NXT LVL Up – June 16, 2023: Just Like PN News
NXT LVL Up
Date: June 16, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton
Things have started to pick up around here a little bit and that is nice to see after so many months of pretty much nothing. The star power has been better and should that continue, the show could be a lot more entertaining to watch week in and week out. Granted I’ve said that before and nothing has lasted so let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Elektra Lopez/Lola Vice vs. Dani Palmer/Kelani Jordan
Lopez throws Jordan around to start but Jordan is fine enough to take Vice down with a drop toehold. Palmer comes in to work on a wristlock before getting taken into the wrong corner. Stereo hip attacks to the head knock Palmer silly for two and Vice kicks her into the corner. Palmer fights out of Lopez’s neck crank and brings in Jordan as everything breaks down. Lopez grabs Jordan with the sitout chokebomb for the pin at 4:23.
Rating: C. I’ve mostly given up on Lopez becoming a breakout star but Vice and Palmer both have that charisma that can offer something going forward. There’s a spark to them that makes you want to see them in the ring and I could go for seeing what NXT does for them. Jordan is another rather athletic star, but she is still brand new and it could be awhile before we see what she can really do.
Javier Bernal is ready to show a new side of himself tonight against Stacks. He talks about having a chip on his shoulder and goes over the various types of chip it might be (including tortilla size).
Boa vs. Bryson Montana
Montana grabs a cravate to start and they go to the mat rather quickly. The exchange of strikes goes to Boa, who scores with a running dropkick but can’t get a sunset flip. Montana is right back with a powerslam and the chinlock goes on. Boa fights up and fires off knees to the ribs, followed by a big kick to the head for the pin at 4:08.
Rating: C. I know I say this every time, but it’s still just Boa. He’s a guy who paints his face and kicks a lot, which is only going to take him so far. Montana is a big power guy and looks good when he is out there, but he needs a lot more experience. For now, he’s stuck with losing to Boa, who is eternally stuck going nowhere.
Javier Bernal vs. Stacks
They fight over a lockup to start until Bernal grabs a wristlock. Stacks reverses into one of his own and pulls him into a hammerlock on the mat. Back up and Stacks crotches him on top before dropping the legs between the legs. Bernal is fine enough to catch him on top and drop a running leg for two. Commentary talks about how Bernal wants to follow in the paths of Oz and PN News, as stars who had big performances at the Great American Bash. Bernal runs him over again and we hit the Liontamer of all things, but Stacks flips him away for the break. A running knee to the back of the head finishes Bernal at 6:45.
Rating: C+. This is the best thing on the show and even then it’s just pretty good. Stacks is in the middle of a pretty big story and while I still believe that he’s going to wind up being the one to have turned Tony D’Angelo in, he’s doing well on the way there. Bernal is such a funny goof that it’s easy to have him around, even if he isn’t going to get anywhere anytime soon.
Overall Rating: C. It was back to the run of the mill version of this show this week and that is rather disappointing. I guess Bernal and Stacks are the big names on the show and even they are little more than lower midcarders on NXT. I’m not sure why they changed course so fast, but hopefully they change it again and make the show the more interesting offering that it can be.
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