SHOT OF NOSTALGIA #8.4: THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT WARS | AEW DYNAMITE vs. NXT | DECEMBER 4 TO DECEMBER 18, 2019 | RHEA RIPLEY MAKES HISTORY, THE DARK ORDER DISASTER & TONY KHAN TAKES CONTROL

It's time for the 4th episode of Season 8 of SHOT OF NOSTALGIA and we're continuing our journey through the WEDNESDAY NIGHT WARS between AEW DYNAMITE and NXT. November is behind us, WWE has finally caught AEW in the ratings through its enormous Survivor Series campaign, and now both companies have to prove they can maintain that momentum without relying on major pay per views or appearances from Raw and SmackDown stars. ACEFIELD RETRO is jumping back into the DELOREAN for December 4 through December 18, 2019, as we revisit the final three head to head battles of the year, NXT delivers some of its biggest championship moments and AEW begins confronting serious questions about its creative direction just three months into its national television run.

Over on TNT, AEW is attempting to establish some consistency after the excitement surrounding its launch begins wearing off. Jon Moxley continues his rise toward the AEW World Championship with victories over Joey Janela and Alex Reynolds, Kenny Omega and Hangman Page begin developing the partnership that will eventually become one of the company's defining stories, and the Young Bucks defeat Santana and Ortiz in a Texas Street Fight before challenging SCU for the AEW World Tag Team Championships. Chris Jericho gives Jungle Boy ten minutes to survive against the AEW World Champion, Kris Statlander emerges as a major contender with victories over Hikaru Shida and Britt Baker, and Cody continues dealing with the fallout from MJF's betrayal while working alongside Darby Allin. But the Nightmare Collective is struggling to connect with audiences, the Dark Order's mysterious recruitment angle is becoming increasingly prominent and the December 18 closing segment featuring those infamous missed punches against Dustin Rhodes becomes one of the most ridiculed moments of AEW's first year. We're examining how the company's original emphasis on creative freedom was beginning to create problems, why Tony Khan reportedly became more directly involved in overseeing television heading into 2020 and whether AEW was learning that producing a consistent weekly wrestling program required more than simply assembling an incredible roster.

Meanwhile, NXT is returning its attention to the championships and rivalries that made the Black and Gold brand successful long before the Wednesday Night Wars began. Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic defeat the Undisputed ERA, while Lee continues building on his breakout Survivor S