NXT LVL Up
Date: August 9, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

I’m still trying to get my head around the idea that this show is building up stories week to week. No they aren’t big and no they are nothing noteworthy, but after years of the same stuff, I’ll absolutely take what I can get. Last week’s show was decent enough so hopefully this week can improve on that. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dante Chen vs. Keanu Carver

Carver has been gone for about six months due to an injury. Chen grabs a headlock to start and manages a takeover on the much larger Carver. Back up and they run the ropes until Carver hits a Pounce (which commentary had hyped up) to send Chen outside in a crash. Carver grabs a bearhug and gets two off a backbreaker as things slow down a good bit. A waistlock stays on the ribs before a Sky high gives Carver two. We keep going with the power as Carver grabs a torture rack, only for Chen to fight out and hit some running forearms. Some kicks to the face and the double chop finish Carver at 4:59.

Rating: C+. This was designed to make Carver look like a star and it worked fairly well before he fell to Chen and…..sweet goodness his finisher is a chop. It wasn’t the place for Carver to get a big win but at least he got to look dominant on the way there. Not a great match, but a rather good way to showcase the up and coming Carver.

Lainey Reid is ready for Wendy Choo, no matter how weird she is.

Lainey Reid vs. Wendy Choo

Choo takes her down by the hair to start but Reid gets two off a quick rollup. A missed charge sends Reid into the corner and it’s already time to choke on the ropes. Choo hits a clothesline for two and hammers away, setting up a running dropkick in the Tree of Woe. Choo’s neck crank is broken up and Reid strikes away, including a neckbreaker. A belly to back faceplant sets up a rollup for two on Choo but she’s right back with the Million Dollar Dream for the tap at 5:04.

Rating: C. This wasn’t exactly a great showcase for Reid, who does have something with the Modern Southern Belle deal, but hasn’t had the chance to showcase herself just yet. The match was more about Choo being weird and creepy, which is all she’s done since her return. Not much here, though Reid is somewhat intriguing.

Kale Dixon is glad to be back because it’s awful to be on the bench for so long.

Edris Enofe vs. Kale Dixon

Malik Blade is here with Enofe. They fight over arm control to start until Dixon hits him in the face and hits a chop to the back. That just fires Enofe up for a dropkick and dancing into a jumping elbow. Dixon is sent outside and gets in a cheap shot, setting up a belly to back suplex for two back inside.

Some snap suplexes get two more and we hit the chinlock with a knee in Enofe’s back. The half crab is broken up and Enofe grabs a monkey flip of all things for a breather. A spinebuster sets up a half crab on Dixon for a change but he’s right at the rope. Dixon pulls him out of the air for a lifting Downward Spiral but Enofe hits a wind up DDT. A top rope elbow finishes Dixon at 7:44.

Rating: C+. The extra time helped a bit here and Dixon is treated as a big deal, but it is still hard to get invested in him when his name is that terrible. It’s still weird to see Enofe (and Blade last week) in a singles match but it’s better than having him sit on the sidelines. The skill is there and if he can get a chance to showcase it, he might just get somewhere.

Overall Rating: C+. And just like that they take away some of the continuity and story building and give us a more more old school (work with me here) LVL Up. While I do like the extra promo time, there wasn’t much to get interested in here, though Carver did look like a monster. Rather standard show from around here though and that’s disappointing after the last few weeks.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: July 19, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re continuing this show and since I’m so far behind here, it isn’t like there is much to say about it. Granted this is LVL Up so there is nothing going on from week to week in the first place. That is what you have to expect around here and unfortunately that is all there is to say about this show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jakara Jackson vs. Kendal Grey

Lash Legend and Carlee Bright are here too. Grey starts fast with an armdrag into an armbar but Jackson powers her into the corner without much effort. That earns her a middle rope crossbody into another armbar but Jackson is back up with a side slam. Jackson grabs a cravate to keep her down and grinds away before nailing a Regal Cutter. Grey fights up and makes the clothesline comeback, only to get hit in the ribs and caught with the Sugar Rush to give Jackson the pin at 4:49.

Rating: C. You don’t see Jackson getting much of her own shine and it was nice to have her be something other than Lash Legend’s friend. The match wasn’t much, but Grey got in a bit of offense before her latest loss. That is going to have to turn around at some point soon, but she’s still ok enough for now.

Dion Lennox talks to Uriah Connors about their loss last week. Yelling ensued but Tank Ledger and Hank Walker cut them off. That’s some actual continuity from week to week and I’ll certainly take that.

