NXT
Date: November 28, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re in the final week of the Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches with Jerry Lawler as the guest picker this week. In addition to that, with about a week and a half to go before Deadline and the rest of the card could use some more firming up. That should come this week with the NXT Title match hopefully getting some extra attention. Let’s get to it.

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

Tag Team Titles: Tony D’Angelo/Stacks vs. Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza

D’Angelo and Stacks are defending and it’s a brawl in the aisle to start. We settle down with D’Angelo beating up Carrillo, including a belly to belly for two. Garza gets in a cheap shot though, allowing Carrillo to hit a springboard spinning kick to the head. A tackle gets D’Angelo out of trouble though and Stacks comes charging in, only to get caught in the wrong corner. Stacks fights out and hits an uppercut into a German suplex from D’Angelo. The PowerPlex is cut off though and a double slam off the top rope drops Stacks as we take a break.

Back with Stacks fighting out of trouble and handing it off to D’Angelo as everything breaks down. Everything breaks down and a spinebuster gives D’Angelo two on Carrillo. A distracted referee lets Garza hit Stacks low, setting up a Jay Driller for two, with the kickout hitting Garza low as well. D’Angelo comes back in with the Bada Bing Bada Boom to retain at 12:25.

Rating: B-. It’s nice to see the champs get a win, though Garza and Carrillo felt like they could have gotten the title shot at Deadline, or at least been more than challengers of the week. I’m not sure who is up next for the champs but they looked good enough here. The tag division has a lot of teams but I’m not sure how many of them I can imagine being serious threats to the belts right now.

Some wrestlers aren’t sure if Ilja Dragunov’s success equal up to all the things Baron Corbin has. Dragunov comes in and doesn’t seem to appreciate Nathan Frazer’s take on things. Dragunov knows how to fix this.

Jerry Lawler picks Eddy Thorpe vs. Bron Breakker and Kelani (which sounds like it was dubbed in) Jordan vs. Kiana James for Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches.

Video on Johnny Gargano.

Josh Briggs is fired up for the Iron Survivor Challenge but Lexis King comes in to take some credit for his success and, after slightly hitting on Fallon Henley, mocks Brooks Jensen. King vs. Jensen is set for later.

Nikkita Lyons is back in training and is here tonight.

Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match: Kiana James vs. Kelani Jordan

James stomps away in the corner to start but Jordan dropkicks her way out of trouble. A headlock slows James down on the mat until she grabs the hair to escape. They head outside where Jordan is dropped onto the announcers’ table and we take a break. Back with James snapping off a spinebuster but Jordan grabs a Playmaker for two. James hits a quick 401k….but Roxanne Perez pops in to ring the bell. That’s enough of a distraction for Jordan to knock James down and hit the split legged moonsault for the pin at 10:15.

Rating: C+. I’m still not entirely sure why James vs. Perez is continuing but that’s what we’re getting out of this one. Jordan continues to feel like a long term project for NXT and that is not a bad idea. She’s athletic and can do well enough in the ring but is lacking experience. Get that through to her and they could have something.

Video on Cameron Grimes.

The Alpha Academy isn’t happy with what happened in the Heritage Cup match last week and now they want revenge. That can come in a six person tag next week.

NXT Anonymous has released a video showing Lexis King following Trick Williams on the night of Williams’ attack. We don’t see King do anything physical though.

We get a press conference from Chase U, with Andre Chase talking about the ongoing investigation. There are allegations of gambling and misusing funds, leaving the university in debt. Chase says it’s all true and he’ll do whatever he can to get things back on track. He takes some questions but won’t say how much he owes. It’s all his fault and he’ll address the student body at the next assembly. Well that’s rather specific and again I’m not sure how smart it is to have Chase get in trouble when the team was as popular as they have been.

Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match: Eddy Thorpe vs. Bron Breakker

Thorpe has taped up ribs. Breakker slams him down to start and grabs a quick gator roll. Something like a powerslam puts Thorpe on the floor, where Breakker sends him into the barricade. A fireman’s carry gutbuster has Thorpe in more trouble and we take a break. Back with Thorpe slipping out of a torture rack and striking away but getting whipped hard into the corner. Thorpe fights back with some suplexes but Breakker spears him down for the pin at 10:13.

Rating: C+. It’s not much of a surprise that Breakker, one of the most successful stars in the history of NXT, was able to get into the big #1 contenders match. This was actually a bit better than I was expecting, as Breakker had a target with the ribs and focused on it. Sometimes it’s fine to go as basic as you can and that’s what they did here.

Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes are ready for revenge on Lexis King but Williams says they can wait for after the Iron Survivor Challenge.

The women’s locker room breaks into a fight over next week’s Last Chance matches to qualify for the Iron Survival Challenge.

Video on Bronson Reed.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Nathan Frazer

Non-title and Dragunov explodes on him to start. Frazer gets knocked hard into the corner to start before Dragunov grabs a waistlock. Frazer is back up with a hard shot of his own into a springboard missile dropkick to put Dragunov down for a change. The phoenix splash misses though and Dragunov hits a powerbomb into the H Bomb…but pulls up at two. Another H Bomb finishes Frazer at 5:26.

Rating: C+. That was a bit weird as Dragunov more or less squashed him. Frazer isn’t a major star but he’s big enough that he should be able to make Dragunov work a bit. That being said, it takes Dragunov look like more of a killer to run through Frazer like this so well done on boosting up the champion.

Post match Baron Corbin pops up on screen to mock Dragunov, who he will meet face to face next week.

Lyra Valkyira knows all of the challenges that could come out of the Iron Survivor Challenge. Fallon Henley pops in to say she’s going to win but someone (Tatum Paxley maybe?) appears from behind the curtains to say Valkyria would beat Henley anyway.

Karmen Petrovic talks about how martial arts teach you to trust your instincts. Her instincts tells her to beat up Arianna Grace.

Meta Four is in for the match with Alpha Academy.

Joe Gacy is underneath the ring because he’s beneath us and wants our attention.

Karmen Petrovic vs. Arianna Grace

Grace powers her into the corner to start and offers to let Petrovic kiss the ring. Petrovic is right back and offers to let Grace do the same. A rollup gives Petrovic two….but here is Joe Gacy from underneath the ring to steal the ring bell. We take a break and come back with Grace bouncing Petrovic’s head off the mat, setting up a chinlock. Petrovic fights up and grabs a choke but Grace goes to the eye. A fireman’s carry slam finishes Petrovic at 9:06 (without a bell because Gacy has to be a thing).

Rating: C. Grace needed to win here as she has been presented as someone who could become a player but hasn’t really gotten much momentum going yet. Beating Petrovic only has so much value but it’s better than not winning. I’m still not wild on Grace as the pageant queen as it isn’t a great idea, though it should do for now.

Gacy rings the bell in the crowd.

Wes Lee is ready for all of his opponents tonight because he needs to go to Deadline and get the North American Title back.

Brooks Jensen vs. Lexis King

Jensen starts fast with a rolling kick to the head and they’re already on the floor for a slugout. We take a break and come back with King hammering away as Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes watch in the back. Hayes goes to deal with something as King grabs the chinlock. Jensen powers him into the corner and grabs a suplex or the break. A missile dropkick gets two on King but here is Hayes to go after King. The distraction lets King grab the Coronation fr the pin at 8:13.

Rating: C. This felt like one of those random house show matches you get from time to time in NXT, as Jensen has had almost no singles success. What mattered here was getting King a win, as he seems to be ready to become something pretty big around here. They’re still polishing the details, but what matters here is getting him another win.

Video on the Iron Survivor Challenges.

Bronson Reed vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Wes Lee

If Lee wins, he gets a North American Title shot at Deadline (against Dominik Mysterio, on commentary) but if he doesn’t, he never gets another shot. Reed cleans house to start and we take a break less than a minute in. Back with Reed getting triple teamed out to the floor, followed by Grimes being sent outside as well.

Lee gets the better of things but Reed is back in to wreck them both. Grimes can’t sunset flip Reed but Gargano catapults Grimes head first into a low blow to put Reed down. Everyone is back up until Lee sends Reed outside. Gargano sends Grimes outside for a knockdown of his own and the fans approve.

