NXT
Date: February 21, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are on our way to Roadblock and then Stand & Deliver, which means we should be in for some big stuff over the next few weeks. That includes this week, as Bron Breakker defends the NXT Title against Jinder Mahal. Ok so not everything can be the biggest deal in the world. Let’s get to it.

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

Trick Williams vs. Ilja Dragunov

Before the match, Williams says that if pain makes Dragunov feel alive, he’ll be on cloud nine tonight. Williams hits him in the face before the bell so Dragunov starts angry. That means an angry headlock on the mat, with Williams having to bail to the ropes. Back up and Dragunov hits a running knee in the corner for two, followed by another such knee to keep Williams down. Dragunov goes up but gets kicked in the leg, allowing Williams to knock him to the floor. Cue JD McDonagh to watch as we take a break.

Back with Dragunov fighting out of a cravate and hitting a 61Line for the double knockdown. With McDonagh on commentary, Dragunov knocks Williams down again and drops a middle rope knee. An enziguri staggers Dragunov, who is fine enough to hit a powerbomb for two more. The Torpedo finishes for Dragunov at 13:09.

Rating: C+. Dragunov is probably going to become a pretty big deal around here as he has the talent and bizarre charisma that makes fans care about him. At the same time, Williams continues to be one of the biggest unsung heroes of NXT. He’s smooth in the ring and knows how to talk. It’s a great combination and compliments Carmelo Hayes while also being his own thing. Williams deserves some more attention, as well as praise.

Jinder Mahal brings up Bron Breakker getting shaken up by the fans booing him. Tonight, he’ll win the NXT Title.

Fallon Henley tries to get in touch with Brooks Jensen after last week. Josh Briggs says Jensen needs time and Henley was wrong about the whole thing. She needs to go apologize to Kiana James, which she reluctantly agrees to do.

Earlier today, Meiko Satomura held a training session in the Performance Center, with Roxanne Perez joining in. Perez was the only one to make it to the end…..of the warmup, which seems to have her quite shaken.

Here is Tyler Bate for a chat. He wasn’t sure about coming to the United States but the love he had received from most of the fans tell him that he made the right decision. Bate has faced some very tough challengers, and now it is time to join a mystical journey. Cue Schism to interrupt, with Joe Gacy seeming to offer him a spot on the team. Bate is going to turn that down but Gacy threatens m him with gang violence. Cue Chase U to chase Schism off.

Chase U vs. Dyad

We’re joined in progress with Hudson coming in to drop an elbow on Reid. Chase gets driven into the wrong corner though as Booker has flashbacks about Boogeyman abducting his wife. A hard clothesline gets two on Chase and we hit the chinlock. Reid’s shoulder breaker gets two on Chase and we’re right back to the chinlock. Chase fights up and Hudson comes in to clean house. It’s back to Chase as everything breaks down, with Reid hitting a suicide dive on Hudson as we take a break.

Back with Chase getting the hot tag and cleaning house, including taking down Reid and Fowler at the same time. Chase dives onto Fowler on the floor and hits a high crossbody for two on Reid. The Russian legsweep sets up the Spelling Stomps but we stop for Chase to get between Thea Hail and Ava. The distraction lets Hudson get caught with the double Codebreaker for the pin at 12:33.

Rating: C+. Just let them win something already! NXT was handed a crazy over act with Chase U and they lose over and over and over. Save for a one off Tag Team Title shot in a four way this month, I can’t remember the last time they won anything of note. Now they go down again, and to freaking Schism of all people. Pretty decent match, but the frustration continues.

Post break Hudson blames Hail for the loss. Hudson: “Is this a university or a charity?” Great, as we’re getting to the split.

Earlier today, Mr. Stone tried to fire up Von Wagner when Tony D’Angelo and Stacks came in to yell about him costing them last week. The result is a match between Wagner and D’Angelo, much against Stone’s wishes.

Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey don’t think much of Hank Walker. Gulak wants someone willing to hurt people, like Dempsey.

Sol Ruca talks about loving to try new things, often involving surfing or a skateboard.

Jacy Jayne vs. Indi Hartwell

Hartwell misses a clothesline to start and gets caught with a neckbreaker for two. Some low kicks give Jayne two and we hit the chinlock. Hartwell fights up but gets sent shoulder first into the post. With Hartwell in trouble, cue Gigi Dolin to jump Jayne for the DQ at 5:08.

Rating: C. That was a bit sudden for a Dolin comeback but this is likely headed to a showdown at Roadblock, Stand & Deliver, or both. It wouldn’t surprise me to see these two have some kind of a big street fight or something like that, which should let them beat the fire out of each other. That might be a lot better than trying to have them do a regular, long form match. Then you have Hartwell and she….well she certainly exists.

Back to the Meiko Satomura/Roxanne Perez training session, with Perez trying but running out of energy. Satomura approves of the effort though, saying that the win comes from the heart, not muscles. Their title match is in two weeks.

Zoey Stark isn’t happy with Meiko Satomura being handed a title shot or everyone accusing her of attacking Nikkita Lyons.

Gallus vs. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe

Non-title. Blade and Coffey take turns powering each other up against the ropes to start. Wolfgang comes in for the running uppercut but cue some guys in costumes, with a cake. Blade and Enofe hit something like a suplex into a Backstabber for two on Coffey. Wolfgang is back up with the running forearm into a powerslam for the pin on Enofe at 3:49.

Rating: C-. I still like Blade and Enofe but it doesn’t seem that WWE thinks very highly of them, as they were little more than cannon fodder here. Gallus aren’t the most inspiring champions but they can do the power stuff. Pretty Deadly vs. Gallus worked well enough in the UK so maybe they can make it work again here.

Post match the guys in costumes present the cake, which makes the two year anniversary of Pretty Deadly beating Gallus for the NXT UK Tag Team Titles. Gallus cleans house but the real Pretty Deadly comes in from behind to beat up Gallus with chairs. That’s a more aggressive side from Pretty Deadly and I think I like it.

Dabba-Kato says that while Apollo Crews has been looking to the future, he has forgotten his past. He is here to hurt Crews.

Stevie Turner interrupts the announcers and uses a randomizer to pick who she should talk about. It’s Lyra Valkyria, who has those weird feathers. The stream ends just as Vic Joseph is ready to ask his own question.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Von Wagner

Stacks and Mr. Stone are here too. Wagner powers him around to start, followed by a big boot to drop D’Angelo again. A clothesline cuts off D’Angelo’s comeback but Wagner misses a charge into the corner. D’Angelo hits a belly to belly and spinebuster, followed by a belly to back slam for the pin at 3:49.

Rating: C. This Wagner story needs to wrap up already, as he continues to be one of the driest stars that is regularly presented anywhere on wrestling TV. Other than an oddly shaped head, there is nothing about him that makes him stand out in the slightest. Let it go already and get someone with a brighter future in there instead.

Post match D’Angelo says he’s sick of Dijak and wants a Jailhouse Street Fight at Roadblock.

Nikkita Lyons has undergone successful surgery but doesn’t know what happened when she was attacked. Tiffany Stratton pops in to say she’s tired of Lyons’ whining, but Lyons thinks that sounds suspicious. Stratton’s solution: leave for a year and get better.

Tatum Paxley and Ivy Nile agree they’re still a team, despite what Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre said. Paxley doesn’t seem so sure.

Carmelo Hayes praises Trick Williams for his efforts earlier when Tyler Bate interrupts. Bate talks about how there are going to be issues at times and Williams seems to improve. Hayes is glad that Bate’s journey has nothing to do with the NXT Title. Bate smiles a bit as Hayes and Williams leave.

Alba Fyre vs. Ivy Nile

Isla Dawn and Tatum Paxley are here too. Nile throws Fyre into the corner to start and hammers away for an early two. The comeback is on with Nile grabbing the Diamond Chain Lock, drawing Dawn to the apron. Paxley gets up as well, only to have Nile driven into her. The superkick and Alba Bomb finish Nile at 2:58.

Video on Bron Breakker.

Fallon Henley apologizes to Kiana James over the allegations of cheating. James didn’t tell her the truth because he wanted Henley to trust her. The apology is accepted, but James accuses Henley of being jealous of her relationship with Brooks Jensen. Either way, they’re good for now.

Wes Lee loved the open challenge so much last week that he’s going to do it again next week. It’s just who he is.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker vs. Jinder Mahal

Mahal, with Indus Sher, is challenging and takes Breakker down to start. Breakker is back up with a shoulder and spinebuster but it is too early for the Steiner Recliner. With Mahal on the floor, Breakker busts out the big running flip dive to take out the villains. Indus Sher teases getting involved so here are the Creed Brothers to get rid of them.

We take a break and come back with Breakker being sent outside. A whip into the steps has Breakker in more trouble but he’s fine enough to hit a spinebuster back inside. Mahal bails to the floor before the spear can launch, allowing Mahal to hit a superkick into a suplex for two. Breakker is back with a spear and release suplex for two of his own, The Khallas is countered and another spear retains the title at 10:47.

Rating: D+. Yeah I’m not a bit surprised that this didn’t work. Mahal has never been a ring general and Breakker hasn’t even been wrestling for two years now. There was no one to lead here and the interest in any Mahal match is going to be limited at best most of the time. Pretty bad main event event here and Breakker needs to move on to anything else.

