AEW Dynamite’s First Episode On TNT

Will AEW’s first episode on TNT draw a better rating than NXT’s first episode (1.179 million viewers) on USA?

Matthew Smith: The majority of wrestling fans have complained about the WWE product for years. Well, now is our chance to truly do something about it. I have seen how betting against AEW normally goes, so I say it will draw more viewers even when going up against a pretty stacked NXT card on the same night. I know I’ll be tuning in to see where AEW takes us.

Juan Bautista: It will probably do roughly the same, if not maybe 2 million. AEW has been building up to this for months and it is on TNT.

Steven Jackson: It’s really hard to say. Realistically, AEW will get slightly less viewers. But considering the availability of the program and the amount of buzz, it could get a higher rating. I hate being on the fence, but really I’m not sure!

David Gibb: It will be almost exactly the same +/- 10%.

Neal Wagner: AEW will come close to that mark, but I don’t know if I can commit to saying it will beat it. There is so much hype around Dynamite, but there is still a lot to prove during this debut.

Chad Gelfand: It will exceed NXT’s first episode mostly due to the curiosity factor. I don’t think that it will do much more than the NXT premiere on USA did, though. I’m going to optimistically say that the debut of AEW Dynamite will do 1.2 million viewers.

John Corrigan: AEW will beat NXT and get 2 million viewers on its first night on TNT.

Jack Goodwillie: Great question. AEW has the ability to crack a million viewers, but with the nature of this being an over/under question, I will take the under strictly based on WWE’s foothold in the market and NXT not only getting a two-week jump on AEW, but also having a presence in that same time slot when AEW Dynamite hits the air on 10/2.

What’s one thing you’d like to see AEW improve upon for its first episode?

Smith: Maybe I have just soured on them, but if AEW is really going to push these guys in the tag division, The Dark Order needs a switch before they start drawing “go away heat.” The team itself is good, but why are they a big deal? Because they wear masks and the lights go off when they are around? I need more backstory on why The Dark Order is so evil and why they have a gang of masked mutes following them around. Same can be said for Private Party, Orange Cassidy and other indie talents. Hopefully, weekly TV gives AEW the chance to tell these guys’ stories.

Bautista: I hope AEW figures out commentary quickly, but mostly I would like to see a different stage design to make it feel special. I know it’s still early, but making sure the show has its own unique presentation and feel is important.

Jackson: AEW really needs to improve on some linear booking. Producing compelling rivalries and feuds for the program needs to happen, as so far AEW has been all over the place. Also, use the roster to its full capabilities and don’t just rely on certain names to get people to watch.

Gibb: More focus on who the characters are – not what they are. (Who are the librarians? What does it mean to be “a boy and his dinosaur?” What does Uno actually stand for?)

Sam Gladen: The pacing needs the most work. From running over at Fight for the Fallen and rushing the end to having to kill time with announcers vamping for several moments during All Out, pacing seems to be the biggest issue.

Wagner: As long as AEW keeps its current pace, the company doesn’t have to change anything. The in-ring product is already better than WWE’s and the storytelling in and out of the ring is already on point.

Gelfand: The production on AEW’s PPVs so far has been shaky, so I’d like to see them improve in that area. Entrance themes are also something I want them to improve on – they’re an integral part of a wrestler’s presentation and a lot of the themes so far are just bland and generic.

Corrigan: Character development. Tell me why I should care about Cima, Dark Order, Kip Sabian, Michael Nakazawa, Orange Cassidy, Peter Avalon, Sammy Guevara, Bea Priestly, Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida, Nyla Rose and Riho.

Goodwillie: The production values. Some of the singular shows that have been put on so far have had an indieriffic look and feel to them and expectations will be much higher in TNT’s return to prime time wrestling. Generally speaking, the production has reminded me of the modern ROH product, which was a big step forward from its formative years, but still miles behind the likes of WWE. Bridging that next gap will be important for AEW’s long-term success.

What are you most looking forward to for AEW’s first episode?

Smith: As a lifelong Young Bucks fan, just the overall show. Having supported people through buying endless shirts, DVDs and PPVs, it’s just going to feel good to watch them win one. We are all conditioned by WWE formatting. If you have watched Raw for at least a year, you can kind of get a feel of where the show is going or how the night will play out. Will AEW open with some 20-minute long promo? Will wrestlers come out and just tear the house down? Will Full Gear matches be set up? And I know many people want them to do their own thing, but let’s all be honest, we are all wondering if AEW is going to take a shot at NXT.

Bautista: The event as a whole. It’s sold out, so the atmosphere will be awesome. Plus, the champion will be there and it’s a good card.

Jackson: I’m just really looking forward to the presentation and overall package AEW is putting out. I’m excited to see the set, the venues and the opening titles for the show. The aesthetic things that make a pro wrestling show so engaging as a child. I want to be drawn in and entertained, not tuned out and disillusioned.

Gibb: The Women’s Championship match.

Gladen: A legitimate contender to the WWE monopoly on a major cable channel. Hopefully, the matches are good, but history shows it doesn’t always matter. Can anyone name a match from the first Monday Night Nitro or ECW TV in the Heyman era without looking it up first?

Wagner: I’m curious of the layout of the show: how will it look, the camera angles, the pyro, the overall presentation in general. Will it be similar to WWE or can AEW create a new sports-style presentation for this show?

