NXT LVL Up
Date: February 3, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Vic Joseph

We are back with this show again and odds are things are going to be about the same. That has been the case around here for a good while and it wouldn’t surprise me to see it take place again. Granted most of the time when I say that, something changes in a positive way so maybe that is the case this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Sol Ruca vs. Lash Legend

Legend has new red gear here instead of the traditional black, plus a haircut. Ruca powers her into the corner to start and grabs a headlock. A running shoulder drops Legend again and Ruca pulls her into an STF of all things. Legend makes the rope and big boots a leapfrogging Ruca for a big crash. Back in and Legend stands on her before a jumping splash gets two. The armbar goes on but a reverse chinlock is countered with an electric chair. Some running shoulders have Legend in trouble and a superkick sets up the Sol Snatcher to give Ruca the pin at 6:47.

Rating: C+. Given who was in there, this was actually a heck of a little match as they had Ruca doing all of her athletic stuff but Legend was holding her half up. The main thing here for Legend is that she felt a lot more focused and didn’t stop to talk a bunch of trash. At the same time, the change is look is a plus. Legend has not exactly been well received so far in NXT, so get her away from the look people associate with the poor results. I was very surprised here and Ruca continues to look like a star in the making.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen are ready for the main event, but Briggs seems more interested in Kiana James.

Javier Bernal vs. Oba Femi

Bernal’s headlock doesn’t work as Femi powers him up into a gorilla press. This leaves commentary to talk about Bernal’s Christmas album and Cameos, even as Bernal goes to the leg and drops Femi with a clothesline. Femi makes the comeback with the power, only to get raked in the eyes and rolled up with trunks to give Bernal the pin at 4:39.

Rating: C. I’m starting to get into the Bernal heel stuff and this was a good example. When is the last time you saw someone just rake the eyes because they’re a villain? It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book and it still works to this day. Bernal had to cheat to deal with the big guy and commentary played up his delusions of grandeur at the same time. Nice enough deal here, and Femi continues to likely have a future based on his look alone.

Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen vs. Bronco Nima/Xyon Quinn

Briggs and Nima start things off with the former being shoved hard into the corner. Nima runs him over but Briggs comes in off a blind tag. Quinn comes in as well and gets double shouldered down as the country boys take over. It’s back to Jensen, who gets sent into the corner so Quinn can grab a backbreaker. Nima’s running crotch attack to the back gets two and we hit the armbar. Jensen fights up and slides between the legs though, allowing the hot tag to Briggs. House is quickly cleaned and it’s an atomic drop into a big boot to finish Quinn at 5:39.

Rating: C. There was no drama to this one and there didn’t need to be, as Briggs and Jensen are an established team who shouldn’t have any trouble here. They didn’t break much of a sweat and didn’t even bother having Henley and James out there for this one. Nothing much to see, but the star power always helps.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling wasn’t exactly great but I had a good time with the show. You had Ruca and Legend having a surprisingly entertaining match, Bernal being goofy and Briggs/Jensen making it feel a bit more important. As usual there is no reason to think this will last, but it worked rather well for one week.

Results
Sol Ruca b. Lash Legend – Sol Snatcher
Javier Bernal b. Oba Femi – Rollup with trunks
Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen b. Bronco Nima/Xyon Quinn – Atomic drop/big boot combination to Quinn

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NXT
Date: February 7, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with Vengeance Day and just shy of two months away from Stand & Deliver. It looks like we have a title match set up, as Carmelo Hayes stared down Bron Breakker, who retained the NXT Title in the main event. That should give us a clear path to Los Angeles so let’s get to it.

Here is Vengeance Day if you need a recap.

We open with the long recap of Vengeance Day.

Here are Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes to open things up. Williams talks about how Hayes turned seer Apollo Crews into Stevie Wonder before Hayes brags about his win too. Hayes knows his destiny and there is one man waiting for him. Cue JD McDonagh to cut him off and say Hayes is entitled. While Hayes wants a private room at the club, McDonagh sends people to the emergency room. The match is made for later.

Fallon Henley isn’t happy that Kiana James cheated to tin the titles and insists on a rematch. James isn’t sure, so Henley says they’ll talk about James possibly cheating on Brooks Jensen. Before they can get to that, it’s time for a surprise party in their dressing room.

We look at Grayson Waller interrupting Shawn Michaels’ post Vengeance Day media call, earning a week’s suspension as a result.

Sol Ruca vs. Zoey Stark

They run the ropes to start until Ruca sends her outside. Back in and Stark grabs the rope and throws a big forearm to take over. Ruca can’t roll out of a cravate but she can flip over into a sunset flip for two on Stark. A running dropkick sends Stark into the corner and there’s a forward flip splash. Stark superkicks her to the apron and pulls her back in for the flipping knee to the face and the pin at 3:43.

Rating: C. This didn’t have much time to go anywhere but it is fun to watch Ruca move around in the ring. She has a different movement to her and it shows off her athleticism. At the same time, seeing her lose was a bit surprising, as she has been on a bit of a roll. That being said, Stark is a bigger deal and Ruca beating her would have been a big upset.

Post match the beatdown stays on but Ruca manages a Sol Smasher to leave Stark laying.

We go to the surprise party, where Kiana James doesn’t want to talk about the Brooks Jensen thing. Pretty Deadly, looking a big disheveled, come in, saying they haven’t slept since Vengeance Day. They blame Chase U and a match is set for tonight (with Chase swearing included).

Dabba-Kato vs. Dante Chen

Chops, faceplant, shrugging off Chen’s chops, sitout chokebomb to finish Chen at 2:40. Kato sold way more than he should have there.

Post match Kato promises to break Apollo Crews.

Earlier today, Diamond Mine was regrouping after their loss to Indus Sher last week. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn came in to mock them, setting up a match later.

Roxanne Perez is happy with keeping her title but Katana Chance and Kayden Carter are upset about their title loss. Perez is going to make a phone call and get a partner.

Isla Dawn vs. Tatum Paxley

Alba Fyre is here too. Paxley slugs away to start but Dawn knees her in the chest and hits a running Meteora for two. Back up and Paxley slugs away to little avail, with Dawn hitting something like a Nightmare On Helm Street for the pin at 2:58.

Post match Dawn and Fyre tease the beatdown but Ivy Nile runs in for a save. Why Dawn and Fyre, the latter of whom had a baseball bat, ran off isn’t clear.

Video on JD McDonagh vs. Carmelo Hayes.

JD McDonagh vs. Carmelo Hayes

Trick Williams is here too and it’s a feeling out process to start. McDonagh seems to taunt Williams and the pace picks up, with McDonagh sending him into the corner. A faceplant puts Hayes down and McDonagh drops him ribs first across the top as we take a break. Back with McDonagh sending him into the corner and hitting a standing Spanish Fly for two.

Hayes grabs a cutter for two and a spinning faceplant gets the same. We hit the crossface but McDonagh makes the ropes. A Codebreaker gives Hayes two more but McDonagh headbutts him down. Cue the returning Ilja Dragunov to take out Williams though and a rollup finishes McDonagh at 13:17.

Rating: C. McDonagh stopped being interested a long time ago and that was on full display here. Hayes feels like the hot new heel and McDonagh feels like a remnant of the 2.0 days. Hayes winning via a distraction finish was even weirder, as they were both down when the whole thing happened. Not a bad match, but Hayes is heading to Stand & Deliver and this was an annoying pit stop for him.

Post match Dragunov teases going after Hayes but jumps McDonagh instead.

Thea Hail comes up to Tiffany Stratton and they get in an argument over whether Chase U is cool or tacky. Hail goes on a rant and tells her to suck it but gets pulled off by Ava Raine.

Back at the party, Brooks Jensen is ready for Valentine’s Day with Kiana James, so Fallon Henley can’t bring herself to say anything.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Valentina Feroz

Wendy Choo is here with Feroz. Valkyria takes Feroz down without much trouble to start as Elektra Lopez comes out to watch. Feroz gets in a shot of her own so Lopez throws her some brass knuckles. Valkyria is back up with a pair of kicks to the head for the pin at 2:44.

We see Wes Lee coming back home after Vengeance Day and meeting his wife at the airport. It’s a rather emotional moment for him because he has worked so hard and is going to keep the title as long as he can. This was rather well done and a more personal look at Lee.

Lee is fired up and wants a challenge. Tony D’Angelo and Stacks come in to say they wants payment for helping him against Dijak. That’s cool with Lee, who is having an Open Challenge for the title next week.

