NXT LVL Up
Date: October 7, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Matt Camp, Nigel McGuinness

We are back to the show that changes so little week to week that I didn’t even realize I watched the same episode twice. Odds are there are going to be a lot of the same things this week as tends to be the case around here. That should mean some ok stuff, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up for anything spectacular. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Indi Hartwell vs. Sloane Jacobs

Hartwell grabs a headlock takeover to start as we hear about Hartwell’s time in the Way. Jacobs slips out and hits a basement dropkick, only to get slammed down for two. A cravate goes on but Jacobs fights up and kicks her in the face a few times. Not that it matters as Hartwell hits the spinebuster for the pin at 3:17.

Rating: C-. As has been the case for the last several weeks, Hartwell continues to be little more than just kind of there and that doesn’t seem to be changing. I don’t know what happened to her over the last few months, but part of it might be that she is just ok in the ring most of the time. Jacobs is still figuring out what she is supposed to do in the ring, which could take her a long while.

Arianna James and Kiana James say don’t underestimate them.

Myles Borne vs. Guru Raaj

Borne wrestles him down to the mat without much effort before going after the arm. Raaj pulls him over with a headlock but gets reversed into a headscissors. That’s broken up as well and Raaj hits a pair of dropkicks for two. A top rope ax handle gives Raaj the same and we’re off to the chinlock. That lasts a bit longer than expected and Borne is back up with a dropkick of his own. There’s a suplex for two on Raaj, who is back with a running boot. Raaj goes up but dives into a Downward Spiral to give Borne the pin at 5:34.

Rating: C. I think we can write off Borne’s awful debut match as a one off as he has come a long way in just a few weeks. Borne has the technical side down and if he can get some charisma to go with it, he’ll be fine. Then you have Raaj, who is also good enough with the in-ring stuff but has almost nothing to set him apart. Fix that and he could be around for awhile too.

Respect is shown post match.

Sol Ruca/Fallon Henley vs. Arianna Grace/Kiana James

Henley shoves James down without much trouble to start and drops Grace with an early right hand. Ruca comes in for a cartwheel into a moonsault for two on Grace but a quick pull of the hair lets James hit a running shoulder in the corner. We hit the seated abdominal stretch to make Ruca yell a lot until she fights back up. James cuts off the tag with a front facelock but a quick leg trip allows the hot tag to Henley. Everything breaks down and Henley hits a Shining Wizard to finish Grace at 5:05.

Rating: C. Grace and James are supposed to be something of a heel duo but I’m not sure what kind of a future they have together. On the other hand you have Ruca, who looks crazy athletic but is still brand new, and Henley, who has more charisma than she know what to do with most of the time. There is potential here though and this was by far the most exciting thing on the show.

Overall Rating: C. Yep, this was indeed an episode of LVL Up, meaning two mostly nothing matches and a decent main event. The lack of bigger names was a problem here though and it didn’t exactly make me want to see where these people go next. Part of that problem is they aren’t going anywhere other than this show, which is the high point for a lot of the people who appear here. For now though, ok enough week, even if nothing on it was particularly good.

Results
Indi Hartwell b. Sloane Jacobs – Spinebuster
Myles Borne b. Guru Raaj – Downward Spiral
Fallon Henley/Sol Ruca b. Arianna Grace/Kiana James – Shining Wizard to Grace

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NXT LVL Up
Date: September 16, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

I actually got a bit of hope last week as we had a slightly bigger name in the main event to make it feel a bit better. Then again there is always the chance that they are going to completely drop it and switch back to the normal way of doing things. That would be the LVL Up way so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ivy Nile/Tatum Paxley vs. Sloane Jacobs/Erica Yan

Paxley takes Yan down to start and she seems a bit surprised. Back up and Paxley pulls her to the mat for a hammerlock before it’s off to Nile for some more arm cranking. Yan tries to roll out and gets hammerlocked again as this is one sided so far. An escape over to the corner brings in Jacobs, who is kicked down just as fast.