Adriana Rizzo vs. Lainey Reid

Reid is “the modern southern belle” and takes her down by the arm. The reversal is reversed as well and we get a standoff. Back up and Riz trips her down before taking Reid into the corner. That earns Riz a kick to the head for two before Reid chokes away in the corner. A neckbreaker sets up a quickly broken crossarm choke on Riz, who fights up with some left hands. Riz drops her again and hits a running flipping seated senton for the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C. Reid got to showcase herself a bit here and it was fine for one of her earlier appearances. Riz has kind of disappeared from the ring in recent months so it’s nice to have her back. Neither was exactly looking like a star but I can go for some fresh blood out there most of the time.

Kendal Grey is annoyed by her loss and she’s sick of losing so often. Carlee Bright tells her to bring back her killer instinct and offers to train with her. This was short and to the point but gave us more insight into Grey than we’ve gotten since she’s been here. See how easy it can be?

Eddy Thorpe vs. Shiloh Hill

Hold on though as Lexis King joins us as this show is actually advancing some things. Hill grabs a front facelock to start as King talks about Thorpe’s love of “evil” EDM. A running shoulder drops Thorpe, who is right back with a crossbody. Hill clotheslines him down again and gets two off a side slam. We hit the seated abdominal stretch for a bit but Thorpe fights up rather easily. The jumping elbow into the implant DDT finishes King off at 5:03.

Rating: C. It was nice to see Hill getting some more shine as there is something to him that could work out. At the same time, this was much more about King and Thorpe continuing their issue. Yes it’s a minor story, but I’ll absolutely take a minor feud getting time over another random match that leads nowhere.

King and Thorpe glare at each other to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. YES! This show has been around for about two and a half years and they are FINALLY doing something with it. They had some actual storylines and continuity from week to week. I have no idea what took them so long to start doing this as it’s the kind of show that anyone could write in about fifteen minutes. Let someone see what they can do here and if you happen to get something out of it, cool. I was very pleasantly surprised here and hopefully it continues this way because it is far better than the alternative.

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: May 24, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

We are on the way towards Battleground but since there is a trip to Saudi Arabia on the way there, we’ll be in for a shortened edition of this show. That can make for a more enjoyable experience around here, though you never know what kind of stars you’ll be seeing from week to week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jazmyn Nyx vs. Lainey Reid

Reid trips her down to start and then grabs a quick la majistral for an early two. Back up and Nyx grabs a headlock but Reid armdrags her way to freedom and grabs an armbar. Nyx fights up and sends her into the corner for a quick kick to the ribs. A running kick to the chest sets up a figure four necklock on Reid but she powers up into an electric chair (dang). Reid hits a clothesline into a neckbreaker into a nipup, followed by a belly to back faceplant for two. Nyx manages to block a butterfly suplex and hits a Pele Kick for the pin at 5:39.

Rating: C+. This was better than I was expecting with Reid getting to show off quite a bit of athleticism. She had some rather impressive power stuff in there, with the electric chair especially standing out. It’s just a first match and she was only in there for about five minutes, but she did well while it lasted in one of her first televised matches.

Talk Ledger and Hank Walker discuss the term “literally”. Then they make tank noises.

Tank Ledger vs. Kale Dixon

In a VERY impressive bit of continuity, we actually get a look at Bron Breakker wrecking Dixon on Raw and a “previously recorded” graphic covers his stretcher job. Major points for that one. Ledger powers him into the corner to start and grinds away on a headlock. Back up and a running shoulder into a slam has Dixon in more trouble.

Ledger blocks a ram into the corner but gets superkicked out of the air to put him in trouble for a change. Dixon chokes away in the corner and hits a knee in the head for two. The double arm crank goes on but Dixon stops to pose, allowing Ledger to come back with a heck of a clothesline. Ledger’s middle rope elbow and a Bubba Bomb finishes for Ledger at 6:55.

Rating: C. I still do not get the appeal of Ledger (and/or Hank Walker) but they are semi-regulars around here and get quite a bit of time on this show. Granted so does Dixon, but I’m not expecting to see him around after Breakker smashed him. I know this because they covered it on here, which is a lot more than I was expecting.

Overall Rating: C. Not much to this one with the opener being more of a surprise than high quality. As usual, there is only so much you can get out of this show and that is lowered even more with one of the matches being cut. Nothing to see here, as this felt like a show that they did because they had to.

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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AND

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