NXT LVL Up
Date: October 6, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re back to the point where there isn’t much to say about this show. There is no reason to believe that much of anything of importance is going to take place around here. It’s all the more frustrating when you see WWE trying something around here and then just dropping it as fast as they can. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Kelani Jordan/Valentina Feroz vs. Izzi Dame/Tatum Paxley

Paxley and Feroz lock up to start and neither gets the better of things, meaning it’s an early double tag. Jordan gets knocked down against the ropes so it’s Dame coming in to stomp away. A double elbow sets up Paxley’s splash for two, followed by Paxley grabbing a bodyscissors. Jordan finally kicks her way to freedom though and it’s back to Feroz for some rapid fire armdrags. Everything breaks down and Paxley grabs a Psycho Driver for the pin on Feroz at 4:33.

Rating: C-. What are you supposed to get from a match like this? It’s four women paired off with nothing to set up the match and no reason for them to be fighting. At the same time, they only had about four and a half minutes to get anything going, which doesn’t work so well for people without much experience. Matches like these make me wonder what the point of this show is supposed to be, because this didn’t do much.

Dante Chen is ready to face Drew Gulak. Tonight it’s Singapore style, though Chen doesn’t know what that means.

Javier Bernal/Luca Crusifino vs. Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont

DuPont faceplants Luca to start so it’s off to Bernal, who gets slammed down. Bernal’s headlock doesn’t do much so it’s Igwe coming in to splash Luca in the corner. Luca manages a hiptoss neckbreaker for a breather and Bernal comes in for a headscissors. That doesn’t last long and DuPont hits a backdrop. It’s back to clean house, including a superkick to Bernal. Luca makes the save and gets tossed, allowing Luca to grab a rollup for the pin at 4:44.

Rating: C. You know, it is ok to let these young guys score a quick win over two “bigger” names who aren’t a regular team and are hardly top level stars in the first place. The match was mostly a squash for Igwe and DuPont but then they lost to a fluke rollup to protect Bernal and Luca? That’s quite the odd choice.

Drew Gulak vs. Dante Chen

Myles Borne, Damon Kemp and Charlie Dempsey are here with Gulak. Chen grabs a headlock to start and snaps off an armdrag into an armbar. Back up and Chen hits a backdrop for two before dropkicking him out to the floor. Gulak comes back in and stomps away on the ropes before grabbing a neck crank. That’s broken up and Chen chops him out to the floor, setting up a big dive. Gulak’s cronies offer a distraction though and Gulak picks Chen up and hits a kind of powerslam piledriver for the pin at 5:43.

Rating: C+. It was better than the other matches but that doesn’t really clear a high bar. Chen continues to be little more than a person who happens to be on the show over and over again without really doing anything important. Gulak is still someone who could be used in a slightly bigger way and he only got to show so much of his skills here.

Overall Rating: C. Oh this was LVL Up alright, as there was almost nothing going on and a bunch of the normal lineup having matches that didn’t change anything and won’t lead anywhere. In other words, there is no reason to watch this show again, and there is nothing to suggest that it is going to get better.

Results
Izzi Dame/Tatum Paxley b. Kelani Jordan/Valentina Feroz – Psycho Driver to Feroz
Javier Bernal/Luca Crusifino b. Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont – Rollup to Igwe
Drew Gulak b. Dante Chen – Powerslam piledriver

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NXT LVL Up
Date: September 1, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

Believe it or not, we actually have something important on this show! This week will see a match in the Global Heritage Invitational, as Duke Hudson will face Akira Tozawa. It isn’t going to be the biggest match, but what matters is that it matters for a change, which hasn’t been the case in a very long time. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt.

Opening sequence.

Javier Bernal vs. Riley Osborne

Osborne is making his debut and works on the arm to start. Bernal reverses and does the same but Osborne runs up the corner for the armdrag escape. Another armbar has Bernal in trouble but he scores with a hiptoss into a sliding lariat. Bernal rolls through a high crossbody and drops a leg for two. A butterfly suplex gives Bernal two more and we hit the chinlock. With that broken up, Osborne comes back with a nice slingshot shoulder for his own near fall. Osborne dropkicks him to the floor for a running flip dive, followed by a shooting star press for the upset pin back inside at 6:16.

Rating: C+. Where the heck did that come from? Osborne is one of the few newcomers to actually win their debut and that is nice to see. Bernal might not be a big star but he is someone who has been around long enough to have a bit of a reputation. Osborne looked good in his debut and while he needs some polish, this is a heck of a way to start for his career and that is great to see.

Stevie Turner has been watching and now she’s ready to beat Valentina Feroz in her return.

Valentina Feroz vs. Stevie Turner

Yulisa Leon is here with Feroz. They go with the grappling to start and Turner cranks on a hammerlock. Feroz flips her way to freedom and works on a hammerlock of her own but gets sent face first into the turnbuckle. An armbar doesn’t last long so Turner scores with a neckbreaker for two instead. Feroz fights back and sends her into the corner for the running knees but another charge only hits buckle. Turner hits some running knees to the back (Feroz holding the ropes and leaning backwards helped) for the pin at 4:16.

Rating: C. That was certainly a Stevie Turner match as she seems like someone who should be interesting yet she just isn’t for whatever reason. The knees in the corner felt like an impromptu way to finish the match and that’s a nice thing to see, but Turner has never quite lived up to what should be a cool character. Granted there is only so much you can get out of a one off four minute match, but this was only so good.

Global Heritage Invitational Group B: Akira Tozawa vs. Duke Hudson

Andre Chase is here with Hudson. Tozawa tries a leg dive to start but gets pulled into a headlock instead. That’s broken up for a standoff, allowing Tozawa to get some rollups for two each. Tozawa even pats Hudson on the head and that is a step too far. A top rope hurricanrana into a dropkick sends Hudson outside, where a dive is cut off.

Back in and a good German suplex gets two on Tozawa and we hit the chinlock. Tozawa fights up and hits a running knee for two but the kicks to the chest just wake Hudson up. The big boot looks to set up a Razor’s Edge but Tozawa rolls through for two off a sunset flip. Tozawa’s top rope backsplash hits knees though and the Razor’s Edge finishes for Hudson at 6:56.

Rating: B-. I had fun here as Tozawa is someone who can work well with anyone but rarely gets the chance to show it. At the same time, Hudson is starting to figure out how to be a bigger guy and that made for a nice showdown. As usual, the star power helps here and even if Tozawa is a lower level Raw star, he still feels like something special around here.

Group B Standings
Joe Coffey – 1-0-0 (2 points, 2 matches remaining)
Duke Hudson – 1-0-0 (2 points, 2 matches remaining)
Nathan Frazer – 0-1-0 (0 points, 2 matches remaining)
Akira Tozawa – 0-1-0 (0 points, 2 matches remaining)

Overall Rating: B-. That’s the best LVL Up in awhile and a lot of that is due to the main event and the opener. What mattered here is it felt like they were doing something different and that stood out a lot. LVL Up feels like a show with nothing happening most of the time and it was nice to see them mix it up like they did here. Not a great show, but for thirty one minutes and the minor league’s minor league show, I had a good time.

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NXT
Date: July 25, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the go home show for the Great American Bash and believe it or not, Judgment Day is here again. At least Dominik Mysterio being North American Champion gives him a reason to be here, but WWE is getting dangerously close to overexposing the team. Other than that, we get the final showdown between Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov before their title match. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Dominik Mysterio winning and defending the North American Title.

