NXT LVL Up
Date: August 12, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back for another show and while I didn’t like the main event of last week’s show, I do like the fact that we might be seeing some curve balls here and there. That can make all the difference in the world, especially on a show where very little of note ever takes place. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Ikemen Jiro vs. Myles Borne

Borne drives him into the corner to start but Jiro keeps nipping up. A side slam drops Borne for a change but gets dropkicked out of the air for a quick two. Back up and an overhead belly to belly gives Borne two, followed by some rolled suplex for the same. Borne talks too much trash though and gets caught with a spinwheel kick as the comeback is on. A dragon screw legwhip takes Borne down again and some jacket punches make it worse. The Ikemen Slash finishes for Jiro at 5:10.

Rating: C. Jiro might not be the most serious guy in the world but he is able to have a smooth match against just about anyone. That was the case here, as Borne was able to power Jiro around a bit before coming up short in the end. I don’t see either of them going anywhere, but at least they had a fine enough match.

Sol Ruca knows she is in for a test against Elektra Lopez but she’s ready to turn Lopez’s world upside down.

Sol Ruca vs. Elektra Lopez

Ruca rolls her way out of a wristlock to start but Lopez takes it to the mat with a headlock takeover. Ruca gets creative by walking on her hands to escape but a clothesline cuts her right back down. A neck crank keeps Ruca in trouble until she powers out and hits a running shoulder. Lopez walks into a dropkick but gets her knees up to block a standing moonsault. The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Lopez the pin at 3:53.

Rating: C-. Ruca is one of those people who hasn’t had the chance to showcase herself very much but there is some potential there. At the same time, Lopez continues to feel like someone who should be a star but has never really gotten close. I’m not sure how that is going to improve, but the tools are there. Getting away from Legado/D’Angelo could help a bit though.

Chase U vs. Bronco Nima/Lucien Price

Nima takes Chase into the corner to start but Chase is right back on the arm. Hayward comes in to stay on the arm as we hear about Hayward’s family getting full rides to Chase U. Nima gets in a shot of his own though and the tag brings in Price for even more power. Hayward’s running knee is cut off and there’s a double elbow to drop him again. The chinlock goes on until Hayward suplexes his way to freedom, allowing the tag back to Chase. A high crossbody sets up the spelling stomps and the Fratliner finishes Nima at 6:17.

Rating: C+. I’m running out of ways to say how much fun Chase U is at anything they’re doing. The team is just a blast to watch and their energy is so strong every time they’re out there. Nima and Price didn’t get to showcase themselves very well here, but I’m sure they’ll be around again given their looks and athleticism.

Overall Rating: C. Not exactly a great show, but what matters here is that they kept the show moving and nothing was too bad. The weakest match was in the middle and it didn’t even break four minutes. At the same time you have Jiro and Chase U so they were having a good time here and it showed well enough.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: July 29, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

We’re fresh into the non-Vince McMahon era and that gives me a bit of hope that we might be in for something different around here. Then again those changes might not take place for a good while as WWE has more than enough to take care of with, you know, the company being all over the place. Maybe we can get a little something this week though. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Javier Bernal vs. Myles Borne

They shake hands to start and it’s Borne taking him to the mat without much trouble. Borne does it again but grabs an armbar this time to mix it up a little. For some reason he lets it go so Bernal grabs a hammerlock, which is quickly tossed to the floor. Back in and Bernal goes with some shots to the face before grabbing a chinlock. Borne fights up and gets kicked in the face, setting up another chinlock. That’s broken up and Borne grabs a suplex, only to get rolled up with Bernal grabbing the rope for the pin at 4:05.

Rating: C-. I know Borne is an amateur and does the basic wrestling but he just isn’t that interesting. When you have the Creed Brothers around, there is only so much room for someone as dull as Borne. Maybe they’re just trying to get his feet wet here, but that isn’t exactly working in his (still limited) appearances. Bernal isn’t exactly much better, and having him turn heel isn’t going to matter much. Was he even a good guy in the first place?

Quincy Elliott and Ikemen Jiro are ready to steal the show.