Carmelo Hayes pops up on stage for the showdown…..but Grayson Waller takes over the feed and says he’s the new Main Event, Showstopper and Mr. Stand & Deliver. No one can stop him, including Shawn Michaels, so maybe Shawn can meet him on the Grayson Waller Effect in two weeks. Again: I don’t know what they’re doing with Shawn vs. Waller, but unless they have a heck of a surprise to fight for Shawn, it’s going to feel like a letdown if he doesn’t fight Waller himself. That’s certainly what they have been teasing.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling was up and down (with the main event being rather down) but what matters is they moved things forward towards both Roadblock and Stand & Deliver. This show has me wondering what they have planned for those events as NXT is doing a good job of setting things up for later. Pretty nice show this week, which saw more seeds being planted or getting to grow a bit on the way to the important stuff.

Results
Ilja Dragunov b. Trick Williams – Torpedo
Dyad b. Chase U – Double Codebreaker to Hudson
Jacy Jayne b. Indi Hartwell via DQ when Gigi Dolin interfered
Gallus b. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe – Running forearm/powerslam combination to Enofe
Tony D’Angelo b. Von Wagner – Belly to back slam
Alba Fyre b. Ivy Nile – Alba Bomb
Bron Breakker b. Jinder Mahal – Spear

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: February 14, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

It’s Valentine’s Day and that is not likely to mean much of anything here. We are about a month and a half away from Stand & Deliver and Carmelo Hayes is looking like a strong option to go after Bron Breakker’s NXT Title. Other than that, NXT has some work to do so let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Jerry Jarrett.

Grayson Waller vs. Tyler Bate

Waller takes him to the rope to start the choking, while shouting that Shawn Michaels bet on the wrong horse. Bate grabs his own foot and swings it into Waller’s face, followed by a dropkick for two. A quick shot lets Waller grab a cravate with the knee to the face getting two more.

The back and forth continues as Bate runs him over and hits a standing shooting star press for his own near fall. They go outside with Booker going on his latest long winded rant about how attitude will get you to Wrestlemania. Waller slides back in and then back outside for a hard clothesline and we take a break.

Back with Bate avoiding the rolling Stunner and hitting the rebound lariat for two more. A middle rope uppercut sets up the airplane spin for two on Waller and frustration is setting in. Waller is back with a leg lariat into an Unprettier for two of his own and more frustration sets in. With nothing else working, Waller Tunes Up The Band but Bate cuts him off with Bop And Bang. A superkick gives Bate two more with Waller having to grab the rope. Bate tries the sunset flip but Waller grabs the rope for two, only to have Bate break the grip and get the pin at 11:57.

Rating: B-. The Shawn stuff is interesting as I can’t imagine he’ll get back in the ring at an NXT show, but that is where they seem to be building towards. Unless Shawn has someone to fight for him, I’m not sure where that is going. Bate winning is a good thing as he needs to be rebuilt (again) and beating the most recent #1 contender is a good place to start.

Earlier today, Brooks Jensen was worried about Valentine’s Day with Kiana James, revealing that he has never kissed a woman before. Josh Briggs gives him an explanation (math is involved) and even starts to demonstrate when Fallon Henley comes in. Briggs explains what is going on and Henley says keep it simple: when Jensen drops off James at her door, if James plays with her keys, go for it. Jensen seems to feel better.

Jacy Jayne is coming to the ring but we can see Grayson Waller yelling at Shawn Michaels. Matt Bloom breaks it up and a furious Shawn says cut to the break.

Apollo Crews is up set at Dabba-Kato for returning and attacking him at Vengeance Day.

Here is Jacy Jayne for an explanation about turning on Gigi Dolin last week. Jayne says last week was the beginning of her story and now it is about her. She has been the talk of NXT for the last week and her name is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Jayne has already watched the footage back 1000 times, so let’s make it 1001.

After that produced video rather than just the regular footage, Jayne calls Dolin Jannetty and says the days of Chuckie are over. Everyone needs to listen to her carefully: screw you. She is tired of being the third wheel in the most dominant faction in WWE history. But now, look who is the last woman standing. This wasn’t exactly original (the amount of “IT’S ALL ABOUT ME” promos over the years is astounding) but Jayne did deliver it well.

Chase U tells Thea Hail that she can talk to them about what Schism did anytime they want. She’s ready to go tonight though, and is going to say “Hi fear, I’m Thea.”

Video on Sol Ruca.

Thea Hail vs. Tiffany Stratton

The rest of Chase U is here too. Hail armdrags her down to start and hits a running dropkick for a bonus. Cue Schism (in different parts of the arena) to scare Hail though, allowing Stratton to knock her off the apron. Back in and Hail knocks her to the floor again, setting up the suicide dive. Ava Raine pops up for another distraction, allowing Stratton to plant Hail. The moonsault finishes for Stratton at 3:29.

Rating: C. This was all about keeping Hail vs. Schism going and that feels like it is going to last for a long time. Getting inside Hail’s mind is a good way to go, but at the same time, but Schism has a tendency to drag down almost anyone they work with. Hopefully that isn’t the case here, as Chase U has taken enough damage already. Stratton gets a win as her comeback continues and that is about as good as she can do right now.

Javier Bernal comes up to Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile in the back and offers to let both of them be his Javytine. Paxley is taken but Nile actually says yes. Then she chokes Bernal out. Isla Dawn’s voice pops up to threaten Paxley and Nile, who don’t seem pleased.

Axiom vs. Damon Kemp

Fallout from Kemp attacking him a few weeks back. Axiom goes right for him to start as Booker talks about the Matrix. The big kick to the head misses so Kemp heads outside, with Axiom hitting a suicide dive. Back in and Kemp snaps off a wheelbarrow suplex and Axiom is in trouble in a hurry. A release German suplex does it again and Axiom gets knocked out to the floor. Axiom strikes away back inside but his high crossbody is rolled through for two. Another German suplex gives Kemp two more but Axiom hits him in the face. The Golden Ratio finishes Kemp at 3:31.

Rating: C+. Axiom is falling into his groove as a rather good midcard star as they have gotten rid of some of the bad things that he had been doing. The superhero deal works well for him and he can back it up in the ring. I’m still not sure what is going on with Kemp, who could be a decent star, but that Diamond Mine feud seemed to ruin him for some reason.

We see some Instagram posts about Brooks Jensen and Kiana James’ Valentine’s Day date.

Fallon Henley has to tell Brooks Jensen what is going on.

Grayson Waller has been thrown out and rants about Shawn Michaels, saying there is no more Heartbreak Kid and he runs this place.

Here is Bron Breakker for a chat. Breakker says it doesn’t feel right around here because the next challenge feels bigger. The match everyone wants to see is Breakker vs. him (not named) but here are Jinder Mahal and Indus Sher to interrupt. Breakker wasn’t expecting them, but Mahal says you have to expect the unexpected. The villains get inside, with Mahal talking about the stress that Breakker has been under for nearly a year now.

Mahal asks if this is what Breakker expected as champion, and yeah it is. Breakker must be deaf if he doesn’t hear the small pocket of fans who are booing him. Mahal says you either die a hero or you become the villain. Breakker says the fans can think whatever they want, which Mahal refers to as arrogance. The tides are changing and Mahal issues the challenge for next week. The champ is in and says Mahal doesn’t need to waste time with the new 3 Man Band. Breakker: “Which one of you plays the guitar?” Mahal says he’ll still like Breakker after taking his title.

This was a good example of the problem being the messenger instead of the message. Jinder Mahal is someone fans are not going to take seriously and the 3MB joke didn’t help things. As a one off win it’s fine, but Mahal as generic villain isn’t helping him. Just have Breakker smash him and move on (which is probably what is going to happen).

Katana Chance and Kayden Carter confirm that they are down to face Roxanne Perez and Meiko Satomura. Perez and Satomura respect each other.

It’s time for an open challenge for the North American Title. Tony D’Angelo comes out to accept but Dijak jump him, with Stacks going to help. We have another challenger sneaking up on Lee though.

North American Title: Von Wagner vs. Wes Lee

Wagner, with Mr. Stone, is challenging. Lee fights back and tries to flip away in the corner, only to get dropped face first onto the apron. Stone reminds Wagner that he has to win back inside so it’s a clothesline for two on Lee. Back up and Lee ducks a big boot, setting up the standing moonsault to stagger Wagner. Lee’s tornado DDT is pulled out of the air and Wagner faceplants him for two. Lee slips out of a gorilla press, hits four straight superkicks, and finishes with the Cardiac Kick at 4:43.

Rating: C. This was power vs. speed 101 and as usual, it worked just fine. Lee is getting built up as someone who can over come the odds, which is going to make whoever beats him that much bigger of a deal. Then you have Wagner and I still don’t get it. He’s as generic of a monster as you can get and it still isn’t interesting no matter what.

Hank Walker has a new singlet but his old boots. Drew Gulak gives him some silver boots of his own.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Hank Walker

Drew Gulak is here with Walker, who shrugs off some forearms to the face to start. A collision goes to Walker but they trade big boots for a double knockdown. Walker tries a Fujiwara armbar but Dempsey reverses into his head and leg stretch for the tap at 1:41.

Post match Dempsey puts the hold back on but Gulak just stands there. Then Gulak and Dempsey leave together. Fair enough as Walker is kind of a loser.

Von Wagner is furious about his loss and Mr. Stone blames Wagner not having a connection to anyone. Wagner needs to break his walls down and Stone has time for the guy inside him.

Gallus is in the pool hall when Pretty Deadly comes in. A pool game breaks out and Pretty Deadly does well….albeit on the wrong balls. Gallus wins easily but Pretty Deadly wants a rematch. The deal is if Pretty Deadly keeps buying them drinks, they can keep playing, with Pretty Deadly getting a Tag Team Title shot if they win. Pretty Deadly loses at least seven games in a row and then get stuck with the (very long) bill. Gallus gives them the title shot anyway.