Paxley flip splashes onto her but stops to glare at Yan, allowing Jacobs to grab her own armbar. A spinning middle rope crossbody gives Jacobs two and we hit the neck crank. Paxley elbows her in the face for a breather though and the hot tag brings in Nile to wreck things. Everything breaks down and Ivy Iconoclasms Paxley into a twisting splash for the pin on Jacobs at 5:19.

Rating: C. This was the kind of faster paced and above all else different match that that it needed to be. Just mixing things up a bit makes the show feel that much better and that is what they have needed to do around here for the better part of ever. I’m not sure what took so long, but I’m assuming that a lack of caring had something to do with it.

Bronco Nima and Lucien Price talk about going to school together and then reuniting after losing contact. Duke Hudson comes in to mock the idea so they say get a partner. That’s not going to work for Hudson, so he’ll face Nima one on one. See what they did here? They set up a quick story and gave us a bit of a backstory for a new team. This took about two minutes and did SOMETHING that has been lacking around here for years. Do more of this, even on a small scale.

Bronco Nima vs. Duke Hudson

Lucien Price is here with Nima as they take turns powering each other into the corner. Hudson hits a knee to the ribs and grabs a headlock but Nima comes back with a grab of the hair. A Samoan drop plants Hudson but he hits Nima in the throat and stomps away. The chinlock goes on until Nima fights up and hits a corner splash. A dancing forearm takes too long though and Hudson hits a German suplex. There’s a belly to belly suplex into a big boot to finish Nima at 5:41.

Rating: C. This was close to a hoss fight and I’m glad to see Hudson get a win as I still think there is something to him. Other than that, it was weird to see someone like Nima, who seemed to be getting a bit more established, to lose like this. Granted some of that was due to taking too long to set something up so maybe he can get some experience out of this.

Indi Hartwell vs. Amari Miller

Miller goes for the arm to start and la majistral gets two on Hartwell. The headlock takeover keeps Miller in control as the fans get behind Hartwell. Back up and a slam into an elbow gets two on Miller, followed by the chinlock. Fans: “SHE’S IMPRESSIVE!” Miller fights up and grabs a rollup for two but walks into a spinebuster for the pin at 5:12.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here but it was nice to have the fans into someone like Hartwell, who they will at least know. Hartwell has fallen a long way since the Index thing ended and that was pretty clear again this week. Miller has all the charisma she could ask for, but she is still pretty basic in the ring and that is going to need to change.

Overall Rating: C. The main thing here is that, in the same vein as the main roster shows, it feels like there is a new energy here. This show featured some bigger NXT names (in perspective that is) and it made the show seem that much better. What we got here was a show that didn’t exactly light things up, but it was a lot more interesting than so many of the dry, dull LVL Up/205 Live shows over the last few years. Do more of the new stuff and see what you can do with this show, even if it is as low on the totem pole as you can get.

Results
Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile b. Erica Yan/Sloane Jacobs – Twisting splash to Jacobs
Duke Hudson b. Bronco Nima – Big boot
Indi Hartwell b. Amari Miller – Spinebuster

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NXT LVL Up
Date: July 1, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Sudu Shah

It’s the second half of the year and odds are that is not going to make the slightest bit of difference around here. This show has gotten into another funk as of late and I wonder if that is due to the NXT house show circuit starting up again. Those shows are far more valuable than this one and WWE seems to realize that. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Stacks vs. Hank Walker

Tony D’Angelo is here with Stacks. This is Walker’s debut and he’s…a guy in jeans and a collared shirt (looks a bit like Seth Rogen). Ok then. Walker takes him down into an armbar and does it again for a bonus. Back up and a knee to the ribs cuts off Stacks as we talk about something unfortunate happening to some (unnamed) member of the D’Angelo Family. A shot to the face drops Walker and we hit the neck crank but he is right back with a backslide. Walker fights out of another neck crank and takes off his shirt, revealing a not so great physique. Stacks kicks him down and hits a running big boot to finish Walker at 4:21.

Rating: D+. Walker feels like someone who would fit in a lot better if Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen didn’t exist. They feel like people who are doing a polished version of the country boy gimmick while Walker feels like someone who was given something to do without being ready to go this far. Not impressive here, and Walker needs some work.