Here are Dominik and Rhea Ripley to get things going. They talk about how great each other is until Rhea has to shout down a CUT THE MULLET chant. As for Lyra Valkyria….and never mind as here is Wes Lee to interrupt. Lee hates seeing Dominik holding that title and wants his rematch TONIGHT.

Cue Mustafa Ali to say he respects Lee but not so much Dominik. Ali wanted his chance to be the new North American Champion but Dominik stole it when this clown….and Lee doesn’t like that. Ali didn’t mean it like that but Dominik says this is a problem between them. That makes Ali swing at Dominik, only to hit Lee. Dominik: “Excuse me, champ coming through.” The other two brawl as Dominik and Rhea escape. Just make the triple threat already, but first of all, make sure you praise Rhea for the little silent things she does. Here she had her head on Dominik’s shoulder and the biggest grin on her face and it made things so much better.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks are ready to win the Tag Team Titles. Lucien Price and Bronco Nima come in to say they want the belts too, so a match is on for tonight.

Lyra Valkyria challenged Rhea Ripley for tonight. This video might have been more effective if the match hadn’t already been announced.

Valkyria says she has been here for seven months and needs to know where she stands. She isn’t going to stand in the shadows like Jacy Jayne because people will see who she is.

Carmelo Hayes/Trick Williams/Ilja Dragunov vs. Schism

Hayes and Joe Gacy start things off with an exchange of knockdowns. Williams comes in for a rather high dropkick but Gacy hits him in the face and brings in Reid. That’s fine with Williams, who hits him in the face and hands it off to Dragunov. Fowler comes in and gets wrestled down without much trouble, meaning Williams can hit him in the face. Everything breaks down and Schism is sent outside as we take a break.

Back with Hayes fighting up and bringing Williams back in. Gacy gets knocked to the floor as Dragunov tags himself back in and knocks the other two outside. Dragunov goes outside with him but misses a charge which sends Williams hard into the steps. Back in and Fowler actually takes over on Dragunov, who chops his way to freedom rather quickly. Everything breaks down and some of the Schism followers pull Reid and Fowler down. Hayes tags himself in and Nothing But Net finishes Gacy at 11:28.

Rating: C+. The ending is what matters here, as Dragunov has been on a roll in recent weeks so Hayes needed to get some momentum of his own on his way to the title match. the (allegedly) incidental contact is more than enough to make things personal and the title match should be awesome.

Video on Tiffany Stratton, who knows she is awesome and isn’t sweating a submission match with Thea Hail.

Von Wagner vs. Javier Bernal

Bernal jumps him to start but gets booted in the face. Wagner hammers away on the mat and hits a swinging slam for the pin at 1:02.

Post match Wagner puts him through the announcers’ table but gets blindsided by Bron Breakker. The beating is on and Wagner gets chaired down for a bonus.

Trick Williams goes after Ilja Dragunov in the back, with Dragunov threatening to break him. Carmelo Hayes says he has this but Williams wants Dragunov tonight. He’s going to call Dragunov out, even with Hayes not looking happy.

Here is Gable Steveson for his big decision. Steveson lists off some of his accomplishments in the Olympics and says he has options in front of him. He is ready to announce his decision but Baron Corbin cuts him off. Corbin talks about how Steveson should just go back to college because this place is full of sharks. Steveson needs to leave before he gets hurt, which he says makes his decision for him. The challenge is on for the Great American Bash and Corbin gets suplexed a few times.

Dana Brooke vs. Cora Jade

Singapore Cane match and Kelani James is here with Brooke, who seems to have a Catwoman theme going. They fight on the floor to start and Brooke sends her into the steps. Jade is sent hard over the announcers’ table, with Booker T. getting wiped out in the process (Fans: “ARE YOU OK?). Jordan comes back by taking out the legs and there’s the stick to the back.

They get inside with Jade piling up a bunch of sticks and slamming Brooke onto all of them. One heck of a running knee in the corner hits Brooke in the face but she gets in a shot of her own for a breather. The handspring elbow in the corner sets up a failed bulldog though and Jade hits the DDT for…two. A Jordan distraction lets Brooke send Jade into a chair, allowing Brooke to get the pink kendo stick. Brooke slams her onto the chair and drops a Swanton for the pin at 7:40.

Rating: C. Ok that result is a surprise as I never would have bet on Jade actually losing here. Jade seemed to be ready for a push up the card over the last few months but for some reason she lost here in what should be an upset. Those stick shots were rather loud too, making this a more violent than expected match.

Carmelo Hayes warns Ilja Dragunov about Trick Williams wanting to call him out. Dragunov is fine with that, but it won’t be for a match. He will break Williams, and then he’ll break Hayes at the Great American Bash.

Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey are training with Myles Borne, who doesn’t impress them. Damon Kemp comes in and wants to train with them, which works for the villains.

Bronco Nima/Lucien Price vs. Tony D’Angelo/Stacks

Scrypts is on commentary as Nima takes over on Stacks. It’s quickly off to Price, who gets elbowed in the face. D’Angelo comes in and is taken down but manages to knock Nima into the corner. It’s already back to Stacks for a chinlock, which doesn’t last long either. Price is back in for a running corner clothesline. Cue Axiom to go after Scrypts and the distraction lets D’Angelo come in to clean house. The Bada Bing finishes Price at 4:55.

Rating: C. I didn’t think it was possible, but Scrypts actually made commentary more annoying. I’m not sure what WWE sees in him other than being a heck of an athlete but anything involving Scrypts talking is horrible. As for the match, the Family getting a win makes sense as they have a title match this weekend, but Price and Nima losing so soon was really surprising.

Post match Gallus pops up to say they’re retaining on Sunday.

Dijak is ready to hurt Eddy Thorpe.

Zion Clark is in the crowd (apparently an MMA fighter and author).

Great American Bash rundown.

We get some cell phone footage of Roxanne Perez attacking Blair Davenport in what looks to be a convenience store. Perez beats her up and threatens her for their fight at the Bash before leaving as the cops arrive. No green frogs were harmed in the filming of this fight.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions with the Meta Four. Their guest this week is the REAL Heritage Cup champion, Noam Dar! They recap Dar losing the Cup….which they somehow have here! Dar wakes up from his stupor and gets out of his wheelchair before going to stand on his couch. Cue Nathan Frazer (with the real Cup) and Dragon Lee to say Dar is a fraud. Now it’s Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz to take out the women, allowing Frazer and Lee to clear the ring.

Duke Hudson and Andre Chase narrate a Thea Hail training montage. Thea says she doesn’t need a miracle, because all she needs is a chance.

Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza yelled at each other and officially split up.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Rhea Ripley

Non-title and Dominik Mysterio is here with Ripley. Valkyria’s headlock doesn’t last long as we hear about Dominik having a triple threat title defense on Sunday. Ripley gets tripped down and looks rather mad, only to get rolled up for two. Back up and Ripley knocks her down but gets rolled up for two more. That earns Valkyria one heck of a German suplex and we take a break.

Back with Ripley hitting a belly to back faceplant for two but Riptide is countered into a choke. Ripley breaks that up and goes up top, only to spend too much time looking at Dominik. Valkyria sends her outside for an apron hurricanrana but Ripley pulls a high crossbody out of the air. A suplex is countered into a DDT on Ripley for two but Valkyria gets kicked down. The Riptide finishes for Ripley at 10:12.

Rating: B. And that is how you give someone one heck of a rub. Ripley talked about how awesome Valkyria was a few weeks ago and then backed it up in the ring here. This was a great way to make Valkyria look like a star, as while she isn’t as good as Ripley, she could be a force around here with some more time. Heck of a match and Ripley made Valkyria look very impressive.

