NXT LVL Up
Date: December 27, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

So it’s the final show and for the first time in a good while, we actually have something set up coming in. While we have what is likely going to be a six woman tag, we also have Dante Chen running a gauntlet because this is his show. I’m not sure how to handle something being ready on the way to the show so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Lainey Reid/Wendy Choo/Kali Armstrong vs. Layla Diggs/Carlee Bright/Kendal Grey

Grey and Reid slug it out on the mat to start and Reid quickly hands it off to Choo. That doesn’t last long as Armstrong comes in, with Diggs slamming Bright onto her for two. Reid comes back in to punch Bright in the face, followed by one to Diggs to draw her in as well. Bright fights up and brings in Diggs to pick up the pace without much trouble. Everything breaks down and Diggs ax kicks Reid for the pin at 5:30.

Rating: C+. This is the closest thing to a blowoff to a feud as we’re going to get around here and it went well enough. Diggs doesn’t exactly stand out around here but she got her big win over Reid, who has been all over the show in recent months. If nothing else, it’s nice to have Bright and Grey get a win as things close up.

Dante Chen is ready to face anyone who wants their shot.

We look at some stars who have gone from LVL Up to the main NXT show. That’s a nice little touch.

Gauntlet Match

It’s Dante Chen facing a bunch of people, starting with Keanu Carver, who had a good performance last week. Chen runs the ropes to start but gets caught in a powerslam. Back up and Carver is sent into the corner, allowing Chen to grab a rollup for the pin at 1:32. Harlem Lewis is the second opponent and immediately grabs a suplex for two. A hard kick in the corner staggers Chen again but he’s right back with the Gentle Touch for the pin at 3:51 total.

Kale Dixon is the third opponent and hammers away, including a bit of dancing. Dixon plants him down and chops away in the corner but Chen fights up. Chen is sent to the floor and comes back in to get caught with something like a Downward Spiral. For some reason Dixon tries the Gentle Touch, only to get caught with one of his own to give Chen the pin at 7:26 total for the final win. That’s the whole gauntlet?

Rating: C. Well, that’s about as perfect of a way for Chen to wrap it up: a nondescript match where he didn’t show anything notable and you’re left saying “that’s it?”. I’m still not sure I get the appeal of Chen around here, and as his only appearance in a month and a half after this was losing in less than a minute on the main NXT show, WWE doesn’t seem to see it either.

Chen poses to end the show and the series.

Overall Rating: C. And that’s LVL Up and…I have no idea what the point was in having this most of the time. It was about half an hour a week most of the time and had very little in the way of storylines, making it as skippable of a show as you could have. At the same time, it still felt totally unimportant and like a waste of time most weeks. I get that it helps the wrestlers getting their feet wet and earning some experience for the bigger parts of their careers, but egads they could have made it more interesting. It felt like they were trying a bit more here, but that doesn’t make the last few years any better.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: December 20, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re down to two shows and that means we aren’t going to be getting much out of them. That means we are going to likely be seeing the same stars we usually get around here, but since there isn’t much in the way of stories, what else are they suppose to do? That leaves them in a weird spot so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Joe Coffey vs. Keanu Carver

Carver shrugs off a shoulder to start and grabs a front facelock before knocking Coffey outside. Back in and Carver pulls a high crossbodying Coffey out of the air to put him down again. A powerslam gives Carver two and he grabs an Argentinean backbreaker. That’s broken up and Coffey starts hammering away, setting up the big running shoulder. All The Best For The Bells is loaded up but Carver Pounces him down. Coffey goes simple with the running headbutt into the corner, setting up All The Best For The Bells for the pin at 5:23.

Rating: C+. This was much more about Carver, who dominated most of the match against a more established star. That worked out well as Carver got to showcase himself, which is always a good thing. It was a nice showcase here, even with Coffey winning in the end, as he should at this point.

Lainey Reid is annoyed at being asked about her match tonight with Kendal Grey.