Amari Miller vs. Sloane Jacobs

Feeling out process to start with Jacobs taking her down for an early two. Miller does the same (to Jacobs, not herself) and we get a standoff. Jacobs works on the arm before hitting a quick crossbody for two as frustration is setting in less than three minutes into the match. The arm cranking goes on again until Miller sends her throat first into the bottom rope. Back in and Jacobs is right back with the arm cranking but Miller fights up and kicks away in the corner. The Kansas City Knockout finishes for Miller at 5:55.

Rating: C. Miller is coming along rather nicely around here. She isn’t ready for a big spot but she has become a regular on this show and is looking more and more confident in the ring every time. The bubbly personality helps too and she could be something one day. Not a great or even good match, but it did well under the circumstances.

Javier Bernal vs. Duke Hudson

Hudson powers him down to start and looks annoyed that he has to deal with Bernal. With Bernal ready, Hudson drops to his knees to negate some of the size difference. Bernal’s headlock doesn’t get him very far but some strikes do, including a step up enziguri. Hudson runs him over though and a slam gets two.

Back up and Bernal reverses a suplex into a small package for two, only to get dropped for a neck crank. Another slam is countered into a swinging Downward Spiral and Hudson is staggered for a change. A sliding lariat into a high crossbody gets two on Hudson but he crotches Bernal on top. The Razor’s Edge finishes for Hudson at 6:56.

Rating: C+. I was getting into this one by the end and that is the best thing that can be said about a match like this. There was no reason to believe that Bernal was going to pull off an upset but he got in enough offense to stagger Hudson a bit. Pretty nice showing from both of them here, as Hudson can make the matches work well enough to go with his charisma.

Hudson talks a lot of trash to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was a better show, though I don’t have much of a reason to believe that it is going to be a game changer. What matters here is that they had some fresh faces in Hudson and Walker and that is what the show can use from time to time. Some stories would do wonders around here as well, but I have long since given up on that being a thing. For now, I’ll take what I can get around here.

Results
Stacks b. Hank Walker – Big boot
Amari Miller b. Sloane Jacobs – Kansas City Knockout
Duke Hudson b. Javier Bernal – Razor’s Edge

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NXT LVL Up
Date: June 10, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another one of these which will likely have nothing whatsoever to do with the previous show and feature a bunch of stand alone matches. That is the standard formula around here and I wouldn’t expect to see it change anytime soon. It doesn’t mean the show will be bad, but it also doesn’t give me high expectations. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Valentina Feroz vs. Arianna Grace

Yulisa Leon is here with Feroz. Grace takes her down by the arm to start but Feroz reverses into an arm crank of her own. A rollup doesn’t work so Grace powers her up for a drop onto the buckle. The chinlock goes on but Feroz fights up and gets two off a small package. Grace kicks her down and, after walking around so she can face the camera, gets two. Some throws put Grace down and she hits a spear but Grace is back up. That’s fine with Feroz, who grabs a backslide for the pin at 4:14.

Rating: D+. In short, Grace is not ready for this spot as she looks all over the place and like she is trying to remember every thing that she has to do. The match wasn’t good and felt sloppy, with Feroz doing what she could but not exactly being great in her own right. I’m sure Grace will get a chance because of her look and family connection, but she needs a lot of work.

Sloane Jacobs vs. Sierra St. Pierre

Feeling out process to start with Jacobs grinding away on a headlock and hitting a dropkick. Another headlock takeover takes St. Pierre over and a middle rope spinning crossbody gets two. St. Pierre fights up and hits some right hands, setting up a neck crank. Jacobs grabs a butterfly suplex for two and finishes with a Samoan drop faceplant at 4:58.

Rating: C-. Jacobs is another work in progress and while I can get what WWE sees in her, she needs a lot more ring time and a lot more work before she is ready to go. This wasn’t terrible but it is clear that Jacobs is still figuring a lot of this stuff out. She might get there and I have more confidence in her than Grace, though that isn’t saying much.