Ilja Dragunov talks about how pain makes you feel alive and he promises to hurt JD McDonagh. We cut to the arena, where Trick Williams calls out Dragunov. That works for Dragunov, who comes to the ring as Williams promises to drop Dragunov like a mix tape. Cue Dragunov to say Williams is an entertaining life of the party. Williams is dropped but here is JD McDonagh (with tape over his eye) to threaten Dragunov, allowing Williams to get in a cheap shot.

Post break, Trick Williams comes up to Carmelo Hayes and brags about what he just did.

We see Brooks Jensen taking Kiana James to her front door after their date. Jensen gives her astronomy trivia (which he gets wrong) and then goes to kiss her (following the key playing). Then Fallon Henley and Josh Briggs show up (How long have they been following them?) with Henley bringing up the phone call with an “I love you Zack” from a few weeks ago. It turns out Zack is James’ brother and he pops up at the door. James storms inside and Jensen leaves in heartbreak.

Here’s what is coming next week.

Meiko Satomura/Roxanne Perez vs. Kayden Carter/Katana Chance

Carter shoulders Perez down to start and hands it off to Chance, who trips Perez down. A sliding kick and slingshot hilo get two on Perez and we hit the armbar. Back up and Perez flips out of a hurricanrana but gets taken right back into the wrong corner. That doesn’t last long as it’s off to Satomura for the first time, including a handshake with Carter.

Everything breaks down with Perez and Satomura cleaning house with uppercuts. Perez dives through the ropes onto Chance and Satomura hits one on Carter as we take a break. Back with Perez fighting out of Chance’s abdominal stretch but getting dropkicked down. Perez jawbreaks her way to freedom though and it’s Satomura coming back in to strike away. Some kicks to the head get two on Carter and Perez adds a backflip moonsault for two more.

Carter grabs something like an STO to plant Perez but she Russian legsweeps her way out of trouble. It’s back to Satomura, who gets knocked into the wrong corner for a change. Everything breaks down and Perez is knocked to the floor. Satomura is right back with the moonsault knees to Chance, followed by a Pele to Carter. Perez comes back in for Pop Rox and the pin on Carter at 10:29.

Rating: B-. This was a “hey, look who’s here” match as Satomura being around is a cool thing to see. Carter and Chance still have some value as a team so Perez and Satomura beating them means a little something. You might as well make Satomura vs. Perez for the title now though, as it isn’t like Perez has another challenger at the moment.

Post match Satomura issues the challenge for the title match and it would be Perez’s honor.

Overall Rating: B. This is a great example of a show where the overall rating is greater than its individual parts. All kinds of things were advanced here and you even got some turning points in a few stories. It came off like they had a big checklist for the show and covered every single item. The show felt organized and well put together, as you can see a lot of Stand & Deliver coming from here. Heck of an episode this week and I could go for a lot more like this one.

Results
Tyler Bate b. Grayson Waller – Sunset flip
Tiffany Stratton b. Thea Hail – Moonsault
Axiom b. Damon Kemp – Golden Ratio
Wes Lee b. Von Wagner – Cardiac Kick
Charlie Dempsey b. Hank Walker – Head and leg stretch
Meiko Satomura/Roxanne Perez b. Kayden Carter/Katana Chance – Pop Rox to Carter

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.

NXT LVL Up
Date: February 10, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

So somehow, we’re coming off what was an actually entertaining episode last week. If they can keep up that energy this week, it should be another breeze of the show. What makes it more confusing is that it shouldn’t be hard to send in another middle of the road star to boost things up a bit. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We meet new commentator Blake Howard.

Tank Ledger vs. Kale Dixon

They trade wristlocks to start until Ledger takes him down with an armbar. An armdrag sets up another armbar and a World’s Strongest Slam gives Ledger two. Dixon manages to send him into the corner though and a neckbreaker gets two. Ledger fights out of a chinlock and a cartwheel into a splash gets another near fall. The running powerslam finishes Dixon at 4:59.

Rating: C-. Just a step beneath a squash here for Ledger as he might be new but he’s still further along than Dixon. I like the idea of putting two younger stars like this out there and letting them do their thing, as it lets them get a win without some big upset. Not a great match or even a good one, but at least it accomplished something.

Axiom isn’t sure how to deal with a masked man like Scrypts, but he’ll figure it out.

Dani Palmer vs. Lash Legend

Legend powers her into the corner to start and blocks a sunset flip attempt with a right hand to the face. Palmer’s headlock doesn’t work but she can kick her way out of the corner. Legend plants her back down though and then does it again by the hair for a bonus. A corner clothesline and faceplant have Palmer in more trouble, with a chinlock making it even worse. Back up and Legend misses a charge, allowing Palmer to hit some dropkicks. Those are shrugged off and Legend bends Palmer over her back, setting up a spinning faceplant for the pin at 5:21.

Rating: C-. It wasn’t great, but Legend’s new look and presentation have been big upgrades for her. I’m more than a little surprised that she beat Palmer, who has been getting some TV time as of late, but at the same time, that was the story they were telling and it would have been weird for Palmer to pull it off. Not a good match, but an improvement over what Legend has been doing.

Axiom vs. Scrypts

Scrypts flips away from a snapmare to start so they trade wrist control with Axiom taking him down. Stereo nip ups give us a staredown so Axiom hits a dropkick to send him into the corner. Scrypts is sent outside but comes back in with a kick to the face to block the dive. Something like a spinning crossbody gives Scrypts two and the chinlock goes on.

Axiom fights up for the running shots to the face but a superplex is broken up. A moonsault press gives Scrypts two but Axiom kicks him in the chest for the same. The Golden Ratio misses though and Scrypts superkicks him down. Axiom kicks him out of the air though and the Golden Ratio finishes Scrypts at 6:40.

Rating: C+. This was exactly what you would have expected as the two of them went out there and did everything they could have been asked to do. It was a bunch of flips and kicks in an entertaining match, but what matters the most is that I wasn’t sure who was winning. You never get that feeling around here and it was a very nice change of pace.

Overall Rating: C. The main event helped a lot, but there was only so much to be seen with the first two matches. As usual though, the best thing that can be done on this show is to send in some bigger names who aren’t doing anything on the regular NXT show. Axiom and Scrypts aren’t big stars most of the time, but they certainly are around here. Nice enough show here, with a rather fun main event.

Results
Tank Ledger b. Kale Dixon – Running powerslam
Lash Legend b. Dani Palmer – Spinning faceplant
Axiom b. Scrypts – Golden Ratio

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT LVL Up
Date: February 3, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Vic Joseph

We are back with this show again and odds are things are going to be about the same. That has been the case around here for a good while and it wouldn’t surprise me to see it take place again. Granted most of the time when I say that, something changes in a positive way so maybe that is the case this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Sol Ruca vs. Lash Legend

Legend has new red gear here instead of the traditional black, plus a haircut. Ruca powers her into the corner to start and grabs a headlock. A running shoulder drops Legend again and Ruca pulls her into an STF of all things. Legend makes the rope and big boots a leapfrogging Ruca for a big crash. Back in and Legend stands on her before a jumping splash gets two. The armbar goes on but a reverse chinlock is countered with an electric chair. Some running shoulders have Legend in trouble and a superkick sets up the Sol Snatcher to give Ruca the pin at 6:47.

Rating: C+. Given who was in there, this was actually a heck of a little match as they had Ruca doing all of her athletic stuff but Legend was holding her half up. The main thing here for Legend is that she felt a lot more focused and didn’t stop to talk a bunch of trash. At the same time, the change is look is a plus. Legend has not exactly been well received so far in NXT, so get her away from the look people associate with the poor results. I was very surprised here and Ruca continues to look like a star in the making.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen are ready for the main event, but Briggs seems more interested in Kiana James.

Javier Bernal vs. Oba Femi

Bernal’s headlock doesn’t work as Femi powers him up into a gorilla press. This leaves commentary to talk about Bernal’s Christmas album and Cameos, even as Bernal goes to the leg and drops Femi with a clothesline. Femi makes the comeback with the power, only to get raked in the eyes and rolled up with trunks to give Bernal the pin at 4:39.

Rating: C. I’m starting to get into the Bernal heel stuff and this was a good example. When is the last time you saw someone just rake the eyes because they’re a villain? It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book and it still works to this day. Bernal had to cheat to deal with the big guy and commentary played up his delusions of grandeur at the same time. Nice enough deal here, and Femi continues to likely have a future based on his look alone.

Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen vs. Bronco Nima/Xyon Quinn

Briggs and Nima start things off with the former being shoved hard into the corner. Nima runs him over but Briggs comes in off a blind tag. Quinn comes in as well and gets double shouldered down as the country boys take over. It’s back to Jensen, who gets sent into the corner so Quinn can grab a backbreaker. Nima’s running crotch attack to the back gets two and we hit the armbar. Jensen fights up and slides between the legs though, allowing the hot tag to Briggs. House is quickly cleaned and it’s an atomic drop into a big boot to finish Quinn at 5:39.

Rating: C. There was no drama to this one and there didn’t need to be, as Briggs and Jensen are an established team who shouldn’t have any trouble here. They didn’t break much of a sweat and didn’t even bother having Henley and James out there for this one. Nothing much to see, but the star power always helps.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling wasn’t exactly great but I had a good time with the show. You had Ruca and Legend having a surprisingly entertaining match, Bernal being goofy and Briggs/Jensen making it feel a bit more important. As usual there is no reason to think this will last, but it worked rather well for one week.