Kendal Grey is ready to beat Lainey Reid.

Lainey Reid vs. Kendal Grey

Grey grabs a fast rollup to start and Reid is looking a bit concerned. Back up and Grey knocks her into the corner, setting up a middle rope crossbody for two. The bridging hammerlock has Reid in more trouble but she manages a belly to belly suplex for a needed breather. A running crotch attack to the back hits Grey for two but Reid elbows her in the face a few times. Reid shrugs off a rollup and knees her in the face for the pin at 5:48.

Rating: C. Grey (and Carlee Bright) has kind of disappeared in recent weeks and you could see why here. They just do not have much that makes them stand out and that is going to create an issue. There are so many talented women in the NXT women’s division that just being in great shape and being athletic isn’t going to carry them very far. The match was nothing to see, but that shouldn’t be much of a shock.

Post match the beatdown is on with Carlee Bright making the save. Kali Armstrong, Wendy Choo and Layla Diggs run in for the big brawl. A six woman seems likely.

Dante Chen talks about how he is known for this show so next week on the final show, he’ll be in a gauntlet match. Who else could it be in the last show?

Overall Rating: C+. I’ll take some things being set up for the grand finale, even if there is very little to get excited about. The opener was a nice way to make Carver look like a bigger deal and the post main event stuff set up things for next week, so we’ll call this a nicely done show. Just stick the landing as well as possible next week and this will work out.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: November 29, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re coming up on Survivor Series and that means very little about what is going on with this show. Instead, we have the usual efforts around here, which means seeing a bunch of people who have no reason to be in any kind of a story but need ring time. That can make for some nice surprises and maybe they will again here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Drake Morreaux vs. Harlem Lewis

The much bigger Morreaux powers him up against the ropes to start before they fight over a front facelock. Lewis gets in a shot of his own and hammers away before working on the arm. A running boot to the face and clothesline give Lewis two each but Morreaux is quickly out of a chinlock. They go up to the corner, where Morreaux knocks him off the top and drops a top rope splash for the pin at 5:38.

Rating: C. Morreaux is someone who is going to get a chance because he is athletic and huge, but at the same time, he hasn’t done anything that makes me interested in what he is doing. Lewis is someone who could be a nice lackey for someone, but on his own, I’m not sure I see what is going to work, at least without a new character. Not much to see here, which is kind of the point.

Lainey Reid doesn’t have a tag partner for later but she’ll find one. Kali Armstrong comes in to say she’ll do it, but they are NOT friends.

Lainey Reid/Kali Armstrong vs. Layla Diggs/Tyra Mae Steele

Diggs starts with Reid, who immediately hands it off to Armstrong, like any heel should. Diggs works on the arm as you might have expected before Steele comes in to wrestle Reid down. Armstrong comes back in for a heck of a clothesline to take over, with Reid’s double elbow getting two. The chinlock goes on but Steele fights out and hands it off to Diggs for a rather fired up comeback. Everything breaks own and Armstrong hits a powerslam on Diggs. Back up and Diggs scores with an ax kick to finish Armstrong at 5:47.

Rating: C+. This actually got cooking at the end and I’ll take that for a nice surprise. You don’t really expect much out of four stars who are rather inexperienced but they had a nice match and a good melee segment to wrap it up. Diggs vs. Reid isn’t much of a story but it’s more than most people get around here and I’ll take that for a bonus.

Cutler James and Dion Lennox are fired up over their recent win but Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon interrupt, setting up the main event.

Lainey Reid jumps Layla Diggs in the back with Tyra Mae Steele chasing her off.

Cutler James/Dion Lennox vs. Uriah Connors/Kale Dixon

Dixon whips James into the corner to start and that doesn’t work well, with James sending him into another corner with a bit more force. Lennox comes in with a fall away slam to Connors but Dixon sneaks in with a hot shot to take over. An assisted elbow in the corner gets two on Lennox but it’s a double knockdown for a needed breather. Everything breaks down again and Connors kicks Lenox into a rollup to give Dixon the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C. Well that was short and they didn’t have time to go anywhere. That’s a bit surprising as these four have been around a bit longer than most of the other people on this show and should be able to have something of a better match. The match wasn’t bad but there is only so much you can do with that little time.