Ikemen Jiro vs. Dante Chen

Jiro works on the wrist to start but Chen flips out and grabs a headlock. With that broken up, they fight over a pinfall reversal sequence to get us to a standoff. Chen gets knocked down for a twist of the neck and a running crossbody gives Jiro two. Back up and Chen knees him in the ribs before another shot sends Jiro to the apron. The seated abdominal stretch stays on the ribs but Jiro fights up with the jacket punches. A slingshot springboard moonsault gets two on Chen, who grabs a gutbuster. Not that it matters as the Ikemen Slice finishes for Jiro at 6:59.

Rating: C. Given my tastes in wrestling, Jiro is someone I shouldn’t like, but he has some great charisma and is smooth in the ring, making it hard to dislike him. That is more than I can say for a lot of NXT wrestlers and I get why he is in a more featured role. You can tell that he has the experience and abilities, but the jacket/over the top nature is likely to keep him pretty firmly in the lower levels of the card.

Overall Rating: C-. The women’s matches were rough but Jiro was a level higher enough to make this passable. This show continues to be the “yeah sure put them on, whatever” card of the week and that isn’t likely to change. What matters is getting people in the ring, but with the house show circuit coming back around, I’m not sure how much of an impact this show is going to have. It’ll stay around because WWE is the ultimate creature of habit, but it doesn’t need to be, at least not in this form.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: June 3, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Sudu Shah

The normal trend of this show is likely to continue this week as we have three more matches between people who aren’t usually going to make it to NXT proper. That can make for some acceptable background noise but rarely much more than that unfortunately. You get used to the concept though so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Fallon Henley vs. Brooklyn Barlow

They go to the mat to start and it’s a pair of standoffs before Henley grabs the armbar. An exchange of rollups get two each and Barlow wants her to bring it. Back up and they fight over a lockup until Barlow starts working on the arm instead. She cranks on the neck as well but Henley fights out with a faceplant. A running knee finishes for Henley 4:22.

Rating: C-. Henley continues to look like a star and I could see her being on the main roster someday. She has a gimmick and the charisma to make it work so with some more ring time, she could wind up going somewhere. Barlow has a good look but she is still in the very early stages so you can’t tell much about her just yet.

Tatum Paxley vs. Sloane Jacobs

They grapple around to start with neither being able to get the better of things. Paxley slams her down (while throwing in a squat) and it’s time to crank on the arms. Another slam is countered into a headlock takeover though and Jacobs hits a running boot for two. The chinlock keeps Paxley down but she is back up with a butterfly suplex. Jacobs gets caught in an electric chair, with Paxley spinning her around into a powerbomb and floating over for the pin at 5:52.

Rating: C. Paxley is another someone who could go somewhere with some more time but, much like Jacobs, it is way too early to know what they have with her. This and some house show matches are the kind of things that could do both of them a world of good. That ist he case with a lot of people on NXT so those live events coming up are great ideas.

Edris Enofe/Malik Blade vs. Dante Chen/Javier Bernal

This is about as LVL Up of a match as you can get. Blade works on Chen’s arm to start before a dropkick gets two. Enofe comes in for a basement 619 for two before we hit the headlock. It’s off to Bernal for a splash in the corner but Enofe powers him into the other corner. That means Blade can come in to miss a charge in the corner, allowing Chen to grab a chinlock.

Bernal adds an atomic drop for two and the chinlock goes on again. Blade finally rolls underneath a clothesline and brings Enofe back in to clean house. A top rope elbow gets two on Chen and Enofe can’t believe it. He’s so stunned that he hits a reverse Sling Blade setting up an assisted elevated Stunner to finish Bernal at 7:03.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t a great match but it was better than just about anything else we have seen around here in a long time. Enofe and Blade could hang as a young and plucky team on the main NXT roster and that is the kind of team they could use. Chen and Bernal were two heels (I think?) thrown together here as opponents and they did just fine, even in a short match.

Respect is shown post match.

Overall Rating: C. This show might not have been much on its own but it was a great illustration of why NXT needs live events. There was about seventeen minutes of wrestling on this show between eight wrestlers. How much can you really get out of that little amount of time? Give these people eight to ten minutes each for three shows a week and they can actually get somewhere. Like wrestling has worked for, like, ever.