Tyler Bate wants Grayson Waller next week.

Stacks vs. Odyssey Jones

Tony D’Angelo is here too. Jones throws Stacks around to start and the size is already crushing him. A huge slam plants Stacks and he has to roll outside for an early breather. Back in and Stacks gets in a DDT to rock Jones for a change, setting up a running forearm to do it again. Stacks hits a Stomp for the (somewhat surprising) pin at 5:14.

Rating: C-. That’s quite the surprise as Jones has seemed to be getting something of a push, only to lose clean here. Stacks is seemingly getting a bit of a push of his own and I’ve heard worse ideas. I’m not sure what that means for D’Angelo, but they’re trying something new and that’s often a good thing. The match wasn’t so much, but at least they seem to be going somewhere.

Roxanne Perez has a partner for next week: Meiko Satomura.

Pretty Deadly vs. Chase U

Thea Hail isn’t here as she is busy being kidnapped. Pretty Deadly is barely functioning here and Hudson grabs Prince for an early headlock. Wilson comes in and tries to walk off but Chase brings him back in for a tie up in the ropes. Prince is sent face first into Wilson’s feet as the one sidedness continues. They go outside with Hudson missing a charge into the steps and we take a break.

Back with Chase coming in to clean house but an assisted gutbuster takes him down. Hudson makes the save and it’s the Spelling Stomps to Prince for two. Cue a screaming Thea Hail, holding her knee, with Hudson grabbing her to see what’s wrong. The distraction lets Spilled Milk finish Chase at 9:24.

Rating: C. And yes, Chase loses again. Losing to Pretty Deadly is one thing, but if this leads to them losing to Schism, I’m not sure where NXT has been. At the same time, Hudson is getting to be really good as the hot tag man and Chase is still almost as over as anyone else in NXT. Just let the team win something, please.

Hank Walker wants to take Wes Lee’s open challenge next week but Charlie Dempsey comes in. Drew Gulak thinks Walker is ready for a rematch with Dempsey, who implies Gulak cheated to beat him.

It’s time for Ding Dong Hello, with Bayley (arm in a sling) ranting about Lita showing up and costing her last night. The guests are Toxic Attraction, who wipe their feet coming in. They get straight to the argument over who cost who at Vengeance Day, with Jacy saying that Gigi was dressed like a “hobo who banged a Chuckie doll”.

Bayley thinks the split is coming but wonders what happens to both of them after that happens. That’s enough for the two of them to agree that there is strength in numbers, ala Damage Ctrl, so maybe they should go after the Tag Team Titles. Like….the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. Bayley says calm down and they hug it out, only to have Jayne drop her. Dolin gets sent into the door and Jayne stands tall to end the show. That was a way to go, though Toxic Attraction moving up was a better option.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this show as much this week, but maybe that’s just due to taking a big breath after their special show. We still have several weeks before Stand & Deliver so there is still a long time to get things going. What matters is that they didn’t completely bomb here and what we got was a passable enough show, but it didn’t have anything that you need to see.

Results
Zoey Stark b. Sol Ruca – Flipping knee to the face
Dabba-Kato b. Dante Chen – Sitout chokebomb
Carmelo Hayes b. JD McDonagh – Rollup
Lyra Valkyria b. Valentina Feroz – Kick to the head
Stacks b. Odyssey Jones – Stomp
Chase U b. Pretty Deadly – Spilled Milk to Chase

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
Date: January 31, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the go home show for Vengeance Day and that means it is time for the hard sell, which is one of the things NXT tends to do best. In addition to the build towards the show, we also have the long awaited Creed Brothers vs. Indus Sher match, which has been postponed at least once before. Let’s get to it.

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

Indus Sher vs. Creed Brothers

Jinder Mahal and Ivy Nile are here too. Julius and Veer slug it out to start with neither getting anywhere. Brutus comes in to slug away at Sanga in the corner but Sanga takes over with the power. It’s back to Julius, who gets dropped throat first onto the top rope to put him in trouble as well. A reverse Beverly Bomb crushes Julius again and we hit the chinlock.

Julius fights up and manages to get over to Brutus for the hot tag. Everything breaks down and Julius (eventually) muscles Veer up for a powerbomb. The sliding lariat is broken up by Mahal though, sending Nile after him. Julius accidentally knocks Nile off the apron, allowing Sanga to grab a chokeslam for the pin at 9:57.

Rating: C+. If they can get some better gear, the Creeds feel like they are ready to become stars. They work well together, they have already had some success and Julius feels like he could be a top guy one day. On the other hand you have Indus Sher, who are your latest monster foreigners team. Unfortunately that comes with a heavy dose of Mahal, so their ceiling is pretty low.

Tyler Bate and Axiom watch bate facing someone named A-Kid in NXT UK, with Bate saying A-Kid reminds him of Axiom. There’s nothing to that of course, but they’ll face each other tonight.

Zoey Stark vs. Indi Hartwell

This is over Hartwell accusing Stark of attacking Nikkita Lyons last week and Stark saying Hartwell didn’t do well in the Royal Rumble. Stark starts fast and hammers away, with a sliding lariat connecting for two. We’re off to an armbar but Hartwell fights up and slugs away to start the comeback. Some standing clotheslines set up the spinebuster for two on Stark, who is right back with a German suplex. Hartwell’s springboard is broken up and the flipping knee to the face gives Stark the pin at 6:14.

Rating: C-. Hartwell continues to exist and there just isn’t anything to her at the moment. She’s ok enough in the ring but I don’t remember the last time she showed any fire or anything resembling energy (save for Dexter Lumis’ cameo). On the other hand you have Stark, who feels like she should be a bigger deal but every promo she has brings her back down.

Schism is ready to win the Tag Team Titles at Vengeance Day, but first they have to qualify for the title match tonight.

Apollo Crews came to Charlotte early to feel the energy. He sees himself taking out Carmelo Hayes 2/3 falls and if Trick Williams gets involved, so be it.

Here is Wes Lee for a chat. He is ready to go back on the road in four days, where he has one of his biggest tests to date. That would be Dijak, who is going to give him a beating but then Lee will rise as North American Champion. Cue Dijak to say that Lee had the chance to hand the title over but wouldn’t do it. Lee promises to rise up and retain the title, but here are Mr. Stone and Von Wagner to interrupt. Stone thinks Wagner should be #1 contender and Dijak doesn’t approve. Lee wants them to fight now and that is just what happens.

Von Wagner vs. Dijak

The brawl is on fast and we take a break thirty seconds in. Back with Wes Lee on commentary and Dijak striking away. Dijak’s discus lariat is cut off with a boot to the face but Dijak flips out of a chokeslam. High Justice gets two on Wagner but he’s able to go up top. Dijak catches him, only to get caught in a swinging double underhook slam. Back up and Dijak grabs a crossface chickenwing of all things, followed by Feast Your Eyes for the pin at 8:38.

Rating: C. My goodness can we please stop with the “ring the bell, wrestle for thirty seconds, take a break” nonsense? Just have the match start after the break. Other than that, this was a good enough power match as Dijak gets some momentum going into his title shot. Granted I’m not sure how much value there is in beating Wagner, who is one of the most worthless people around here.

Dijak and Lee stare each other down.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks are ready for something next week, with Stacks saying he took care of it. Now they’re off to take care of something else.

Nikkita Lyons has undergone surgery and is on the way to recovery.

We see a video on Nikkita Lyons being attacked in the parking lot, with about ten different women being seen in the parking lot at the same time. This was shot more like an investigation piece and that’s an interesting way to go.

Video on Grayson Waller vs. Bron Breakker for the NXT Title at Vengeance Day. Waller is inside Breakker’s head as Breakker continues to need to try to control his emotions. The build for this has worked but it feels like we’re just waiting to see what wacky idea Waller has to cheat Breakker out of the title.

Tyler Bate vs. Axiom

Bate takes him down by the arm to start but Axiom uses the referee to flip his way to freedom. Axiom sends Bate crashing out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Bate hitting his airplane spin but Axiom kicks him in the face for two. A superkick hits Bate, who is fine enough to cradle Axiom for two more. Bop and Bang sets up the rebound lariat but the Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a backdrop. Bate powers up anyway but a hurricanrana gives Axiom two. The third attempt at the Tyler Driver 97 finally connects to finish Axiom at 10:03.