The slingshot spear gets two on Grimes but Lee is back in to take over. Reed is back in as well and a Death Valley Driver gets two on Lee. Grimes’ high crossbody gets two on Reed, who is right back up to pick all three of them up for something like a triple Samoan drop (geez). The other three are able to powerbomb Reed out of the corner, leaving Grimes to grab his flipping powerslam for two on Lee.

The Gargano Escape goes on but Lee saves Grimes for a change. That doesn’t work for Reed, who buckle bombs Lee and backsplashes the other two. Reed takes Lee to the middle rope and gorilla presses him onto the other two. Cue Ivar to jump Reed though and they fight to the back, leaving the other three in the ring. Grimes hits the Cave In on Gargano but the Cardiac Kick gives Lee the pin at 17:19.

Rating: B+. Now this was more like it as they had almost nonstop action for a pretty long TV match. Reed came off like an absolute star here and they even had a logical and productive way to get rid of him. Lee winning is hardly a surprise but he feels like he earned the win. That should help him a lot on the way to Deadline, but he almost has to win there.

Roxanne Perez and Kiana James are brawling in the parking lot to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was another show that got things done and helped build up Deadline, plus some other things not for the show. The qualifying matches were to the point and the main event was very good. Throw in King and Dragunov both looking strong, plus Chase U’s story getting a pretty big step forward and this was another good show. That has been a theme for NXT as of late and I could go for a lot more of it.

Results
Tony D’Angelo/Stacks b. Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza – Bada Bing Bada Boom to Garza
Kelani Jordan b. Kiana James – Split legged moonsault
Bron Breakker b. Eddy Thorpe – Spear
Ilja Dragunov b. Nathan Frazer – H Bomb
Arianna Grace b. Karmen Petrovic – Fireman’s carry slam
Lexis King b Brooks Jensen – Coronation
Wes Lee b. Johnny Gargano, Bronson Reed and Cameron Grimes – Cardiac Kick to Grimes

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NXT LVL Up
Date: November 24, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Host: Blake Howard

It’s nice to see some changes around here as the show had been so dull for such a long time. The show isn’t that much better now, but at least it does feel a bit tighter and more entertaining in some ways. Granted I have no reason to believe that will last, but I’ll take what I can get. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

This week is especially different, as it’s a Best Of 2023 show.

Eddy Thorpe talks about his debut on LVL Up on February 17. He had been around for a few weeks and wanted to make an impact against someone he respected.

Dante Chen vs. Eddy Thorpe

The debuting Thorpe is better known as Karl Fredericks in New Japan. Chen’s headscissors doesn’t get him very far and we have an early standoff. A cradle gives Chen two and he takes Thorpe down into an armbar. Back up and Thorpe hits a quick spinning crossbody and grabs a seated abdominal stretch, followed by the standing version for a bonus. Chen fights out and hits a running kick to the face, only to get caught with a running boot to the face. An implant DDT gives Thorpe the pin at 4:29.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here but the important thing is that Thorpe won. Far too often, NXT will debut a new star on this show and then have them lose to the “star”. Chen is still the resident jobber around here and it makes all the sense in the world to have Thorpe, who might become something in NXT, beat him in his debut. At least they have something logical with this one so they got off on the right foot.

We look at Lola Vice winning the Women’s Breakout Tournament over Kelani Jordan.

Vice talks about being ready for Ivy Nile on April 28 and how she doesn’t need any of us.

Ivy Nile vs. Lola Vice

They fight over a rather aggressive lockup to start until Nile rides her to the mat. Vice is right back with a kick to the ribs, followed by a running hip attack in the corner. A double arm crank is broken up though and Nile kicks her down again. Nile grabs a gutwrench suplex and the Diamond Chain Lock knocks Vice out cold for the win at 4:18.

Rating: C+. Vice has all of the tools in the world to be something, including the charisma that makes her feel like a star. Throw in the MMA background and all of the potential is right there. On the other hand you have Nile, who still feels like she could be something in the division as soon as she is given the chance.

Kelani Jordan was excited for her debut match on May 12 against Wendy Choo….which she found out about when she was at her niece’s funeral. Well dang that makes things sad.

Wendy Choo vs. Kelani Jordan

They fight over a lockup to start with Jordan’s early wristlock not getting him very far. A headlock takeover has a bit more success but Choo reverses into a headscissors. Choo grabs a quick takedown for two, followed by doing it again for the same, which leaves Choo looking a bit surprised. A kick to the face and a running elbow drop gets two but Jordan fights up and elbows her down as well. Jordan’s springboard spinning crossbody connects for another near fall but Choo is back with the Snooze Button (full nelson slam) for the pin at 5:17.

Rating: C. Jordan didn’t do anything overly flashy here but she looked solid enough with the basics. You can see the athleticism and athletic background, which will be more than enough of a foundation to go somewhere. Choo still feels like she is finding her feet after returning, which is what a show like this can help her do.

Tavion Heights talks about throwing everything he had against Axiom on July 14.

Tavion Heights vs. Axiom

Heights wrestles him down but Axiom is fine enough to take over on the mat. A headscissors doesn’t last long on Heights and they’re back up for a standoff. Axiom grabs it again and holds Heights down a bit before kicking him in the head for two. Back up and Heights blasts him with a clothesline before a gutwrench suplex gets two.

The chinlock doesn’t last long as Axiom is back up and hits a dropkick for a breather. Heights can’t hit a German suplex so Axiom sends him outside for a big dive. Back in and Heights gets two off a doctor bomb but Axiom knees him in the head. The Golden Ratio finishes Heights at 7:05.

Rating: B-. This was a heck of a match, especially for around here, as Heights was looking like a power monster and Axiom was as smooth as ever. I was getting into this one and wondering who was going to win here. You don’t get to see something like that very often and it worked really well. Good main event.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure how much sense it makes to have a Best Of show for the night after Thanksgiving, but it’s not like this show has any real rules to follow. At the same time, it’s nice to show that some of these wrestlers have indeed moved up the charts a bit, which is the point around here. It’s not a great show or even a good one, but it was a nice change of pace for a one off.

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

The big story around here seems to be a still unspecified scandal at Chase U, which played a role in the team losing the Tag Team Titles last week. Other than that, we’re about two and a half weeks away from Deadline and two sets of Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches are still on the docket. Two of them go down tonight so let’s get to it.

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

NXT Heritage Cup: Chad Gable vs. Noam Dar

Dar is defending and all of the expected friends are here too. Round one begins with a feeling out process until Gable grabs the wristlock. They go to the mat with Gable grinding away on the arm before switching into a front facelock. A takedown gives Gable two and the ankle lock goes on. Dar grabs the rope and blocks a German suplex as the round ends.

Round two begins with Gable running him over and not liking Dar slapping him in the face. An annoyed Gable chops away and gets two off a release German suplex. An armbar over the ropes looks to set up rolling Chaos Theory but Oro Mensah gets in a cheap shot. The Nova Roller gives Dar the pin at 2:22 of the round and 5:57 overall.

Round three begins during a break and we come back with Gable catching him on top. A top rope superplex gives Gable two as the round ends. Round four begins with a strike off until Gable takes him down. A top rope headbutt (and a long one at that) gives Gable two but Dar kicks him down on the apron. Back in and a spinning elbow gives Dar two but he can’t get anywhere with a rear naked choke. They slug it out from their knees until the round ends.

Round five begins with Gable hitting a rolling Liger kick to the head, followed by rolling Chaos Theory to tie it up at 17 seconds of the round and 14:51. Round six (final round) begins…after a cheap shot from Dar between the rounds so Dar can hit a running elbow in the corner at the bell. Dar slugs away but the Nova Roller is countered into an ankle lock. That’s reversed into a rollup with tights for two so Gable is back with a DDT for two of his own. The ankle lock, with grapevine, goes on but time runs out for the draw at 18:30 total.

Rating: B-. Are you surprised Dar didn’t lose? You really shouldn’t be, as this is what happens in these matches. Dar gets in trouble, cheats, and escapes with the Cup. The Cup has had six holders over about three years and Dar has held it for well over half of that time. Heck he didn’t even lose the fall the last time he lost the Cup. Dar can be funny with his stuff and such but my goodness it’s ok to let something change for a bit.