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NXT
Date: May 10, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph

While things should have changed last week with NXT Champion Bron Breakker beating Joe Gacy at Spring Breakin, Gacy’s minions beat Breakker down and kidnapped him. Since wins and losses don’t matter around here, Gacy vs. Breakker continues while the women’s Breakout Tournament begins. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s title match, plus the post show beatdown and Gacy and Company taking Breakker into a field with a sack of his head. They seem to leave him there as Gacy is all nutty.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Toxic Attraction vs. Roxanne Perez/Wendy Choo

Toxic Attraction is defending against the criminals. Choo dives in off the top from behind to take the champs down and it’s Perez starting with Jayne. That’s fine with the champ as Perez gets sent into the corner, allowing Jayne to do some of the most blatant spot calling I can remember (she grabbed Perez’s head and talked to her).

Jayne makes the mistake of talking too much trash though and it’s Choo coming in to clean house. Choo sends them outside and holds the ropes open so Perez can hit a double dive as we take a break. Back with Jayne taking Choo down but the tag off to Perez doesn’t take that long. A Russian legsweep gets two on Dolin as everything breaks down. Mandy Rose gets in the ring so Choo goes after her, allowing Jayne to hit a superkick on Perez for the pin at 10:01.

Rating: C+. Choo’s gimmick is still horrible but she can wrestle a somewhat exciting match. That kind of makes me wonder what in the world the point is in trying to have her be this goofy thing that is impossible to take seriously. If she was having matches like this in regular gear, she would be downright useful, but it is a little hard to buy her as anything important based on how she is dressed in the ring (and what she does out of it).

Post match Toxic Attraction beats Choo down.

Grayson Waller and Tiffany Stratton went shopping.

The Creed Brothers aren’t happy with Roderick Strong interfering against the Viking Raiders last week. Strong says the win is what matters but next week the Creeds are going to face the Raiders again. That’s cool with Strong, who is bringing in someone who has been wanting to join the team for a long time now: Damon Kemp. The Creeds say that new members are supposed to be a group decision, so they’ll talk about this later.

Here is Joe Gacy, with minions, for a chat. Gacy says that Bron Breakker has to take the next step in his journey all alone. He started his own journey here months ago and allowed anyone to be a part of real change. Two men, the minions, separated themselves from the pack and have proven their worth to him and themselves. Now Breakker can be a part of this change and receive eternal joy. Otherwise, affliction and hardship await those who resist. And that’s it, because Gacy is just another cult leader that has been done time after time.

Sarray, a schoolgirl again, talks to Chase University and since Bodie Hayward speaks Japanese (Chase: “We got a foreign language department?”), he translates that Sarray wants to team with Chase in a mixed tag. Chase is in.

This week at the Performance Center, Ivy Nile had an exercise challenge, starting with pushups. More on this later as some participants drop out early.

Here are the eight Women’s Breakout Tournament participants and we’ve got brackets:

Nikkita Lyons
Arianna Grace

Fallon Henley
Sloane Jacobs

Roxanne Perez
Kiana James

Lash Legend
Tatum Paxley

Everyone gets introduced with a quick bio graphic.

Women’s Breakout Tournament First Round: Fallon Henley vs. Sloane Jacobs

Henley misses a charge in the corner to start, allowing Jacobs to try a dropkick that is left a big short, meaning Henley has to lean into it for the near fall to make sense. Cue Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs to cheer Henley on as Jacobs kicks her in the face for two. Back up and Henley manages a clothesline for a double knockdown, setting up a running knee to finish Jacobs at 4:16.

Rating: C-. They did the right thing by having Henley go forward, but the brackets would suggest that she is going to get wrecked by Nikkita Lyons in the second round. Henley has fit in rather nicely with the country boys and that is a good starting point for her. Jacobs isn’t even 20 years old yet so she has a long way to go, but at least the base seems to be there so far.

Respect is shown post match.

Legado del Fantasma doesn’t feel bad about kidnapping AJ Galante last week. Now it’s time to start the car again.

Cruz del Toro goes to start the car but Tony D’Angelo and company jump him and beat him down. Then they put him in another car trunk and drive off.