Rating: C+. Best match on the show so far by a wide margin as you have two people who can go rather well in the ring. Bate continues to look good when he’s in the ring but it happens so infrequently that it’s hard to get behind him. Axiom is still a very good hand, but how far can you get with such a ridiculous gimmick?

Post match Bate leaves and Damon Kemp runs in to jump Axiom. Bate makes the save.

Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre seem to have joined forces.

Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes are ready to beat Apollo Crews at Vengeance Day.

We get a sitdown interview between Roxanne Perez and Toxic Attraction. Perez is happy that she did well in the Royal Rumble but Toxic Attraction is sure that they’re going to beat her at Vengeance Day. Toxic Attraction says it’s 2-1 on Saturday and Perez walks out. Jayne and Dolin say they’re on the same page. Perez storms into their room and the big fight is on, with agents having to break it up. This went way longer than it needed to and makes last week’s fake Toxic Attraction split feel like a waste of time.

Dani Palmer vs. Stevie Turner

Palmer flips out of a wristlock to start but Turner shrugs it off and hits a neckbreaker. The chinlock goes on but Palmer fights up and hammers away. Back up and Turner hits a pump kick into a swinging DDT. A Side Effect finishes Palmer at 2:55.

Kiana James is on the phone and says she’ll see someone later. Fallon Henley comes in to accuse her of messing with Brooks Jensen. They argue until Katana Chance and Kayden Carter come in to accuse them of not focusing on the title match. This has been your NO ONE TALKS LIKE THIS segment of the week.

Drew Gulak vs. Charlie Dempsey

Hank Walker is here with Gulak. Feeling out process to start and we take a break less than a minute in. Back with Dempsey cranking on both arms before switching to a Fujiwara armbar. Dempsey switches to a German suplex for two and cranks on the leg, only to have Gulak reverse into an armbar of his own. Dempsey switches into a crossface chickenwing but Gulak dives for the ropes, sending Dempsey into Walker by mistake. The distraction lets Gulak grab a rollup for the pin at 8:42.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that is always going to have a place on the card and they did it well. Sometimes you need to just have a wrestling match and the screwy finish gave Gulak an out. Both of these two can do the technical stuff very well and it was a nice change of pace from the usual stuff around here most of the time.

Von Wagner is livid but Mr. Stone says this isn’t working. Stone says he knows nothing about him other than he is big and strong. If Wagner wants to move up in the wrestling business, show who he is inside. Stone: “HELP ME HELP YOU!”

Vengeance Day rundown. The show does look good.

Edris Enofe/Malik Blade vs. Schism vs. Chase U

The winner goes to the Tag Team Title match at Vengeance Day. Blade and Chase start things off but Reid grabs Chase from the apron to take over. A spike shoulder breaker on the floor plants Chase and Fowler comes in for a belly to back slam. Chase fights up but Schism takes out Hudson, meaning there is no one for him to take.

A powerbomb into a Backstabber gets two on Chase but he gets over for the tag to Hudson to clean house. Blade tags himself in and gets to clean house with Enofe. The G9 gets two on Reid with a bunch of people making the save. Blade and Enofe hit the stereo flip dives but Chase tags himself in for a Tower of Doom. The spelling stomps hit Reid and the Fratliner sends Chase U to Vengeance Day at 10:35.

Rating: B-. Now that made sense! Chase U almost never wins any kind of a match of consequence so putting them over here makes them feel like a bigger deal. No they aren’t going to win the titles, but putting them in a four way match where they don’t have to be involved in the finish is a smart move. Let them feel important for once, as the crowd is already way into them.

Post match all of the teams in the Tag Team Title match pop up, with New Day being rather excited about Chase U winning.

A long Vengeance Day hype video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: C. This show had some quality to it but my goodness it felt long. It felt like Vengeance Day was ready to go last week and then they had to fill in another week of building towards it. There wasn’t enough to make two hours interesting here and it hurt a lot. At the same time, NXT still needs to work on its character development segments, as a lot of the talking is cringe worthy. Not a horrible show, but they really need Vengeance Day to be a hit.

Results
Indus Sher b. Creed Brothers – Chokeslam to Julius
Zoey Stark b. Indi Hartwell – Flipping knee to the face
Dijak b. Von Wagner – Feast Your Eyes
Tyler Bate b. Axiom – Tyler Driver 97
Stevie Turner b. Dani Palmer – Side Effect
Drew Gulak b. Charlie Dempsey – Rollup
Chase U b. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe and Schism – Fratliner to Reid

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
Date: January 24, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We are just over a week away from Vengeance Day with Grayson Waller challenging Bron Breakker for the NXT Title. That is going to include a lot of build this week as we get ready for the title match, but there is some other stuff to do as well. The good thing is that a lot of the card is ready so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video from Grayson Waller, showing him coming to the Performance Center and throwing a bottle of water at Bron Breakker to set off a big brawl.

Indi Hartwell vs. Tiffany Stratton

Hartwell knocks her off the apron to start fast before the bell rings. Back in and we officially start with Hartwell throwing Stratton around and getting two off a dropkick. Stratton gets sent outside but manages to snap the arm across the top. A slingshot splash gives Stratton one and we hit the armbar. That’s broken up and Hartwell hits a spinebuster for two before a boot to the face rocks Stratton again. Hold on though as Stratton claims a knee injury but it is indeed goldbricking. A Regal Roll into a triple jump moonsault finishes Hartwell at 6:01.

Rating: C. So much for Hartwell being built back up, as this was another loss to set her back. Stratton needed the win more though as she is freshly back from her hiatus. She has all kinds of potential and it is nice to see NXT doing something with her. It would be interesting to see where she can take things and a win here is a nice start.

Jacy Jayne doesn’t seem to think much of Gigi Dolin because Jayne has carried her since the beginning. Now it’s Jayne’s turn to win and it’s going to be like nothing you have ever seen before.

Drew Gulak and company are training with the Diamond Mine. Gulak doesn’t think much of Miles Borne so he shows him how it’s done against Julius Creed. Julius trips him down, which doesn’t set well with Gulak, who swears revenge.

Here is Chase U for a ceremony praising Thea Hail for winning her first match last week. Andre Chase talks about how Hail has been a success in the classroom but not so much in the ring. After almost dropping an f bomb (Fans: “THAT’S NOT PG!”), Chase presents Hail with her award. The fans think she deserves it….and here is JD McDonagh to interrupt. McDonagh doesn’t like this kind of nonsense but Chase says he isn’t having this. McDonagh finds it interesting that Chase didn’t mention Duke Hudson before we get to the point. Chase whips off his robe and has his ring gear on so let’s do this.

Chase U vs. JD McDonagh

We’re joined in progress with McDonagh sending him into the steps and grabbing the chinlock. That’s countered into a belly to back suplex as Chase U gets to do their cheerleading. The spelling stomps set up a Side Effect for one but McDonagh is back up with a clothesline. Chase hits a quick Canadian Destroyer for two with McDonagh getting a foot on the rope. Back up and the Devil Inside finishes Chase at 4:32.

Rating: C. I had forgotten McDonagh was a thing here for a bit and that is kind of telling about what has happened to him. I get that he’s a bigger star than Chase, but did they really need Chase to lose again? Chase U is consistently one of the most well received things around here but Chase never actually wins anything of note. Is it that much for him to be a midcard title contender for a bit?

Post match Duke Hudson storms off as Thea Hail checks on Chase.

Fallon Henley and Kiana James are ready to team together but have a bit of tension over strategy.

Kiana James/Fallon Henley vs. Ivy Nile/Tatum Paxley

James starts but Henley taps her on the head to start instead. Nile takes Henley down to start and it’s off to Paxley for a middle rope dropkick. James comes in to take over on Paxley in the corner and grab an abdominal stretch. With that broken up, Henley comes back in and gets shouldered down by Nile. James gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and then trips Nile down, allowing Henley to hit a Shining Wizard for the pin at 3:16.

Rating: C-. Hey look: wacky tag team partners who happen to win without getting along. I do like the question of what is going on wit Brooks Jensen and Henley FINALLY having something to do is nice, but there is only so much to be gotten from this trope. Just please don’t let them win the Women’s Tag Team Titles out of the whole thing. And why is Nile STILL not getting any kind of a shot of her own?

Post match the argument continues, with Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen playing peacekeeper.

