Dave Meltzer has suggested that the rivalry between WWE and AEW is set to intensify following reports that NXT will hold a special event the same day as AEW All Out.
It was recently reported that WWE will be hosting an NXT Premium Live Event/Network special the day after Clash At The Castle.
This means that the event will be held on the same day that AEW head to Chicago for All Out. (September 4th) Some fans have interpreted this as a sign that the rivalry between WWE and AEW could be set to reignite in a big way.
Although there has been the occasional barb thrown from each side, the two sides haven’t gone up against each other directly since Rampage and SmackDown clashed in October 2021. While there hasn’t been a consistent head-to-head battle since NXT and Dynamite aired at the same time from September 2019 to April 2021. This was famously dubbed the “Wednesday Night War.”
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reflected on the news that NXT would be holding a show the same day as All Out. Meltzer suggested that the significance of the news, with it being one of the first moves of WWE’s new regime, could not be underestimated.
“With this being his first move, what’s interesting is that, that is a very aggressive move against AEW. I think that the AEW vs. WWE is going to heat up.
If it was up to AEW they would both mind their own business and all of that, but that never worked with Vince. Although Vince had kind of stayed away from that. I guess this time with Paul Levesque and Stephanie [McMahon] there and Nick Khan running the show, people thought that they were only going to be interested in running their own stuff, but the bottom line, you were wrong.
I don’t think people understand, if you ever talk to anyone near the top of WWE about AEW, I mean, it’s just… I used to talk to Vince [McMahon] about WCW, and it’s almost the same.”
At time of writing there has been no official announcement regarding the NXT special.
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