Alba Fyre vs. Amari Miller

Fyre grabs a rollup to start as we go split screen to see Ivy Nile putting her contestants through burpees to get rid of even more. Miller comes back with a Regal Cutter for two but Fyre superkicks her for the same. Fyre plants her again with the Firebomb (Gory Bomb) and hits a Swanton for the pin at 3:38.

Rating: C. Fyre looked good here, but that isn’t hard when you’re one of the best in the world. I know WWE felt the need to change everything about her but at least the red hair is about as much of a trademark as you can get. It wasn’t quite a squash as Miller has a bit of standing around here, though Fyre should be either in the title scene or on the main roster like yesterday.

Solo Sikoa won’t let Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes in the building.

Cora Jade is ready for Natalya and isn’t that little girl that Natalya remembers.

Here is Solo Sikoa for a chat. He likes what he did to Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes and wants the North American Title. Cue Cameron Grimes to say that once he beats Hayes, Sikoa is next. That’s cool with Sikoa, who walks away, but here are Hayes and Williams to beat Grimes down. Sikoa slowly leaves, then turns to look back and very eventually makes the save.

Legado del Fantasma calls Tony D’Angelo and company and threats are made. Santos Escobar throws in a “f*** you” to end the call and D’Angelo breaks things.

Nathan Frazer is excited to be here when Xyon Quinn comes in. Quinn says something Frazer doesn’t understand when Wes Lee comes up too. Frazer says he thought it was some American thing and leaves, which seems to set up Lee vs. Quinn.

Tiffany Stratton/Grayson Waller vs. Andre Chase/Sarray

Sarray transforms, but it also changes Bodhi Hayward into a schoolgirl and changes Chase’s sweater to blue. The guys start things off with Waller working on the wristlock. A shot to the face annoys Chase so it’s off to Stratton, who has to run away from Sarray. That lets Stratton get her into the ring for a forearm to the face, only to have Sarray take her down by the leg. The Muta Lock goes on, with Sarray having to grab the hair for the escape.

Chase and Sarray hit the spelling stomps and we take a break. Back with Waller beating on Chase until a suplex gets him out of trouble. Everything breaks down again and the Sunray dropkick hits Waller. That leaves Sarray to get planted though and Stratton hits the twisting Vader Bomb….for two as Hayward blasts the air horn. Stratton dives on him (Stratton: “THAT’S A TEACHABLE MOMENT!”) but gets rolled up by Sarray for the pin at 10:26.

Rating: C+. Chase U has rapidly become one of my favorite things in all of NXT and that is due to the efforts that Chase has put in. He has turned a totally dumb story into something I like to see every week and that is a rare thing to see. It is all in the performance for him and I could go for more of that and people like him. Waller and Stratton were fine here and Sarray winning….I just can’t imagine it’s going to stick this time. She has fallen too far and the still lame transformation stuff is making it worse.

Ivy Nile has people doing lunges.

Mr. Stone says if people step to Von Wagner, they are going to get hurt. Ikemen Jiro comes in and attacks him and they get separated.

Indi Hartwell is sad about Dexter Lumis (whose name we can’t say) being gone when Toxic Attraction comes in. Mandy Rose talks about how she can’t imagine what Indi is going through….because no one would ever leave her. Go find Wendy Choo and cry with her. Hartwell shakes her head a lot.

Women’s Breakout Tournament First Round: Nikkita Lyons vs. Arianna Grace

Grace hits her in the face to start and manages to take Lyons down early on. Something like an Anaconda Vice has Lyons in trouble but she’s back up with some superkicks. A release German suplex sends Grace flying and a spinning kick to the face drops her. The splits splash finishes for Lyons at 3:08.

Rating: C. They kept this one short with Grace getting in some offense before falling tot he bigger star. There is nothing wrong with pushing the heck out of Lyons as she has the physical gifts and intangibles to go a long way. Grace looked good in the short term, but you can only get so much out of her selling a lot in a three minute match.

Ivy Nile gets rid of more people with the battle ropes and pullups. Nile outlasts the one remaining person and doesn’t look happy.

Video on Cora Jade vs. Natalya, and yes that really is the main event.

The Viking Raiders are in on a rematch against the Creeds.

