Lance Archer Comments On WWE NXT And AEW Dynamite Possibly Airing On Different Nights

AEW star Lancer Archer was on a recent episode of The Wrestling Inc. Daily podcast, which was conducted before Archer tested positive for COVID-19. He and Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman chatted about the Wednesday Night War between AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT. NXT has done well in the ratings when running unopposed or on another night to Dynamite prompting many to wonder if NXT should move nights. Archer gave his thoughts on that possibility.

"Again, I really just focus on what we're doing. As far as what they're doing, I honestly don't really pay attention," Archer admitted. "I just kind of move forward with what I'm doing with AEW. I think from a fan's perspective, sometimes, it's fun to have that 'who beat who?' Who did what?' The Wednesday Night Wars as I like to call it. I think it does split the audience's a little bit.

"Obviously, you saw the numbers increase for us when we didn't have direct competition, but we've been kicking their butts, from my understanding, every single week. I think we did it again this week. This was the first time that we've been head-to-head in a month or so, something like that.

Archer continued nothing that as long as fans aren't rude to each other or other people, then NXT and Dynamite running against each other is great. He also noted that fans will watch what they want to watch, and his focus is on Jon Moxley and the AEW World Championship.

"So it's one of those things," Archer noted. "I just want the fans to have the best damn time they can watching professional wrestling, and if that means, a head-to-head competition, great. Then if your gun-banter and having a good time doing it, don't be a-holes to each other and stuff like that, just have fun with it. If it needs to be head-to-head, cool.

"If it needs to be separated and that's best for both companies and best for the fans so that their attention is not divided on the same night, then great, but this is an era of DVR and things like that. I think you can choose to watch what you want to watch immediately and then watch the other, if you want to, at a later time and whatever the case may be.

"Again, I just want this to be the best case scenario for the fans and my focus has always been, since I signed that contract with AEW, is what I can do with AEW, and right now, my focus is next week and that big six-man and then going on to October 14 in the Anniversary Show."

Archer also spoke as a child of the Monday Night War commenting on the boom period of wrestling today especially in the independent scene. While the indies haven't been running shows that frequently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he noted that GameChanger Wrestling and Warrior Wrestling have been running shows safely for wrestlers and fans. He highlighted Warrior Wrestling and their Stadium Series of shows that have been held in a football stadium with fans socially distanced.

"Yeah, absolutely. I think the business of professional wrestling has seen such an amazing boom, and I think it's still strong," Archer said. "It's the unfortunate reality of the world that we exist in right now and everything that's gone on has slowed everything down, but I think prior to this whole pandemic, and I hate even saying that word but it's reality, the business of professional wrestling from the major organizations down to the smallest of independents were seeing booms. In the independent scene, as a whole, was seeing these amazing shows.

"These super indies, as some people like to call the shows and whatnot, and some of those companies GCW and Warrior Wrestling are running right now and doing well. Warrior Wrestling is running an outdoor series at their football stadium and doing well. It's all very well put together, and for the people who are concerned, it's very socially distant. And I've seen in the pictures there's 500 people but spread out over an entire football field, and it's cool to see independent companies like that still alive and still thriving.

Archer pointed out that wrestling was the constant during the pandemic as WWE and AEW continued to run shows. He said that AEW will continue the momentum they held during the pandemic and elevate that in the future.

"Like I said, before this whole crazy situation, the whole business of professional wrestling was doing so well, and I think we've done such a great job of providing a good distraction in the best way possible during this whole time because before, recently, when sports kind of started back up with the NBA and their bubble and Major League Baseball and doing what they're doing and now the NFL back on NHL and everything like that, we were the only sports that existed," Archer explained. "And we were still running fairly live once in a while.

"So we were really the only sports that exist and we were the only live sports that existed for the longest time, and for us to be able to do what we've been doing and doing it at the highest level, with the highest level talent in the business and still signing guys and girls and expanding our roster into a way that just makes it more entertaining, I think it shows how well we're doing even through this and how well we're going to do once everything kind of finds its way in life."

Miro made his surprise debut on the Sep. 9 episode of Dynamite where he took shots at WWE with his "brass ring" comment. Archer has spent time in WWE and was asked if Miro's words about WWE resonated with him at all.

"I can't speak for those guys, and yeah, I spent a cup of coffee time there, but I would consider myself just a journeyman of the business because I've been a part of TNA when TNA first got started or IMPACT Wrestling now," Archer said. "And then my short cup of tea in WWE. Then my last eight and a half, nearly nine years in New Japan, and right now, everything that I'm doing in AEW, that's that's my focus. Everybody's going to have different thoughts and different complaints and different woes at different points in their career and whatever those guys have, as far as those situations, are very personal for them.

"And that's the only thing they can speak on, and I can't speak on them and their experiences. As far as me, I'm just looking forward to the future. There's a lot of people that look to the past. I've learned from the past, absolutely. I know my past absolutely. I'm not discrediting or... ignoring my past in any way, but my focus has always been moving forward, moving forward into the future. And when you asked why I signed with AEW, that's what I saw, was chance for a new future and everything has been extremely cool with me in AEW so far.

"Yeah, I went for the TNT title and didn't work out, but I kept kicking some butt, throwing people in ceilings and waiting my turn. And then when the Casino Battle Royale came around, I won it and now I'm number one contender. and I'm going to be taking the title on the 14 of October."

Lance Archer can be seen every Wednesday night, 8/7c, on TNT as part of AEW Dynamite. Archer's full interview aired as part of a recent episode of our podcast, The Wrestling Inc. Daily. Subscribe to get the latest episodes as soon as it's released Monday – Friday afternoon by clicking here.