AEW TNT Championship Match. The title bout between Hikaru Shida and Penelope Ford also surprised many fans.
Fyter Fest 2020 Night 2 brought the first match between "Le Champion" Chris Jericho and Orange Cassidy to the Wednesday Night Wars. In arguably the best match of their eventual series, Jericho overcame the surging Cassidy. The best contest of either night was the eight-man tag team battle where FTR and The Young Bucks facing the Lucha Brothers and The Butcher and The Blade.
This incredible clash was filled with spectacular spots from start to finish. Rey Fenix's stunning springboard Canadian Destroyer on Nick Jackson stole the show. In the end, Fenix, Pentagon, The Butcher and The Blade pulled out the upset.
These two events set the bar high for the rest of the year. Both nights gave fans plenty of intense action that featured the upper echelon of talent on the AEW roster.
#2 NXT Halloween Havoc (Wednesday Night Wars - October 28th)
As far as aesthetics and set design, this was the best TV special in 2020 that fans have seen in the Wednesday Night Wars. The return of Halloween Havoc marked another occasion that where WWE brought back another classic WCW event. NXT produced a jam-packed show that was filled with creepy themes and intriguing contests.
NXT Halloween Havoc was bookended by two Spin The Wheel, Make A Deal title matches. In the opener, Johnny Gargano used the help of a mysterious masked assailant to defeat Damian Priest. In doing so, he became the first two-time NXT North American Champion. This bout was a frantic Devil's Playground Match that included weapons and brawling all over the building.
In the main event, Io Shirai defended the NXT Women's Championship against Candice LaRae in a Tables, Ladders and Scares Match. This physically intense clash highlighted the stellar chemistry these competitors share. Shirai won with the help of Halloween Havoc host, Shotzi Blackheart. She counteracted the interference of another masked individual.
This episode also featured a hard-hitting affair between Rhea Ripley and Raquel González. Plus, Pete Dunne turned heel and joined Pat McAfee's crew. The rivalry between NXT's top factions became a compelling storyline in the Wednesday Night Wars throughout the fall.
This evening marked another ratings win in the Wednesday Night Wars for WWE NXT over AEW Dynamite. The black-and-gold brand seems to excel in these themed episodes. There was only one other TV special this year that matched the high quality of this show.
#1 AEW Winter Is Coming (Wednesday Night Wars - December 2nd)
This show was billed as the biggest AEW Dynamite of the year and this Wednesday Night Wars TV special definitely delivered. The headline bout for "Winter Is Coming" was Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship. This contest marked the highly anticipated rematch from their Lights Out Match at AEW Full Gear 2019.
With Omega looking for a standard contest with no weapons, fans should have saw the outcome coming. "The Cleaner" used a distraction from IMPACT Wrestling executive Don Callis and a microphone to the skull of Moxley to decisively take control of the match. By hitting Four V-Triggers and the One Winged Angel, Omega officially won the match and became the new AEW World Champion.
Following Omega's victory, Callis announced that Omega would appear on IMPACT Wrestling, leaving the wrestling world buzzing. This AEW-IMPACT Wrestling crossover tease has left many fans talking. It could be considered the beginning of a huge shift in the future of the Wednesday Night Wars.
Although that match and the subsequent angle was fantastic, it may have paled in comparison to a monumental debut. WWE Hall of Famer, "The Icon" Sting made a shocking debut on this AEW Dynamite episode. Sting left everyone stunned in one of the most memorable moments of the Wednesday Night Wars in 2020.
These two remarkable angles would be enough to make this the best TV special. But "Winter Is Coming" also had an superbly booked Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale. Chris Jericho also faced Frankie Kazarian for the first time ever. This show may have been the greatest AEW Dynamite in the show's history. For now, we can safely argue that it was the best Wednesday Night Wars TV special of 2020.