Results
Sol Ruca b. Lash Legend – Sol Snatcher
Javier Bernal b. Oba Femi – Rollup with trunks
Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen b. Bronco Nima/Xyon Quinn – Atomic drop/big boot combination to Quinn

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: February 7, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with Vengeance Day and just shy of two months away from Stand & Deliver. It looks like we have a title match set up, as Carmelo Hayes stared down Bron Breakker, who retained the NXT Title in the main event. That should give us a clear path to Los Angeles so let’s get to it.

Here is Vengeance Day if you need a recap.

We open with the long recap of Vengeance Day.

Here are Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes to open things up. Williams talks about how Hayes turned seer Apollo Crews into Stevie Wonder before Hayes brags about his win too. Hayes knows his destiny and there is one man waiting for him. Cue JD McDonagh to cut him off and say Hayes is entitled. While Hayes wants a private room at the club, McDonagh sends people to the emergency room. The match is made for later.

Fallon Henley isn’t happy that Kiana James cheated to tin the titles and insists on a rematch. James isn’t sure, so Henley says they’ll talk about James possibly cheating on Brooks Jensen. Before they can get to that, it’s time for a surprise party in their dressing room.

We look at Grayson Waller interrupting Shawn Michaels’ post Vengeance Day media call, earning a week’s suspension as a result.

Sol Ruca vs. Zoey Stark

They run the ropes to start until Ruca sends her outside. Back in and Stark grabs the rope and throws a big forearm to take over. Ruca can’t roll out of a cravate but she can flip over into a sunset flip for two on Stark. A running dropkick sends Stark into the corner and there’s a forward flip splash. Stark superkicks her to the apron and pulls her back in for the flipping knee to the face and the pin at 3:43.

Rating: C. This didn’t have much time to go anywhere but it is fun to watch Ruca move around in the ring. She has a different movement to her and it shows off her athleticism. At the same time, seeing her lose was a bit surprising, as she has been on a bit of a roll. That being said, Stark is a bigger deal and Ruca beating her would have been a big upset.

Post match the beatdown stays on but Ruca manages a Sol Smasher to leave Stark laying.

We go to the surprise party, where Kiana James doesn’t want to talk about the Brooks Jensen thing. Pretty Deadly, looking a big disheveled, come in, saying they haven’t slept since Vengeance Day. They blame Chase U and a match is set for tonight (with Chase swearing included).

Dabba-Kato vs. Dante Chen

Chops, faceplant, shrugging off Chen’s chops, sitout chokebomb to finish Chen at 2:40. Kato sold way more than he should have there.

Post match Kato promises to break Apollo Crews.

Earlier today, Diamond Mine was regrouping after their loss to Indus Sher last week. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn came in to mock them, setting up a match later.

Roxanne Perez is happy with keeping her title but Katana Chance and Kayden Carter are upset about their title loss. Perez is going to make a phone call and get a partner.

Isla Dawn vs. Tatum Paxley

Alba Fyre is here too. Paxley slugs away to start but Dawn knees her in the chest and hits a running Meteora for two. Back up and Paxley slugs away to little avail, with Dawn hitting something like a Nightmare On Helm Street for the pin at 2:58.

Post match Dawn and Fyre tease the beatdown but Ivy Nile runs in for a save. Why Dawn and Fyre, the latter of whom had a baseball bat, ran off isn’t clear.

Video on JD McDonagh vs. Carmelo Hayes.

JD McDonagh vs. Carmelo Hayes

Trick Williams is here too and it’s a feeling out process to start. McDonagh seems to taunt Williams and the pace picks up, with McDonagh sending him into the corner. A faceplant puts Hayes down and McDonagh drops him ribs first across the top as we take a break. Back with McDonagh sending him into the corner and hitting a standing Spanish Fly for two.

Hayes grabs a cutter for two and a spinning faceplant gets the same. We hit the crossface but McDonagh makes the ropes. A Codebreaker gives Hayes two more but McDonagh headbutts him down. Cue the returning Ilja Dragunov to take out Williams though and a rollup finishes McDonagh at 13:17.

Rating: C. McDonagh stopped being interested a long time ago and that was on full display here. Hayes feels like the hot new heel and McDonagh feels like a remnant of the 2.0 days. Hayes winning via a distraction finish was even weirder, as they were both down when the whole thing happened. Not a bad match, but Hayes is heading to Stand & Deliver and this was an annoying pit stop for him.

Post match Dragunov teases going after Hayes but jumps McDonagh instead.

Thea Hail comes up to Tiffany Stratton and they get in an argument over whether Chase U is cool or tacky. Hail goes on a rant and tells her to suck it but gets pulled off by Ava Raine.

Back at the party, Brooks Jensen is ready for Valentine’s Day with Kiana James, so Fallon Henley can’t bring herself to say anything.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Valentina Feroz

Wendy Choo is here with Feroz. Valkyria takes Feroz down without much trouble to start as Elektra Lopez comes out to watch. Feroz gets in a shot of her own so Lopez throws her some brass knuckles. Valkyria is back up with a pair of kicks to the head for the pin at 2:44.

We see Wes Lee coming back home after Vengeance Day and meeting his wife at the airport. It’s a rather emotional moment for him because he has worked so hard and is going to keep the title as long as he can. This was rather well done and a more personal look at Lee.

Lee is fired up and wants a challenge. Tony D’Angelo and Stacks come in to say they wants payment for helping him against Dijak. That’s cool with Lee, who is having an Open Challenge for the title next week.

Tyler Bate wants Grayson Waller next week.

Stacks vs. Odyssey Jones

Tony D’Angelo is here too. Jones throws Stacks around to start and the size is already crushing him. A huge slam plants Stacks and he has to roll outside for an early breather. Back in and Stacks gets in a DDT to rock Jones for a change, setting up a running forearm to do it again. Stacks hits a Stomp for the (somewhat surprising) pin at 5:14.

Rating: C-. That’s quite the surprise as Jones has seemed to be getting something of a push, only to lose clean here. Stacks is seemingly getting a bit of a push of his own and I’ve heard worse ideas. I’m not sure what that means for D’Angelo, but they’re trying something new and that’s often a good thing. The match wasn’t so much, but at least they seem to be going somewhere.

Roxanne Perez has a partner for next week: Meiko Satomura.

Pretty Deadly vs. Chase U

Thea Hail isn’t here as she is busy being kidnapped. Pretty Deadly is barely functioning here and Hudson grabs Prince for an early headlock. Wilson comes in and tries to walk off but Chase brings him back in for a tie up in the ropes. Prince is sent face first into Wilson’s feet as the one sidedness continues. They go outside with Hudson missing a charge into the steps and we take a break.

Back with Chase coming in to clean house but an assisted gutbuster takes him down. Hudson makes the save and it’s the Spelling Stomps to Prince for two. Cue a screaming Thea Hail, holding her knee, with Hudson grabbing her to see what’s wrong. The distraction lets Spilled Milk finish Chase at 9:24.

Rating: C. And yes, Chase loses again. Losing to Pretty Deadly is one thing, but if this leads to them losing to Schism, I’m not sure where NXT has been. At the same time, Hudson is getting to be really good as the hot tag man and Chase is still almost as over as anyone else in NXT. Just let the team win something, please.

Hank Walker wants to take Wes Lee’s open challenge next week but Charlie Dempsey comes in. Drew Gulak thinks Walker is ready for a rematch with Dempsey, who implies Gulak cheated to beat him.

It’s time for Ding Dong Hello, with Bayley (arm in a sling) ranting about Lita showing up and costing her last night. The guests are Toxic Attraction, who wipe their feet coming in. They get straight to the argument over who cost who at Vengeance Day, with Jacy saying that Gigi was dressed like a “hobo who banged a Chuckie doll”.

Bayley thinks the split is coming but wonders what happens to both of them after that happens. That’s enough for the two of them to agree that there is strength in numbers, ala Damage Ctrl, so maybe they should go after the Tag Team Titles. Like….the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. Bayley says calm down and they hug it out, only to have Jayne drop her. Dolin gets sent into the door and Jayne stands tall to end the show. That was a way to go, though Toxic Attraction moving up was a better option.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this show as much this week, but maybe that’s just due to taking a big breath after their special show. We still have several weeks before Stand & Deliver so there is still a long time to get things going. What matters is that they didn’t completely bomb here and what we got was a passable enough show, but it didn’t have anything that you need to see.

Results
Zoey Stark b. Sol Ruca – Flipping knee to the face
Dabba-Kato b. Dante Chen – Sitout chokebomb
Carmelo Hayes b. JD McDonagh – Rollup
Lyra Valkyria b. Valentina Feroz – Kick to the head
Stacks b. Odyssey Jones – Stomp
Chase U b. Pretty Deadly – Spilled Milk to Chase

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Vengeance Day 2023
Date: February 4, 2023
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

NXT is back on the road for the first time since Stand & Deliver all the way back in the spring. That is something that could do a lot of good for NXT and the card is pretty stacked as well. We have a bunch of title matches here, capped off by Bron Breakker defending the NXT Title against Grayson Waller inside a cage. Let’s get to it.

Charlotte hosts the opening video, which features all of the wrestlers coming into what looks like a mini arena (probably at the Performance Center) and staring each other down. That’s certainly different.

Commentary says they are on the road for the first time since they took over Portland over 1,000 days ago. So I dreamed going to Stand & Deliver in Dallas last year?