Dixon and Connors are very happy with their first win to wrap things up.

Overall Rating: C+. Who would have thought that the women’s tag match in the middle of the show would have been the best part? The Diggs vs. Reid feud isn’t anything great but at least it is something that they are setting up for a payoff down the road. It’s still not a show you need to watch, but what we got here was good enough for another week.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: November 15, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

It’s been a bit since I’ve looked at this show and the god thing is that there is very little to be seen around here most of the time. There are a few minor things going on though and that has me slightly interested, if nothing else for the sake of seeing how the show might be changed up a bit. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oro Mensah vs. Drake Morreaux

They fight over arm control to start until Morreaux takes him down into a gator roll. A shot to the face gives Mensah a quick two and an anklescissors sends Morreaux into the corner. Back up and Morreaux runs him over, setting up a short form chinlock. Mensah’s slam attempt doesn’t work on the much bigger Morreaux and he sends Mensah crashing out to the floor. Back in and we hit the armbar, which doesn’t last long either as Mensah is up to slug away. A flipping kick to the head sets up the slam to Morreaux and a springboard dropkick rocks him again. The running spinwheel kick in the corner finishes for Mensah at 5:49.

Rating: C+. They had a nice little story here with the smaller Mensah fighting against the bigger Morreaux. It’s a story that will always work in wrestling, even if Morreaux can only do so much at the moment. It wasn’t a great match, but it told a nice story and I’ll take that for just shy of six minutes.

Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon are ready to end their losing ways. They wish the interviewer luck, which has him rather confused.

Carlee Bright vs. Izzi Dame

The much bigger Dame powers her down to start but Bright fires off some chops. A running dropkick and hurricanrana have Dame staggered but she’s back up with a running shoulder. The big boot gives Dame two and a belly to back flipping faceplant gets the same. The crossface chickenwing doesn’t do much to Bright, but the Sky High she charges into is enough for the pin at 4:04.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here, as Bright continues to be little more than someone who puts over the other stars. Bright has some potential but she needs something to separate her from the pack other than “she smiles a lot”. Dame’s size makes her stand out, but a name change wouldn’t hurt. What kind of a villain is named Izzi?

Post match Dame goes after her again but Kendal Grey makes the save. Again, a simple, easy story that gives you something to come back and watch later. It’s not that hard.

Post break, Dame says she doesn’t like Grey and Bright, with Kali Armstrong coming up to say she doesn’t either. Dame kind of stares at her.

D’Angelo Family vs. Uriah Connors/Kale Dixon

Stacks headlocks Connors down to start before they both catch a boot to the ribs. With that broken up, Crusifino comes in to clothesline Dixon as the fans approve. Dixon gets sent to the apron and then knocked back over the top but Connors gets a quick tag. That’s fine with Stacks, who trips him own, only to get caught with a baseball slide from Dixon.

A running chop to the back wakes Stacks up but Dixon is smart enough to knock Crusifino to the floor. As tends to be the case, the diving tag goes through a few seconds later and it’s Crusifino coming in to clean house. A Blue Thunder Bomb gets two on Dixon with Connors making the save. The villains grab an AA/sitout powerbomb combination (not bad) for two with Stacks having to make the save. Everything breaks down and Connors jumps into what looked like a double Downward Spiral for the pin a 6:32.

Rating: C+. They still didn’t have a ton of time here but they packed quite a bit in there for a nice main event. The Family are a far bigger team than Connors and Dixon, but the villains are slowly coming along. It’s not like they have anything else to do so throwing them out there in a tag team is far from the worst idea.