New Day is in the back (and seemingly humming Randy Orton’s old theme) when Edris Enofe and Malik Blade come in to respectfully ask for a title shot. Before we can get to an answer, Schism comes in to say they want the shot. They’ll face off next week in the New Day Invitational and the winners are added to the Tag Team Title match at Vengeance Day.

Apollo Crews goes to the barber shop but Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams come in and aren’t happy. Crews talks about how Hayes is never going to get rid of him no matter what but Hayes says he is the younger, more athletic version of him. They both talk about being the next NXT Champion and a 2/3 falls match is set for Vengeance Day. Out of arena vignettes are always appreciated.

Hank Walker/Drew Gulak vs. Creed Brothers

Gulak can’t wrestle Julius down to start so it’s off to Walker. Julius takes him into the corner and hands it off to Brutus for a pair of fireman’s carry takeovers. It’s right back to Gulak, with Walker grabbing an airplane spin on Brutus to set up Gulak’s clothesline. We take a break and come back with Julius coming in to clean house. A t-bone suplex hits Walker and Brutus comes in for a standing moonsault.

Brutus picks Gulak up in a butterfly and holds him in place, allowing Julius to jump over Brutus’ back and drive Gulak down in a really unique double team. Everyone brawls until Walker cross armbreakers Julius but it’s back to Brutus. The double clothesline leaves Brutus and Walker down but here is Charlie Dempsey to distract Gulak. The distraction lets the Brutus Bomb finish Walker at 11:43.

Rating: C+. This was pretty good stuff with Gulak and the Creeds being the wrestling machines while Walker was there to spice things up a bit. At the same time you have the Dempsey factor, as he is the evil version of Gulak. There’s something interesting about the evil teacher vs. the good one, though Dempsey and Gulak don’t exactly have the charisma to carry much of a feud. For now though, I’ll settle for the Creeds continuing to improve.

Post match Julius apologizes to Ivy Nile for being a bit hotheaded, but that is how he has to be to be the best version of himself. Both Creeds thank Nile for sticking with them and inspiring them….and here is Indus Sher (with Jinder Mahal, because of course). The challenge is on for next week and Nile accepts for the Creeds.

Gigi Dolin doesn’t like Jacy Jayne and talks about the thorns that come with a rose.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks go to lunch for some Italian/mafia stereotypes. Stacks wants to make an impact as the new underboss and has apparently taken care of someone already. They have a toast to Stacks and D’Angelo seems pleased.

Wendy Choo vs. Elektra Lopez

Lopez shoves her down and here is Valentina Feroz (as invited by Lopez) to watch. Choo grabs some rollups for two each but gets caught with a swinging Rock Bottom to cut her off. The bodyscissors keeps Choo in trouble but she fights up, including a middle rope crossbody. Lopez isn’t having that though and punches her down for the pin at 3:39.

Rating: C. Lopez has always felt like someone who could break out into something more, though beating Choo isn’t going to get her very far down that path. At least she didn’t lose again though and seems to be showing Feroz the way. Not much of a match due to the time, but Lopez winning and Choo toning down the zaniness helped a lot.

Brooks Jensen is so happy with Fallon Henley and Kiana James that he has gotten them a shot at the Women’s Tag Team Titles at Vengeance Day. Henley is mad because she wanted it to be a one off deal and Jensen didn’t even ask. She has to think about this.

Elektra Lopez tells Valentina Feroz to cheat more but Feroz can’t do it. Lopez doesn’t care and says enjoy losing.

Stevie Turner comes in on a live stream instead of being in person. She has her in-ring debut next week.

Here is Grayson Waller to call out Bron Breakker and he has his own NXT Title. Cue Breakker with the real title and everyone shows up to keep them apart. Breakker fights away and spears the barricade, leaving a big hole in it for a good visual.

Gallus is at a pool hall and promises to do their thing at Vengeance Day when they win the Tag Team Titles.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Alby Fyre vs. Katana Chance/Kayden Carter

Chance/Carter are defending and yes Fyre is on her own. Hold on though as here is Sol Ruca and Fyre seems to have a partner. Carter has to slip out of an early Gory Bomb attempt so Fyre beats her down without much trouble. Ruca comes in and jumps over Carter as everything breaks down. The champs get beaten up on the floor and we take a break.

Back with Chance hitting an enziguri so Carter can take over on Fyre. A top rope double stomp to the back gives Chance two and an assisted splash gets the same. Fyre gets in a shot of her own though and Ruca comes in with a pretty awesome looking springboard splash for two. Everything breaks down and Chance hurricanranas Fyre into the steps. Carter superkicks Ruca back inside though and the 450/neckbreaker combination, retains the titles at 7:57.

Rating: C+. That splash looked awesome as Ruca continues to be one of the most athletic stars in all of NXT. Other than that, I’m not sure I get the point of Fyre making such a big deal out of fighting on her own and then Ruca just showing up as her partner. Fyre seems all but destined to join forces with Isla Dawn and while I don’t like the idea, I do like it better than Fyre and Ruca. On the other hand you have the champs, who are on some record setting reign despite being pretty much utterly forgettable most of the time. Granted that might be due to how worthless their titles are most are often than not.

Post match Fyre leaves and walks past Ruca, with Isla Dawn popping up to follow Fyre out. With that out of the way, Fallon Henley and Kiana James (Henley has thought about it and is in) pop up on the platform to say they’ll take the titles.

Wes Less comes up to see Dijak but won’t just hand over the North American Title. Lee feeds off of the fans and believes he can do anything, which Dijak has to respect. They’re on for Vengeance Day.

Cora Jade isn’t happy with Lyra Valkyria or the feature she has left in her locker.

Nikkita Lyons has been attacked in the parking lot.

Andre Chase isn’t happy with Duke Hudson, but Duke has gotten them into next week’s New Day Invitational for a possible Tag Team Title shot at Vengeance Day. Chase is happy.

And now, a summit between Jacy Jayne, Gigi Dolin and Roxanne Perez, the latter of whom gets an entrance. Jayne and Dolin argue over how much each of them carried the other as Perez can’t get in a word. Booker: “AWWW SHUCKY DUCKY QUACK QUACK!!!” Perez finally gets to talk, saying she’s enjoying watching the arguing. Dolin and Jayne get into it again before smiling at each other and double teaming Perez. The double chokeslam puts Perez through the table, leaving Toxic Attraction to hold up the title to end the show. I’m not sure I get Toxic Attraction’s logic here but we’re back to the original dynamic for the title match.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was kind of all over the place, but it did a lot of good for building up Vengeance Day, which is looking like a heck of a card. For once, the NXT Title match does feel slightly above the rest of the stories, but I’ll believe that is lasting when I see it. Other than that, there wasn’t much bad here, save for a few too many wacky tag partners. I want to see Vengeance Day a lot more than I did coming in though and that’s a major plus.

Results
Tiffany Stratton b. Indi Hartwell – Triple Jump moonsault
JD McDonagh b. Andre Chase – Devil Inside
Kiana James/Fallon Henley b. Ivy Nile/Tatum Paxley – Shining Wizard to Nile
Creed Brothers b. Drew Gulak/Hank Walker – Brutus Bomb to Walker
Elektra Lopez b. Wendy Choo – Right hand
Katana Chance/Kayden Carter b. Sol Ruca/Alba Fyre – Neckbreaker/450 splash combination to Ruca

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NXT
Date: January 17, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We’re done with New Year’s Evil and now all roads lead to Vengeance Day in about two and a half weeks. The show will feature Bron Breakker defending the NXT Title against Grayson Waller in a cage match but we’re going to need more than that. There is a lot of potential for the rest of the show though and we should hear more this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap, featuring all of the returns and surprises.

Trick Williams/Carmelo Hayes vs. Axiom/Apollo Crews

Williams works on Axiom’s arm to start and then runs him over for a bonus. A pop up right hand puts Axiom down again and it’s off to Hayes. An enziguri gets Axiom out of trouble though and it’s Crews coming in to clean house. Hayes gets knocked to the floor so Crews tosses Axiom onto both villains as we take a break.

Back with Axiom and Hayes clotheslining each other but it’ snot enough to get back over to Crews. Axiom get sent into the corner for the alternating beatdown before Hayes grabs a chinlock. That’s broken up and Axiom gets over for the corner, meaning Crews gets to clean house. The gorilla press into the standing moonsault gets two with Hayes making the save. Axiom and Williams go to the floor so Hayes goes up top. Nothing But Net doesn’t quite connect and it’s Crews with a cradle for the pin at 10:35.

