NXT LVL Up – April 8, 2022: So Much For That

NXT LVL Up
Date: April 8, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

We’re basking in that post Wrestlemania glow and while it might have dimmed out a bit by the time it gets to NXT LVL Up, it still feels a bit special. Last week seemed to tease a tag match and that could be a good thing for a future show. I’ll take a small story over no story so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Javier Bernal vs. Guru Raaj

Shah: “Raaj dreams of headlining premium live events.” A quote that has never been said about anyone in history. Bernal grabs a headlock to start before they go to a pinfall reversal sequence. Raaj starts working on the arms as the fans get behind Bernal. That’s broken up and Bernal kicks away, setting up the Codebreaker for the pin at 5:08.

Rating: C-. These are two more guys on the roster with nothing that makes them stand out and nothing all that interesting about them. I’m not sure what NXT is going to be able to do with them, but it isn’t like there has been much of an investment put into them so far. Right now, the best description of these two is where they’re from and they need more than that.

Ivy Nile vs. Thea Hail

This is Hail’s debut and she is dressed like a superhero, complete with a cape. The fans think Nile is going to kill her, starting with a lethal wristlock. Hail, with a gymnastics background, backflips out but gets caught in a fireman’s carry drop onto the top. A fall away slam sets up a running kick in the corner to give Nile two. Hail is sent into the corner for a flipping cutter (that could be a finisher) and a suplex gets two, only to have Hail make a quick comeback. You don’t do that to Nile though as she grabs the dragon sleeper for the tap at 4:09.

Rating: C. Nile is getting into Taz territory with just another victim and that is not a bad thing. NXT has done a great job in making her feel like a star and we are reaching the point where she could be dropped into the title picture without a second thought. That is how you develop talent and Nile certainly has it.

Andre Chase/Bodie Hayward vs. Channing Lauren/Troy Donovan

Chase works on Lauren’s arm to start but Lauren sends him into the corner, setting up the loser L on the forehead. When you’re taking your taunts from the Bellas, you might want to pack it in already. That’s too much for Chase, who takes him down for the CHASE U stomping. Hayward comes in with a sunset flip for two so it’s off to Donovan, who gets armdragged into an armbar. A cheap shot from the apron slows Chase down though and Donovan scores with a dropkick.

Chase fights out of an armbar and rolls his way over to Hayward for the hot tag to clean house. Everything breaks down and Hayward grabs a Gory Stretch, with Chase getting a running start and spinning across Lauren for a Downward Spiral (it’s kind of hard to describe) and the pin at 6:57. Nigel dubs the finisher the Fratliner so we’ll go with that.

Rating: C. This wasn’t quite a squash but it’s nice to see Chase U getting a win for a change. Chase has worked so hard and managed to get that stupid thing over so having them be successful is cool to see. Granted they aren’t going to go much higher, but it’s a unique gimmick and is working fairly well.

Overall Rating: D+. This was a downgrade after last week as they didn’t have anything that you needed to see. Nile continues to be a hidden gem in NXT and I like seeing her wreck whomever is in front of her. Other than that though, this was a pretty nothing, skippable show and unfortunately that has a tendency to be the norm around here.

Results
Javier Bernal b. Guru Raaj – Codebreaker
Ivy Nile b. Thea Hail – Dragon sleeper
Andre Chase/Bodhi Hayward b. Channing Lauren/Troy Donovan – Fratliner to Lauren

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