Natalya vs. Cora Jade

Feeling out process to start with Jade spinning out of a wristlock and taking Natalya down early. The threat of some kind of a hold has Jade slipping out, only to send Natalya to the floor. We take a break and come back with Jade escaping a surfboard, setting up a running knee in the ropes. A tornado DDT gets two on Natalya but she is fine enough to suplex Jade hard into the corner.

Jade’s knee is crushed in the ropes so Natalya wraps it around the post. That allows Jade to pull her face first into the post and Sliced Bread gets two. With nothing else working, Jade grabs the Sharpshooter but Natalya powers out as Jade’s knee can’t hold up. Natalya grabs the Sharpshooter and Jade passes out at 14:06.

Rating: B. They were managing to pull me in here, and while I get the idea of Jade hanging in there to fall in the end, I’m not sure that’s the best way to go. Is Natalya really important enough that Jade can’t beat her? I know WWE seems to think of her as a legend and yeah I think I just answered my own question.

Post match Jade wakes up and Natalya helps her to her feet for the big hug to end the show. Please, not another tag team.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event pulled this one over the line and while it took time, I’m glad it actually got there. NXT continues to push some rather uninteresting stars and characters though, from Choo to Gacy to D’Angelo and company to Sarray to Natalya and it doesn’t help me through the show. There are good and interesting people on here who could use the TV time, but the bad names are bringing things WAY down and it’s making parts of the show a chore rather than entertaining. Side note: has there ever been a full, regular show that has a woman in every match? That might be a first.

Results
Toxic Attraction b. Roxanne Perez/Wendy Choo – Superkick to Perez
Fallon Henley b. Sloane Jacobs – Running knee
Alba Fyre b. Amari Miller – Swanton
Andre Chase/Sarray b. Tiffany Stratton/Grayson Waller – Rollup to Stratton
Nikkita Lyons b. Arianna Grace – Splits splash
Natalya b. Cora Jade via referee stoppage

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NXT LVL Up
Date: May 6, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Sudu Shah

We’re coming off a big NXT event on Tuesday and odds are that doesn’t mean much around here. What might mean something is the upcoming women’s Breakout Tournament, which very well could get some hype on this show. This is where some of the upcoming women have appeared before so maybe we get more of that this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile vs. Erica Yan/Sarray

Roderick Strong is here with Nile and Paxley. Speaking of the Breakout Tournament and also speaking of people who have fallen through the floor, we have Paxley and Sarray. Nile takes Sarray into the corner to start and it’s an exchange of wristlocks with Paxley. Sarray slips out and hits a running dropkick so Yan can come in instead.

An exchange of rollups get two each and that’s good for a standoff so we’ll try Nile vs. Sarray again. A fisherman’s suplex gets two on Nile but she is back up with a clothesline. Some rolling suplexes set up a running kick in the corner and Sarray is in trouble. Paxley comes back in for the armbar but Sarray fights up, ducks a clothesline, and gets over to for the tag to Yan. That’s fine with Nile, who comes back in with the dragon sleeper for the tap at 5:20.

Rating: C. Nile still feels like a killer and Paxley is coming along nicely, though she still has some work to do to break out from the pack. The interesting thing here is Sarray, who has either been a huge disappointment or has lost every bit of support she has backstage. It’s just weird to see her falling this far but somehow this is still better than the transforming schoolgirl deal.

Sloane Jacobs vs. Thea Hail

They fight over arm control to start until Hail hits a dropkick for an early two. Jacobs sends her into the corner to start the stomping though as commentary points out that these two are 37 years old combined. A big boot drops Hail for two and we’re off to the neck crank. Hail takes her time fighting up and sends Jacobs into the corner, setting up a sunset flip for two. Jacobs shrugs it off and hits a Samoan drop for the pin at 5:05.

Rating: C-. Not the most interesting match as the neck crank took awhile but you can tell that these two are still works in progress. Given that the older one is nineteen years old, there is only so much you can expect from them. At some point you need to get them in the ring, but a televised show might not be the best idea.

