Backstage Report On Origin Of WWE NXT's ECW-Themed Show

In October, "WWE NXT" made a huge announcement: their next broadcast destination would be the 2300 Arena — formerly known as the ECW Arena. On November 6, the developmental brand put together a can't-miss episode that saw ECW legends The Dudley Boyz, Little Guido, Rhino, Francine, Dawn Marie, and Rob Van Dam return to their old stomping grounds and either face or team up with the future of the industry.

Credit is undoubtedly due to whoever put together "NXT's" ECW-themed show. But who was the organizer behind it? According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter,, no one has taken credit for or been addressed as the guiding force of the production. Reports indicate such a show was planned for awhile, but was initially not earmarked for November 6. Since "NXT" moved their scheduled show to Wednesday after the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, the promotion decided to execute the ECW-themed card when it became apparent they would share the same day and time slot as "AEW Dynamite."

This month marked the second recent time "NXT" and AEW went head-to-head. "NXT" won the night with viewership up five percent from their previous episode at 619,000, whereas "Dynamite," which hosts its flagship show every Wednesday, averaged only 523,000 total viewers. The good news is that WWE may reportedly be planning to host annual ECW-themed shows in the future, but whether they'll be held at the 2300 Arena each time remains undetermined. More information will be revealed at a later date.