North American Title: Wes Lee vs. Dijak

Lee is defending and suckers Dijak into the corner to start. A missed charge lets Lee hit a slingshot hurricanrana (nearly taking out the referee in the process) to send Dijak outside. Back in and Dijak throws him around to take over, including a heck of a toss suplex for two. Dijak tosses him over the top for a big crash and then sends him into the barricade for a bonus. Lee ducks a charge though and sends Dijak crashing to the floor.

Back up and Lee sends him into the corner for a superkick to the back of the head. A bridging German suplex plants Dijak and Lee knocks him to the floor again. There’s the big twisting dive and a poisonrana plants Dijak back inside. A fisherman’s driver gets two more but Dijak counters a flip into High Justice for two.

Dijak goes to a crossface chickenwing and grabs the bodyscissors but Lee makes the rope. Another High Justice is reversed and Lee hits a running knee to the face. Dijak kicks him in the face for two and takes it to the corner, only to have a superbomb reversed into a super hurricanrana. The Spiral Tap gives Lee a very close two and Dijak bails to the floor.

The suicide dive only hits barricade though and it’s time for Dijak to grab a chair. Dijak uses a broom to secure Lee in the chair and goes up for a moonsault, which hits…..Tony D’Angelo and Stacks? With the two of them down, Lee superkicks Dijak out of the air and hits the Pele to retain at 16:56.

Rating: B+. This felt like an old school Takeover opener where you were expecting a pretty good match but got a very good one instead. That is the kind of surprise that is always nice to have and they delivered it very well here. Lee gets the kind of win that he has been needing and Dijak had enough of a distraction to keep his loss from hurting him that much. D’Angelo probably comes out of this as champion, but this was a heck of a step on the way there.

Dijak seems to have really messed up his finger.

Kayden Carter/Katana Chance only care about retaining their Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Kiana James/Fallon Henley vs. Kayden Carter/Katana Chance

James/Henley, with Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs, are challenging. James takes over on Carter to start but gets taken down, allowing Chance to come in with a slingshot hilo. Hold on though as Henley doesn’t like James using the hair to cheat. The champs hit a standing moonsault/legdrop combination for two on Henley but it’s right back to James for a side slam.

Henley grabs a chinlock but Chance flips her away and it’s back to Carter to clean house. James spinebusters Carter for two and everything breaks down again. Henley gets taken up top for a super hurricanrana from Chance but James breaks up the neckbreaker/450 combination. Henley grabs a rollup for the pin and the titles out of nowhere at 9:15, not noticing James holding the leg down.

Rating: C. This match was in a weird place, as they had very little story coming in and the titles haven’t felt important in a long time. The fact that Chance and Carter had held the belts for six months was almost staggering as they haven’t done anything with them. NXT has enough women for a tag division, but if the titles are forgotten so often, it isn’t going to make much of a difference. Completely watchable match, but it pretty much came and went.

There is an NXT watch party at the Performance Center. Drew Gulak is impressed with the opening match but needs Hank Walker to get some proper gear.

We recap Apollo Crews vs. Carmelo Hayes. Crews is an athletic marvel who is here to prove himself in NXT. Hayes is the new phenom and says he’s the next big thing. Tonight it’s 2/3 falls.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Apollo Crews

2/3 falls and Trick Williams is here with Hayes. Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get very far on their feel or on the mat. Crews starts in on the leg so Hayes flips up and hits him in the face for a breaker. Hayes goes up but gets pulled down into the Tree Of Woe to bang up his ribs.

That’s enough of a target for Crews, who knees him in the ribs but gets elbowed in the face. Crews sends him outside for a moonsault to the floor, followed by a slingshot hilo for two back inside. Back up and Hayes backdrops him over the ropes and catches a cutter to drop Crews across the top. Hayes starts cranking on the neck but Crews is back up and sends him to the apron.

The apron super gives Crews two but Hayes faceplants him down hard. We hit the Crossface on Crews, who finally tapes for the first fall at 15:48. Crews is banged up to start the second fall and Hayes goes after the shoulder to keep him in trouble. The Fade Away gives Hayes a fast two but Crews is back up with a running Blockbuster (almost a flipping DDT) for two.

They both go to the apron and a double ram into the buckle puts them on the floor. Back in and Crews hits a jumping knee to the face but Williams’ distraction doesn’t work. Crews knocks Hayes to the floor and it’s Dabba Kato (formerly Commander Azeez) to take Williams down. Hayes takes Crews down as well though and it’s Nothing But Net to finish Crews 2-0 at 23:24.

Rating: B. The Kato return isn’t exactly inspiring but this was a rather well done back and forth match with Hayes getting a very strong rub. Hayes has been built up as a big star in NXT and this should be enough to catapult him into the #1 contendership. It is the big prize that he has not won around here so it was either get in the title hunt or head to the main roster. They got a lot of time here and the match was good, so it’s hard to find much to complain about with the entire package.

Post match Kato hugs Crews and then takes him out with a chokebomb.

Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs/Kiana James/Fallon Henley can’t believe they won the titles. Now, they drink.

Hometown boy Andre Chase is ready to win the Tag Team Titles in his hometown. The fact that they are freezing outside is just a detail.

Tag Team Titles: Chase U vs. New Day vs. Gallus vs. Pretty Deadly

New Day is defending and it’s one fall to a finish. Kofi and Prince start things off but it’s quickly off to Woods. Prince winds up on Wilson’s shoulders on the floor, with a baseball slide breaking it up. Thea Hail uses the megaphone to scare Pretty Deadly but Hudson tags himself in to take over on Prince.

Wilson comes in and gets beaten up by Gallus, who take turns on his arm. Woods takes Wilson’s place and is pulled into the corner to start up the beating. Pretty Deadly takes over on Woods, with Wilson cranking on the wrist. Woods gets in a shot of his own though and the hot tag brings in Kofi to clean house.

The Boom Drop into the SOS gets two on Prince but everything breaks down. The parade of knockdowns sets up an assisted gutbuster for two on Kingston but he’s right back up with the Midnight Hour. Everyone dives in for the save and the pile heads to the floor. Chase throws Kingston onto them all, then superplexes Wilson onto them for an even bigger crash. The announcers’ table is cleared off but Pretty Deadly throws Hudson back in rather than using it.

Hudson runs both of them over but Mark Coffey takes Hudson down. Everyone heads back outside, with Gallus sending Hudson through the announcers’ table. Back in and Chase sends Wolfgang outside, setting up the high crossbody for two on Coffey. We hit the Figure Four on Coffey but Wolfgang makes the save with the Howling.

The enziguri/powerslam combination gets two on Chase but Kofi is back in to break up a second attempt. Kofi’s Trust Fall is pulled out of the air though and Pretty Deadly hits Spilled Milk on the floor. Woods forearms Coffey down back inside but dives into an assisted powerslam to give Gallus the pin and the titles at 16:46.

Rating: B-. I couldn’t decide on picking Gallus or New Day to leave with the titles here so they didn’t go out of left field. Gallus feels like a team who could be rather dominant if they are build up properly and it isn’t like a loss is going to hut New Day. At the same time, Pretty Deadly have held the titles for a good while already and Chase U….well they never win anything. The good thing here though is Chase U was actually in the title match, which is more than they can say most of the time. Throw in them not taking the fall and this was a pretty nice result all things considered.

We look at the who did it video on the Nikkita Lyons attack.

We recap the Women’s Title match, with Roxanne Perez defending against Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin. The challengers both won a battle royal and are both coming for the title. They teased splitting up, only to get back together and fight Perez at the same time. Perez is trying to prove she is a real champion by fighting both of them at once.

Women’s Title: Roxanne Perez vs. Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne

Perez is defending and has to start slugging away at both of them at once. Dolin and Jayne collide by mistake though and have to pause to make sure everything is cool. Back up and Perez sends both of them outside but Jayne neckbreakers Perez down. Another near mistake leaves Dolin and Jayne apologizing on the floor, only to have Dolin pull Jayne into the way of a baseball slide.

Back in and Jayne breaks up Dolin’s cover, meaning the fight is on between the challengers. Perez is back in with a DDT for two on Jayne and Dolin is left down in the corner. Jayne sends Perez into the corner for the Cannonball, followed by a running knee for two on Perez. Back up and Jayne drops Dolin but Pop Rox is broken up.

Dolin suplexes Perez for two with Jayne making a save. Everyone needs a breather until Perez gets knocked down for a double near fall. It’s time to bring out a table but Perez fights up again. Perez sends Jayne into the apron and drops Dolin, setting up the super Pop Rox to retain the title at 13:43.

Rating: C. I couldn’t get into this one as it felt like a bunch of the same idea over and over. Toxic Attraction gets along, then they fight, then they fight again, all while Perez is able to split the difference and get in some shots of their own. That’s about what you would expect to happen in a match like this, as it is the tried and true formula. Perez gets a nice win, but it wasn’t exactly a great match on the way there.

We recap the NXT Title match as Bron Breakker defends against Grayson Waller in a cage. Waller keeps trying to get inside Breakker’s notably easy to mess with head. Breakker is ready to kill him but Waller seems rather confident.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker vs. Grayson Waller

Breakker is defending inside a cage but Waller (who has a woman bring his golden shoe to the ring) dropkicks the door into Breakker’s face on the floor before he can get in. That doesn’t last long as Breakker fights back and takes it inside for the opening bell. Waller grabs a cravate and fires off some knees to the face.

Breakker reverses that into a suplex but gets caught in a tornado DDT for two. A belly to belly puts Waller down again and the Steiner Bulldog, only for Breakker to miss a charge into the cage. Waller heads up top, only to get Frankensteinered back down. A jumping knee knocks Breakker out of the air for two and Breakker gets tied in the ropes. Waller hits a spear but Breakker powers out of the ropes, leaving Waller a bit petrified.

