NXT LVL Up
Date: July 22, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

This show has started to change a little bit in recent weeks and that is a good thing. There have been some original interviews and even a tease of some storylines. It shouldn’t be that hard to do SOMETHING with this show but unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be WWE’s idea. Maybe they have a different idea this week though so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Thea Hail vs. Brooklyn Barlow

Chase U is here with Hail. They fight over wrist control to start before trading some rollups for two each. A headlock takeover puts Hail down and we hit the armbar as commentary talks about how much Chase U appreciates Hail. Something like a seated abdominal stretch brings Hail back to life for a side slam. A standing moonsault into Hail Yeah (ok that’s clever) finishes Barlow at 5:37.

Rating: C-. This was a lot of Barlow dominating, or at least dominating as much as you can with a headlock. Barlow continues to be little more than another blonde with an athletic background and that isn’t exactly getting her very far. On the other hand you have Hail, who is a total ball of charisma and she is starting to get somewhere with Chase U.

Hank Walker isn’t going to let Duke Hudson disrespect him tonight.

Ru Feng vs. Bryson Montana

Feng grabs a headlock to start and takes Montana to the mat to crank away. It works so well that Feng does it again before switching to a front facelock. Montana fights up and starts with the most generic power offense you could imagine, including right hands and shoulders to the ribs in the corner. A backbreaker into a side slam mix things up a bit and there’s a Michinoku Driver for two on Feng. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Feng fights up with his variety of martial arts. Montana isn’t having that and hits a Sky High for the pin at 4:34.

Rating: D+. They tried to make beating Feng important but that has never been the case and probably won’t for most of his time around here. Montana got my attention when he debuted and maybe he can do a little something. With that kind of power and look, there might be a chance for him and that is the point of a show like this one.

Hank Walker vs. Duke Hudson

Hudson drives him into the corner to start and puts on a quickly broken headlock. Walker powers up and slams him down for two, only to get driven into the corner for some shoulders to the ribs. A reverse DDT gets two on Walker and we hit the chinlock with a knee in Walker’s back. That’s broken up and Walker pulls the hair before taking off his shirt and faceplanting him for two. Back up and Hudson slips off the shoulders, setting up a big boot for the pin on Walker at 6:04.

Rating: C. Walker feels like quite the dead end gimmick, if nothing else because Brooks Jensen, Josh Briggs and Fallon Henley are already doing it and doing it better. Hudson is someone who should be able to do something of his own but for some reason it hasn’t quite started yet. He feels like a bigger star than most around here and having him around does help a bit.

Overall Rating: C-. You can add in the interview (which is a good idea) and the stories from one week to another (which seems to have already been dropped) but ultimately, the wrestling just isn’t that good. What are you supposed to do when the wrestling is pretty weak at best and you’re lucky to get an ok match? That is LVL Up in a nutshell and I have no reason to believe it is going to change.

Results
Thea Hail b. Brooklyn Barlow – Hail Yeah
Bryson Montana b. Ru Feng – Sky High
Duke Hudson b. Hank Walker – Big boot

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NXT
Date: July 5, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph

It’s another special night this week, as we have the Great American Bash. That means we have a stacked card, including multiple title matches. The main event is Cameron Grimes challenging Bron Breakker for the NXT Title, which should be a heck of a match. NXT does well enough with these shows so let’s get to it.

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

The opening video is at a cookout, hosted by Fallon Henley, Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs. Most of the roster is there, with Jensen enjoying the women in the pool and wrestlers making various wrestling related threats.

Tag Team Titles: Cora Jade/Roxanne Perez vs. Toxic Attraction

Jade and Perez are challenging and Jade takes Jayne down early on. A running knee against the ropes gets two on Jayne and it’s off to Perez to forearm Dolin. Back with Perez and Jayne trading pump kicks for a double knockdown, setting up a double tag. Jade takes over on Jayne’s arm and a dropkick gets two.

There’s a double superkick for the same but Mandy Rose pulls the referee out at two, earning a well deserved ejection. A running neckbreaker drops Perez for two but Jade comes in to knock Jayne outside. Pop Rox gives Perez the fast pin on Dolin to give us new champions at 10:35.

Rating: C. They made this fast and to the point, though the ending came out of nowhere and didn’t quite work. It was time to get the titles off of Toxic Attraction, though we have been here before and the title change didn’t stick before. Hopefully they move on now though, as their reign has run its course.

Bron Breakker arrived earlier today and said his shoulder was fine.

Tony D’Angelo yells at Legado del Fantasma, saying that only Elektra Lopez has done well. Next week, they have one more chance. There is an implication that Santos Escobar has been taken out.

Pretty Deadly doesn’t think much of Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen.

