You can read the history here.
I am going to make an overview of the women's wrestling in both shows.
WWE NXT: GLAMOUR AND ATHLETICISM
WWE has always been about the glamour, the spark, and even the raciness of its stars. They are not just and athletes, they are mega Superstars, some of who compensate their little in-ring bugs with 'big talks'.
NXT has always been about athleticism before glamour. Development. Growing up. Opportunities. Big starts. Most former NXT Superstars, currently working in the Main roster were big names, even before step-in on Raw's or SmackDown's ring! Athleticism is way higher than before and the colorization of the characters comes naturally. But it's there! The superstars with their trademarks: Bianca's braid, Io's (poor) The Grudge-alike entrance, color-color, and uniqueness!
NXT started to hire not only talented but non-stereotypical women like Ruby Riott, even Mercedes Martinez and Nikki Cross, who will not find a place in WWE at all a decade ago, despite their unlimited skills set. NXT is a really great development territory with a good, complex product - a mix of athletic and artistic components and it was a matter of time for them to become the third brand officially, while on many occasions they are #1.
Other great pros are the indie talents that WWE Performance Center started to sign after tryouts! Big names and prospects on the indie scene. Of course, sometimes it looks like the company forgets about their Super-Live Events roster. Sometimes talents rise quickly like Chelsea Green and Shotzi Blackheart because you can't hold a real gold in a treasure chest all the time. Real talent shines bright.
WWE NXT women's division is the top division for me and sometimes they might lose to AEW, but most of the time I am hooked by the storylines and drama, that stay so naturally. That formula elevates this women's division and works best for it - color and skills mixed with drama from angles and segments of different types, boldness to compete in extreme matches (remember Asuka vs. Nikki Cross in Last WoMan Standing match or the War Games and Ladder matches).
AEW: PURE, GROUND-BOUND, COMPETITIVE WRESTLING
While NXT women's are booked to fly through steel cages and have some amazing stories to tell (like Dakota Kai's tremendous heel turn last year at War Games), AEW women's division is concentrated on staying in the ring and show the pure style of wrestling. There is some drama during the match - an element that I love like Britt Baker and Nyla Rose humiliating physically their opponents, BUT... I can sense the lack of stories for that women's division. Even Impact is trying not to leave the stuff into the pure in-ring competition that much.
Example: Hikaru Shida climbed the ranks to become #1 Contender after a serious match against Dr. Britt Baker - a match that deserves praise for the blood and sweat put in it. But what happened? This week Shida was in the audience watching her future opponent for the belt with a terrified face and that was a minor development. Where are the promos? Where is the real tension? Interviews? Heel ambushes by Rose? Maybe this is AEW's strategy to elevate their division from barging Stars to women who fight in the ring at every possible occasion, applying skills and a lot of physical competition.
There is a lack of psychological element, that is present in NXT. Fans feel related and involved in the Superstars' development, struggles, and victories (fans entered the ring when Ripley won the women's belt). Yes, NXT is situated in a small venue and have a stable core of fans, so do AEW.
Aside from the stories, drama, and psychology. If this is AEW's approach I don't mind it. I am curious about it. It's sort of too fresh - fewer promos more fight. It's kind of too fresh... so some of us need to adjust to it, but it's not that foreign. It brings the spirit of the indies, from where most of the women and men in the company come from.
About the talents - diverse and really well-adjusted mix of known and not that familiar faces. Who is Sadie Gibbs? Curious. There are women we see rarely and this is strategy because when fans grow tired you can push someone from the background into the frying pan. The Japanese Wave is stronger than in NXT and WWE overall. WWE relies on Asuka and Io Shirai, mostly - 2 out of 3 women they have. The AEW relies on Riho (their inaugural women's champion), Hikaru Shida, and two other established in Japan Joshi warriors. That is one of the hugest pros for AEW, despite the fact that most of them are rarely booked these days. Diversity and talent is the asset of AEW to a greater extent! There is even bravery and over the stereotypes and prejudice names.
That is what keeps the charm and charisma in the AEW's ladies' locker room.
IN GENERAL:
Both companies have their pros and cons and their own fan base that is vocal and has its taste.
As I mentioned several times before - we are spoiled by WWE drama mold. We are used to it, but AEW is a company that quickly becomes #2 and with some revisions might threaten the stability of WWE. Especially, with their use of the old WWE's rivalries strategy to sign key figures, former wrestlers who were released from the #1 promotion and was kind of mistreated and robbed by opportunities in McMahon's company.
AWOW is about women's wrestling and we are happy that we can follow AEW's growing up because that was a quick development, and their women's division has a lot to put on the table. Maybe these days WWE NXT's drama is more occupying with Candice LeRae's turn, with Charlotte Flair as a Champion, etc. but AEW is not backing down it's nice to watch a pure competition in their ring as something kind of different.
What is not at any doubt is the fact that both WWE/NXT and AEW are helping to develop the women's wrestling joining the ranks of iconic all-women promotion like SHIMMER, SHINE, WSU, WOW, and other small companies who are contributing to put and keep the amazing women of the wrestling ring worldwide on the map! #WomensWrestling4Ever!!!
In the end, the choice is yours and it's nice to have a choice in general.
Let the Wars continue!