Gelfand: Pac vs. Page should be really good. Both will be hungry to put on the best performance possible and they should get a good amount of time since Page is one of the pillars of AEW.

Corrigan: Having a weekly pro wrestling show to watch live on TV again.

Goodwillie: It’s not one match or aspect in particular: It’s the whole package. There’s no precedent for what AEW has done over the past year or so, and with that said, I’ll be looking at what the set is going to look like, how TV matches are structured and which characters are going to be getting the most time. Of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day. I’ll be careful not to make my opinions too strong one way or the other, but first impressions are crucial, particularly in the sports media realm.

How do you feel about Riho facing Nyla Rose to crown the first AEW Women’s Champion?

Smith: I am not a huge fan of winning a battle royal to be put in a title shot – it feels cheap. In this case, though, it makes Nyla Rose feel more dominate tossing other wrestlers aside to get a title shot against a major underdog. I am ready to see how their styles match up together and AEW should close the show with this match. Go ahead and set a standard that title matches mean something.

Bautista: It’s a good choice. You’re giving exposure to the whole division by not having the title put on the biggest names in the division due to lack of depth. Many expected Dr. Britt Baker to be the first champion, but that is a matchup for another place and time.

Jackson: It is a great move on AEW’s part. Establishing its strong female division on the first show will really help to complete the product. Both wrestlers can bring it and I’m sure they’ll put on the best match of the night. I’m really excited for it!

Gibb: I am a fan of the basics, so I always enjoy big vs. little matches. I hope Nyla eats Riho’s lunch and they go less than eight minutes. (Not because I don’t want them to have a “good match,” but because the best story to establish a title and a champion is a short one here.)

Gladen: I like the booking. It’s pretty clear that Nyla Rose is going to be the first champion and putting her in a match with a smaller opponent who is a great seller should make her look like a million bucks.

Wagner: This will be an excellent match based on what both have given us already. There has been more action and heat between Britt Baker and Bea Priestly that you could argue that rivalry should be title worthy, but I have a feeling we’ll get there.

Gelfand: It’ll be interesting to see how they book this match since Nyla has such a significant size difference over Riho that a lot her offense isn’t going to look believable against her. I guess that Nyla wins and she’s the dominant force in the women’s division before they build up a babyface to take her down.

Corrigan: Zzzzz…I understand why Nyla Rose is in this spot, but it makes no sense why Riho has been given this push other than Kenny Omega likes her. She’s talented in the ring, but all we know of her character so far is that she’s supposed to be an underdog. Except that she has more wins than any woman in the company! It would make much more sense to have Allie, Awesome Kong, Britt Baker, Penelope Ford or Brandi in Riho’s place – most of the audience already knows who they are and cares about them, one way or another.

Goodwillie: While I prefer Nyla Rose to Nia Jax as far as monster female characters go, it’s pretty wild how high the company seems to be on that character, considering I hadn’t even heard of Nyla Rose before AEW brought her story to the masses. I’m keeping an open mind, but I do think the first AEW Women’s Championship should go to a more established name to start with, IE with Chris Jericho as world champion. As for Riho and wrestlers of the like, AEW needs to figure out what’s going to make these characters relatable to the masses. Triple H has the cheat code over in NXT with getting over Japanese women, as he’s done it not once, not twice, but three times already.

Who will be Chris Jericho’s mystery partners?

Smith: I love the feeling on being left in the dark on this one – wrestling is more fun with surprise appearances. If I have to give a name, though, I will go LAX just because it makes sense after the recent attack on The Young Bucks. This gives them a chance to beat the Bucks and make a case for the tag tournament, which LAX is yet to be entered in. And as much as I do love legends and comebacks, part of AEW is being fresh. So please, let’s not bring out Rhino and Dreamer or any other legends of that nature. I appreciate their contributions to the business, but it’s time we have new faces to cheer for.

Bautista: It will probably be Santana and Ortiz. Jericho’s partners will be heels by association and the company desperately needs heels.

Jackson: As they haven’t been booked yet, the Lucha Brothers are a realistic choice as Jericho’s partners. But I’d really like to see some other talent in the match. Joey Janela and Darby Allin or The Dark Order. Don’t go with the predictable!

Gibb: SoCal Uncensored. They’re tremendous veterans, but not as widely known as Jericho, so putting them next to him would help make them the top heels AEW needs.

Gladen: It’s gotta be LaX, right? They’ll rightly take exception to the Young Bucks’ claims of being the best tag team in the world and be chomping at the bit to prove to the rest of the world (that hasn’t watched IMPACT) just how incredible they really are.

Wagner: Cody and company like surprises and taking the straight road when it’s a fork, so there might a surprise we aren’t expecting. LAX make the most sense considering what happened at All Out, but it’s hard to make predictions anymore.

Gelfand: I guess LAX are Jericho’s tag team partners so that they can further their feud with the Young Bucks.

Corrigan: Shawn Spears and – this is a long shot, but everybody would be talking about it – Tully Blanchard.

Goodwillie: I mean, I’m sure it was originally pegged to be LAX, but All Out kind of needed a surprise to make up for Jon Moxley’s absence. It could still be LAX, and that might even be a safe bet given the way they attacked the Young Bucks at All Out, but if it’s another surprise tag team or better yet, two surprise singles, I won’t be mad.