Fallon Henley vs. Sol Ruca

Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs are here too. Ruca walks on her hands during the entrances but gets headlocked to start things off. A headlock takeover out of the corner but Ruca counters a snapmare into a wristlock. Ruca’s sunset flip eventually gets two and a shot to the face is good for the same. The armbar goes on to keep Henley down but she’s back up with a faceplant. A running kick to the face finishes Ruca at 5:16.

Rating: C. Ruca is very athletic but that doesn’t necessarily translate into having a good match. Then again she has enough stuff that catches your eye and that might be something they can build on. Henley isn’t exactly great so far, but she’s far more well rounded and it was just a step above a squash for her.

Quincy Elliott/Ikemen Jiro vs. Edris Enofe/Malik Blade

Elliott dances out of Enofe’s waistlock to start, because that’s what Elliott does. That has Enofe doing some pushups and trying to lift Elliott, earning him a throw down. Jiro comes in for some dancing and pushups of his own but Enofe drops him for a change. It’s off to Blade to work on an armbar, plus a dropkick to cut off a comeback. Enofe works on the arm as well but misses a charge in the corner, allowing the tag off to Elliott to clean house. Everything breaks down and Elliott gets dropped with a running knee, setting up a G9 for the pin at 5:58.

Rating: C. This is a good use for someone like Elliott, who is there to pop the crowd with his charisma and dancing. What matters is that after the fun stuff was over, they didn’t have Elliott and Jiro win. Blade and Enofe are a regular team and therefore shouldn’t lose here, which thankfully NXT understood. Not much of a main event, but the fans liked it so well done.

Overall Rating: C-. Just an okish show here and that’s not much of a surprise. It depends on how much star power the show has and that wasn’t the case this week. Henley might have been the biggest name on the show and that isn’t quite enough to make this interesting. At least it was short, which isn’t exactly the best compliment, but there isn’t much else to praise about this one.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: July 15, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Sudu Shah, Matt Camp

For once I actually have some hope around here as there was something of an angle last week. Quincy Elliott cost Damaris Griffin and Bryson Montana a match last week and it might be time for some revenge. That could go a few ways, but there is also the chance that it is completely dropped. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oh come on with the three man booth. The show is 29 minutes long. We need three people talking about things on here???

Quincy Elliott vs. Ikemen Jiro

Jiro cartwheels to start so Elliott shoves him away and they exchange hand signals. A charge is pulled out of the air so Jiro elbows his way to freedom, only to collapse on a dumb slam attempt. Elliott works on a waistlock and then chops Jiro in the head to cut him off. Dancing/posing ensues but Jiro is back with the jacket punches. A superkick into the Lionsault gives Jiro two but he still can’t slam Elliott. Some hip attacks in the corner look to set up a running hip attack, which is blocked by Jiro’s raised feet. Jiro rolls him up for the pin at 5:10.

Rating: C-. I get the idea with Elliott, but he still isn’t someone I need to see more than once or twice. At least he isn’t getting a major push and is mainly around for comic relief with the dancing. Jiro is rather smooth in the ring, though that jacket/goofiness is going to keep him around this level for the time being.

Chase U is back from London and Thea Hail is VERY excited. Oh and they’re in the main event again.

Kiana James vs. Sol Ruca

I believe this is Ruca’s debut and she is rather athletic, including walking on her hands in the ring and nipping up. James takes her down but another nip up lets Ruca start working on the arm. That’s too far for James, who hits a sitdown splash on the ribs before firing off the knees. Back up and Ruca slugs away, only to get caught with something like a reverse Sling Blade for the pin at 3:27.

Rating: C-. Ruca is the latest woman to be added to the roster and she doesn’t have much to set her apart so far. Granted you can only get so much out of that in the span of a match that doesn’t even reach three and a half minutes, but she is certainly athletic. Then again that applies to almost all of the division, so she is going to need something to make her stand out.

Chase U vs. Myles Borne/Javier Bernal

Borne takes Chase to the mat to start and gets in a fireman’s carry, meaning Chase needs to think about this some more. Back up and Chase gets in a fireman’s carry takeover of his own so it’s off to Hayward vs. Bernal. Hayward gets taken down this time so Borne comes back in to take over on him. The chinlock goes on but Hayward fights up and hits a powerslam, allowing the hot tag off to Chase. House is cleaned in a hurry, including the spelling stomps. Everything breaks down and Borne knocks Bernal outside by mistake, leaving Chase to hit the Fratliner for the pin at 5:38.