Channing Lorezno/Troy Donovan vs. Javier Bernal/Dante Chen

Why yes, this is a LVL Up main event. Tony D’Angelo joins commentary and the voice is already grating. Bernal headlocks Lorenzo down to start as D’Angelo interrogates Shah about possibly being a federal agent. Chen comes in to headlock Lorenzo before switching up to another headlock. Bernal’s sliding lariat gets two but Lorenzo blocks a sunset flip and brings Donovan in. The stomping ensues and a suplex gets two on Bernal. The alternating beatdown is on but Bernal sends them into each other and gets over to Chen for the hot tag. Everything breaks down and it’s a big boot setting up stereo big boots to finish Chen at 6:02.

Rating: C. D’Angelo is a good example of a joke that is being pounded into your head so hard that there might as well be someone following him around yelling “GET IT????”. Lorenzo and Donovan (enjoy those names while you can) are two guys who are about as interchangeable as you can get and that doesn’t make for the most interesting matches. This was ok at best and I could go with D’Angelo N Pals being around a bit less, or at least not talking so much.

Overall Rating: C-. This was a good example of LVL Up: it was short, the wrestling wasn’t anything worth seeing, and they weren’t exactly putting the star power out there. I did like them showcasing some of the newer women more though, as they are going to need all of the ring time that they can get and the matches were hardly awful. It’s still hard to get annoyed at this show, but it’s also not easy to get interested most weeks.

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

We’re back to normal around here and that might not be the worst thing. LVL Up has figured out something of a formula and it makes for a nicer show. I’m not sure what to expect from here but it has turned into something a lot more enjoyable than 205 Live was at times. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Roxanne Perez vs. Sloane Jacobs

Perez is better known as Rok-C in her debut. The bigger Jacobs backs her up against the ropes to start but Perez slips out and offers a curtsy, setting up an armdrag. Jacobs drops her throat first across the top though and a neckbreaker gets two. The crossarm choke has Perez in more trouble but she’s back up with a small package for two of her own. Perez knocks her down though and it’s a twisting handspring moonsault for two. A Code Red gives Perez the pin at 4:19.

Rating: C. This was a very basic match as Perez gets her feet wet in WWE. You have to do something with her to see what you have and that is what a show like LVL Up can do. Perez seems like quite the prospect and she did fine enough under the circumstances. That’s a good start of what could be quite the career.

Damon Kemp vs. Troy Donovan

Channing Lauren is here with Donovan. Kemp flips his way out of a wristlock as commentary talks about Donovan’s farm boy upbringing and associated strength. A gutwrench suplex drops Donovan as this is one sided so far. There’s a spinning slam to drop Donovan again but Lauren offers a distraction so Donovan can get in some cheap shots. A clothesline gets two on Kemp and we hit the chinlock. With that not working, Donovan hits a spinning spinebuster and grabs the chinlock again. Kemp fights up without much trouble and hits a running shoulder for two. Donovan is back with a Falcon Arrow of all things for two, only to miss a top rope…something. After dropping Lauren, Kemp grabs a butterfly suplex into a neckbreaker for the pin at 6:01.

Rating: C+. Donovan got to showcase himself a bit here but this was almost all about Kemp, who has the wrestling background and some other stuff to go with it. You can see him getting a little somewhere, though hopefully he isn’t completely forgotten when his brother gets to show up full time.

Kiana James vs. Tatum Paxley

James flips out of Paxley’s wristlock to start and it’s an early standoff with a nod of respect. Cue Ivy Nile to watch Paxley, which fires her up. James slips off of the fireman’s carry though and sends Paxley throat first into the middle rope, setting up an armbar. Some stomps in the corner keep Paxley’s ribs banged up but she manages a suplex. A standing spinning moonsault (practically the same thing Perez did earlier) connects to finish James at 3:58.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one as well as Paxley is still figuring some of this out. James looks like she should be fine in a little while, but this was more about Nile and Paxley. That isn’t a thrilling story so far, but Nile comes off like a star and having her around here for something like this does boost the rest of the show up a bit.

Overall Rating: C. This was a rather quick show without much worth seeing, but they kept it really quick this week, with the show barely breaking 25 minutes. Nothing on here was worth seeing, but Perez’s debut was somewhat noteworthy and Kemp looked better than he has so far. LVL Up still isn’t a show that you need to see, but at least it feels like it has a bit of a purpose.

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