Rating: C. Nice, fast paced match to open the show as Crews gets a win to build up some momentum. I’m surprised to see Hayes take the fall but you can only beat Williams so many times before it stops meaning anything. Hayes almost has to get into the title picture or move up to the main roster sooner than later, and I’m not sure which way he’ll be going.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks go to the bridge where D’Angelo killed Two Dimes. D’Angelo isn’t happy with Stacks lying about the Dijak situation, so Stacks says do what you have to do. Instead of killing him, D’Angelo promotes him and makes him part of the family. He even gets a new jacket.

Tiffany Stratton isn’t happy and we see a clip from earlier in the day with Stratton not being able to get into her locker room. Indi Hartwell answered and said that it was really the women’s locker room, because she’s not better than anyone. Hartwell throws Stratton’s stuff out and tells her to dress somewhere else.

Here is Toxic Attraction to brag about their win in the battle royal last week. They had the fans in the palm of their hands and even if Jayne tried to eliminate Dolin last week, it’s all fine. The Toxic Attraction train is on the way to Vengeance Day where they will make Roxanne Perez regret ever winning the Women’s Title. Cue Lyra Valkyria, who says she is tired of all of this bragging. Jayne and Dolin tell her to get lost, but Valkyria says she isn’t here alone. Cue Roxanne Perez to help clear the ring.

The Creed Brothers are training when Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley come in. Nile yells at the Creeds for not being what they used to be, including last week against Jinder Mahal and Sanga. GET IT TOGETHER! The women leave and the Creeds think they might be on to something.

Stevie Turner narrates a video about the battle royal. Of course she would have won if she was there.

Sol Ruca vs. Alba Fyre

Ruca manages to take her down fast to start and flips away to avoid the comeback. Fyre isn’t having that though and knocks Ruca down without much effort. Some kicks to the chest have Ruca in more trouble but she slips out of the Fyre Bomb. Sol tries a Razor’s Edge but gets caught with a superkick instead. Fyre is back up but cue Isla Dawn on the platform for a distraction. That’s enough for Ruca to get the Sol Snatcher (middle rope inverted backflip cutter, which looks amazing) for the pin at 3:19.

Rating: C. This was all about getting the cool finisher on television and that is not a bad thing. If Ruca has anything in the ring to back up that finisher, she could be quite the star. Fyre losing again isn’t great to see but at least there was a distraction. I would have thought Fyre vs. Dawn was done but apparently there is more to it, for whatever reason.

Dijak is ready to win the North American Title at Vengeance Day. He would just let Wes Lee hand him the title, but Lee is too stupid to take the offer. Lee is first to receive high justice and it means Dijak leaves as champion.

We get a sitdown interview with Grayson Waller. Last week, he faced the Bron Breakker he knew he was getting. Breakker is just as big, strong and stupid as Waller knew he would be. Waller had him beaten but someone on the ring crew couldn’t do his job and fix the rope. Waller knew he won so he even has his own title with him. Now it’s time for a rematch inside a cage and Waller will leave as champion.

Gallus and Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen both say they’re ready.

Alba Fyre chokes a referee with the baseball bat until Kayden Carter/Katana Chance calms her down. They say be patience but Fyre says she’ll come for the Women’s Tag Team Titles herself.

Tyler Bate talks about how he had to find his new self. Now he’s back and not leaving.

Gallus vs. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen

Fallon Henley is here with Jensen/Briggs and it’s a big brawl to start. We settle down to Jensen vs. Mark to officially get things going but Briggs comes in for the double clothesline. Jensen gets taken into the wrong corner though and it’s Wolfgang coming in to hammer away. A leapfrog (or most of one at least) allows the tag off to Briggs. House is cleaned but a blind tag lets Coffey pull Briggs to the floor. The floor mats are pulled back but Briggs grabs the suplex on the exposed concrete instead.

We take a break and come back with Jensen getting cut off due to his banged up back, meaning the double beatdown can continue. Some shots to the back set up the front facelock, meaning Jensen has to fight up again. After a failed attempt, Jensen gets over to Briggs so house can be cleaned for a second time.

Everything breaks down and Jensen gets backdropped on the exposed concrete. The trainers check on Jensen as Briggs splashes Coffey for two. Kiana James comes out to check on Jensen, much to Henley’s dismay. The numbers game gets the better of Briggs though and it’s the enziguri/powerslam combination for the pin at 11:57.

Rating: C+. This got some more time to make it a bit better and they told a bit of a story in there too. Jensen and Briggs are the kind of team who can take more than a few losses as they are able to bounce back rather quickly. They have a little something with the Kiana James stuff, as it isn’t so much about wondering when she is going to mess things up but why and how. Gallus seems primed for a Tag Team Title shot so giving them a win here was necessary.

Thea Hail is getting ready for her first win on NXT when Andre Chase comes in to yell at Duke Hudson. We see a clip of Hudson talking about how Hail has to win and seemingly knocking Chase’s teaching. Chase says if Hudson has something to say, say it to his face. Hudson says it was taken out of context and wants to see Hail win.

Brooks Jensen is in the trainer’s room when Fallon Henley comes in to yell at him about Kiana James. Jensen insists they like each other and what could she be after? Henley already has the bar back, so there is nothing left. Henley has to get used to this.

Thea Hail vs. Valentina Feroz

The rest of Chase U is here with Hail, who starts fast but gets taken down in a hurry. The armbar keeps Hail down as Elektra Lopez comes out to watch. Hail fights up and gets a fast two, only to get rolled up for the same. Hudson glares Lopez away, but she slips Feroz some brass knuckles. Feroz doesn’t want them and throws them away, allowing Hail to hit a faceplant for the pin at 3:25.

Rating: C. Hail winning is a good thing as she has so much charisma that there has to be something for her to do. Even a win over someone as low on the totem pole as Feroz matters as Hail has to start somewhere. They even threw in a bit of a story for Feroz and Lopez, which could go somewhere interesting.

Apollo Crews mocks Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes over the loss. Hayes calls it cheap but Crews thinks it’s time to celebrate.

Commentary announces the death of Jay Briscoe. That is a shock and seems to have been due to a car crash, which is a horrible way to go. Classy move by WWE to acknowledge it, but that’s far from what matters here.

Elektra Lopez asks Valentina Feroz why she didn’t take her help. Feroz wants to win on her own, but Lopez tells her to stop sulking about Sanga. Next week, Lopez is facing Wendy Choo and tells Feroz to pay attention.

Here is New Day for a chat. They are happy to be done with Pretty Deadly and now they are on to the winners of the gauntlet match: Gallus. Cue Pretty Deadly to say they have jumped through all of those hoops to get a title shot and now they want one. Cue Gallus, who says they won and the title match is theirs. Xavier Woods marks Gallus’ accents but New Day is ready for them. Pretty Deadly isn’t having this and the fight is on, with referees breaking it up. The triple threat seems imminent.

Lyra Valkyria and Roxanne Perez are sure they’ll be ok as a team because they have common enemies. Last week it was Cora Jade and now it is Toxic Attraction. They’ll be ready to fight but here is Javier Bernal with his guitar. Bernal is ready for their requests but both of them give him a cold shoulder.

We get a sitdown interview with Bron Breakker, who isn’t happy with how he beat Grayson Waller last week. The knee to the face caught him and he was seeing stars for a few seconds. Now they’re going to a cage and Breakker loves the idea, because there is nowhere to run and hide. Waller is the best trash talker around but can’t back it up in the ring. Violence is coming at Vengeance Day.

Here is Javier Bernal for a concert but someone cuts him off and wants a match.

Tyler Bate vs. Javier Bernal

Bate rolls him up or a fast two and they trade headlocks. Bernal takes him down and hammers away, with the fans not being pleased. Bate fights up and hits Bernal in the face, setting up Bop And Bang. He does it again, setting up the handspring lariat. The Tyler Driver doesn’t work so bate tried it again and drops Bernal on his head for the pin at 3:26.

Rating: C-. That ending really didn’t look good and pulled a lot of energy away from Bate’s big return. Bate is someone who has all of the tools but seems to slip up a few times too many. I’m not sure what doesn’t click for him, but he could use a long stretch of time without anything holding him back (even if it wasn’t his fault, like the visa situation).

Chase U celebrates Thea Hail’s win.

