NXT LVL Up – December 27, 2024 (Series Finale): The Only Way It Could End
NXT LVL Up
Date: December 27, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton
So it’s the final show and for the first time in a good while, we actually have something set up coming in. While we have what is likely going to be a six woman tag, we also have Dante Chen running a gauntlet because this is his show. I’m not sure how to handle something being ready on the way to the show so let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Lainey Reid/Wendy Choo/Kali Armstrong vs. Layla Diggs/Carlee Bright/Kendal Grey
Grey and Reid slug it out on the mat to start and Reid quickly hands it off to Choo. That doesn’t last long as Armstrong comes in, with Diggs slamming Bright onto her for two. Reid comes back in to punch Bright in the face, followed by one to Diggs to draw her in as well. Bright fights up and brings in Diggs to pick up the pace without much trouble. Everything breaks down and Diggs ax kicks Reid for the pin at 5:30.
Rating: C+. This is the closest thing to a blowoff to a feud as we’re going to get around here and it went well enough. Diggs doesn’t exactly stand out around here but she got her big win over Reid, who has been all over the show in recent months. If nothing else, it’s nice to have Bright and Grey get a win as things close up.
Dante Chen is ready to face anyone who wants their shot.
We look at some stars who have gone from LVL Up to the main NXT show. That’s a nice little touch.
Gauntlet Match
It’s Dante Chen facing a bunch of people, starting with Keanu Carver, who had a good performance last week. Chen runs the ropes to start but gets caught in a powerslam. Back up and Carver is sent into the corner, allowing Chen to grab a rollup for the pin at 1:32. Harlem Lewis is the second opponent and immediately grabs a suplex for two. A hard kick in the corner staggers Chen again but he’s right back with the Gentle Touch for the pin at 3:51 total.
Kale Dixon is the third opponent and hammers away, including a bit of dancing. Dixon plants him down and chops away in the corner but Chen fights up. Chen is sent to the floor and comes back in to get caught with something like a Downward Spiral. For some reason Dixon tries the Gentle Touch, only to get caught with one of his own to give Chen the pin at 7:26 total for the final win. That’s the whole gauntlet?
Rating: C. Well, that’s about as perfect of a way for Chen to wrap it up: a nondescript match where he didn’t show anything notable and you’re left saying “that’s it?”. I’m still not sure I get the appeal of Chen around here, and as his only appearance in a month and a half after this was losing in less than a minute on the main NXT show, WWE doesn’t seem to see it either.
Chen poses to end the show and the series.
Overall Rating: C. And that’s LVL Up and…I have no idea what the point was in having this most of the time. It was about half an hour a week most of the time and had very little in the way of storylines, making it as skippable of a show as you could have. At the same time, it still felt totally unimportant and like a waste of time most weeks. I get that it helps the wrestlers getting their feet wet and earning some experience for the bigger parts of their careers, but egads they could have made it more interesting. It felt like they were trying a bit more here, but that doesn’t make the last few years any better.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6
AND
Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.
Recent Comments