Dar taps immediately after the bell but it’s still a draw. Otis beats up Oro Mensah and hits on Lash Legend, who looks close to being sick.

JBL picks his Iron Survivor Challenge matches: Carmelo Hayes vs. Josh Briggs and Blair Davenport vs. Thea Hail.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks go to dinner, with Stacks asking how bad it is for Chase U. D’Angelo doesn’t want to talk about it but the rest of the Family is there for a title celebration.

Trick Williams checks on Carmelo Hayes before his qualifying match. Hayes is ready and Williams will be in his corner, but Hayes asks to do this by himself. Cool with Williams as everything seems fine.

Women’s Title: Xia Li vs. Lyra Valkyria

Li is challenging…and jumps Valkyria in the entrance. No match.

Malik Blade/Edris Enofe vs. Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza

This was scheduled for later but was moved up due to the Li attack. Carrillo takes Enofe down to start but Blade comes in with a good looking dropkick. Garza gets knocked off the apron but Blade gets sent outside. A hard shot to the chest has Blade in trouble as Booker goes on a rant about getting titles.

The Gory Bomb/flipping cutter combination gets two on Blade, who comes back with some shots to the face. A DDT gets Blade out of trouble and there’s the tag off to Enofe as the fans don’t seem to care. Everything breaks down and Enofe misses a 450, allowing Carrillo to hit a powerbomb. A pop up kick to the ribs finishes Enofe at 5:32.

Rating: C+. The match had its moments with Enofe and Blade getting to show off their athleticism, plus Carrillo and Garza’s snappy double teaming. I can go for Garza and Carrillo getting into the title hunt as they’re a rather awesome team, but they need to string some wins together first. This was a good start, though I’m not sure how much value there is in beating Blade and Enofe.

Fallon Henley and Brooks Jensen fire up Josh Briggs but he’s ready to take this opportunity on his own.

Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match: Carmelo Hayes vs. Josh Briggs

Briggs tries to go with the power to start but gets dropkicked out to the floor. That works a bit better for Briggs, who hits a big boot but Hayes is right back with the Fade Away. The fans seem pleased with Hayes, only to have Briggs drop him with a right hand. Back in and Briggs works on the arm but Hayes low bridges him to the floor. Briggs sends him over the announcers’ table and we take a break.

Back with Briggs taking over again and hammering away before grabbing a chinlock. Hayes fights up and hits a springboard shot to the face but one heck of a chokeslam puts Hayes down. Commentary keeps playing up the idea of Briggs not being an experienced singles star as Hayes comes back. Cue Lexis King for a distraction though, allowing Briggs to drop Hayes again. A moonsault gives Briggs the big upset pin at 12:32.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t a great match but it told a nice story of Hayes being the more experienced singles star and Briggs using the straight power because he didn’t have the experience in singles matches. The King interference plays into the Hayes/Trick Williams deal as we have to be coming up on a twist. Odds are we get Hayes vs. King at Deadline, which should be a big step forward in whatever they’re doing, but for now we have a nice surprise win for Briggs.

Lyra Valkyria says the title match is still happening.

Von Wagner shows up at Mr. Stone’s house for dinner with some partially eaten brownies. They eat with Stone’s wife and kids, who eat rather quickly like Wagner. The sons look at Wagner’s scar, but it’s cool with him. We hear about bullies at their school and Wagner wants violence but Stone says we don’t do that. With the parents away, Wagner says write the bullies’ names down because Wagner has them. This was wacky shenanigans.

Here is Wes Lee for a chat. The people know who he is so he gets to the point: he wants one more shot at Dominik Mysterio and the North American Title at Deadline. Cue Mysterio (no Rhea Ripley) to list off Lee’s losses, which mean he shouldn’t get a title shot. Lee points out how many times Judgment Day has had to save Mysterio and says he’s willing to do anything to get the title back. Mysterio is interested, but Lee has to beat some former North American Champions. Lee is in, but Deadline is his last shot, assuming he gets there.

We recap the Chase U scandal, with Andre Chase breaking his silence next week.

Thea Hail is panicking because Andre Chase and Duke Hudson aren’t here. Jacy Jayne says she always has Hail’s back.

Josh Briggs is happy with his win when Tiffany Stratton comes in to congratulate him. With her gone, Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley come in, with Henley not being happy over Stratton being there.

Iron Survivor Qualifying Match: Thea Hail vs. Blair Davenport

Jacy Jayne is here with Hail as Davenport goes after the arm to start. Davenport runs her over for two and we’re off to the armbar. Hail fights up and strikes away but gets pulled into a Fujiwara armbar. That’s broken up and Jayne offers a distraction, allowing Hail to hit a fall away slam on the floor. Back in and Hail is distracted by the lack of support from the student section, which lets Davenport block a backsplash. A knee to the face finishes Hail at 4:08.

Rating: C. This was short and to the point as the Chase U ordeal continues to cause the team trouble. I’m almost scared of where this is going but Jayne and Hail seem like they could split off from Chase U without much trouble. Davenport going forward is fine, but at some point Hail needs to get a bigger win before she loses the steam that she has.

We get a video on Baron Corbin vs. Ilja Dragunov, highlighting their differences in training, style and philosophy on their way to the Deadline title match. Dragunov is alone in America as his family is in Russia, while Corbin has everything he could want. Playing up the contract is always a good angle to take and they’re doing a nice job setting this up.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Eddy Thorpe

Dempsey’s friends are here too. Dempsey takes him down without too much trouble and cockily stomps away. Thorpe’s comeback is cut off in short order and we hit the abdominal stretch to work on Thorpe’s ribs. With that broken up, Thorpe hits a running boot in the corner and Dempsey cranks on the arm…until Thorpe reverses into a cradle for the surprise pin at 3:59.

Rating: C. Pretty much a squash here until the fluke ending, which is a good thing as Thorpe has been needing a boost after some recent setbacks. Dempsey and company continue to be a fine midcard heel stable, but they aren’t going to matter much if they don’t win a bit here and there. For now though, Thorpe winning is a good way to go and maybe he can start going somewhere. As for Dempsey, at least commentary is making “Regal” references during his matches.

Post match Dempsey’s friends get in the ring to beat Thorpe down so posing can ensue.

Back at the dinner, Tony D’Angelo and Stacks are given envelopes of money, some of which are more successful than others. They go to leave, where Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza jump them and speed off.

Arianna Grace isn’t happy with Karmen Petrovic attacking her and hopes Petrovic can get some help.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Women’s Title: Lyra Valkyria vs. Xia Li

Valkyria is defending and is banged up after the attack earlier tonight. The fired up Valkyria goes right after Li to start but gets knocked into the corner for some choking. A running dropkick gets Valkyria out of trouble and Li is knocked outside. Back in and another kick drops Valkyria as we take a break.

We come back with Valkyria fighting out of a cravate but getting caught with a swinging neckbreaker for two. Li grabs a facelock but Valkyria fights up again to strike away. The spinning torture rack drop cuts Valkyria off for two more but she blocks a kick. A German suplex puts both of them down and we get a breather. Back up and Li’s spinning kick misses, allowing Valkyria to hit one of her own. A Samoan driver finishes for Valkyria at 9:40.

Rating: B-. It was a nice fight, but there was only so much you could do after Li had a heck of a match with Becky Lynch last night. They stacked the deck against Valkyria a bit here and it made things more interesting, but it was hard to buy Li as a real threat. The idea here seemed to be giving Valkyria a nice win and that’s not a bad thing.

Overall Rating: C+. I wasn’t overly interested in this show as it felt more like the show where things were set up for later rather than anything really happening here. It’s not a bad show and the action was fine, but this was definitely a week where you would be better off reading a recap than watching it live. Deadline is shaping up well enough, though they’ll need some more interesting shows on the way there.