Fallon Henley comes up to Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs and says that because she cares about Jensen, she’s going to try to get along with James. She has even gotten a tag match next week, with James as her partner. Jensen is happy and all three are off to drink.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Lyra Valkyria/Roxanne Perez vs. Toxic Attraction

It’s a brawl to start with Toxic Attraction being sent outside. Perez dives onto Jayne and Valkyria dropkicks Dolin through the ropes. Back in and it’s time to work on Dolin’s arm, with Valkyria coming in with a top rope ax handle. Perez hits a running elbow but a blind tag lets Jayne come in to hammer away.

The forearms to the back keep Perez down and a clothesline gets two. Perez fights up with a swinging faceplant and Valkyria comes in to strike away. There’s a suplex to Jayne but here is Cora Jade to shove Valkyria off the top. Valkyria is right back up to hand it off to Perez before going after Jade, leaving Perez 2-1. Jayne kicks Dolin in the face by mistake allowing Perez to grab Pop Rox for the pin at 6:46.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have a lot of time here but it’s a bit weird to have Perez beat Toxic Attraction 2-1 here when that is the entire focal point of the upcoming title match. Jade vs. Valkyria should be a nice feud for both of them as Valkyria is certainly being thrown straight into a pretty decent sized spot on the card.

Overall Rating: C. After last week’s big show, this certainly felt like a bit of a breather, as there are only two more shows before the big one next month. There was nothing overly terrible here, but it definitely felt like a show that was more skippable than most around here. We do have more set up for Vengeance Day, but they could have used a better TV show to get there.

Results
Axiom/Apollo Crews b. Trick Williams/Carmelo Hayes – Rollup to Hayes
Sol Ruca b. Alba Fyre – Sol Snatcher
Gallus b. Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs – Enziguri/powerslam combination to Briggs
Thea Hail b. Valentina Feroz – Bulldog driver

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NXT LVL Up
Date: January 6, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Byron Saxton

We’re back here for a new year and that could open up…well ok nothing is likely to change, as tends to be the case around here. Last week did see two of the new class actually win a match, albeit against a team actually less experienced than themselves. I’m not sure how much more I can expect here but let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Elektra Lopez/Amari Miller vs. Sol Ruca/Dani Palmer

Kind of a weird dynamic here. Miller and Palmer start things off with a fight over arm control. Palmer drags her to the corner for the tag to Ruca, who elbows her down. A standing moonsault gives Ruca two and a middle rope spinning crossbody gets the same. Lopez comes in to pull Ruca down by the hair and some knees get two. We hit the seated crossface chickenwing and it’s Miller coming back in for a hard clothesline. The armbar stays on Ruca’s arm by way of barring it, only to have Ruca flip over and bring Palmer back in to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and the Electric Shock finishes Palmer at 5:05.

Rating: C. This was a weird way to go as the face/heel dynamics didn’t quite match up. It’s also a bit strange to see Ruca losing (albeit not getting pinned) after she has been pushed so hard around here lately. That being said, Palmer is the kind of person you can put in her to take the fall without losing anything.

Tank Ledger is ready for Xyon Quinn because like a tank, he’ll keep moving forward.

Tank Ledger vs. Xyon Quinn

Ledger grabs the arm to start before they go to the test of strength. Quinn has to fight out of Ledger’s one arm lift and there’s a forearm to knock Ledger into the corner. A running shot to the face takes Ledger down and we hit the double arm crank. That’s broken up and it’s a fall away slam to send Quinn flying. The fireman’s carry is escaped though and Quinn hits his running punch for the pin at 4:37.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here but they played on the idea of a rookie vs. a more experienced star. Granted Quinn is little more than a rookie himself but he is further along than Ledger. They seem to see a little something in Ledger so maybe this is the first, albeit minor, step towards something else.

Tavion Heights/Myles Borne vs. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe

Heights, a former Olympic wrestler, wrestles Blade down without much trouble. Blade fights up and hits a dropkick (earning some cheers) before it’s off to Enofe. Heights drives him into the corner though and Borne comes in for a dropkick of his own. The Crossface goes on for a bit before Heights powers Enofe back into the corner to keep him in trouble.

Enofe slips out of a suplex though and brings Blade back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Heights/Borne grab a fireman’s carry lifted into an assisted Downward Spiral (that was sweet) to Blade as everything breaks down. It’s back to Blade though and the Climax finishes Heights at 5:05.

Rating: C+. Heights seems like someone who is getting the hang of this pretty quickly and Borne has come a long, long way in the last few months. They were starting to cook near the end and that Downward Spiral got a very nice reaction. I could go for more from these teams, but could we please give Blade and Enofe a win that matters at some point?

Overall Rating: C+. This was a show that went a good bit better than I was expecting, with a hot main event and some people seemingly moving up a few steps. It’s still not a great show and not even one that you need to watch, but for half an hour, there are certainly worse things to put out there.

Results
Elektra Lopez/Amari Miller b. Sol Ruca/Dani Palmer – Electric Shock to Palmer
Xyon Quinn b. Tank Ledger – Running punch
Edris Enofe/Malik Blade b. Tavion Heights/Myles Borne – Climax to Heights

NXT LVL Up, 2023, Elektra Lopez, Amari Miller, Sol Ruca, Dani Palmer, Tank Ledger, Xyon Quinn, Edris Enofe, Malik Blade, Myles Borne, Tavion Heights

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NXT LVL Up
Date: December 23, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shaw, Byron Saxton

We are in the holiday season and that could make for an interesting show around here. Granted there is little reason to believe that will be taking place, but last week’s show did include some extra star power to make things more fun. Do something similar this week and they might have something. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Myles Borne

Dempsey grabs the arm to start but Borne wrestles him to the ground. That’s reversed with a wristlock, allowing Dempsey to flip around a bit. A forearm rocks Borne, who armdrags Dempsey down without much trouble. The fans approve of the wrestling as Dempsey works on the arm and then grabs a headscissors to pull Borne down again. Dempsey stays on the arm and even cranks on the ankle a bit at the same time (showoff).

Borne fights up but gets hiptossed right back down. A short armscissors has Borne in more trouble and Dempsey rolls him around the ring. Borne finally powers Dempsey up and drops back for the break, meaning it’s time to strike it out. Some rolling suplexes rock Dempsey but he avoids the top rope splash. Dempsey’s fisherman’s belly to back suplex finishes Borne at 8:12.

Rating: B-. Oh yeah this worked and was one of the better matches I’ve seen in LVL Up history. They had a story of the two of them trying to out wrestle each other, with Dempsey just being that much better at the concept. This was a blast of a match and made Borne look better than he has at any point in his career so far.

Dani Palmer is ready to prove herself.

Dani Palmer vs. Sol Ruca

They trade armdrags to start with neither getting anywhere, followed by stereo dropkicks for another standoff. Palmer manages something like a seated abdominal stretch before they go into a pinfall reversal sequence. Ruca dropkicks her into the corner though and it’s the Sol Snatcher (that inverted flipping cutter) for the pin at 2:57. Ruca hit it faster this time too and made it look more natural.

Hank Walker vs. Trick Williams

Williams sidesteps him to start and the fans seem to approve. Walker dodges a charge though and Williams goes sailing out to the floor. Williams misses an elbow back inside but manages to grab something like a reverse X Factor out of the corner for two. Some chops in the corner make Walker mad so he shows Williams how it’s done for two of his own. Another shot drops Walker though and Williams hits the chinlock. That’s broken up and Walker hits the running powerslam for two, meaning it’s time to take the shirt off. A running neckbreaker gives Williams two though and the Trick Kick finishes Walker at 6:08.

Rating: C. This is the kind of match that is going to work most of the time as you had two bigger guys hitting each other until one of them couldn’t get up anymore. Williams wasn’t in the most danger but Walker feels like he is starting to figure a few things out. Granted he didn’t have anywhere to go but up so isn’t the greatest accomplishment, but things are starting to work better than they were before.

Overall Rating: C+. The opener alone was a nice thing to see and I had a good time with this show. Believe it or not, they might actually be doing something with this show and again, that is going to be due to the amount of variety around here. The biggest complaint about this show is how repetitive it can be. Vary things up a bit and the show gets easier to watch. That isn’t complicated and now they are starting to get the idea.

Results
Charlie Dempsey b. Myles Borne – Fisherman’s belly to back suplex
Sol Ruca b. Dani Palmer – Sol Snatcher
Trick Williams b. Hank Walker – Trick Kick

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NXT
Date: December 20, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We are almost done with the year and won’t have another live show until January, as this week and next week are taped in advance. The big story coming out of last week is Roxanne Perez winning the Women’s Title from Mandy Rose, who is already gone from the promotion in a surprise. That is going to lead to some fallout so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of Perez winning the Women’s Title over Rose last week.