Rating: C. I’ve said it many times but Chase U is FAR more entertaining than it has any right to be. The good thing is that NXT seems to understand what it has with the concept, because they haven’t risen up to anything more than goofy fun. Chase U is a good example of a concept with a pretty firm ceiling and as long as they don’t go beyond that, they should keep being one of the best things going today.

Overall Rating: C. Well they didn’t continue the stories or anything from last week, but I do like the interview at the first match. NXT is supposed to develop wrestlers so let some people get in front of a camera and try their luck. They are going to have to see what they can do at some point so why not throw them out here and try their hand at something? Chase doesn’t need it himself, but the people who comprise the U sure do. That’s nice to see, though I wonder how it took so long to get this going.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: July 8, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shaw, Nigel McGuinness

We are well on the way to Summerslam and as usual, that will have no impact on what you are about to see here. That isn’t a good thing, but it is the way this show, and its predecessor, has worked for years. The show continues to just exist and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dante Chen vs. Myles Borne

Chen goes to the arm to start and stays on it as Borne tries to take him to the mat. Back up and the arm gets cranked over Chen’s shoulder, only to get flipped down into a headlock. Chen can’t shove him off so we stay in the hold for a rather good while. To their credit, Borne is cranking on the thing and Chen is trying to fight his way out. Back up and we’re right back to the headlock…..which Chen rolls up into a cradle for the pin at 4:39???

Rating: C-. What is there to say about something like this? The whole match was work the arm, headlock, another headlock, pin. They were trying to do some stuff with the basics and Borne was billed as an amateur, but usually that means more than working a headlock. It’s certainly different and they surprised me, but this is their best use of the show’s TV time?

We actually get a promo on this show (DO MORE OF THIS) as Malik Blade and Edris Enofe are ready to face two of the strongest guys in NXT in the main event. Super basic promo, but get these guys (or anyone for that matter) in front of a camera and talking. There is no pressure on a show like this so let them get their feet a little wet.

Yulisa Leon vs. Arianna Grace

They go with the power grappling to start with Leon getting her to the mat without much trouble to start. A headlock doesn’t work for Grace as Leon flips over and strikes a pose on the mat. Grace cranks her to the mat by the arm before working on the armbar on the mat. Leon powers out and grabs a flapjack, setting up a missile dropkick. A fall away slam, with Leon holding onto her and flipping back over into the cover, is good for the pin at 6:16.

Rating: C. It’s almost weird seeing Leon winning a match like this but Grace isn’t ready to beat just about anyone yet. What mattered here was finding something for Feroz and Leon to do and the dancing seems to be their thing. I don’t know how far that is going to get them, but it is better than having them stand around doing nothing.

Edris Enofe/Malik Blade vs. Damaris Griffin/Bryson Montana

On the way to the ring, Enofe grabs a microphone and handles the team’s (somewhat risque) introductions. Blade grabs a headlock on Griffin to start but gets driven into the corner for his efforts. Montana comes in and gets caught with some quick kicks to the face. A fall away slam (with Montana not leaving his feet) sends Blade flying though and we hit the bearhug.

With Blade dropped again, the chinlock goes on for all of a few seconds before he fights back up. Enofe gets the hot tag but gets taken down….as Quincy Elliott is here for no apparent reason Dancing on the floor distracts Montana, leaving Griffin to take a running Blockbuster. Enofe drops a top rope elbow for the pin at 5:28.

Rating: C-. As annoying as Elliott can be, it is nice to see something resembling a story around here. It can’t be hard to have the slightest idea going from one week to another rather than a bunch of one off matches so I’ll take what I can get. Enofe and Blade continue to have some potential, but they are going to need to string together some wins that actually matter for ones. This wasn’t one of those, but it’s better than another loss.

Overall Rating: C. It’s not a good show, but there is the slightest bit of hope for the future and I’ll take that after so, so much of the one off matches. Blade and Enofe getting the focus is nice to see, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see it wind up being about Elliott, as NXT seems to like him a lot. Other than that there wasn’t much here, but I’ll take the slightest change over nothing at all.

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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