Results
Noam Dar vs. Chad Gable went to a draw
Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza b. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe – Pop up kick to Blade’s ribs
Josh Briggs b. Carmelo Hayes – Moonsault
Blair Davenport b. Thea Hail – Knee to the face
Eddy Thorpe b. Charlie Dempsey – Rollup
Lyra Valkyria b. Xia Li – Samoan driver

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: November 17, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Vic Joseph

I’m starting to look forward to this show a bit more than I did before as WWE has started to get the formula down. They have been increasing the star power around here for a little while now and it has helped so much. Throw in some longer matches and the show is that much better. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dani Palmer vs. Tatum Paxley

Again there is actually a backstory here as Paxley walked out on Palmer during a tag match. Granted that was two months ago but I’ll take it over another cold match. Palmer grabs a cravate to start and Paxley can’t slam her way to freedom. Paxley gets sent to the apron, where she manages a knockdown and some stomping on the leg. Back in and Paxley kicks away at the leg in the corner, meaning Palmer’s comeback doesn’t last long. A leglock keeps Paxley in control but Palmer uses the good leg to kick her in the head. Palmer tries to go up but gets dragon screw legwhipped. The Psycho Trap finishes for Paxley at 5:32.

Rating: C+. This was better than I was expecting with Paxley picking Palmer apart before finishing her off. It made her seem like a near killer out there and that is not something she has shown in her previous matches. If she keeps this up, there might be a spot for her in the main women’s division, which Paxley hasn’t really approached before.

Tavion Heights is ready for Riley Osborne, who is a high flier who is coming down.

Tavion Heights vs. Riley Osborne

Heights takes him to the mat to start as commentary points out that neither of these two win very often. A waistlock has the smaller Osborne in trouble but he manages to flip over Heights….who knocks him outside. Back in and we hit the waistlock again, setting up a gutwrench suplex for two. A backdrop gives Heights two more and we hit the double arm crank. Osborne flips out of a torture rack though and hits a forearm to the back of the head. Osborne goes up and, after shoving Heights down, finishes with a shooting star press at 5:46.

Rating: C. Osborne has shown potential in some of his matches but as commentary was pointing out, he had to actually win something at some point. That’s what we covered here, as it might be a win over a fellow rookie but it’s better than nothing. It seems like NXT wants to do something with Osborne and not so great ring name aside, why not?

Overall Rating: C+. This was the shortest LVL Up yet and in this case that’s not a bad thing. The show doesn’t need to have anything special going on as it’s just the dark matches taped (as much of an oxymoron as that is) so less is more. The women had the better match here and it was probably Paxley’s best ever. Perfectly fine show here and being done in twenty minutes helps.

Results
Tatum Paxley b. Dani Palmer – Psycho Trap
Riley Osborne b. Tavion Heights – Shooting star press

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

We’re getting closer to Deadline and that means we have another week of Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying matches. In this case, Lita has chosen the matches which should make for some good showdowns. Other than that, Chase U is defending the Tag Team Titles against the D’Angelo Family again so let’s get to it.

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

Chase U arrives with Andre Chase acknowledging the scandal involving the school (with details we still don’t know). He is cooperating fully, but they have a title match.

Tag Team Titles: Chase U vs. Tony D’Angelo/Stacks

Chase U, with Jacy Jayne and Thea Hail is defending but the student section isn’t happy and Chase looks a bit disheveled. Stacks works on Chase’s arm to start until Chase rolls him up for two. Stacks’ rollup is countered into a cradle to give Chase two more as commentary talks about the student section not being interested. Hudson comes in and hammers away on D’Angelo before it’s back to Chase. Everything breaks down and the champs are sent outside for a big lip dive from Stacks as we take a break.

Back with Hudson hitting the release Rock Bottom out of the corner as we see some of the student section walking out. The fans chant WALK OUT as Chase comes back in to pick up the pace. Chase suplexes Stacks into D’Angelo in the corner and a high crossbody gets two. A middle rope elbow into a German suplex gives Stacks two more as more students walk out.

Everything breaks down again and Hudson gets sent knees first into the steps. A PowerPlex hits Chase, with Hudson diving back in for the save. Chase hits the Russian legsweep into the Spelling Stomps but the fans chant WALK OUT instead. That leaves D’Angelo to come back in for Bada Bing Bada Boom to get the titles back at 13:54.

Rating: B-. The match had good action, but the focus was more on the fans than anything else. I’m not wild on seeing Chase U go from chasing the big win for the better part of ever to losing the titles back three weeks later over what feels like it could be a rather dumb angle. The fans wanted to buy into Chase U and they got over despite how ridiculous the story was, but now it’s going in a completely different direction just a few weeks into their success? It’s still early in this part of the story, but I’m not feeling this so far.

Lita has picked her Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches for tonight: Roxanne Perez vs. Lash Legend and Trick Williams vs. Joe Coffey.

Dominik Mysterio runs into Baron Corbin in the back. They seem to get along with each other and like the idea of getting rid of Wes Lee.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions with the Alpha Academy as the guests and the rest of the Meta Four here as well. They talk about the Heritage Cup, with Chad Gable saying Noam Dar is lucky to still have it. Tozawa blames the loss on Meta Four but Lash Legend doesn’t want to hear it. Otis hits on Lash but Dar shuts that down as fast as possible. Dar is flustered and brags about his greatness, but Gable announces himself as the next Heritage Cup challenger.

Women’s Iron Survivor Qualifying Match: Lash Legend vs. Roxanne Perez

Meta Four is here too. Legend powers her down to start and Perez slugs away, setting up an armdrag out to the floor. Meta Four offers a distraction though and that’s good for an ejection. Perez’s right hands are countered into an over the shoulder backbreaker. Legend drives it into the corner but gets sent outside for a slingshot dive. Back in and a faceplant gives Perez two but cue Jakara Jackson. The distraction lets Kiana James come in to grab Perez so Legend can hit a pump kick. A chokebomb finishes for Legend at 5:05.

Rating: C. As usual, Legend does not feel like she is ready for this level but she’s tall and loud so she gets on television a lot. While I can’t imagine she gets the title shot, it means she’s going to get to talk more and that has rarely proven to be a good thing. Perez vs. James is apparently continuing despite Perez winning at Halloween Havoc, though James qualifying for the Iron Survivor Challenge might not be a sure thing.

A bunch of tag teams argue over who should get a title shot. Stacks and Tony D’Angelo come in to say it’s a celebration next week.

Xia Li has invited Lyra Valkyria to a Warrior Tea ceremony and yes she’s in. Given that we were told about this on Raw, it’s not the biggest surprise.

We go to the tea ceremony where Valkyria has to put the title on the table. Li talks about the meaning of a deep bow and how the tea leaves will tell what is coming. Valkyria isn’t impressed so Li will have to fight next week. That’s fine with Valkyria, who says may the strongest person win next week. Valkyria bows before leaving.

Carmelo Hayes, with Trick Williams, again says he isn’t the attacker and it’s all behind them. Hayes will be at ringside to deal with Gallus tonight.

Kiana James comes into the women’s locker room to give this big speech about how impressive she is. This turns into Gigi Dolin getting annoyed at Arianna grace and setting up a match between the two.

Bron Breakker doesn’t feel bad about what happened to Von Wagner but Dijak comes in to say Breakker can’t break him. Breakker tells him to stay out of his way or he will be begging for retribution. Burn?

Men’s Iron Survivor Qualifying Match: Joe Coffey vs. Trick Williams

Carmelo Hayes and Gallus are here too. They fight over a test of strength to start but neither can get very far. Back up and Trick jumps over him in the corner, setting up a slam to take over. A pop up uppercut sends Coffey outside and they’re right back in with Coffey grabbing an armbar. Williams fights up but gets clotheslined to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Coffey hitting a backbreaker but Williams scores with a jumping neckbreaker. They slug it out with Coffey getting the better of things and grabbing another armbar. That’s broken up as well and Williams hits a running clothesline into a Rock Bottom for two. Hayes cuts off a Gallus distraction but Williams is sent outside and taken out by a dive. Back in and Coffey gets two off a German suplex. Not that it matters as Williams is right back with a flash knee for the pin at 11:56.

Rating: B-. Coffey can be a useful mammal in a situation like this as he has enough of a reputation to put someone like Lee over. What matters here though is Williams getting a win, as he is in the middle of a big story and needs to be in an important match. For now, Williams and Hayes are ok, but I can’t imagine that lasts very long.

Wes Lee runs into Ilja Dragunov, who will be watching Lee vs. Baron Corbin tonight. Dragunov wants Lee to save him a piece, but Lee has other things on his mind besides getting the NXT Title.