Post match Ripley says prove her right and beat Jacy Jayne.

Great American Bash rundown.

Here is Trick Williams to call out Ilja Dragunov, who comes straight down the aisle. A dropkick hits Dragunov and Williams unloads on him against the barricade. Dragunov fights back and unloads with chops in the corner before dropping a big right hand to the face. Carmelo Hayes tries to make the save and gets dropped as well. Dragunov promises to take the title on Sunday to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This show had some nice moments and the wrestling was mostly ok, but what matters most is it made me more interested in seeing the Sunday’s pay per view. That’s the point of a show like this one and they made it work. The Bash needs to be a hit as they don’t do shows like that very often, but the hype for the show went well and that’s what matters the most, at least for tonight.

Results
Carmelo Hayes/Trick Williams/Ilja Dragunov b. Schism – Nothing But Net to Gacy
Von Wagner b. Javier Bernal – Swinging slam
Dana Brooke b. Cora Jade – Swanton
Tony D’Angelo/Stacks b. Lucien Price/Bronco Nima – Bada Bing to Price
Rhea Ripley b. Lyra Valkyria – Riptide

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: July 21, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

Back to Orlando and that has meant all kinds of things over the last few weeks. I’m almost curious to see what is going on around here but the bad stuff is so lame that it can be a chore to watch. Then again you can occasionally get a nice match here and there, so maybe there is some hope to be had. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tank Ledger/Hank Walker vs. Ikemen Jiro/Quincy Elliott

Walker headlocks Elliott to start and gets a dance as a result. Ledger comes in off a blind tag for a running elbow and stereo knees rock Elliott again. It’s off to Jiro, who gets shouldered down but nips back up. Jiro gets in a shot in the corner but misses the springboard moonsault. Ledger hits a slingshot splash for two and we’re off to the armbar. Jiro kicks his way to freedom though and it’s Elliott coming back in for a corner clothesline and bulldog. Everything breaks down and Ledger spanks Elliott, setting up the Flying Fridge to give Walker the pin at 5:41.

Rating: C. Not bad here and it was nice to see Jiro back. I had kind o forgotten about him but he certainly knows how to look smooth in the ring, which is a talent that not everyone has. Nice enough return match here, even if Walker and Ledger aren’t exactly the most polished pairing out there (which is kind of the point).

Izzi Dame is the friend that you don’t like but you need.

Izzi Dame vs. Dani Palmer

Dame has quite the height advantage so Palmer flips over her to start and hits a dropkick. Palmer’s headlock puts Dame down but she powers up and faceplants Palmer in the corner. A bearhug of all things goes on before Dame slams her down for two. Back up and Palmer hits some running elbows, setting up a high crossbody to finish Dame at 4:35.

Rating: C. As usual, you can only get so much out of someone in less than five minutes so it’s not quite fair to judge Dame yet. She was fine enough at what she did and has some attitude to her, but she feels like a long term project, which is the case for a lot of people around here. Palmer is starting to find herself as an energetic star who has to come from behind and it worked well enough.

Dante Chen vs. Javier Bernal

And this would be the most LVL Up main event imaginable. Chen’s headlock works for all of two seconds to start so Bernal works on an armbar. That’s reversed into the same thing from Chen but Bernal hot shots his way to freedom. A stomp to the ribs and a belly to back suplex gets two on Chen as Bernal gets a bit frustrated.

The chinlock goes on for a bit before Bernal dives into a raised boot. Eat Defeat drops Chen but the referee almost gets bumped, allowing Bernal to get a poke to the eye. A reverse DDT gives Bernal two (I bought that) but Chen is back with the double chop for the pin at 6:51.

Rating: C+. You can definitely see that these two are further along than most of the regulars around here and that makes for a better match. They were doing some more complicated stuff and had more of a story, with Chen being the clean wrestler while Bernal cheated wherever he could. It was a good enough match and I bought on the near fall, even if it meant challenging the undefeatable power of Dante Chen.

Overall Rating: C. The main event helped but this was a show drastically lacking in big names or in anything you needed to see. That being said, going with this kind of a show is certainly a way to go around here. If LVL Up is supposed to be the big developmental show, then this is what it needs to be, though that doesn’t make it the most interesting.

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NXT
Date: July 4, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with Gold Rush and taped for the sake of the holiday. With just over three weeks to go before Great American Bash, it’s time to get the card set up, but there is also the chance for some more guest stars to spice things up a bit. That has worked well enough so far so maybe they’ll do it again. Let’s get to it.

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

Blair Davenport vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez jumps her during the entrance, with ringside still full of smoke. The bell rings and Perez knocks her straight back to the floor. That lasts all of five seconds before Davenport takes her back inside for a faceplant. Davenport gets in a running knee against the ropes for two before heading outside as we take a break.

Back with Perez winning a slugout but Pop Rox into the corner is blocked. Instead Perez gets two off a crossbody but Davenport sends her outside again. This time it’s a running knee to send Perez into the steps but that’s only enough for a nine count. Back in and the Falcon Arrow gets two, followed by a knee to the head to finish Perez at 11:58.

Rating: C+. Davenport has to be established as a monster to be taken down and that is what they are doing here. Perez has been a force in the division and she will be able to come back later on. Davenport might be next in line after whoever takes the title from Tiffany Stratton, but we could be a long way off from that. Until then, just hurting people will have to do.

Ivy Nile is worried about the loser leaves town match tonight with the Creeds and Schism when Tiffany Stratton comes in to make fun of her. A match seems to be made.

Baron Corbin is tired of not having a reputation and burns a bunch of his stuff, including gear from past gimmicks, saying it’s “no more gimmicks, no more nonsense and no more bulls***.” He might as well stick around here and try to figure something else out, because the main roster isn’t happening at the moment.

Mustafa Ali vs. Tyler Bate

They trade rollups for two each to start and then keep at it with a series of near falls that has the referee going a bit nuts trying to keep up. An exchange of takedowns sets up a crossface from Ali. Bate breaks out of that without much trouble and sends him outside for a clothesline as we take a break.

Back with Bate striking away until Ali hits a tornado DDT. A backdrop puts Ali on the floor so Bate can hit a big no hands dive. Back in and the rebound clothesline gives Bate two more. Bate goes up top but misses the Spiral Tap. Ali goes up as well but Bate catches him on top and climbs next to him. Some headbutts and a crotching on the ropes put Bate down though, allowing Ali to hit the 450 for the pin at 13:31.

Rating: B. These two had a chance to tear the house down and they came pretty close, with one big spot after another here. It was a very fun match where they were allowed to just go nuts for awhile. That’s the kind of match that is always going to work and in Ali’s case, it’s the kind of match that he should have been having for a long time now. These NXT excursions can do a lot of good for people, if nothing else just for the sake of reminding fans/WWE of what they can do.

Post match Ali says he wants a North American Title match at the Great American Bash.

Joe Gacy and Ava are ready to get rid of the Creed Brothers.

Kelani Jordan vs. Tatum Paxley

Dana Brooke is here with Jordan, who flips around to start. A backbreaker cuts Jordan off though and a backsplash gives Paxley two. Paxley loads up a suplex but gets reversed into a Stundog Millionaire for the pin at 2:43.

Post match Cora Jade comes out to mock Dana and Jordan, but turns down the latter’s challenge.

