News

Visa Issues Contributed To Title Change On 10/10 AEW Dynamite

AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday graphic

One AEW star’s visa issues played a major factor in a shock title change on AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday.

The special Title Tuesday edition of AEW Dynamite featured a stacked card as All Elite Wrestling went head to head with WWE NXT on October 10th. Not only did the show feature the in-ring debut of Adam Copeland as he defeated Luchasaurus, multiple title matches were announced ahead of the show.

AEW advertised that Rey Fenix would be taking on Jon Moxley in a rematch for the International Championship. However, at the beginning of the broadcast, it was revealed that Moxley was not cleared to compete after suffering a concussion in his previous bout with Fenix. On that occasion, Moxley was scheduled to retain the championship, but called an audible after being injured, and Fenix was crowned champion.

It was later revealed that Fenix’s Title Tuesday opponent would be none other than Orange Cassidy, who enjoyed a record-breaking reign as International Champion prior to losing the title to Moxley at AEW All Out.

Now, a new report from Fightful Select reveals that Fenix losing the title on October 10th was due to more than plans changing on the fly. While Moxley was originally scheduled to regain his title on the show, the report states that whoever would have been facing Fenix on the night would have won as Fenix is currently dealing with visa issues that will keep him out of action, though it’s not confirmed how long he’ll be kept away due to these issues.

How Did AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday Ratings Compare To WWE NXT On October 10th?

According to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, WWE NXT drew an average total viewership of 921,000 viewers and earned a 0.3 rating in the 18-49 year old demographic.

Meanwhile, AEW Dynamite drew a total average viewership of 609,000 viewers and a 0.26 rating in the key demographic, making NXT the clear winner of the Tuesday Night War.

Last week, the October 3rd episode of NXT defeated the October 4th episode of Dynamite in terms of total viewership, but Dynamite was the victor in the key demographic.