Lexis King comes up to Baron Corbin, who is impressed by the attack on Trick Williams. King still won’t say how he did it, but he wishes Corbin luck.

Brawling Brutes vs. OTM

It’s a brawl to start with a quick standoff on the apron. OTM takes over on Butch and a rake to the eyes into a clothesline keeps him in trouble. Butch gets away and brings in Holland to pick up the pace. Holland’s swinging Rock Bottom gets two but it’s back to Butch, who is dropped onto Holland in a big crash. Holland is right back up to take over on Price, setting up an assisted DDT from Butch for the pin at 5:50.

Rating: C+. That’s how the match should have gone as the Brutes are the established team. OTM got in a bit of offense here and looked good enough in defeat. I’m sure their time will come, but they have some more effort to be built up. For now though, this is the right way for this match to go and they had a pretty nice fight.

Joe Gacy is on the roof, looking or water that doesn’t exist. No one knows who it is and maybe this is where he lets go but maybe it isn’t.

Gigi Dolin vs. Arianna Grace

Dolin grabs the arm to start before a backslide and small package get two each. Grace gets in a shot of her own though and we’re in the chinlock. With that broken up, Dolin hits a clothesline but get caught in a backslide…with the referee catching Grace’s feet on the ropes. That’s enough of a distraction for Dolin to kick her in the head and grab the abdominal stretch rollup for the pin at 3:47.

Rating: C. Neither of these two are exactly doing much at the moment but Grace is firmly in the “she’s not great but she’s annoying enough to feature” mold. That is a common place in NXT (see also Joe Gacy) and Grace seems to be the latest on the list. At the same time you have Dolin, who has all kinds of charisma but needs something more important to do.

We get a narrated video of Von Wagner vs. Bron Breakker.

Mr. Stone invites Wagner to his house for dinner. That’s cool Wagner, as long as there’s no asparagus.

Eddy Thorpe is back after a recharge and hopes to get a spot in an Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying match. Charlie Dempsey and company come in, with Dempsey threatening to stretch him.

Andre Chase has no comment on the scandal and leaves with Jacy Jayne to escape a bunch of reporters.

We go over the Iron Survivor Challenge, which is a weird five way Iron Man match with a penalty box.

Wes Lee vs. Baron Corbin

Lee strikes away to start but Corbin cuts him off with one right hand. Back up and Lee scores with some kicks to the head but they head to the floor, where Deep Six puts Lee down. We take a break and come back with Lee fighting out of a chinlock as commentary talks about Lexis King.

One heck of a clothesline cuts Lee off and Corbin hammers away on the mat. Corbin misses a charge into the post though and Lee strikes away, including a dropkick out to the floor. A 619 around the post sets up a dropkick for two but they trade kicks to the head for a double knockdown. Lee sends him outside again and dives….onto Dominik Mysterio. The distraction lets Corbin hit End Of Days for the pin at 10:30.

Rating: B-. These two had a nice power vs. speed match going and the screwy finish lets Corbin get closer to the likely NXT Title match at Deadline while keeping the returning Lee strong. That’s about all you could do here, as Lee is now pretty much an established name around here. I could see him going into the title picture himself sooner than later, but for now, it’s Corbin’s time.

Post match the beatdown is on until Ilja Dragunov runs in for the save. Corbin cuts him down with End Of Days and poses, but Dragunov issues the challenge for the title shot at Deadline.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling here wasn’t all that great but what mattered here was having Deadline getting a nice boost. We had some Iron Survivor Challenge spots taken up and the Deadline main event was set as well. The title change wasn’t quite my thing, though I’m more worried about where the story might be going. Not a great show, but an efficient enough one this week.

Results
Tony D’Angelo/Stacks b. Chase U – Bada Bing Bada Boom to Chase
Lash Legend b. Roxanne Perez – Chokebomb
Trick Williams b. Joe Coffey – Flash knee
Brawling Brutes b. OTM – Assisted DDT to Price
Gigi Dolin b. Arianna Grace – Abdominal stretch rollup

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NXT LVL Up
Date: November 10, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Vic Joseph

Last week saw the short form changes to the show seemingly get reversed as it was back to the usual three match format. That wasn’t overly interesting for months and it wasn’t again last week so hopefully things pick up this time. This show can be rather good and it would be nice to see it happen again. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Gigi Dolin vs. Stevie Turner

Oh yeah Turner is a thing and apparently she has been taunting Dolin online to set this up. Eh I’ll take it. Dolin grabs a headlock to start and hits a running dropkick to the back. Turner gets in a shot of her own and we hit the double arm crank. That’s broken up and Dolin strikes away, setting up a Bronco Buster. The Gigi Driver finishes at 4:47.

Rating: C. I guess Dolin counts as a bigger name around here, but I do like them doing even the tiniest something to set this up. Just hype the match up in the slightest bit or something as it shouldn’t be much to ask. For now though, it’s nice to have Turner back, as she’s something different, though she needs to be built up before having a chance in a match like this.

Tyson DuPont and Tyriek Igwe are ready to bring power against Gallus.

Tyson DuPont/Tyriek Igwe vs. Gallus

Joe Coffey is here with Gallus and there’s a story here as well, as Gallus refused to train with DuPont/Igwe. Mark headlocks DuPont to start but gets thrown down with straight power. Wolfgang comes in so Igwe elbows him in the face. A double elbow puts Mark on the floor and a splash hits Mark. A blind tag hands it back to Mark though and he low bridges DuPont to the floor.

Back in and an assisted splash hits DuPont, setting up Wolfgang’s chinlock. DuPont backdrops his way to freedom though and it’s back to Igwe to clean house. A spinebuster gets two on Wolfgang and everything breaks down. DuPont is knocked outside and a quick Gallow Gate finishes Igwe at 6:13.

Rating: C+. This was a pretty nice power match but the important thing is it felt like NXT was trying to do something with the rookies. At some point these new stars need to get a few victories, even moral victories, under their belt. They shouldn’t have beaten Gallus, but at least they did well in defeat.

Overall Rating: C+. They went with the short format again here and it really does make that much of a difference. I could go for more like this in the future, as it gives the show a better feeling and we get to see a bit more of a showcase for everyone involved. Nice show here, and hopefully DuPont and Igwe get another chance in the near future.

Results
Gigi Dolin b. Stevie Turner – Gigi Driver
Gallus b. Tyson DuPont/Tyriek Igwe – Gallow Gate to Igwe

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NXT LVL Up
Date: November 3, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re done with Halloween Havoc and this show has gotten a good bit more interesting in recent weeks. I’m not sure how interesting that really is, but it’s better than nothing and I’ll take anything I can get around here. For now, hopefully we get something even better this week, or at least some fresh names. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ivy Nile vs. Valentina Feroz

Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get very far. They wrestle to the mat with Feroz getting a fast one. Nile sends her flying but Feroz manages to snap off an armdrag. The short armscissors has Nile frustrated until she powers up and takes her into the corner for the break. Feroz is right back with a hammerlock before ramming the bad arm onto the apron. Nile is back up and runs her over for two but Feroz hits a running Meteora. Not that it matters as the Diamond Chain Lock finishes Feroz at 4:48.

Rating: C+. This is probably going to be one of if not the last Nile match around here and she went out with a pretty good one. The best thing here was that Nile had to work to win but then she just snapped on the Lock to wrap it up. That very well could be her calling card on the main roster and it’s nice to see her giving Feroz a boost on the way out.

Trey Bearhill is ready to run it back against Myles Borne. I have almost no memory of their first match so that might go rather well.

Trey Bearhill vs. Myles Borne

Borne’s friends are here too. Bearhill knocks him down without much trouble to start and begins dancing. The dancing is replaced by an armbar but Borne slugs his way to freedom. Borne grabs a chinlock with a knee in the back until Bearhill fights up with the chops. Damon Kemp offers a distraction though, allowing Borne to hit a dropkick for the pin at 3:49.

Rating: C. So I barely remembered Bearhill’s first match and I barely remember this one either. He feels like something that belongs on a low rent 90s indy show and it’s almost hard to fathom him being here now. It’s not terrible or even bad, but it’s really not working so well. On the other hand, Borne and his wrestling obsessed friends are a good idea, though they’re also kind of losers.