Chase U is glad to have Andre Chase back, with Chase thanking Duke Hudson for being great in his absence. Thea Hail is dubbed the uncrowned Women’s Champion and blames Charlie Dempsey and Drew Gulak for costing her the title. A student asks if they’ll be guest lecturing anymore but Hudson covers the yelling at him. Violence is promised.

Eddy Thorpe vs. Damon Kemp

This is NXT Underground, meaning no ropes and you only win by submission or TKO. Gable Steveson is here with Thorpe, who is easily taken down and pounded with forearms. Kemp rolls him around even more until they fall out to the floor, with Kemp hammering on him even more. Thorpe gets in some choking on the barricade before they head back inside, where Kemp chokes even more.

Thorpe sends him outside but walks into a heck of a fight hand. A knee to the face drops Kemp but he suplexes Thorpe to the floor for a scary sounding crash. Steveson uses the power of the gold medal to inspire Thorpe, who avoids a charge into the post. Kemp’s arm seems to be hurt and Thorpe grabs a triangle choke with some elbows to the head for the stoppage at 7:28.

Rating: B. I’m not sure what to make of something like this as it was more of a wrestling/UFC hybrid than a traditional match. Kemp gets another win and continues his rise up the ranks, but that Steveson involvement is likely what really matters here. Steveson got more physical here than he has in a long time and there is a chance that he is going to do that more often in the future. Or maybe this is his annual “hey I’m still here” moment and we don’t see him again until next year.

Post match Kale Dixon goes after Steveson’s gold medal and gets suplexed. Some more people go after Steveson and get suplexed as well until the rather large….never mind as he gets suplexed too.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams invite Judgment Day to NXT to settle business.

Stacks and Joe Coffey go to see Tony D’Angelo in jail and Tony isn’t happy. However, they have a deal: next week it’s Stacks vs. Coffey and at stake are…..the charges against Tony. That doesn’t work for Tony, who breaks the phone in frustration.

Jacy Jayne vs. Lyra Valkyria

Jayne yells a lot and sends her into the corner, only to miss a charge. Valkyria gets two off a rollup but is sent face first into the apron as we take a break. Back with Jayne holding a Boston crab but getting reversed. Jayne misses a charge and has to avoid a top rope ax kick. Instead Jayne hits a backsplash for two but misses the spinning kick to the face. Valkyria kicks her in the face for the pin at 8:52.

Rating: C. This was more to the point as Valkyria continues to look strong. She got the endorsement from Rhea Ripley last week so this should be more than enough to move her up the ladder. A big time title rematch against Tiffany Stratton isn’t out of the question and she moved past Jayne pretty quickly here. Not a great match, but a good performance from Valkyria.

Post match Jayne beats her up again and destroys the feathers.

Noam Dar is nearly in tears over losing the Heritage Cup so the Meta Four have to console him.

Kiana James goes into her office….which has been trashed and spray painted by Gigi Dolin. James swears revenge.

Back in the arena, Von Wagner, in street clothes, beats up Javier Bernal by sending him through a table. I like that better than them having a match, just for making it seem more real.

Creed Brothers vs. Dyad

Loser leaves NXT and the Dyad jumps them from behind. Back up Brutus hits the Brutus Bomb to clear things out as we take a break. We take a break and come back with Fowler hold Brutus in an armbar. After a good deal of cranking, Brutus fights up and manages to get over to Julius or the tag. Suplexes abound and Julius sends them to the floor for a big dive, followed by an assisted spinebuster fr two on Fowler.

Back up and Fowler rolls Julius up for two until Reid grabs a crucifix bomb for the same. A chop block cuts Julius off though and we take a break. Back with Fowler working on the same leg but Julius gets over for the tag to Brutus. A springboard 450 gets two on Fowler so Brutus grabs the ankle lock. That’s broken up as well and Fowler hits a middle rope Codebreaker for two.

Julius tells his brother to fight for him because he loves him, which is enough or Brutus to fight back. The Doomsday Device is broken up and it’s a Doomsday suicide dive to take Brutus out. Somehow it’s back to Julius to clean house as the pace picks up. A double suplex sends the Dyad flying and a top rope moonsault takes them both down again. Ava comes in and gets dropped by Ivy Nile….but a masked man runs in to hit Julius. The double Codebreaker finishes Julius at 17:42.

Rating: B. This was another rather good match on a show full of them. The best thing here was a twist ending, as it would seem that the Creeds are ready to go up to the main roster, where they should be. They’ve had their long NXT Tag Team Title reign so send them up and let Julius become the breakout star that he could be. I’d be shocked if the masked man wasn’t revealed to be Gacy, but at least they waited for the right time to do the screwy ending. As usual, the Dyad has never been Schism’s problem so it was nice to see them getting this kind of time.

Finn Balor will be here next week to deal with Carmelo Hayes.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here is Bron Breakker to talk about how he was in the most watched NXT match in two years last week when he challenged Seth Rollins. No one thought he had a chance against Rolling until he hit a spear. He’s had just over seventy matches and all of them have happened right in front of these people.

Breakker is 25 years old and can hang with the best in the business. He has a lot more titles to win and wants to know who is next. Cue Ilja Dragunov to say he’s next (and Breakker looks a bit worried). Dragunov says there is one person between himself and the NXT Title, so he’s here to eliminate Breakker. The fight is on, with wrestlers and referees barely being able to hold them apart to end the show.

This feels like the old school second match from the top for a Takeover, as you have the former champion against the up and comer who needs the win to move into title contention. It’s a strategy that has worked before and it should here, as these two can beat the daylights out of each other, likely at the Great American Bash.

Overall Rating: B+. When the worst match on the show is a completely watchable Jayne vs. Valkyria match, you’re having a pretty good night. This show featured three rather quality matches, plus some stuff either officially or all but officially being set up for Great American Bash. I had a really good time with this show and it was one of the better NXT’s I’ve seen in a long time. With some guest stars and matches set for next week, it’s nice to be excited for what NXT is doing again, so very good job this week.

Results
Blair Davenport b. Roxanne Perez – Running knee
Mustafa Ali b. Tyler Bate – 450
Eddy Thorpe b. Damon Kemp via referee stoppage
Lyra Valkyria b. Jacy Jayne – Kick to the head
Dyad b. Creed Brothers – Double Codebreaker to Julius

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NXT LVL Up
Date: June 16, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

Things have started to pick up around here a little bit and that is nice to see after so many months of pretty much nothing. The star power has been better and should that continue, the show could be a lot more entertaining to watch week in and week out. Granted I’ve said that before and nothing has lasted so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Elektra Lopez/Lola Vice vs. Dani Palmer/Kelani Jordan

Lopez throws Jordan around to start but Jordan is fine enough to take Vice down with a drop toehold. Palmer comes in to work on a wristlock before getting taken into the wrong corner. Stereo hip attacks to the head knock Palmer silly for two and Vice kicks her into the corner. Palmer fights out of Lopez’s neck crank and brings in Jordan as everything breaks down. Lopez grabs Jordan with the sitout chokebomb for the pin at 4:23.

Rating: C. I’ve mostly given up on Lopez becoming a breakout star but Vice and Palmer both have that charisma that can offer something going forward. There’s a spark to them that makes you want to see them in the ring and I could go for seeing what NXT does for them. Jordan is another rather athletic star, but she is still brand new and it could be awhile before we see what she can really do.

Javier Bernal is ready to show a new side of himself tonight against Stacks. He talks about having a chip on his shoulder and goes over the various types of chip it might be (including tortilla size).

