NXT LVL Up
Date: June 14, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re done with Battleground and that means absolutely nothing when it comes to this show. NXT is starting to do some interesting things but LVL Up continues to chug along with its usual middle of the show shows and I have no reason to believe that is going to change this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

D’Angelo Family vs. Shiloh Hill/Jasper Troy

Riz is here with the Family. The rather large Troy throws Stacks around to start so it’s off to Crusifino to grab an armbar on Hill. Crusifino cranks on the arm before dropping him ribs first across the top. Hill fights up and grabs a headlock of all things before Stacks comes in with a middle rope shoulder.

Everything breaks down and a double dropkick hits Troy. Stacks tries a rollup on Hill but Troy comes in off a blind tag and hits a big side slam. A splash in the corner crushes Stacks and Troy shoves him into another corner. Hill’s belly to back suplex drops Stacks again but he gets over to Crusifino for the rather necessary tag. Everything breaks down again and a Shatter Machine finishes Hill at 5:53.

Rating: C. The match saw the Family having to fight back against a new power team but you could see that Hill and Troy are still learning. They didn’t look overly confident at times and made some odd decisions. The potential is there, but if they are this new into their careers, things could be far worse.

Kendal Grey is ready for Izzi Dame because it’s a great opportunity.

Kendal Grey vs. Izzi Dame

Dame powers her into the corner to start but Grey is back with a fireman’s carry into an armbar. Back up and the much bigger Dame sends her hard into the corner before starting in on Grey’s arm to even up the limb damage. Dame sends her hard over the corner and out to the floor, followed by a seated armbar back inside. Back up and Dame tries a backdrop but Grey reverses into a backslide for the fluke pin at 4:21.

Rating: C. Sure why not. Grey is one of the many new women around here who have little to make them stand out so maybe this can help her a bit. At the end of the day, it is hard to find something that makes them feel unique and giving someone a win might be the kind of a boost that she needs. Or it means nothing whatsoever because this is LVL Up.

Post match (yes there is a post match) Dame jumps her but Carlee Bright makes the save.

Andre Chase vs. Lucien Price

Ridge Holland and Bronco Nima are here too. Chase strikes away at the legs to start but the much bigger Price (in his first ever singles match) runs him over. Back up and Chase kicks him out of the corner, setting up a middle rope hurricanrana to the floor. There’s the big flip dive from the apron but Chase has to hold Holland back.

That lets Price drop him back first onto the apron and a backbreaker keeps Chase in trouble back inside. A release Rock Bottom plants Chase and Price hits a rather hard clothesline in the corner. Chase fights out of a chinlock and strikes away, setting up the Russian legsweep and the spelling stomps. Back up and Chase runs into a nice superkick for two but Price misses a charge into the post. A high crossbody finishes for Chase at 5:48.

Rating: B-. I liked this one more than I was expecting as Chase doesn’t get to have many singles matches. The thing that continues to amaze me is how far he has taken what should have been a rather silly, short term gimmick. Price looked good as a powerhouse show got outsmarted by the intelligent veteran and it worked well on both sides.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was one of the better that they have presented in a good while around here, with Chase and Price having a solid mach (at least for around here) and what could be at least a small angle after the women’s match. I had a nice time with this and it’s nice to have this be something other than filler for once.

Results
D’Angelo Family b. Shiloh Hill/Jasper Troy – Shatter Machine to Hill
Kendal Grey b. Izzi Dame – Backslide
Andre Chase b. Lucien Price – High crossbody

 

 

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NXT LVL Up
Date: May 17, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

We’re back in Orlando and things have actually been getting a bit more interesting around here. There have been a few bigger names around here in recent weeks and that has helped quite a bit. However, this is a bit different than most weeks as it is part of a double taping, meaning a shorter show. Let’s get to it.

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

Tavion Heights vs. Jasper Troy

Troy is 6’8 and 340lbs so we have a new big man. Heights gets caught in an early front facelock before going to an armbar to slow Troy down. Back up and Troy just runs him over with a shoulder but charges into a shot to the face. A big side slam plants Heights again and we hit the chinlock. Heights fights up and hits an overhead belly to belly but Troy powerslams him right back down. Not that it matters as Heights is back up with the spinning belly to belly for the pin at 5:16.

Rating: C. This worked fairly well as a big debut for Troy, who wrestled a nice enough big man match. He wrestles a bit slowly, but that can work for someone his size. Heights is still someone who feels like a project around here and his belly to belly is becoming a nice enough finisher. Not a great match, but they both looked decent.

Brinley Reece and the debuting Layla Diggs are rather positive.

Brinley Reece/Layla Diggs vs. Carlee Bright/Kendal Grey

This is Diggs’, a former track star, in-ring debut. Grey and Diggs start things off with Diggs taking her down into a headscissors. Grey gets her over to the corner for the tag to Bright, who spins around a lot. Diggs drops down into the splits and pulls her into a front facelock, allowing the tag off to Reece. Bright tries to crawl to the corner so Reece grabs her by the legs and swings her into the corner for a basic yet clever counter. Everything breaks down and Reece hits a cartwheel DDT to pin Grey at 4:01.

Rating: C. This was short and much more about the getting the four relative newcomers into the ring. Reece is fairly far in front of the other three but is still pretty new herself. They were smart to keep things short and to the point here, as none of them are ready for a long match, but what we got was just ok enough.

Everyone poses together to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The show was only 18 minutes long and that makes it hard to get annoyed about some not so great matches. This show was about getting more newcomers into the ring for some ring time and it worked well enough. It’s just a quick show and it did what it was supposed to so we’ll call it right in the middle, as is often the case around here.

Results
Tavion Heights b. Jasper Troy – Spinning belly to belly suplex
Brinley Reece/Layla Diggs b. Carlee Bright/Kendal Grey – Cartwheel DDT to Grey

 

 

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.