Dante Chen vs. Oro Mensah

This is described as a “big” main event as the commentators lie to us again. The women o Meta Four are here with Mensah. Mensah fights out of a wristlock to start but gets pulled down into an armbar. The armdrag into the armbar works so well that Chen does it a second time. Mensah seemingly gets frustrated by having his arm pulled and kicks Chen in the head to take over.

A legsweep lets Mensah hit a forearm to the head for two before he grabs a crossface chickenwing in the ropes. Chen fights out of a chinlock and starts kicking away, setting up a springboard clothesline. The double chop gets two but Lash Legend puts a boot on the rope….as Boa can be seen watching from the aisle. Mensah is back up with the running spinwheel kick in the corner for the pin at 7:41.

Rating: C. Well, that was certainly a match between these two and that is not the highest compliment. They’re not very interesting and it was a rough watch to see the two of them in there having the same boring match I’ve seen them have over and over. Throw in Boa and it’s somehow even less interesting.

Boa helps Chen out of the ring to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The opener was pretty good but it was a rough watch otherwise, with a pair of mediocre (at best) matches to wrap it up. The not so interesting stars were back in full force here as this felt like they snapped back from the change of pace over the last few weeks. Hopefully that changes again, but this show hasn’t given me much of a reason to believe that will be happening.

Results
Ivy Nile b. Valentina Feroz – Diamond Chain Lock
Myles Borne b. Trey Bearhill – Dropkick
Oro Mensah b. Dante Chen – Running spinwheel kick in the corner

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

We’re done with Halloween Havoc and now it is time to start getting ready for Deadline. That will be the case this week, as a group of legends will begin considering the participants in the qualifying matches for the Iron Survival Challenge. Other than that, we have the Von Wagner vs. Bron Breakker showdown. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week.

Heritage Cup: Akira Tozawa vs. Noam Dar

Tozawa, with the rest of the Alpha Academy (to counter Dar’s Meta Four), is challenging. Round one begins with Tozawa grabbing the wrist but getting caught in a front facelock. Dar rolls Tozawa up for two and kicks away but Tozawa fires up and kicks him in the head. The Meta Four offer a distraction though and Dar hits a superplex but can’t cover in time. Round two begins with Tozawa striking away but he misses a kick. That’s enough for Dar to grab a rollup and go up 1-0 at 30 seconds of the round and 4:02 overall.

Dar gets in a cheap shot between rounds and we take a break. Back with Round three ending after the time runs out but Dar elbows him in the head a few times after the bell. Round four begins with Dar hitting a running shot to the head for two but Tozawa escapes the ankle lock.

They go outside for a bit and come back in with Tozawa grabbing the ankle lock for the tap to tie it up at 1:39 of the round and 10:18 overall. Round five starts with Tozawa hitting some Helluva Kicks and something close to an angle slam for two. Tozawa blocks a kneebar and hits a German suplex but Lash Legend pulls Dar away from the top rope backsplash. The Nova Roller retains the title at 2:22 of the round and 13:14 overall.

Rating: C+. I for one am shocked that Dar retained the Cup 2-1 as it’s not like he has ever done that before in the history of his reign. I’m incredibly tired of this whole thing as it has been done to death and even when Dar lost the Cup, he got it back due to reasons of pathetic. They’ve covered just about everything they can with this stuff and it would be nice to see them move on already.

Post match Oro Mensah goes after Tozawa but the Alpha Academy makes the save.

Shawn Michaels has allowed Mick Foley to pick some Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches. Therefore tonight it’s Fallon Henley vs. Tiffany Stratton and Dijak vs. Tyler Bate.

Lola Vice brags about her win last week but Kelani Jordan says Elektra Lopez plays a big role. Other women argue until Roxanne Perez comes in for the Spanish argument. This was the latest edition of “women who can’t act recite lines that no human would ever use”.

Here is Lyra Valkyria for her first comments as Women’s Champion. She says people will tell you to never meet your heroes but those people have never met Becky Lynch. A lot of people want the title but here is Xia Li from Raw to interrupt. She reminds Valkyria what happened to Becky last night on Raw, so Valkyria says bring it.

Tyler Bate is ready for Dijak.

Fallon Henley is ready for Tiffany Stratton and she’ll do it on her own.

The Alpha Academy will be back next week to be on Supernova Sessions when Drew Gulak and company come in. Insults are exchanged, with Otis telling Gulak to stretch this. The result is Gulak vs. Otis tonight.

A referee says Shawn Michaels has ordered him that there will be a winner between Von Wagner and Bron Breakker tonight.

Iron Survivor Challenge: Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley

They fight over a lockup to start with Henley pulling her away from the ropes for a crash. A half crab sends Henley bailing to the ropes before she goes up top. Henley superplexes her right back down for two and the half crab goes on again. That’s broken up again so Henley hits her in the face as we take a break.

Back with Henley kicking her in the head for two but Stratton picks her up for a LAUNCH through the ropes. They get back in with a sitout spinebuster giving Stratton two, followed by a nasty looking leg crank. Henley gets dropped in the corner but the Prettiest Moonsault Ever misses. Stratton kicks her into the buckle though and a chop block sets up the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the pin at 10:28.

Rating: C+. I like Henley a good bit but it wasn’t her place to win here. Stratton is a far bigger star and it makes a lot more sense to put her forward into the big Deadline match. That match is going to need a big lineup and Stratton being in it makes sense. That being said, I could go for more of Henley as she has a certain spark to her that would work quite well.

The dancing Wes Lee is back and has a list of things to accomplish, but here is Baron Corbin to interrupt. Corbin mocks Lee, who says Ilja Dragunov is going to beat Corbin up.

Bron Breakker says Von Wagner needs to be worried.

Dijak is ready for Tyler Bate.

Von Wagner vs. Bron Breakker

Mr. Stone is here with Wagner. The fight is on fast with Wagner slugging away and kicking him down on the floor. Back in and Wagner hammers away until Breakker knocks him away. The beating is on and Breakker grabs the Recliner, only to have Wagner drive him into the corner for the escape. A big boot gives Wagner two and it’s time to load up the announcers’ table. Breakker is back with a low blow though and it’s time to go after Stone. Wagner makes the save but gets taken down. The spear finishes Wagner at 5:28.

Rating: C. They did the right thing here by having it be a fight instead of a match as this is a personal feud. It was also right for Breakker to go over, as not only is he a bigger star than Wagner but he’s coming in at full strength. Not much of a match, but they beat each other up, as they should have done.

Post match Stone comes in with a chair shot to Breakker and the fans know pain is coming. Wagner makes the save and powerbombs Breakker through the announcers’ table.

Carmelo Hayes looks back at Trick Williams’ return last week but once again denies being the attacker. Williams wants answers tonight and Hayes will give them to him.

The Brawling Brutes walk the streets and say they grew up here, just like OTM. They’ll fight next week.

Elektra Lopez/Lola Vice vs. Roxanne Perez/Kelani Jordan

Hold on as here is Arianna Grace to say she wishes everyone luck. Lopez takes Perez down and grabs a quickly broken cross armbreaker. Jordan comes in to dropkick Lopez but a running hip attack in the corner cuts that off fast. A crossbody gets Jordan out of trouble and it’s back to Perez to pick up the pace. The villains come in for stereo hip attacks to the head but Perez is right back up. Jordan gets to come back in and clean house with Perez hitting Pop Rox on Lopez. With Perez taking Vice out on the floor, Jordan hits the split legged moonsault for the pin at 4:39.

Rating: C. This match had a fast pace but they didn’t exactly have much of a flow going on. It was a string of people being knocked down and getting right back up to do something else. Jordan gets the win to save some face as she seems to be moving up the ladder rather quickly around here. I could go for Perez having a more important feud though, as she hasn’t been doing anything significant as of late.

Post match Grace tries to announce the winners but gets jumped from behind by Karmen Petrovic.

Joe Gacy talks about anger issues.

Ilja Dragunov talks about how hard it was to beat Carmelo Hayes last week but now he’s waiting for Baron Corbin.

Corbin is watching in the back and mocks Dragunov, plus some tag teams who don’t think much of him.