Boa vs. Bryson Montana

Montana grabs a cravate to start and they go to the mat rather quickly. The exchange of strikes goes to Boa, who scores with a running dropkick but can’t get a sunset flip. Montana is right back with a powerslam and the chinlock goes on. Boa fights up and fires off knees to the ribs, followed by a big kick to the head for the pin at 4:08.

Rating: C. I know I say this every time, but it’s still just Boa. He’s a guy who paints his face and kicks a lot, which is only going to take him so far. Montana is a big power guy and looks good when he is out there, but he needs a lot more experience. For now, he’s stuck with losing to Boa, who is eternally stuck going nowhere.

Javier Bernal vs. Stacks

They fight over a lockup to start until Bernal grabs a wristlock. Stacks reverses into one of his own and pulls him into a hammerlock on the mat. Back up and Stacks crotches him on top before dropping the legs between the legs. Bernal is fine enough to catch him on top and drop a running leg for two. Commentary talks about how Bernal wants to follow in the paths of Oz and PN News, as stars who had big performances at the Great American Bash. Bernal runs him over again and we hit the Liontamer of all things, but Stacks flips him away for the break. A running knee to the back of the head finishes Bernal at 6:45.

Rating: C+. This is the best thing on the show and even then it’s just pretty good. Stacks is in the middle of a pretty big story and while I still believe that he’s going to wind up being the one to have turned Tony D’Angelo in, he’s doing well on the way there. Bernal is such a funny goof that it’s easy to have him around, even if he isn’t going to get anywhere anytime soon.

Overall Rating: C. It was back to the run of the mill version of this show this week and that is rather disappointing. I guess Bernal and Stacks are the big names on the show and even they are little more than lower midcarders on NXT. I’m not sure why they changed course so fast, but hopefully they change it again and make the show the more interesting offering that it can be.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: May 26, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Mr. Stone

We are two days away from Battleground and there are quite a few matches on the card that can steal the night. Now almost no one on that show is going to be tied into this one, but that is LVL Up in a nutshell. You never know what you are going to see around here and I’m curious to see how it goes….for some reason. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oro Mensah vs. Tavion Heights

Mensah tries to pick up the pace to start but Heights pulls him down into a headlock. Back up and some armdrags have Heights frustrated, followed by a high crossbody to give Mensah two. Heights powers up with a heck of a German suplex but a kick to the face staggers him. Said staggering doesn’t last long as Heights is back up with a capture suplex into a chinlock. Mensah fights up and hits a springboard moonsault to a standing Heights, followed by a flipping kick to the head. A springboard kick to Heights face gives Mensah the pin at 5:31.

Rating: C. As usual, power vs. speed is going to work almost every time and that was the case again here. Mensah can fly around well enough and the springboards looked good here. Heights is another one of those names who has been around this show for a few months but not done much, which is going to have to change at some point.

Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz are glad to be back home and it’s time to take it to Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson.

Boa vs. Javier Bernal

Boa throws a kick to start but gets caught in a headlock for his efforts. Back up and Boa’s second kick connects, only to have Bernal tie the leg up in the ropes for a kick to the knee. The leg cranking is on until Bernal’s knee drop hits the mat. Boa uses the good knee to stagger Bernal, who is right back with a jumping Downward Spiral for the pin at 4:58.

Rating: C-. Not much to this one as Boa continues to be a good look and little more. He isn’t horrible or even bad, but there is nothing to him that would make me want to see him again. Bernal has figured out how to be an annoying schmuck and that should carry him a long way in NXT, if not in WWE as well.

Yulisa Leon/Valentina Feroz vs. Jakara Jackson/Lash Legend

Feroz works on Jackson’s arm to start and an assisted springboard flip dive gives Leon two. It’s back to Feroz, who gets caught in the wrong corner so the beating is on. Legend charges into an elbow but is fine enough to slam Feroz off the top. Jackson grabs a reverse chinlock before Legend misses a splash. A pump kick cuts off Feroz’s comeback bid so Feroz goes with an enziguri for a breather. The hot tag brings in Leon to clean house as everything breaks down. Jackson gets caught putting her feet on the ropes in a rollup and a suplex/high crossbody combination finishes for Leon at 5:42.

Rating: C. This was about getting Leon back in the ring in NXT and she looked smooth enough out there. Feroz and Leon are a team who could get somewhere with a bit more polish and it is nice to have them back. The tag division could certainly use the help, though that isn’t going to happen until the titles are back in NXT in the first place. For now though, nice return.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t exactly feeling this one, but the action was passable enough. LVL Up might actually start serving a bit more of a purpose, as there are a lot of gaps that need to be filled on the main NXT roster. While some of these people aren’t quite ready to fill in those spots, they could be ready to start getting ready and that isn’t a bad place to be.

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Monday Night Raw
Date: May 29, 2023
Location: MVP Arena, Albany, New York
Commentators: Corey Graves, Kevin Patrick

We’re done with Night Of Champions and that means it is time to deal with the fallout. The show featured a triple main event, including Seth Rollins being crowned as the new World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, Brock Lesnar beat Cody Rhodes and Jimmy Uso seems to have walked out on the Bloodline. Let’s get to it.

Here is Night Of Champions if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of Night Of Champions.

Here is new World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, coming through the crowd, to open things up. After taking his sweet time to get to the ring, with streamers and a lot of singing, Rollins says it was a long road here. Finally now, Raw has a champion that wants to be here and a champion that is ready for a fight. After some more conducting, here is AJ Styles to interrupt.

Styles talks about how he gave Rollins everything he had and now the fans are saying Rollins deserves it. That’s not how Styles sees it though, because the reality is Rollins earned it. Rollins shakes his hand and here is the Judgment Day to interrupt. The team talks about how they run WWE and know that it’s going to be one of them that takes the title from Rollins. Ripley: “It could even be my Dom Dom!” After Rollins and Styles crack up laughing, a tag match is made for tonight.

Adam Pearce is on the phone and says that yes he gets why the tag match feels like it goes against the Raw and Smackdown being separate but it’s what the fans want to see. Pearce goes over to Rollins and Styles, who are down for the match. Of note: Pearce was talking to someone above him who had to approve the match, which isn’t something he usually has to do.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: The Miz vs. Ricochet

Ricochet starts fast and sends Miz outside, only to have Miz come back with a running hurricanrana (!) and a big boot. With Ricochet on the floor, Miz drops him onto the announcers’ table, followed by a top rope ax handle back inside. We take a break and come back with Miz hitting a springboard (Miz: “I SPRINGBOARDED!”) crossbody to knock Ricochet down for two more. A Codebreaker out of the corner and a DDT get two on Ricochet, who comes back with a kick to the face. The standing Sliced Bread sets up a shooting star press to finish Miz at 8:40.

Rating: C+. Miz was trying some different stuff here, to the point where it almost felt like he was trying to show off a bit. There’s nothing wrong with mixing it up a bit and Miz bragging about what he was doing fit in perfectly. At the same time, Ricochet going forward is the right call, as you need someone to do a bunch of flips from the ladders.

We look at Zoey Stark helping Trish Stratus beat Becky Lynch at Night Of Champions.

Here is Trish to soak in some THANK YOU TRISH chants, but they mean nothing to her coming from you people. Trish talks about how she told us she would win and says this is what you do when you are the best ever. Now Becky can go away for a bit and let the real stars shine through. Trish is proud of someone who wanted to help her and reminds her of herself from years ago.

Cue Zoey Stark to says he is here to be behind someone as legendary as Trish. They bring up the bruise on Trish’s chin, with Trish threatening Becky Lynch if she shows up. Cue Becky, who says let’s do it again, with Trish sending Zoey after her. That doesn’t work and Becky gets in to hammer on Trish, at least until Zoey cuts it off. The Z360 knocks Becky silly and they put a THANK YOU TRISH shirt up against her in the corner. Solid heel heat here and the feud will have some legs going forward.

