Tommaso Ciampa Says the Ratings Battle Between NXT and AEW Dynamite Matters

NXT and AEW Dynamite have been running head-to-head with two-hour live shows ever since Oct. 2, and AEW has consistently beaten WWE's Black and Gold Brand ever since the start of 2020. While wrestlers on both sides of the line have downplayed the idea of a "Wednesday Night Wars," one of NXT's biggest stars is actually paying close attention to it. Former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa spoke with Sportskeeda this week about how keeps an eye on the ratings when they come in each week, and he wants to be on the winning side.

"It makes it a little bit more fun," Ciampa said. "It brings that competitive edge out. I mean have friends over there and I also have people over there I've never met or ever shared a ring with. It's awesome to see, you know, everyone just elevating their game. Everyone just wants it. I don't know if people say ratings don't matter... they sure as Hell matter. Like, you want to win."

"Now that we're on USA, we're doing live TV. There's just no more 'yea buts.' They're (NXT roster) doing everything that you would constitute of as a main roster player. I think that's the main thing, that switch. That developmental like, stink is just gone."

Triple H talked about how NXT has been trailing the new promotion during a conference call in February.

"It's about the long game. And what we have to do is get to the people in the younger demos," he said. "... When you look at NXT on USA and you look at the numbers, it's very similar to a Raw number, it's very similar to a USA number, because that's where we're promoted and that's where we're seen. But the long game is building up the brand that you've built. I think that what we have done is come in and proven the in-ring product... from bell-to-bell is better than anybody.

"Now you start adding in a bit more things. You start adding in a bit more entertainment, a bit more variety, you start adding in some other things. I think it's no different than establishing a character within an individual show," he added. "When I say it's for the long game, that's what it's for."

Here's what NXT has on the schedule for tonight's episode, which will air live from the WWE Performance Center:

• NXT North American Championship: Keith Lee vs. Cameron Grimes
• NXT Tag Team Championships: The Broserweights vs. The Undisputed Era
• Mia Yim vs. Dakota Kai