Otis vs. Drew Gulak

All of their friends are here too. Otis shakes his way out of a headlock to start and powers Gulak into the corner. A missed charge sends Otis into the post though and Gulak grabs a triangle choke back inside. The powerbomb escape lets Otis escape with a powerbomb and a hard belly to back suplex drops Gulak again. Some spinning back elbows set up the Caterpillar and a jackknife finishes Gulak at 4:25.

Rating: C. This was little more than a “hey here’s a fan favorite in a short match” match and that’s perfectly fine. Otis has gotten over with his weird antics and he beat up someone who doesn’t do much around here. There is a good chance that we’ll see more from these guys and their friends and that might not be a bad idea.

Tiffany Stratton and Kiana James don’t like Roxanne Perez or Fallon Henley but they both know who is winning Iron Survivor.

Jacy Jayne is at Chase U when some mafia looking people bring in a letter for Andre Chase. With the mafia gone, Jayne opens it and sees something shocking but Chase comes in to take it away. Duke Hudson and Thea Hail come in but Jayne and Chase don’t say anything about what just happened.

Chase dismisses class (because this happened in front of a class) and after everyone leaves, he opens the letter and looks worried. So does the Family own the school or something? Vic: “Sounds like we may have a rematch next week for the tag team gold.” 1. How did he get that out of what we saw? 2. Hudson already said they Tony D’Angelo/Stacks would get a rematch.

Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match: Tyler Bate vs. Dijak

Bate goes right after him to start but Dijak nails a right hand. Some boots to the face (as in Bate grabs his own boot and swings it into Dijak’s head) stagger Dijak and Bate sends him to the floor for the big dive. Not that it matters as Dijak swings him over the barricade and we take a break.

Back with Bate hitting something like a fisherman’s superplex but walking into High Justice for two. Bate is fine enough to hit the airplane spin for two and they trade shots to the face. The rebound clothesline gives Bate two but Dijak launches him with a release suplex. Dijak goes up but gets flipped backwards…and sticks the landing, setting up the cyclone boot for two. Neither finisher can connect so Bate goes up, only to dive into Feast Your Eyes for the pin at 9:45.

Rating: B-. Match of the night here and that shouldn’t be a surprise. I like Dijak going over in something of a surprise, though again it wouldn’t shock me to see Bate finding a way into the match. For now though, you had Dijak’s pure power against Bate’s variety of stuff and it made for a good fight. They were laying it in near the end and that made things all the better.

The other legends who will make qualifying match picks: Lita, JBL and Jerry Lawler.

Here is Carmelo Hayes, who asks Trick Williams to come out here and talk about what is happening between them. Williams comes out and Hayes says that he understands what Williams is going through. Hayes talks about their history and says there is no him without Williams, who cuts him off. Williams says he did everything to make Hayes a star, with Hayes saying it worked.

That’s true, but Hayes was the only one winning. Where was Hayes when it was Williams’ turn to win? Williams seems to ask him about the attack but Hayes cuts him off and talks about how much he has praised Williams over the years. That sends Williams into a bit of a rant about Hayes not being there when Williams needs him. Williams didn’t see who attacked him but all he knows is he didn’t get his shot at the NXT Title.

Hayes is stuck on Williams not seeing who did it, so Williams flat out asks if Hayes did it. Hayes asks if Williams wants the truth….but here is Lexis King to interrupt. Williams and Hayes tell him to mind his own business, though King says it seems we know who did it. It might be someone else trying to make his name though, and King wants Williams to say what everyone else is thinking. Williams swings at King but hits Hayes by mistake. Vic: “He was aiming for King….wasn’t he?” Williams hugs Hayes, who doesn’t look happy to end the show. That added something, though I’m not sure how interested people are in King.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a bit of a mixed bag, as the wrestling wasn’t the best, but they covered quite a bit of stuff. We had a title match, a grudge match and some qualifying matches, all with the big Hayes/Williams deal at the end. It might not be the most important edition, but I want to see where these things go and that is a good sign on the way to Deadline.

Results
Noam Dar b. Akira Tozawa 2-1
Tiffany Stratton b. Fallon Henley – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Bron Breakker b. Von Wagner – Spear
Roxanne Perez/Kelani Jordan b. Elektra Lopez/Lola Vice – Split legged moonsault to Lopez
Otis b. Drew Gulak – Jackknife powerbomb
Dijak b. Tyler Bate – Feast Your Eyes

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NXT LVL Up
Date: October 27, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

I’ve been digging the recent changes to the show as they have been running two matches, allowing for a bit more time. That helps a good bit as the matches could use the extra quality. It also helps to have some slightly bigger names around here and hopefully that continues this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jacy Jayne vs. Izzi Dame

Thea Hail is here with Jayne, who sends her into the corner to start. Dame tries to fight back but gets pulled down by the hair, giving us a crotch chop from Jayne. Back up and Dame gets in a hot shot into a big boot for two. The neck crank goes on and the fans are already wanting Jayne to get up. They get what they want as Jayne sends her into the buckle for two but gets caught with a basement dropkick for two. Dame grabs a cravate but Jayne is right back up with a discus lariat for the pin at 5:07.

Rating: C. Jayne is really clicking into this new role as the still slightly bad heroine and that is something that could work well for her. She has been looking for something new since Toxic Attraction split up and maybe this is it. If nothing else, at least Chase U seems to be having some success and if Jayne’s turn is how they get there, so be it.

We look at Axiom beating Riley Osborne in a heck of a match two weeks ago.

Osborne is ready to run it back and hopes the outcome is different.

Axiom vs. Riley Osborne

They fight over wrist control to start and trade some spins to escape. Axiom gets him to the mat and cranks on the arms but can’t keep the shoulders down for two. Osbourne flips over but he gets knocked to the apron, only to come back with a slingshot shoulder. Back in and Axiom takes him down, setting up a half and half suplex.

A running kick to the chest gets two and Axiom powerbombs him out of the corner for two more. They go outside with Osborne bouncing off of the announcers’ table, only to run Axiom over for two back inside. Axiom catches him on top though and it’s a super Spanish Fly into the Golden Ratio for the pin at 7:45.

Rating: B-. This was another good match between the two as they do have chemistry and Osborne has gotten a lot of mileage out of the two match series. It wasn’t quite as good as the first one though, which might be due to the expectations. That being said, it’s something close to continuity around here and that is nice to see.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show better be careful or it is going to become worth something. They had a bit of continuity and the first match had a somewhat bigger name involved. That’s something I have been waiting on for well over a year now and it is great to see something, even the slightest bit of something, starting to develop around here. Nice show, and keep this kind of thing going.

Results
Jacy Jayne b. Izzi Dame – Discus lariat
Axiom b. Riley Osborne – Golden Ratio

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

It’s week two of Halloween Havoc and this time it’s actually Halloween night. The main event this week will see Carmelo Hayes getting a rematch against Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Title. Other than that, we’ll probably hear from Chase U following their title win last week. Let’s get to it.

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

Scarlett and Shotzi, dressed as Ghostbusters and getting out of ECTO-1, arrive because they got called about a job.

Opening recap, complete with clips of last week’s opening live performance of Vampyre by New Year’s Day. Some previews for tonight are included too.

Creed Brothers vs. Angel Garza/Humberto Carrillo

Tables, Ladders and Scares match, meaning a TLC match but with pins. Julius starts fast by putting Garza through Carrillo through a table on the floor before crushing both of them with a ladder. Another pair of tables is set up at ringside but Garza gets in a cheap shot on Brutus to break up Julius’ superplex. Instead it’s Julius being sent onto a bridged ladder inside. A Blockbuster/Gory Bomb combination sends Brutus through a table at ringside and we take a break.

Back with Carrillo hitting a springboard spinning kick to send a chair into Brutus’ face. Garza hits a missile dropkick to knock Brutus out of a chair and then powerbombs Julius into a ladder in the corner. Julius’ back looks AWFUL as Brutus puts the ladder around his head for the Terry Funk spinning spot. Back up and Julius makes the save on the floor and it’s time to load up another pair of tables inside. Garza is knocked to the floor and the Brutus Ball through the tables finishes Carrillo at 14:02.

Rating: B. They had some time here and beat the fire out of each other, which is what a match like this is supposed to be. The Creeds are pretty clearly main roster bound and if this wasn’t their last match, it’s probably one of them. They’ve done everything they can do in NXT and if this was their swan song, they went out with a heck of a fight.