Overall Rating: C+. Some decent wrestling here but I’m still liking the idea of stringing some stories together from week to week. You can only get so much out of having one off matches so giving the wrestlers a small angle is better than nothing. The show is still completely skippable, but it could be a good bit worse.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: November 8, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re still stuck with the shorter form shows due to the main roster being in Saudi Arabia. That doesn’t make a ton of difference around here, but it is at last something to shake up the run of the mill nature of this show. Other than that, we’re at least getting some minor continuity, which is more than we’ve gotten forever. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dani Palmer vs. Kali Armstrong

Armstrong powers her down by the arm to start but Palmer nips up and grabs an armbar of her own. Back up and Armstrong stomps away in the corner before an elbow drop gets two. The abdominal stretch, with the grab of a leg, has Palmer in more trouble but she fights out in a hurry. An enziguri puts Armstrong down and the moonsault gives Palmer the pin at 4:36.

Rating: C. Not much to this one with Armstrong as a fairly generic “I’m strong and better than you” villain. Palmer is only so much better than that made a fine enough match, albeit rather short. It’s not like Palmer has anything going on at the moment though and that doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.

Dion Lennox, Shiloh Hill and Cutler James are ready for Gallus.

Gallus is ready for their six man tag. This is being treated like an actual match.

Dion Lennox/Shiloh Hill/Cutler James vs. Gallus

Wolfgang hammers Lennox into the corner to start but it’s off to Hill for some shoulders to the ribs in the corner. Mark gets taken into the corner by the arm and it’s off to James for a wheelbarrow faceplant. The numbers game gets Cutler in trouble though and a Regal Roll gives Joe two. James manages a backdrop though and the tag brings in Lennox to clean house. Some northern lights suplexes put Gallus down but Joe is back with the Glasgow Sendoff. Hill cleans house but gets sent outside, leaving Lennox to grab a rollup for the big upset pin at 6:13.

Rating: C+. And points for the shock here as I never would have bet on Gallus being in anything resembling trouble here but the young guys won. That’s an actual upset and something that could genuinely boost them up. Gallus has been treated as a big (well big enough) deal around here and to have a bunch of mostly unproven stars beat them was rather stunning.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m still trying to get over the main event as you just do not see results like that around here. I’ve been wanting anything important, or at least interesting, to happen on this show forever and, albeit once, they’ve actually done it. Now do something else to keep it going and turn this into an actual show that has some value for the regulars.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: October 11, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

NXT is on the road and that means almost nothing around here, as we’re still on taped shows from before the move took place. I’m not sure if that is going to change in a big way when the show gets back home, but at least It’s something to look forward to. In theory that is at least. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tatum Paxley vs. Kali Armstrong

Armstrong breaks what looked to be a doll held by Paxley’s mother (who is in the crowd). Paxley is so incensed that she locks up with Armstrong and then drops to the mat for a creepy look. A front facelock is broken up so Paxley settles for two off a sunset flip instead. Back up and a dropkick gives Paxley two more but Armstrong grabs a powerslam to take over.

Some elbows to the neck keep Paxley down and Armstrong hammers away with right hands. A running shoulder sets up the neck crank but Paxley is back up with some dropkicks. Something like a torture rack Angle Slam gives Paxley two, followed by the Psycho Trap for the pin at 4:58.

Rating: C. Quick and to the point here, with Armstrong being added to the incredibly long list of talented athletes with college backgrounds who need something to set them apart. Maybe Armstrong can figure out how to do that, but it is likely to take time. Other than that, Paxley continues to feel like a piece of other stories rather than anything of her own and that is going to limit her ceiling in a big way.

Stevie Turner has put Gallus in a tag match against an up and coming team in Shiloh Hill and Cutler James.

Mr. Stone tells James and Hill that they’re facing Gallus and takes credit for the match.