Indus Sher vs. Javier Bernal/???

Jinder Mahal is here with Indus Sher (including Veer, who slips off the apron as they get in), who jump them before the bell. Bernal gets sent into the corner and the bell rings, with Veer kicking him in the head. It’s off to the unnamed one, who is tossed into Bernal, setting up a legdrop/side slam combination for the pin at 1:14.

We look back at Jimmy Uso turning on Roman Reigns at Night Of Champions, seemingly leaving the Bloodline. Jey Uso’s future remains to be determined.

Here are Kevin Owens (in an Usos shirt) and Sami Zayn for a chat. Sami is so happy about winning, by which he means ruining Roman Reigns’ life. He has nothing to say about Roman but here is Imperium to interrupt. Ludvig Kaiser brags about Gunther but Owens snaps, shouting about what Kaiser’s problem is. Sami says there is an unwritten rule that Imperium’s name wasn’t mentioned so they shouldn’t be out here.

They have a match later with “American Alpha” but Sami brings up the two of them and Riddle beating Imperium. Kaiser calls Riddle an embarrassment but Owens is tired of hearing from Slender Man (Kaiser) and “the one with the ears” but they never hear from baldy (meaning Giovanni Vinci. That’s not cool with Kaiser, who is cut off by the Alpha Academy and one heck of a SHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUSH. Owens wants to hear the other thing, giving us a big THANK YOU. And now we’re ready to go.

Video on Katana Chance/Kayden Carter, who like to party.

Alpha Academy vs. Imperium

Maxxine Dupri and Gunther are here too, while Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are on commentary. Gable is taken into the corner but comes out with a flying headscissors and a headlock takeover/flying headscissors combination. Cue Valhalla to chase Dupri off (and scare Owens to death), with the distraction letting Imperium take over with the double dropkick to Gable in the corner.

Gable armdrags his way to freedom and kicks Vinci away, setting up the diving tag to Otis. The Caterpillar hits Kaiser, with Vinci making the save and low bridging Otis to the floor. It’s back to Gable, who gets caught with a spinebuster. The Imperial Bomb is enough to finish Gable at 5:15.

Rating: C. This was the usual completely watchable Academy match while Imperium continues to establish themselves around here. That can take some time to do but what matters is WWE actually has an accomplished team who can be elevated that quickly. Other than that, the Valhalla interference was kind of amusing due to Owens’ reaction, so it was kind of hard to get bothered here.

Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez are ready for their match when Damage Ctrl comes in to mock them. Rodriguez points out that Bayley is the only member of the team who hasn’t won gold since they got together, so it’s time for her to look in the mirror. After they lose of course.

Video on Candice LeRae, who wears fairy wings because of the fairy tale her life has become.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Damage Ctrl vs. Ronda Rousey/Shayna Baszler vs. Raquel Rodriguez/Shotzi vs. Chelsea Green/Sonya Deville

For the vacant titles. Rodriguez powers Bayley around to start until an elbow to the face cuts her off. Bayley tags in Green, who really doesn’t want to be involved. Green gets thrown into Baszler and out to the floor as we take a break. Back with Rodriguez coming in to clean house until Rousey gets the tag.

Rousey takes Rodriguez down into the armbreaker but Bayley makes the save with a top rope elbow. Green tags herself in and sends Rodriguez into the post, setting up I’m Prettier to Rodriguez. A running knee gives Deville two but it’s Sky coming in for the running knees in the corner.

Shotzi makes the save and hits a heck of a suicide dive on Bayley. Rodriguez tags Shotzi in and it’s a Tower Of Doom, with Rousey taking the worst of it. The top rope backsplash is pulled into the armbreaker though and Shotzi immediately taps to make Rousey/Baszler champions at 11:35.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure how much of a surprise that it was to have Rousey and Baszler win the titles but that is what should have happened. They have long since felt like the most dominant team around and they probably would have won the titles earlier if not for Rousey’s injury. Sometimes you need to go with the logical move and that is what they did here.

Dolph Ziggler vs. JD McDonagh

Ziggler takes him into the corner to start but McDonagh sends him throat first into the rope. They head outside with McDonagh sending him into the steps. It’s enough of a beating that McDonagh is disqualified at 1:13.

Post match the beatdown stays on Ziggler until referees break it up.

Here is Cody Rhodes, with his arm in a sling, to talk about the Brock Lesnar match. Cody’s contemporaries talk about how he shouldn’t have fought Lesnar but he did it anyway. No he didn’t tap out, because that isn’t the kind of man he wants to be. Rhodes talks about John Cena saying Never Give Up, which hurts a lot when you’re stuck in a Kimura for three straight minutes.

He wants to talk to Lesnar, but since Lesnar isn’t here, he’ll have to talk to the camera. Rhodes issues an open challenge to fight Lesnar anywhere anytime, and even lists off the cities where he’ll be soon. He also wants this to be the last time that he lists off all of Lesnar’s accomplishments but says that while Lesnar is Beast enough to break his arm, he isn’t man enough to make Rhodes tap out. Lesnar is afraid of him, and that’s your mic drop.

Matt Riddle wants to win Money in the Bank but Gunther interrupts. Gunther wishes him good luck because he wants Riddle to be able to cash in on him. It would be fun to beat and humiliate Riddle.

Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler are happy with their win, because they are here to hurt people. Loyalty is everything and now they are the champions.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bronson Reed

Nakamura manages to knock him outside to start but Reed is back in with a big shoulder. The rolling splash crushes Nakamura but he’s right back with the kicks. The sliding German suplex is blocked though and Reed kicks him in the face. A legsweep on the apron takes Reed down though and there’s the running knee to the face.

We take a break and come back with Reed running him over again for two and there’s a backsplash to crush Nakamura again. Back up and Reed misses a charge, allowing Nakamura to hit the running knee. Reed is back with a powerslam but the Tsunami misses. Nakamura knocks him to the apron and knees him down, followed by Kinshasa for the pin back inside at 9:48.

Rating: B-. This was a hard hitting match with Nakamura striking away for all he was worth to slay the monster. I’m rather surprised that Reed, who has been presented as a beast in recent weeks, lost to Nakamura, who has been around to put people over more than anything else. Good match here, with quite the surprise result.

Judgment Day is proud of Rhea Ripley for winning at Night Of Champions, but they won’t say which two of them will be in tonight’s tag match (they’re all in gear, including Rhea).

Memorial Day video.

AJ Styles/Seth Rollins vs. Judgment Day

It’s Dominik Mysterio/Damian Priest for the team….or not as Finn Balor jumps Styles, with Dominik going to the floor. Rollins slips away and runs to the floor, where he puts his arm around Rhea for some rather nice annoyance. Back in and Priest elbows Rollins down and we hit the armbar. Rollins kicks him off and brings Styles in to clean house, including a running forearm in the corner.

Dominik breaks up the Phenomenal Forearm though and Priest knocks Styles over the announcers’ table as we take a break. Back with Styles trying to fight out of trouble but getting sent outside instead. Rollins gets into it with Ripley on the floor, leaving Styles to Pele his way out of trouble. The tag brings in Rollins, who small packages Balor for two but is quickly knocked down for the same.