Opening sequence.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Axiom

Trick Williams is here with Hayes. Feeling out process to start with Axiom’s headlock being countered into a headscissors. Back up and Axiom misses a kick to the head but grabs a northern lights suplex for two. Hayes’ springboard cutter misses hard though and we take a break. We come back with Axiom in control and grabbing a waistlock. That’s reversed into a crossface but Axiom slips away without much trouble.

A springboard crossbody gives Axiom two and we hit the triangle choke. Hayes slips out and kicks him in the head a few times but Axiom manages to get up top. That’s broken up and Hayes grabs his hand, allowing him to climb as well. With their hands still locked up, both are standing on top, where Axiom snaps off a super hurricanrana. Axiom loads up the Golden Ratio but Williams pulls him down from behind. Hayes’ Codebreaker sets up Nothing But Net for the pin at 12:41.

Rating: B-. Hayes continues to look as smooth as you can get around here and I have no idea why he and Williams haven’t been on the main roster for a long time now. They’re that good at what they do and putting both of them on the main roster would clear up some room for someone else in NXT. Good match, as Axiom continues to do his thing, but it isn’t as polished as Hayes’.

Post match, Axiom moonsaults onto Williams and wants more from Hayes.

Grayson Waller wants his title shot tonight, because if Roxanne Perez doesn’t have to wait, he shouldn’t either. The fact that Bron Breakker isn’t here tonight because he is in North Carolina on a media tour is a detail.

Tony D’Angelo is ready for his North American Title match next week and Stacks is rather pleased. Stacks has an assignment though: tell Dijak to stay out of their business and he’ll get the next shot. Grayson Waller shows up and asks if they have seen Bron Breakker. That’s a no, so Waller says if they do, tell Breakker Waller is looking for him.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Zoey Stark

Lyons jumps Stark during her entrance and the fight is on outside. The bell rings and Lyons knocks her outside, where Stark is fine enough to get in a posting. Starks grabs a chinlock back inside but Lyons fights up and hits a German suplex. A superkick rocks Lyons but she is out of the way of a springboard shot to the head. Lyons grabs a Samoan drop for two and another superkick staggers Starks this time around. A rollup has Starks in trouble but she reverses into one of her own and grabs the rope for the pin at 5:31.

Rating: C. You can only get so much out of this kind of a brawl when it only gets so much time. Lyons losing via screwiness likely sets up a rematch, maybe with less in the way of rules. Odds are that is going to mean we see Lyons moving up the ladder, which seems to be the a big goal for NXT in the women’s division.

Cora Jade is mad about losing the Iron Woman Challenge but Wendy Choo comes in for the brawl.

We go to Fallon Henley’s bar, where Henley is worried about not being able to pay the interest to keep the place. Kiana James and her assistant come in and think they could buy the place for some improvements. James knows how much money they owe in taxes and can’t wait to do what she wants with it. Henley calls her a b**** and we’ll have a match next week with the bar on the line. Sure, as we seem to be in Glow.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile vs. Toxic Attraction vs. Katana Chance/Kayden Carter

Chance/Carter are defending. Dolin and Carter start things off with Carter being sent into the corner fast. It’s quickly off to Nile to grapple Jayne down but a right hand drops Nile hard. Carter tags herself in and sends Jayne outside, leaving the champs to hit the big double dive to the floor.

We take a break and come back with Carter hitting a running dropkick to Dolin in the corner but landing on Nile for two. Back up and Nile is caught on top, where Chance snaps off a super hurricanrana. Dolin comes in to go after Paxley’s arm but Carter makes the save. Jayne misses a running Cannonball in the corner but manages to slip out of the Diamond Chain Lock. Chance gets shoved off the top and Carter gets caught in the Diamond Chain Lock, only to flip backwards into a cradle to retain at 10:09.

Rating: C+. The match was very energetic and fast paced, but there is only so much you can do with this much stuff going on at once. Carter and Chance winning again will help boost their reign, but I’m not sure who is going to be their next real challengers. Toxic Attraction can only get so much out of going after the titles and we seem to have officially passed that point. Get some new challengers, whoever that might be.

Oro Mensah thinks music and wrestling go together.

Booker T. has a sitdown interview with Roxanne Perez about winning the Women’s Title. It was a mixture of emotions and she was overwhelmed (as was Booker, as shown in clips). We see some clips of Perez training at Booker’s school, plus some clips of what Perez has accomplished in nine months in NXT. She remembers asking Booker a lot of questions, which he seems to think is a good thing. Booker talked about what titles meant but you had to deal with butterflies. He’s a two time Hall Of Famer and she’s taking her first steps, but she knows she’s ready. The father/daughter stuff here is so sweet.

Here is Apollo Crews for a chat. He thought he would be here as the new NXT Champion. The vision was clear: he would capture the title that he came back here to win but he is never out of championship contention. At New Year’s Evil, Grayson Waller faces Bron Breakker, but three weeks later, it’s Vengeance Day.

Cue Carmelo Hayes to say he’s the next in line for a title shot and he’s fine with beating Crews. That’s not what Crews was expecting from someone as great as Hayes. They point out that neither is NXT Champion but Crews says there is always someone better than you. In Hayes’ case, that’s Crews. Jawing ensues. Anything involving Hayes being moved up in any way is a good thing.

Pretty Deadly brings New Day their Christmas presents but they want a title shot. New Day isn’t convinced and says that just doing the Pledge of Allegiance isn’t enough to get a title shot (inflation you see). Get the rest of their Christmas list (including a Tyler Breeze selfie stick) and we’ll see.

Alba Fyre is on her way to the ring but gets sprayed by Isla Dawn’s red mist.

Odyssey Jones, Malik Blade and Edris Enofe are ready to go out on the town but run into Ava Raine. They invite her out too, but she says the team is just filling in the voids in their lives with temporary feelings. Schism comes in to mock them further before walking off.

Indi Hartwell vs. Elektra Lopez

Lopez hammers her to the floor early on and sends Hartwell shoulder first into the post. Back in and we hit the chinlock, with Lopez cranking away. Hartwell fights up and hits a kick to the head for two. Lopez is sat on top, where she pulls out a well hidden pair of brass knuckles. Hartwell’s belly to back suplex is broken up with a right hand to the face and Lopez gets the pin at 3:34.

Rating: C-. This was quick and to the point, with Lopez getting a win to help her rebuild. Lopez is someone who seems like she could be a force in the division, but that isn’t going to happen if she keeps losing so many matches. At least they have a start here, with a win over Hartwell being a decent first step.

Alba Fyre is cleared for her match.

Wes Lee is ready to face any and all comers, starting with Tony D’Angelo.

Alba Fyre vs. Sol Ruca

Hold on though as Isla Dawn jumps Fyre on the floor before the bell and uses the bat to crush her hand in the steps. No match.

It’s Christmas at Chase U, with the students giving Andre Chase gifts. The fact that Chase is allergic to fruit makes the long list of people with fruit cakes leave (after one heck of a rant from Chase of course). Duke Hudson doesn’t seem to know that it’s Christmas so he tricks a student into leaving and steals his #1 Professor plaque for Chase.

Josh Briggs, Fallon Henley and Brooks Jensen are ready to take New Day’s Tag Team Titles. Kiana James and the assistant come in, with James wishing Jensen luck. Jensen seems flattered. Henley: “Really?”

Drew Gulak is training when Hank Walker comes up to ask for any advice. Gulak likes his moxie and invites Walker to attend (but not participate in) his seminar next week.

Tag Team Titles: Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen vs. New Day

Briggs and Jensen, with Fallon Henley, are challenging. Kofi takes Jensen into the corner to start and we hit the dancing. That doesn’t work for Briggs, who chops him down and cuts off the jumping back elbow. A powerslam gives Jensen two so it’s off to Woods to pick up the pace. Woods knocks Jensen into the corner for the running forearm, allowing Kofi to hit one of his own. Jensen manages to get over for a tag to Briggs though house is cleaned to send us to a break.