The rams into the cage keep Waller rocked until he low blows his way out of trouble. The fans are split on Waller, who goes all the way to the top of the cage. Rather than climb down, Waller waits for Breakker to get up and catch him on top. A superplex off the top of the cage rocks Waller’s inner Big Boss Man and there’s the spear to cut him in half. That’s not enough for Breakker to cover though as he yells at Waller instead. Waller shoves him in the face…..so Breakker hits a second spear to retain at 14:22.

Rating: C+. Another kind of weird match here as Waller more or less hung with Breakker until the ending and then tried his mind games, only to get speared down again to lose. The match wasn’t bad by any means, but it also didn’t feel like something epic. Then again this feud hasn’t felt like a big deal since it started, but Carmelo Hayes seems to be the next big bad for Breakker and that should work well.

Breakker seems to be favoring his arm a bit but poses on top of the cage anyway. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams come out to stare at Breakker to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. While it was nowhere near a Takeover, this was a good enough show and felt like a big one by NXT standards. At the end of the day, NXT needed to get out of the Performance Center and have a show that felt more important. They did it here and get to do it again in Los Angeles in April, so things are looking up a bit. Other than that, this was a collection of mostly good matches, with the opener blowing away just about everything else. They also set up the next title program, so the show did a few positive things. You don’t need to see it, but there are worse things to watch, which makes it a win.

Results
Wes Lee b. Dijak – Pele
Kiana James/Fallon Henley b. Kayden Carter/Katana Chance – Rollup to Carter with James holding the foot
Carmelo Hayes b. Apollo Crews 2-0
Gallus b. New Day, Pretty Deadly and Chase U – Assisted powerslam to Woods
Roxanne Perez b. Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne – Super Pop Rox to Jayne
Bron Breakker b. Grayson Waller – Spear

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT LVL Up
Date: January 27, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Vic Joseph

Over in the main NXT continuity, we are coming up on Vengeance Day, which should be a nice change of pace from all of the regular NXT shows. That has very little to do with LVL Up though, which doesn’t ever really have a special show. The best we can hope for is a midcard name from NXT so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dante Chen vs. Kale Dixon

Yes, Kale. They grapple against the ropes to start and some slaps to the face get under Kale’s skin. Some armbars have Kale in trouble but he grabs a belly to back suplex. Kale sits on Chen’s back and grabs a bodyscissors, which is broken up without much trouble. Chen fights up, kicks him in the head, and hits the double chop for the pin at 5:53.

Rating: D+. I still don’t get the appeal of Chen and the other guy’s name is Kale, so what else were you expecting? They did a bunch of armbars before Chen shrugged off whatever Kale threw at him and won. Yes it’s the build up new stars show, but Chen has been around for a bit and hasn’t grown in any meaningful way, yet here he is again. Beating Kale, because yes, his name is Kale.

Lola Vice (former MMA fighter Valerie Loureda) is ready to be the first Cuban American WWE star.

Lola Vice vs. Dani Palmer

Palmer headscissors her down to start but Vice reverses into a headlock. Back up and Vice kicks her down for two and we hit the double arm crank. Palmer fights up and drops her as well, setting up a standing moonsault for two. What looks to be a corkscrew moonsault misses for Palmer though and Vice kicks her in the head for two. Vice loads up what looks like a powerbomb but gets reversed into a jackknife rollup to give Palmer the pin at 3:59.

Rating: C-. Palmer continues to get in some reps and they might have a little something with her if she keeps it up at this pace. The interesting part here is Vice though, as she is getting the chance to be the next MMA star to become something in WWE. There is enough of a track record to give her a chance, but this was a tiny first step and nothing to go on for her future.

Scrypts vs. Oro Mensah

Scrypts flips around to start and grabs a headlock. Mensah spins out of a wristlock and puts on his own headlock before clotheslining him to the floor. Of course that means a dive but Scrypts takes him down by the hair back inside. A flipping kick gives Scrypts two and we hit the chinlock.

The comeback is blocked and Scrypts hits a dropkick before sending him hard to the floor. Back in and we hit another chinlock until Mensah fights up with some forearms. A choke in the ropes keeps Scrypts in trouble but he rolls outside for a wise breather. Back in and Mensah is ready for the Molly Go Round but Scrypts rolls him into a sunset flip for the pin at 6:37.

Rating: C. NXT certainly seems to have given up on Scrypts, who hasn’t been on NXT TV in a long time and is now relegated to LVL Up. At the end of the day, I can’t say I blame them, as there is no mystery as to who he is and the character never made a ton of sense in the first place. Mensah losing is a weird thing to see too, as he has at least been around for a little bit recently.

Overall Rating: D+. Bleck, what a nothing show this was. When your best match is one of the bigger jokes of NXT against a former tag team guy trying to find his way, it isn’t much of a show. LVL Up rarely has big names on the card but this was bottom of the barrel even by its limited standards. They can do better and hopefully that is the situation next week.

Results
Dante Chen b. Kale Dixon – Double chop
Dani Palmer b. Lola Vice – Jackknife rollup
Scrypts b. Oro Mensah – Sunset flip

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: January 31, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the go home show for Vengeance Day and that means it is time for the hard sell, which is one of the things NXT tends to do best. In addition to the build towards the show, we also have the long awaited Creed Brothers vs. Indus Sher match, which has been postponed at least once before. Let’s get to it.

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

Indus Sher vs. Creed Brothers

Jinder Mahal and Ivy Nile are here too. Julius and Veer slug it out to start with neither getting anywhere. Brutus comes in to slug away at Sanga in the corner but Sanga takes over with the power. It’s back to Julius, who gets dropped throat first onto the top rope to put him in trouble as well. A reverse Beverly Bomb crushes Julius again and we hit the chinlock.

Julius fights up and manages to get over to Brutus for the hot tag. Everything breaks down and Julius (eventually) muscles Veer up for a powerbomb. The sliding lariat is broken up by Mahal though, sending Nile after him. Julius accidentally knocks Nile off the apron, allowing Sanga to grab a chokeslam for the pin at 9:57.

Rating: C+. If they can get some better gear, the Creeds feel like they are ready to become stars. They work well together, they have already had some success and Julius feels like he could be a top guy one day. On the other hand you have Indus Sher, who are your latest monster foreigners team. Unfortunately that comes with a heavy dose of Mahal, so their ceiling is pretty low.

Tyler Bate and Axiom watch bate facing someone named A-Kid in NXT UK, with Bate saying A-Kid reminds him of Axiom. There’s nothing to that of course, but they’ll face each other tonight.

Zoey Stark vs. Indi Hartwell

This is over Hartwell accusing Stark of attacking Nikkita Lyons last week and Stark saying Hartwell didn’t do well in the Royal Rumble. Stark starts fast and hammers away, with a sliding lariat connecting for two. We’re off to an armbar but Hartwell fights up and slugs away to start the comeback. Some standing clotheslines set up the spinebuster for two on Stark, who is right back with a German suplex. Hartwell’s springboard is broken up and the flipping knee to the face gives Stark the pin at 6:14.

Rating: C-. Hartwell continues to exist and there just isn’t anything to her at the moment. She’s ok enough in the ring but I don’t remember the last time she showed any fire or anything resembling energy (save for Dexter Lumis’ cameo). On the other hand you have Stark, who feels like she should be a bigger deal but every promo she has brings her back down.

Schism is ready to win the Tag Team Titles at Vengeance Day, but first they have to qualify for the title match tonight.

Apollo Crews came to Charlotte early to feel the energy. He sees himself taking out Carmelo Hayes 2/3 falls and if Trick Williams gets involved, so be it.

Here is Wes Lee for a chat. He is ready to go back on the road in four days, where he has one of his biggest tests to date. That would be Dijak, who is going to give him a beating but then Lee will rise as North American Champion. Cue Dijak to say that Lee had the chance to hand the title over but wouldn’t do it. Lee promises to rise up and retain the title, but here are Mr. Stone and Von Wagner to interrupt. Stone thinks Wagner should be #1 contender and Dijak doesn’t approve. Lee wants them to fight now and that is just what happens.

Von Wagner vs. Dijak

The brawl is on fast and we take a break thirty seconds in. Back with Wes Lee on commentary and Dijak striking away. Dijak’s discus lariat is cut off with a boot to the face but Dijak flips out of a chokeslam. High Justice gets two on Wagner but he’s able to go up top. Dijak catches him, only to get caught in a swinging double underhook slam. Back up and Dijak grabs a crossface chickenwing of all things, followed by Feast Your Eyes for the pin at 8:38.

Rating: C. My goodness can we please stop with the “ring the bell, wrestle for thirty seconds, take a break” nonsense? Just have the match start after the break. Other than that, this was a good enough power match as Dijak gets some momentum going into his title shot. Granted I’m not sure how much value there is in beating Wagner, who is one of the most worthless people around here.

Dijak and Lee stare each other down.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks are ready for something next week, with Stacks saying he took care of it. Now they’re off to take care of something else.

Nikkita Lyons has undergone surgery and is on the way to recovery.

We see a video on Nikkita Lyons being attacked in the parking lot, with about ten different women being seen in the parking lot at the same time. This was shot more like an investigation piece and that’s an interesting way to go.

Video on Grayson Waller vs. Bron Breakker for the NXT Title at Vengeance Day. Waller is inside Breakker’s head as Breakker continues to need to try to control his emotions. The build for this has worked but it feels like we’re just waiting to see what wacky idea Waller has to cheat Breakker out of the title.