Priest comes back in and is superplexed, only to come back with the Falcon Arrow. Balor misses the Coup de Grace though and gets superkicked, heaving Balor and Rollins down. Everything breaks down and Rollins and Balor go over the announcers’ table. The Phenomenal Forearm doesn’t work as Priest backs up (that’s so simply brilliant) and the Razor’s Edge plants Styles. Rollins cuts Priest off though and the diving tag brings in Rollins for the Stomp to finish Priest at 13:09.

Rating: B. Nice main event tag match here, even if nothing of note really happened. They had some time to work though and the stuff with Ripley getting involved and feeling almost on equal footing with the men was a nice touch. It wasn’t a classic, but it was a rather good match and better than a lot of what you see on Raw on a regular basis.

Overall Rating: B-. They kept things moving here and got some stuff ready for Money in the Bank, but a lot of this felt like a bit of a holding pattern after Night Of Champions. McDonagh looked like a monster though and we have some new champions, so they did advance enough stuff. It’s not a great show, but it’s also good enough that you wouldn’t have been miserable. I’ll take that more often than not.

Results
Ricochet b. The Miz – Shooting star press
Indus Sher b. Javier Bernal/??? – Side slam/middle rope legdrop combination to ???
Imperium b. Alpha Academy – Imperial Bomb to Gable
Ronda Rousey/Shayna Baszler b. Raquel Rodriguez/Shotzi, Chelsea Green/Sonya Deville and Damage Ctrl – Cross armbreaker to Shotzi
Dolph Ziggler b. JD McDonagh via DQ when McDonagh sent him into the steps
Shinsuke Nakamura b. Bronson Reed – Kinshasa
AJ Styles/Seth Rollins b. Judgment Day – Stomp to Priest

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NXT
Date: May 9, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

Things are going to be different around here as the Draft took away so many big name NXT stars. That means some spots are going to have to be filled, but in addition we have Battleground coming up in less than three weeks. We’re going to be in for a heck of a balancing act, including the Women’s Title tournament. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with Indi Hartwell vacating the Women’s Title due to her main roster promotion last week. A tournament was announced and chaos ensued.

The eight participants in the tournament are in the aisle and we’re starting fast.

Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Tiffany Stratton vs. Gigi Dolin

Stratton gets a promo before the match, complaining about being in the tournament and saying she needs this like she needs a pair of fat jeans. A clothesline doesn’t work for Dolin as Stratton Matrixes away, only to have her arm kicked out. Dolin hits a Bronco Buster in the corner but misses a second, allowing Stratton to start in on Dolin’s bad shoulder.

Stratton takes her down by the arm for two but Dolin manages a whip into the corner for two. Stratton’s snapmare out of the corner sets up a missed…I’m not sure, but she’s fine enough to block the abdominal stretch bomb. A Regal Roll sets up the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to finish Dolin at 4:30.

Rating: C. Stratton has to be a favorite to win the title, or at least be in the final, so it makes sense to have her win here. Dolin isn’t about to win here, though I was a bit relieved that Jacy Jayne didn’t interfere here. Let Stratton get her win to start the tournament right, as she very well could be the next champion.

We have brackets for the tournament:

Tiffany Stratton
Jacy Jayne/Roxanne Perez

Lyra Valkyria
Kiana James

Fallon Henley
Cora Jade

The Dyad is ready for their Tag Team Title shot but Joe Gacy is following Ava’s advice: he won’t be at ringside.

Earlier today at the barber shop, Trick Williams says he’s ready for Bron Breakker, with Carmelo Hayes thanking him for standing up to Breakker last week. Williams is ready for tonight alone, which is cool with Hayes.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus vs. Dyad

Dyad, with Ava, is defending, so Joe Coffey is here with the champs to even it out. Gallus takes over on Reid’s arm to start but Fowler comes in for a clothesline to take over. It’s back to Mark, who gets kicked in the face, setting up an enziguri into a Downward Spiral for two.

We take a break and come back with Mark fighting up on Reid and bringing Wolfgang in to clean house. A double Rock Bottom gives Gallus two but Ava offers a distraction, allowing Reid to get in a DDT. Cue Ivy Mile to go after Ava, allowing Gallus to hit the big boot/flapjack combination to finish Fowler at 11:00.

Rating: C+. Fine enough match, but what matters is that the Dyad didn’t win the titles. maybe they tie this into Gacy not being there and we get a rematch later, but anything with less Schism is a good thing. The tag division isn’t exactly deep right now, but Tony D’Angelo and Stacks would be fine. As for this match, it was fine enough for a title defense, though not quite some instant classic.

Gallus is off to drink.

Thea Hail wished she was drafted but Javier Bernal comes in to mock her. Duke Hudson comes in to say that Hail did well on her exam. Bernal thinks Hudson has a big plan, but Hudson says not so fast. He almost calls it Duke University again before a match is made for later.

A hooded figure is watching the various women who have been attacked in recent months. No word on who it is, but having that turn into something would be a good idea.

Javier Bernal vs. Duke Hudson

Thea Hail is here with Hudson, who shoves Bernal out to the floor to start. Hudson gets in a slam back inside but Bernal knocks him down for a breather. The chinlock doesn’t work and some right hands to the head trigger Hudson Dukes Up, including a side slam. A Razor’s Edge finishes Bernal at 3:54.

Rating: C. Hudson has come a long way in just a few months and I’m curious to see where this whole thing goes. You could have a story of him trying to take down Chase U or he could be telling the truth. That makes things all the more interesting, and that’s more than I would have bet on with him.

Mr. Stone and Von Wagner talk about their favorite foods until Stone whips out the picture of a baby who appears to have undergone brain surgery from last week. Wagner doesn’t want to talk about it and beats up Luca Crusifino for asking about it.

The Creeds want the next Tag Team Title shot and Gallus seems ready to fight.

Damon Kemp vs. Eddy Thorpe

Kemp takes him down to start but Thorpe is back with a headlock takeover. Back up and Kemp runs him over, only to get elbowed in the face. Thorpe’s half crab sends Kemp over to the rope so it’s a German suplex to drop Kemp again. A jumping elbow drop finishes Kemp at 4:59.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one as they weren’t exactly hitting on all cylinders out there. Thorpe winning is no surprise as he seems to be getting a strong start, though something other than a jumping elbow drop to finish people off might be advisable. Other than that, I’d still like to see more of Kemp, but this seems to be his ceiling for the time being.

Kiana James is ready for the hardest first round match in the Women’s Title tournament. She accomplishes her goals though and will do it again.

Bron Breakker says he hasn’t changed his attitude, but rather he just stopped caring. He carried the NXT flag for over a year and what did it get him? Tonight, he’s going to hurt Trick Williams and put him in the same hospital he put Carmelo Hayes in.

Dijak vs. Ilja Dragunov

Dragunov chops away to start so Dijak tells him to do it again. That’s not a good idea, as Dragunov chops him into the corner, setting up a middle rope knee drop. Dijak is fine enough to toss him off the top and out to the floor for the crash. Back in and Dragunov fights back up and slugs away, only to get caught with the Cyclone Boot for two. It’s time to grab a chair and after, after throwing the referee down, Dijak gets disqualified for using said chair on Dragunov at 4:23.

Rating: C+. I think you know one of the matches we’ll be seeing at Battleground now and I could certainly go for these two beating the fire out of each other in some kind of a stipulation match. Dijak is slowly starting to find himself again after such a long run of nothing and Dragunov works well with anyone. This is going to give us the ticked off Dragunov though, and that is just going to end in more violence.

Post match Dijak crushes Dragunov with the steps and stands on them for some choking.