Back with Woods enziguring his way out of trouble so Kofi can come back in. A springboard spinning crossbody hits Jensen but the SOS is blocked. Jensen’s powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana but Briggs comes in to clean house. A moonsault hits Kofi (or mainly his face) to give Briggs two but Kofi is back with a poisonrana to Briggs. Trouble In Paradise drops Briggs again and Kofi dives onto Jensen. The Limit Break gives Woods the retaining pin at 10:08.

Rating: C+. I don’t think anyone was buying New Day losing the titles in their first defense but at least Briggs and Jensen gave them a pretty good match. It helps to give the NXT teams a nice rub from one of the most successful teams of this generation and that is what New Day is here to do. Solid main event here and hopefully the next of many from New Day.

Stacks talks to Dijak…..’s dressing room door before going inside to give him Tony D’Angelo’s message.

Grayson Waller wants Bron Breakker in the ring next.

Diamond Mine isn’t happy with their loss but they made great strides anyway. Indus Sher comes up to ask about their match with the Creed Brothers. Sher wants the Creeds to prove themselves, which Julius will do next week against JD McDonagh.

Here’s what is coming next week.

Grayson Waller, in a rather large zip up jacket, wants Bron Breakker out here right now because no one can do what Waller does. Breakker’s car arrives in the parking lot (that’s some amazing timing) and he comes to the ring for the spear….which knocks himself out. That zip jacket was covering a metal plate, because Waller is a Back to The Future III fan. Waller promises that he’ll outsmart Breakker again at New Year’s Evil to win the title.

Overall Rating: B-. This show had a good series of matches with only one of them not working so well. At the same time it set up stuff for the future, including a battle for the bar next week. The show is starting to find its groove and they did well here, with nothing terribly bad and building up matches for the future. Not a bad use of two hours whatsoever.

Results
Carmelo Hayes b. Axiom – Nothing But Net
Zoey Stark b. Nikkita Lyons – Rollup while grabbing the rope
Katana Chance/Kayden Carter b. Toxic Attraction and Ivy Nile/Tatum Paxley – Rollup to Nile
Elektra Lopez b. Indi Hartwell – Right hand with brass knuckles
New Day b. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen – Limit Break to Briggs

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: December 9, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Byron Saxton, Matt Camp

This show is finally starting to figure a little something out and that can make things a lot more tolerable week to week. What matters around here is building some people up so that they have some clue as to what they’re doing when they go to the regular NXT show. I’m not sure how long that might take, but at least they’re trying. Lets get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Odyssey Jones vs. Damon Kemp

Kemp flips over him to start and gets hit in the face for his efforts. Jones starts cranking on the wrist before dropping a knee on the arm. Back up and Kemp snaps the arm over the top, setting up a loose crossface chickenwing. Jones can’t quite power out and drops down, allowing Kemp to put on something like a seated abdominal stretch. That’s broken up as well and Jones hits the corner splash, setting up a Boss Man Slam for the pin at 5:10.

Rating: C-. What the heck happened to Kemp? Maybe it was just me but I was getting into his heel stuff against Diamond Mine and now he’s jobbing on LVL Up. It’s quite the sudden fall and it isn’t like Kemp had some horrible moment. Jones is someone who has grown on me a bit since his return and maybe he can be as good as he has been hyped up as being.

Valentina Feroz gives us a subtitled promo about wanting to prove herself to her fans in Brazil. In English, she’s ready for Sol Ruca.

Valentina Feroz vs. Sol Ruca

Feroz works on a headlock to start but Ruca grabs the arm and fires off some shoulders. A tilt-a-whirl slam gives Ruca two and she grabs a headlock of her own. Feroz can’t fight out so it’s a cravate to hold her in place. Back up and a wheelbarrow faceplant gives Ruca two but Feroz charges into an elbow in the corner. Ruca goes up to the middle rope…and does an inverted backflip, grabbing Feroz with a cutter on the way down for the pin at 4:35.

Rating: C. This is a match where the only thing that is going to matter is that finisher. It’s the kind of move that you don’t see very often but it makes you take notice when you do. Ruca needed something to make her really stand out and a sweet looking finisher like that could be just the ticket. It isn’t enough to carry her, but it’s a big upgrade.

Trick Williams vs. Ikemen Jiro

Williams likes the jacket and shoves him down a few times to start, only to have Jiro nip up each time. The frustrated Williams jumps over Jiro in the corner and pulls him down by the jacket in some smart thinking. A running neckbreaker gives Williams two and we hit the chinlock. Jiro fights up and knocks Williams down, setting up a middle rope moonsault for two. The Ikemen Slash is broken up though and it’s the Trick Kick to give Williams the pin at 4:48.

Rating: C. I know Carmelo Hayes gets all of the attention but Williams is quite good at what he does every time he is out there. Williams is perfect as the enforcer/hype man, but he can do things on his own too. That is going to give him much more of a future around NXT and based on what we have seen from him, that is good news.

Overall Rating: C. This was back to the run of the mill shows and that isn’t a good thing. You had the big flipping cutter from Ruca but other than that, there was nothing here that stood out in the slightest. The action was just ok, though Williams did well in the chance he was given. Total middle of the road show here and that’s not exactly a compliment.

Results
Odyssey Jones b. Damon Kemp – Boss Man Slam
Sol Ruca b. Valentina Feroz – Middle rope inverted moonsault into a cutter
Trick Williams b. Ikemen Jiro – Trick Kick

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: December 2, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Byron Saxton

We’re into the final month of the year and much like the rest of the months, that isn’t likely to mean anything significant. I’m never sure what to expect in any given week on this show and I’m really not sure how much thought is put into the show week to week either. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oro Mensah vs. Myles Borne

Mensah kicks out of a wristlock to start but gets wrestled to the mat for a quick two. Back up and a quick anklescissors takes Borne down, setting up a running crotch attack against the ropes. Borne is able to catch him on top though and some covers get some twos. We hit the chinlock on Mensah, followed by a quick belly to belly to give Borne another near fall. A northern lights suplex gets the same but Mensah hits his own suplex to start the comeback. Mensah nails a running forearm, setting up the running spinwheel kick in the corner to finish Borne at 6:10.

Rating: C-. This was mainly about Borne out wrestling and more or less dominating until Mensah hit one or two moves and hits finisher for the pin. Mensah just isn’t that impressive for the most part while Borne has come a LONG way after a few pretty lame early matches. Not much to see here, but it was mostly a Borne squash until the ending switched everything up.

Tavion Heights, a former Olympic wrestler, is ready to debut against Stacks.

Tavion Heights vs. Stacks

Tony D’Angelo is here with Stacks. Heights nips his way out of some headlock attempts but Stacks cuts him off with a dropkick. Stacks has to slam his way out of an armbar and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Heights snaps off a powerslam, setting up a gutwrench suplex for two. Not that it matters as Stacks is back up with a knee to the back of the head for the pin at 4:18.

Rating: C. Heights is someone who looks like he has some potential but he has a long way to go. Putting him out there for an early match like this against someone with a bit of success like Stacks isn’t the worst way to go and they did things decently enough here. It’s fine enough for a debut, even with Stacks handling most of the work.

Thea Hail vs. Sol Ruca

The rest of Chase U is here with Hail, who flips around a lot and grabs a wristlock. The fans are behind Chase U, even as Ruca takes her down into an armbar. That’s broken up so Hail armdrags her for one before they’re back up for a quick standoff. Ruca powers her down though and hits a cartwheel splash for two, setting up the bodyscissors.

We hit the abdominal stretch to keep up the variety of rib work, followed by what should be the required surfboard. Hail fights up and shakes the ropes a lot, setting up a backsplash for two. Ruca jumps over her and tries a Matrix, only to get rolled up to give Hail the pin at 6:20.

Rating: C. Ruca is one of the craziest athletes I’ve ever seen and that was on display again here. Sometimes you just need to let someone use their natural abilities and make themselves look great, which is what they’re doing with Ruca. At the same time you have Hail, who is the most enthusiastic ball of energy that you are going to see in NXT these days. Fun match here, but more a showcase of what Ruca can do.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This show is starting to find a bit of a groove as they are now focusing on building people up rather than just throwing out random matches. You can see where people like Ruca, Borne and even Hail are starting to come along. If this show actually helps develop people then cool, but they would be much better served by putting in some more extensive time on the Florida house show circuit. For now though, decent show this week.

Results
Oro Mensah b. Myles Borne – Running spinwheel kick in the corner
Stacks b. Tavion Heights – Knee to the back of the head
Thea Hail b. Sol Ruca – Crucifix

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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