Tyler Bate vs. Axiom

Bate takes him down by the arm to start but Axiom uses the referee to flip his way to freedom. Axiom sends Bate crashing out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Bate hitting his airplane spin but Axiom kicks him in the face for two. A superkick hits Bate, who is fine enough to cradle Axiom for two more. Bop and Bang sets up the rebound lariat but the Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a backdrop. Bate powers up anyway but a hurricanrana gives Axiom two. The third attempt at the Tyler Driver 97 finally connects to finish Axiom at 10:03.

Rating: C+. Best match on the show so far by a wide margin as you have two people who can go rather well in the ring. Bate continues to look good when he’s in the ring but it happens so infrequently that it’s hard to get behind him. Axiom is still a very good hand, but how far can you get with such a ridiculous gimmick?

Post match Bate leaves and Damon Kemp runs in to jump Axiom. Bate makes the save.

Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre seem to have joined forces.

Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes are ready to beat Apollo Crews at Vengeance Day.

We get a sitdown interview between Roxanne Perez and Toxic Attraction. Perez is happy that she did well in the Royal Rumble but Toxic Attraction is sure that they’re going to beat her at Vengeance Day. Toxic Attraction says it’s 2-1 on Saturday and Perez walks out. Jayne and Dolin say they’re on the same page. Perez storms into their room and the big fight is on, with agents having to break it up. This went way longer than it needed to and makes last week’s fake Toxic Attraction split feel like a waste of time.

Dani Palmer vs. Stevie Turner

Palmer flips out of a wristlock to start but Turner shrugs it off and hits a neckbreaker. The chinlock goes on but Palmer fights up and hammers away. Back up and Turner hits a pump kick into a swinging DDT. A Side Effect finishes Palmer at 2:55.

Kiana James is on the phone and says she’ll see someone later. Fallon Henley comes in to accuse her of messing with Brooks Jensen. They argue until Katana Chance and Kayden Carter come in to accuse them of not focusing on the title match. This has been your NO ONE TALKS LIKE THIS segment of the week.

Drew Gulak vs. Charlie Dempsey

Hank Walker is here with Gulak. Feeling out process to start and we take a break less than a minute in. Back with Dempsey cranking on both arms before switching to a Fujiwara armbar. Dempsey switches to a German suplex for two and cranks on the leg, only to have Gulak reverse into an armbar of his own. Dempsey switches into a crossface chickenwing but Gulak dives for the ropes, sending Dempsey into Walker by mistake. The distraction lets Gulak grab a rollup for the pin at 8:42.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that is always going to have a place on the card and they did it well. Sometimes you need to just have a wrestling match and the screwy finish gave Gulak an out. Both of these two can do the technical stuff very well and it was a nice change of pace from the usual stuff around here most of the time.

Von Wagner is livid but Mr. Stone says this isn’t working. Stone says he knows nothing about him other than he is big and strong. If Wagner wants to move up in the wrestling business, show who he is inside. Stone: “HELP ME HELP YOU!”

Vengeance Day rundown. The show does look good.

Edris Enofe/Malik Blade vs. Schism vs. Chase U

The winner goes to the Tag Team Title match at Vengeance Day. Blade and Chase start things off but Reid grabs Chase from the apron to take over. A spike shoulder breaker on the floor plants Chase and Fowler comes in for a belly to back slam. Chase fights up but Schism takes out Hudson, meaning there is no one for him to take.

A powerbomb into a Backstabber gets two on Chase but he gets over for the tag to Hudson to clean house. Blade tags himself in and gets to clean house with Enofe. The G9 gets two on Reid with a bunch of people making the save. Blade and Enofe hit the stereo flip dives but Chase tags himself in for a Tower of Doom. The spelling stomps hit Reid and the Fratliner sends Chase U to Vengeance Day at 10:35.

Rating: B-. Now that made sense! Chase U almost never wins any kind of a match of consequence so putting them over here makes them feel like a bigger deal. No they aren’t going to win the titles, but putting them in a four way match where they don’t have to be involved in the finish is a smart move. Let them feel important for once, as the crowd is already way into them.

Post match all of the teams in the Tag Team Title match pop up, with New Day being rather excited about Chase U winning.

A long Vengeance Day hype video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: C. This show had some quality to it but my goodness it felt long. It felt like Vengeance Day was ready to go last week and then they had to fill in another week of building towards it. There wasn’t enough to make two hours interesting here and it hurt a lot. At the same time, NXT still needs to work on its character development segments, as a lot of the talking is cringe worthy. Not a horrible show, but they really need Vengeance Day to be a hit.

Results
Indus Sher b. Creed Brothers – Chokeslam to Julius
Zoey Stark b. Indi Hartwell – Flipping knee to the face
Dijak b. Von Wagner – Feast Your Eyes
Tyler Bate b. Axiom – Tyler Driver 97
Stevie Turner b. Dani Palmer – Side Effect
Drew Gulak b. Charlie Dempsey – Rollup
Chase U b. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe and Schism – Fratliner to Reid

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NXT
Date: January 24, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We are just over a week away from Vengeance Day with Grayson Waller challenging Bron Breakker for the NXT Title. That is going to include a lot of build this week as we get ready for the title match, but there is some other stuff to do as well. The good thing is that a lot of the card is ready so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video from Grayson Waller, showing him coming to the Performance Center and throwing a bottle of water at Bron Breakker to set off a big brawl.

Indi Hartwell vs. Tiffany Stratton

Hartwell knocks her off the apron to start fast before the bell rings. Back in and we officially start with Hartwell throwing Stratton around and getting two off a dropkick. Stratton gets sent outside but manages to snap the arm across the top. A slingshot splash gives Stratton one and we hit the armbar. That’s broken up and Hartwell hits a spinebuster for two before a boot to the face rocks Stratton again. Hold on though as Stratton claims a knee injury but it is indeed goldbricking. A Regal Roll into a triple jump moonsault finishes Hartwell at 6:01.

Rating: C. So much for Hartwell being built back up, as this was another loss to set her back. Stratton needed the win more though as she is freshly back from her hiatus. She has all kinds of potential and it is nice to see NXT doing something with her. It would be interesting to see where she can take things and a win here is a nice start.

Jacy Jayne doesn’t seem to think much of Gigi Dolin because Jayne has carried her since the beginning. Now it’s Jayne’s turn to win and it’s going to be like nothing you have ever seen before.

Drew Gulak and company are training with the Diamond Mine. Gulak doesn’t think much of Miles Borne so he shows him how it’s done against Julius Creed. Julius trips him down, which doesn’t set well with Gulak, who swears revenge.

Here is Chase U for a ceremony praising Thea Hail for winning her first match last week. Andre Chase talks about how Hail has been a success in the classroom but not so much in the ring. After almost dropping an f bomb (Fans: “THAT’S NOT PG!”), Chase presents Hail with her award. The fans think she deserves it….and here is JD McDonagh to interrupt. McDonagh doesn’t like this kind of nonsense but Chase says he isn’t having this. McDonagh finds it interesting that Chase didn’t mention Duke Hudson before we get to the point. Chase whips off his robe and has his ring gear on so let’s do this.

Chase U vs. JD McDonagh

We’re joined in progress with McDonagh sending him into the steps and grabbing the chinlock. That’s countered into a belly to back suplex as Chase U gets to do their cheerleading. The spelling stomps set up a Side Effect for one but McDonagh is back up with a clothesline. Chase hits a quick Canadian Destroyer for two with McDonagh getting a foot on the rope. Back up and the Devil Inside finishes Chase at 4:32.

Rating: C. I had forgotten McDonagh was a thing here for a bit and that is kind of telling about what has happened to him. I get that he’s a bigger star than Chase, but did they really need Chase to lose again? Chase U is consistently one of the most well received things around here but Chase never actually wins anything of note. Is it that much for him to be a midcard title contender for a bit?

Post match Duke Hudson storms off as Thea Hail checks on Chase.

Fallon Henley and Kiana James are ready to team together but have a bit of tension over strategy.

Kiana James/Fallon Henley vs. Ivy Nile/Tatum Paxley

James starts but Henley taps her on the head to start instead. Nile takes Henley down to start and it’s off to Paxley for a middle rope dropkick. James comes in to take over on Paxley in the corner and grab an abdominal stretch. With that broken up, Henley comes back in and gets shouldered down by Nile. James gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and then trips Nile down, allowing Henley to hit a Shining Wizard for the pin at 3:16.

Rating: C-. Hey look: wacky tag team partners who happen to win without getting along. I do like the question of what is going on wit Brooks Jensen and Henley FINALLY having something to do is nice, but there is only so much to be gotten from this trope. Just please don’t let them win the Women’s Tag Team Titles out of the whole thing. And why is Nile STILL not getting any kind of a shot of her own?

Post match the argument continues, with Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen playing peacekeeper.

New Day is in the back (and seemingly humming Randy Orton’s old theme) when Edris Enofe and Malik Blade come in to respectfully ask for a title shot. Before we can get to an answer, Schism comes in to say they want the shot. They’ll face off next week in the New Day Invitational and the winners are added to the Tag Team Title match at Vengeance Day.

Apollo Crews goes to the barber shop but Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams come in and aren’t happy. Crews talks about how Hayes is never going to get rid of him no matter what but Hayes says he is the younger, more athletic version of him. They both talk about being the next NXT Champion and a 2/3 falls match is set for Vengeance Day. Out of arena vignettes are always appreciated.

