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AEW didn’t do itself any favors heading into pumped-up Blood & Guts vs. NXT battle
AEW’s Blood & Guts special will face NXT on Wednesday after the midterm elections shifted NXT from its usual Tuesday slot. The article says the unexpected head-to-head has created an intriguing ratings and programming contest, while exposing concerns about AEW’s crowded schedule.
The men’s Blood & Guts teams bring together Will Ospreay, Adam Copeland, Darby Allin, Steven Borden and the Young Bucks against the Don Callis Family, but the build has offered little shared storyline. The women’s match also pairs leading babyfaces and heels, with Mercedes Mone and Marina Shafir absent; Revolution, one of AEW’s four major pay-per-views, follows a week later. The article notes AEW also lost a Dynamite to a tribute show for Benjamin “Pac” Satterley after his death.
In short
- NXT and AEW’s Blood & Guts now air head-to-head.
- The article sees the build as loose and underdeveloped.
- Revolution follows just one week later.
Explained simply
AEW and WWE are rival professional wrestling companies, each running weekly television shows and major special events. NXT is WWE’s programme for developing and showcasing wrestlers, while AEW’s Blood & Guts is a special built around team matches inside a steel cage.
In wrestling, “babyfaces” are presented as heroes and “heels” as villains. AEW’s schedule includes weekly shows and major pay-per-views, which are separately promoted events; Revolution is one of its biggest. How the company spaces out matches and stories can affect what viewers know about the wrestlers and their rivalries.