Tyler Bate is meditating when Wes Lee comes in to thank him for the save last week. Lee says Bate is up next….and Bate wakes up from his meditation with no idea Lee was there. Everything is fine and he’s ready for his match.

Dani Palmer met Tank Ledger/Hank Walker and Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs. The teams agreed to a respectful match.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Tyler Bate

Drew Gulak and Wes Lee are here too. Bate slips out of a hold to start and snaps off a suplex, only to have to flip out of a Boston crab attempt. Back up and they hit heads, giving us a double knockdown. Bate is up first with an airplane spin, but here is Joe Gacy for an argument with Lee. A big dive drops Gacy and Gulak, with the diving Bate going back in to hit Bop and Bang on Dempsey. Not that it matters as Gacy gets in a cheap shot on Bate to knock him silly. Dempsey grabs a dragon suplex for the pin at 3:27.

Rating: C+. There are a few places to go with this one and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends with Bate winning the title in a four way at Battleground. Bate has needed something more to do and while the meditation stuff is fine for him, some success would be even better. Dempsey as the evil wrestling machine works as well, and you can see a lot of the Villain in him.

Carmelo Hayes is on his way to help Trick Williams.

Noam Dar interrupts a Dragon Lee interview to invite him to be a guest on Supernova Sessions.

Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs vs. Hank Walker/Tank Ledger

Walker and Jensen brawl on the floor to start before some double teaming takes over on Briggs inside. Jensen comes in and gets shouldered down hard but it’s back to Briggs for a big boot. We pause for Ledger to spit out a tooth (he puts it in his singlet), followed by a Hart Attack to finish him off at 2:41.

Respect is shown post match.

Video on Lyra Valkyria.

Nathan Frazer talks about how international NXT has become but focuses on Noam Dar.

Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Kiana James vs. Lyra Valkyria

They trade rollups to start with neither getting very far. Another rollup gives Valkyria two but she gets sent hard into the corner. We take a break and come back with James crushing the ribs but Valkyria knocks her away. A middle rope dropkick puts James down and Valkyria sends her outside for a dive. Back in and a suplex gives Valkyria two but James’ powerbomb gets the same. Valkyria shrugs it off and hits a spinning kick to the face for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: C+. They were working hard enough here and I’m a bit surprised by the result. James has been more prominently featured than Valkyria, who has yet to really find herself in NXT. Going with her into the next round is a way to go and she’s more polished in the ring than James, but it was still somewhat surprising.

Gallus is drinking at the bar when Tony D’Angelo and Stacks interrupt, saying they want a title shot. Joe Coffey isn’t having that but threats are made. Gallus’ friends get up and D’Angelo/Stacks are smart enough to leave.

Bron Breakker vs. Trick Williams

They fight to the floor in a hurry, with Breakker having to suplex him onto the announcers’ table to stop an early flurry. Back in and Breakker puts on a seated abdominal stretch but Williams fights up with a dropkick. A jumping clothesline drops Breakker again and a Rock Bottom gives Williams two. Breakker has had it with this and spears him down, setting up the Recliner for the win at 6:15.

Rating: C+. What else were you expecting here? Breakker is a machine about to get a title shot against Williams’ best friend so of course he’s going to crush Williams here. There wasn’t much else that could have been done, though Williams gave it all he had. He deserves more credit than he gets, as he has turned a basic hype man spot into something pretty good.

Post match Breakker goes for him again but Carmelo Hayes comes in. Breakker spears him out of the air (that looked GREAT) and grabs the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Much like Raw, this show felt like a chance for the bosses to go “ok, what do we have now?” while running the tournament matches to fill in a lot of the space. What we got was good enough, but it felt like they were trying to fill it in as well as they could, which isn’t exactly easy given that they lost almost 20 names. Still though, good enough show, but they need to come up with something better to fill up the show.

Results
Tiffany Stratton b. Gigi Dolin – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Gallus b. Dyad – Flapjack/big boot combination to Fowler
Duke Hudson b. Javier Bernal – Razor’s Edge
Eddy Thorpe b. Damon Kemp – Jumping elbow drop
Ilja Dragunov b. Dijak via DQ when Dijak used a chair
Charlie Dempsey b. Tyler Bate – Dragon suplex
Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs b. Tank Ledger/Hank Walker – Hart Attack to Ledger
Lyra Valkyria b. Kiana James – Spinning kick to the face
Bron Breakker b. Trick Williams – Recliner

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: April 21, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton, Mr. Stone

Who knows what we’re getting around here, but less of Schism would be nice. I know they’re names but egads they can suck the life out of a show like no other. It would be nice to see some other stars who don’t get the TV time having a shot, but that isn’t likely to take place. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Wendy Choo/Valentina Feroz vs. Jakara Jackson/Lash Legend

Jackson headlocks Choo to start but gets taken into the wrong corner for her efforts. It’s off to Feroz for a headlock of her own but Legend comes in to drop her on the ropes. Feroz can’t slip out of a suplex so Legend gets to pose as she put a foot on the chest for two. An elbow to the back gets a less arrogant near fall and Jackson comes back in for an aggressive chinlock. That’s broken up as well and it’s Choo coming in to take over. Everything breaks down and Choo hits a full nelson slam to pin Jackson at 5:19.

Rating: C. It’s nice to have Choo back, but there is only so much that can be done with her returning in this spot. She is one of the most unique gimmicks around, but she has to be used in the right way or it won’t work out. The other three were their usual selves, and it isn’t a surprise that Choo got the focus here, as she is by far the biggest star.

Javier Bernal and Kale Dixon are ready for the main event, though Bernal wants Dixon to work on his physique.

Oro Mensah vs. Damon Kemp

Kemp easily wrestles him to the mat but takes too long swiveling the hips, allowing Mensah to grab an anklescissors. Mensah sends him to the apron but gets his throat snapped across the top to put him back in trouble. Back in and Kemp elbows him down before swinging Mensah around by the neck for a crash. A bridging German suplex gives Kemp two and we hit something like a seated abdominal stretch. Mensah fights up and gets two off a rollup, followed by a kick to the face. That’s fine with Kemp, who grabs an electric chair into a suplex for the pin at 5:08.

Rating: C. I still like Kemp and there is something for him to do somewhere in NXT. He has the general heelish nature that makes you want to see him get beaten up and the amateur credentials to back it up. Mensah continues to be little more than “that guy who used to be a bit of something in NXT UK but never does anything here”, which might be his ceiling at the moment.

Edris Enofe/Malik Blade vs. Javier Bernal/Kale Dixon

Enofe takes over on Dixon’s arm to start and hands it off to Blade for a knee to the ribs. A facebuster from Enofe gives Blade two and it’s off to Bernal. Blade misses a kick in the corner and Bernal starts in on the leg, with Dixon getting in some cranking of his own. Bernal’s half crab is broken up and the hot tag brings in Enofe to clean house. Bernal is sent outside, leaving Dixon to walk into the Climax for the pin at 5:09.

Rating: C. Commentary was talking about how Enofe and Blade always feel like they could be the next team to break through but you can only be that for so long. There is a lot of truth to that, as the team has always been on the cusp but beating a makeshift heel team isn’t likely going to be their springboard. They could be something, though that isn’t going to matter if they never get a real chance.

Overall Rating: C. Choo’s return aside, there wasn’t much to see here as it was a lot of the familiar faces from LVL Up. By that I mean a bunch of people who don’t do anything on the main NXT show and there is no reason to believe that most of them are going to be much in the near future. Maybe one or two get to move up a bit if the Draft guts NXT, but that still sounds like quite the long shot.

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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