Shotzi (a clown) and Scarlett (as Scarlett) mess with a Ouija board but Ivy Nile and Alba Fyre come in to show them how it’s done.

Tiffany Stratton is NOT happy with Fallon Henley impersonating her last week.

Joe Gacy (now that is scary) talks about seeing horrors and the pain and suffering he had to go through to get here. Everyone stabbed him with his judgmental eyes, but he wonders if he is the problem. Yes.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley

Stratton jumps her before the bell and wreck’s Henley’s knee. No match.

The Meta Four (dressed as the Scooby Doo gang) go to a haunted house to find the Heritage Cup. They hear Japanese and Noam Dar shouts that he wants his Cup back from Akira Tozawa. Various monsters scare them off and more on this later.

North American Title: Nathan Frazer vs. Dominik Mysterio

Mysterio (an inmate), with Rhea Ripley (a prison guard, Cobb County, Georgia residency status unclear), is defending. Feeling out process to start until Frazer snaps off some armdrags into a dropkick to the floor. Back in and Frazer sends him to the floor again and we take an early break.

We come back with Dominik hitting some Amigos but Frazer double legs him down to hammer away. Ripley offers a distraction so Dominik can send him outside, only for Frazer to jump back in for a dive. Back in and Frazer superplexes him into a twisting suplex for two. Dominik dropkicks him into the rope but the 619 is cut off with a superkick. Frazer goes up and gets shoved hard into the announcers’ table. The frog splash retains the title at 10:27.

Rating: B-. It’s still hard to fathom that Mysterio is rather good at what he does these days. He and Ripley are still one of the most over acts in the company but it isn’t just because of Ripley anymore. Mysterio can more than hang in the ring and he showed that here, wrestling a completely good match and finishing Frazer without a ton of help. Nice stuff here.

Post match Wes Lee runs in to go after Dominik and hold up the title.

Jacy Jayne congratulates Andre Chase on the title win. Chase says they won fair and square last week but Jayne doesn’t seem to buy it. Jayne and Thea Hail leave when Tony D’Angelo and Stacks come in. Chase calls D’Angelo sir and he says Chase U owes them. Hudson says of course they’ll get a rematch but D’Angelo says “yeah, that too.” Chase again looks a bit shaken.

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, now as Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, talk about who is the most cursed.

Back to the haunted house where the split up Meta Four gets scared by a variety of scary things. Oro Mensah, as Shaggy, runs into Akira Tozawa and gets beaten up. Lash Legend (Velma) beats up one of the monsters but gets kidnapped by another. More on this later.

Mr. Stone vs. Bron Breakker

Stone is fighting for his injured friend/client Von Wagner and starts by running away. The chase on the floor results in Breakker running him over and there’s a suplex to make it worse. The spear finishes Stone at 2:36. That’s all it should have been.

Post match Breakker loads up the steps (how he hurt Wagner) but cue Wagner for the save. A chokeslam onto the steps leaves Breakker laying but he avoids being crushed with the steps.

We look back at Lyra Valkyria beating Becky Lynch to win the Women’s Title last week (as narrated by what sounds like Finn Balor). Valkyria has been on a media tour in Ireland to celebrate her victory.

OTM (Reggie/Scrypts and Lucien Price and Bronco Nima) talks about the rough way they grew up and now they’re someone.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Thea Hail/Jacy Jayne vs. Piper Niven/Chelsea Green

Hail and Jayne, with the rest of Chase U, are challenging. The brawl starts on the floor before the bell until it’s Hail armdragging Green into the corner to start. Hail gets knocked outside but runs back in for a dive. The champs are down on the floor and we take a break. Back with Hail fighting out of Niven’s chinlock and avoiding a Cannonball in the corner.

Hail grabs a Kimura on Niven, who seems more annoyed than anything else. A tornado DDT plants Niven and a crawl between Green’s legs is enough for the tag back to Jayne. Green gets planted with a spinebuster but Niven makes the save. Chase goes to hype up the student section so Jayne goes for a belt…but Chase won’t let her. The distraction lets Green hit Unpretty-Her to retain at 9:00.

Rating: C. It’s nice to see the champs actually win something and the ending keeps the Chase U issues going. With Chase wanting to go one way and Jayne, arguably the source of their success, wanting to go the other, there is a setup for something down the line. That being said, Green and Niven continue to get better in the ring and they’re gelling as a team rather well all things considered.

As the champs leave, Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn make the Wheel spin, but we don’t see where it lands.

Lexis King is pleased with his performances and likes the buzz around his name around here. You should see what he’s doing next, or better yet, what he’s already done. King hits on McKenzie Mitchell a bit but she leaves. This was more charisma than he showed in his entire AEW run.

Women’s Breakout Tournament Final: Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice

Vice has Elektra Lopez with her. Jordan spins over into a backslide to start but Vice swats away a dropkick and fires off some kicks. We take a break and come back with Vice fighting out of trouble and hitting….I think an elbow to the face. MVP’s Playmaker connects but Lopez’s distraction causes Jordan to miss a moonsault. Vice’s spinning kick to the head is good for the win at 6:59.

Rating: C. That’s about as good as you’re going to get with two still fairly new stars and seven minutes including a commercial break. Vice felt like a star from the second she debuted and giving her the win here is the logical choice to make. Jordan did well in the tournament and got a lot out of it, but this was Vice’s to win and that was the case from the start.

Back to the haunted house where Noam Dar finds the Heritage Cup, which he kisses. Then a bunch of the scary things surround him and Akira Tozawa comes in to steal the cup. Tozawa wants a title shot and Dar is scared into agreeing.

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn talk about how Shotzi and Scarlett have fixed the other realm but here are Von Wagner and Mr. Stone. The former wants Bron Breakker next week but Stone says it’s too soon. Wagner’s head starts hurting, though he still wants the match.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

NXT Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov

Hayes is challenging. They miss kicks to the head to start and go with the forearm exchange instead. A double knockdown sends us to an early break and we come back with Dragunov chopping away, including at the knee of all things. Dragunov cuts him off with a hard clothesline for two and they both need a breather. Hayes is back up with a spinning faceplant for two of his own, setting up one heck of a frog splash for two.

Quite the DDT plants Dragunov again but he’s up with a clothesline and something like a spinebuster for his own near fall. Hayes hits a hard clothesline but can’t put Dragunov down, allowing Dragunov to hit a quick H Bomb for two. Back up and they crash out to the floor for a nasty landing but Dragunov gets to scream.

Dragunov gets the better of things and hits an H Bomb through the announcers’ table but they both make it back inside. The springboard Codebreaker is blocked so Hayes sends him into the buckle. Dragunov is back with another H Bomb for two but the super H Bomb is countered into the Codebreaker. Nothing But Net is loaded up….but here is an angry looking Trick Williams. The distraction lets Dragunov hit a superplex into Torpedo Moscow to retain at 16:30.

Rating: B. These guys have good matches but they don’t quite hit that super high level. That was the situation again here in the trilogy match, which hopefully is the last we see from these two for a bit. Hayes seems ready to move on to Williams and I’m sure Dragunov will get Baron Corbin or someone else at Deadline when there is a concept match to focus on. For now though, it was a good main event for a TV special, but not a must see classic.

Post match Dragunov leaves so Williams gets in the ring and glares down at Hayes. Williams picks him up…and we cut to the back where Baron Corbin has attacked Dragunov to end the show. Williams didn’t say anything so there’s your cliffhanger.

Overall Rating: B. This was another strong show from NXT with a string of good matches and the worst ones being completely watchable. The ending keeps us going on the way to Deadline in about five weeks so they’ve worried about the future as well. In other words, NXT continues its roll, as they’ve figured out how to make this show entertaining and keep the ball moving.

Results
Creed Brothers b. Angel Garza/Humberto Carrillo – Brutus Ball through two tables to Carrillo
Dominik Mysterio b. Nathan Frazer – Frog splash
Bron Breakker b. Mr. Stone – Spear
Chelsea Green/Piper Niven b. Jacy Jayne/Thea Hail – Unpretty-Her to Jayne
Lola Vice b. Kelani Jordan – Spinning kick to the head

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.