Gallus vs. Cutler James/Shiloh Hill

Joe Coffey is here with Gallus. Hill jumps Mark to start and it’s off to Cutler for a wheelbarrow faceplant. Wolfgang comes in off a blind tag and decks Cutler to take over, setting up an armbar. A basement clothesline gives Wolfgang two and we hit an abdominal stretch. We’ll make that a chinlock before Cutler avoids a charge in the corner. A running shoulder allows Hill to come back in as everything breaks down. The running boot/flapjack finishes Cutler at 6:23.

Rating: C. James and Hill are becoming one of the new teams around here and that isn’t a bad thing. They work well together and could wind up being a little something, though there is no shame in losing to a seasoned team like Gallus. Call this one a learning experience, albeit not a great one.

Overall Rating: C. They were short and to the point here and there wasn’t much to be seen. Hill and James are starting to get a bit of a push and that’s all it needed to be here. Things can pick back up again next week when LVL Up catches up to the main show. Or absolutely nothing changes, as it almost never does around here.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: September 20, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re coming up on the move over to the CW, with only two shows left before the change. While it isn’t likely, there is always the chance that this show could undergo some changes of its own. Last week’s show was different enough and maybe now we can see things getting better around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Lash Legend vs. Lainey Reid

Jakara Jackson is here with Legend. Reid works on the arm to start but Legend powers out and does the same. Legend sends her into the buckle over and over before dropping Reid with a suplex. They head outside with Legend getting posted, setting up the chinlock back inside. That doesn’t work for Legend who powers up and plants her down, setting up a fall away slam. A chokeslam gets two on Reid, who snaps off a middle rope hurricanrana for two. Reid goes up but gets kicked out of the air, setting up the back to back faceplant to finish for Legend at 5:57.

Rating: C+. Reid is starting to make some more appearances around here and that’s going to help her out in the long run. She didn’t show much in the way of the whole southern belle here but it was her best in-ring effort, which could be a positive sign for her. Legend continues to look smooth in the ring, which is hard to fathom given where she was just a year or so ago.

Kali Armstrong is ready to bring speed and aggression against Brinley Reece. Believe it or not, she’s a former NCAA athlete who is trying wrestling.

Kali Armstrong vs. Brinley Reece

Armstrong powers her down to start and chokes in the corner but Reece isn’t having any of that. A drop toehold brings Armstrong down and she cranks away on Armstrong’s arm. Reece goes up but gets pulled down for a face first crash. Armstrong clotheslines her down and grabs something like a seated crossface chickenwing. That’s broken up so Armstrong hits a powerslam, only for Reece to come up with a not great TKO for the pin (ignore her shoulders being down too) at 4:44.

Rating: C. This is a weird one as Armstrong was coming off as the better of the two, with her power stuff working well. On the other hand, Reece just didn’t do anything special here and it’s a bit surprising as long as she has been around. There’s nothing to make her stand out and this wasn’t exactly an impressive performance.

Cutler James gives Shiloh Hill a pep talk before the main event. This was as awkward and badly executed as you would have expected.

Shiloh Hill vs. Mark Coffey

Coffey grabs a headlock to start but Hill powers out and drives him into the corner. Hill works on an armbar and then a headlock but Coffey hits an elbow to the face. The chinlock goes on to keep Hill down, only to have him suplex his way to freedom. A double underhook slam gives Hill two but Coffey hits him in the face for the pin at 5:56.

Rating: C. Hill has impressed in recent appearances and it is a good sign that he is getting this kind of a spot. I could go for seeing him getting another chance, as he is one of the better stars in the new crop of NXT rookies. Losing to Coffey isn’t going to hurt him so this was as logical of a main event as you could have gotten.

Hill lost a tooth on that shot to the face.

Overall Rating: C. Hill and Armstrong showed some promise here, which made for something of an odd night as the two bigger names didn’t do anything special this week. The show went by quickly though and nothing was too bad, but they need to do something a bit more interesting. If nothing else, it’s nice to see some fresh faces on the show and hopefully that keeps up going forward.

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