Hank Walker/Drew Gulak vs. Creed Brothers

Gulak can’t wrestle Julius down to start so it’s off to Walker. Julius takes him into the corner and hands it off to Brutus for a pair of fireman’s carry takeovers. It’s right back to Gulak, with Walker grabbing an airplane spin on Brutus to set up Gulak’s clothesline. We take a break and come back with Julius coming in to clean house. A t-bone suplex hits Walker and Brutus comes in for a standing moonsault.

Brutus picks Gulak up in a butterfly and holds him in place, allowing Julius to jump over Brutus’ back and drive Gulak down in a really unique double team. Everyone brawls until Walker cross armbreakers Julius but it’s back to Brutus. The double clothesline leaves Brutus and Walker down but here is Charlie Dempsey to distract Gulak. The distraction lets the Brutus Bomb finish Walker at 11:43.

Rating: C+. This was pretty good stuff with Gulak and the Creeds being the wrestling machines while Walker was there to spice things up a bit. At the same time you have the Dempsey factor, as he is the evil version of Gulak. There’s something interesting about the evil teacher vs. the good one, though Dempsey and Gulak don’t exactly have the charisma to carry much of a feud. For now though, I’ll settle for the Creeds continuing to improve.

Post match Julius apologizes to Ivy Nile for being a bit hotheaded, but that is how he has to be to be the best version of himself. Both Creeds thank Nile for sticking with them and inspiring them….and here is Indus Sher (with Jinder Mahal, because of course). The challenge is on for next week and Nile accepts for the Creeds.

Gigi Dolin doesn’t like Jacy Jayne and talks about the thorns that come with a rose.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks go to lunch for some Italian/mafia stereotypes. Stacks wants to make an impact as the new underboss and has apparently taken care of someone already. They have a toast to Stacks and D’Angelo seems pleased.

Wendy Choo vs. Elektra Lopez

Lopez shoves her down and here is Valentina Feroz (as invited by Lopez) to watch. Choo grabs some rollups for two each but gets caught with a swinging Rock Bottom to cut her off. The bodyscissors keeps Choo in trouble but she fights up, including a middle rope crossbody. Lopez isn’t having that though and punches her down for the pin at 3:39.

Rating: C. Lopez has always felt like someone who could break out into something more, though beating Choo isn’t going to get her very far down that path. At least she didn’t lose again though and seems to be showing Feroz the way. Not much of a match due to the time, but Lopez winning and Choo toning down the zaniness helped a lot.

Brooks Jensen is so happy with Fallon Henley and Kiana James that he has gotten them a shot at the Women’s Tag Team Titles at Vengeance Day. Henley is mad because she wanted it to be a one off deal and Jensen didn’t even ask. She has to think about this.

Elektra Lopez tells Valentina Feroz to cheat more but Feroz can’t do it. Lopez doesn’t care and says enjoy losing.

Stevie Turner comes in on a live stream instead of being in person. She has her in-ring debut next week.

Here is Grayson Waller to call out Bron Breakker and he has his own NXT Title. Cue Breakker with the real title and everyone shows up to keep them apart. Breakker fights away and spears the barricade, leaving a big hole in it for a good visual.

Gallus is at a pool hall and promises to do their thing at Vengeance Day when they win the Tag Team Titles.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Alby Fyre vs. Katana Chance/Kayden Carter

Chance/Carter are defending and yes Fyre is on her own. Hold on though as here is Sol Ruca and Fyre seems to have a partner. Carter has to slip out of an early Gory Bomb attempt so Fyre beats her down without much trouble. Ruca comes in and jumps over Carter as everything breaks down. The champs get beaten up on the floor and we take a break.

Back with Chance hitting an enziguri so Carter can take over on Fyre. A top rope double stomp to the back gives Chance two and an assisted splash gets the same. Fyre gets in a shot of her own though and Ruca comes in with a pretty awesome looking springboard splash for two. Everything breaks down and Chance hurricanranas Fyre into the steps. Carter superkicks Ruca back inside though and the 450/neckbreaker combination, retains the titles at 7:57.

Rating: C+. That splash looked awesome as Ruca continues to be one of the most athletic stars in all of NXT. Other than that, I’m not sure I get the point of Fyre making such a big deal out of fighting on her own and then Ruca just showing up as her partner. Fyre seems all but destined to join forces with Isla Dawn and while I don’t like the idea, I do like it better than Fyre and Ruca. On the other hand you have the champs, who are on some record setting reign despite being pretty much utterly forgettable most of the time. Granted that might be due to how worthless their titles are most are often than not.

Post match Fyre leaves and walks past Ruca, with Isla Dawn popping up to follow Fyre out. With that out of the way, Fallon Henley and Kiana James (Henley has thought about it and is in) pop up on the platform to say they’ll take the titles.

Wes Less comes up to see Dijak but won’t just hand over the North American Title. Lee feeds off of the fans and believes he can do anything, which Dijak has to respect. They’re on for Vengeance Day.

Cora Jade isn’t happy with Lyra Valkyria or the feature she has left in her locker.

Nikkita Lyons has been attacked in the parking lot.

Andre Chase isn’t happy with Duke Hudson, but Duke has gotten them into next week’s New Day Invitational for a possible Tag Team Title shot at Vengeance Day. Chase is happy.

And now, a summit between Jacy Jayne, Gigi Dolin and Roxanne Perez, the latter of whom gets an entrance. Jayne and Dolin argue over how much each of them carried the other as Perez can’t get in a word. Booker: “AWWW SHUCKY DUCKY QUACK QUACK!!!” Perez finally gets to talk, saying she’s enjoying watching the arguing. Dolin and Jayne get into it again before smiling at each other and double teaming Perez. The double chokeslam puts Perez through the table, leaving Toxic Attraction to hold up the title to end the show. I’m not sure I get Toxic Attraction’s logic here but we’re back to the original dynamic for the title match.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was kind of all over the place, but it did a lot of good for building up Vengeance Day, which is looking like a heck of a card. For once, the NXT Title match does feel slightly above the rest of the stories, but I’ll believe that is lasting when I see it. Other than that, there wasn’t much bad here, save for a few too many wacky tag partners. I want to see Vengeance Day a lot more than I did coming in though and that’s a major plus.

Results
Tiffany Stratton b. Indi Hartwell – Triple Jump moonsault
JD McDonagh b. Andre Chase – Devil Inside
Kiana James/Fallon Henley b. Ivy Nile/Tatum Paxley – Shining Wizard to Nile
Creed Brothers b. Drew Gulak/Hank Walker – Brutus Bomb to Walker
Elektra Lopez b. Wendy Choo – Right hand
Katana Chance/Kayden Carter b. Sol Ruca/Alba Fyre – Neckbreaker/450 splash combination to Ruca

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT LVL Up
Date: January 20, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Matt Camp

The big change this week is on commentary, as Sudu Shah is gone from the company, meaning we have a new team talking to us. That could be just about anyone, but what makes things worse is the fact that commentary changes are probably more interesting than whatever is going on with the show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Jakara Jackson

Lyons misses the early kick to the head and it’s a fast standoff. A armbar has Jackson down and Lyons rolls over into a front facelock. Back up and Lyons misses a running boot in the corner, allowing Jackson to hammer away. We hit the Fujiwara armbar and Lyons can’t quite power out. Finally she gets up and hits a sidewalk slam for the break. The strikes have Jackson in trouble, with a superkick into the splits splash being enough to give Lyons the pin at 5:10.

Rating: C. Lyons is someone who has hit a wall hard and I’m not sure what she can do to get around it. Maybe this is just a one off appearance on LVL Up for her, but she should probably be a star if someone will let her try. There is obvious skill there but it doesn’t matter if she isn’t being given much of a chance.

Damon Kemp is ready for Tank Ledger, but doesn’t seem overly interested.

Damon Kemp vs. Tank Ledger

Kemp takes him to the mat for a headlock before walking over Ledger’s back for the strut. Leger is annoyed but gets knocked into the corner to keep him in trouble. A neckbreaker and belly to belly give Kemp two and we hit the seated abdominal stretch. Ledger fights out and hits a fall away slam but a splash lands on raised knees. A Rock Bottom backbreaker gives Kemp the pin at 4:31.

Rating: C. I still like Kemp as the dangerous evil wrestling ace but that wasn’t quite what we were getting here. This was something close to a squash as Ledger never felt like anything resembling a threat. There is some potential with Ledger, but for the time being that is still a long way off.

Joe Gacy vs. Odyssey Jones

The rest of Schism is here too. Jones shoves the much smaller Gacy into the corner to start before cranking on the arm. The rolling splashes crush Gacy but Ava Raine grabs the leg, allowing Gacy to take out Jones’ knee. Jones fights up but get the knee taken out again to put him back down. The next comeback works a bit better as a World’s Strongest Slam crushes Gacy. The crushes Gacy is fine enough to hit Jones in the knee again and the handspring clothesline is good for the pin at 5:59.

Rating: C. This is more of what the show needs, at least for a main event: a match between two (slightly) stronger names where you could see an upset happening. LVL Up tends to run a bunch of matches featuring a name against an up and comer and there is no drama. Gacy winning here was the more logical way to go, but there was enough doubt to make it interesting.

Overall Rating: C. Oh this was LVL Up alright: a totally middle of the road show with nothing standing out and nothing that you needed to see, but also nothing that was so bad you would regret watching it. As usual though, they can fall back on the act that they are a thirty minute show that never overstays its welcome, meaning it isn’t even worth getting mad about most of the time. Just a breezy show that doesn’t hurt anything and gives you a taste of the future.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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