Trick Williams vs. Wes Lee

Carmelo Hayes is here with Williams, complete with some water as Williams is in a boxing robe. Williams takes him down to start but gets sent into the corner, where Williams wants a time out. Back up and they both miss some kicks until Lee dropkicks him into the corner. Back up and Williams spins Lee into a powerslam for two. Lee knocks him outside though, where Williams sprays some of the water on his hands and then sends it over to commentary. The liquid is rubbed into Lee’s eyes to blind him and it’s the Trick Kick for the pin on Lee at 3:45.

Rating: C-. This was a quick match as Lee’s momentum stops in a hurry. It does help that Williams won via chicanery though and that should keep Lee from getting too destroyed. Williams continues to be more about the hype than anything in the ring but giving him a win here or there isn’t a bad thing. Just have a better match next time.

Post match, commentary says that smells like rubbing alcohol.

Tiffany Stratton is getting her makeup done but Wendy Choo comes in to throw powder into her face. Apparently this is the start of a match, which begins during a break.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Wendy Choo

We’re joined in progress with Stratton raking Choo’s hand over the rope. She even rips off Choo’s nail but Choo fights back in a hurry. Choo has to shake her hand back to live but she is fine enough to knock Stratton down and grabs a sleeper. With that broken up, Choo hits a suplex for two and a high crossbody connects, only to hurt the hand. Stratton is right back and knocks her into the corner for the corkscrew Vader Bomb and the pin at 4:38 shown.

Rating: C+. Choo’s gimmick is a nightmare but she is pretty good once you get to the point. That being said, Stratton is looking more and more like the complete package every single week and this was no exception. If she can get into a more serious story, she could be on her way to a much higher level in a hurry.

Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade are happy and Perez isn’t done: she’s cashing in her title shot next week against Mandy Rose.

Bron Breakker is warming up when Cameron Grimes comes in to say he’ll do whatever it takes to win the title. Breakker insists the shoulder is fine.

Here is Apollo Crews for a chat. He talks about how his kids saw what he was doing on Raw and Smackdown and they didn’t recognize him. Then they just stopped watching, but they have been watching every week since he has been back in NXT. Now he’s back though and it’s true that everything has changed.

He’ll be watching everyone around here and lists off some names, but here is Giovanni Vinci to interrupt. His name wasn’t on the list and that isn’t a surprise because Crews knows what happens if they face off. Vinci knows that he can match him in athleticism and beat him in style, so Crews invites him to come in and prove it. Vinci says we can do this next week. At least WWE seems to have realized that the Nigerian royalty deal was going nowhere.

Ivy Nile is ready to find out which Diamond Mine team is better. Hold on though as Nile has to go break up an argument between a bunch of the women. As a result, Tatum Paxley needs to be in the gym tomorrow morning.

Grayson Waller is ready to win the North American Title.

Carmelo Hayes is ready for Waller.

JD McDonagh is still coming.

North American Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Grayson Waller

Hayes is defending and has Trick Williams. Feeling out process to start with Hayes grabbing a rollup with tights for two. They hit right hands at the same time before Hayes drops him with a clothesline. The Fade Away connects but Waller is right back with an electric chair belly to back for a knockdown.

Back from a break with Hayes still in trouble and getting pulled into a triangle choke. That’s broken up and a headscissors faceplant gives Hayes two. Waller gets knocked into the corner and it’s time for another slugout. A running dropkick takes out Hayes’ knee and a running flipping Unprettier (almost a reverse Blockbuster) gives Waller two. The rolling Stunner connects but Hayes rolls outside. That means Waller needs to load it up again, only to have Williams cut him off. Cue Wes Lee to take out Williams, leaving Hayes to hit the top rope ax kick to retain the title at 11:43.

Rating: B-. This was one of those matches that got a chance to breathe and let the talented wrestlers do their thing. Waller can have a good enough match when he gets the chance and Hayes is as smooth of a star as NXT has. Lee getting involved ties into the earlier match in a good way so well done all around here.

We see a QR code and are told to SCAN HERE. Apparently it brings up a screen that says “8:10:11”.

Xyon Quinn says he is the future.

Ivy Nile fires up Diamond Mine.

Mandy Rose isn’t worried about Toxic Attraction losing earlier today because they can correct things. Nor is she worried about Cora Jade next week.

We go to Chase University where Bodie Hayward is falling asleep in a history lecture. Thea Hail won’t stop sleeping and is way too happy to be here. A guy named Chad tells Andre Chase that the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 2 and Chase goes into a rant (“WHO THE F*** DID JOHN ADAMS EVER BEAT???”). With Chad gone, Hail wants to go to England, which is cool with Chase. There are your next NXT UK guest starts.

Tag Team Titles: Damon Kemp/Roderick Strong vs. Creed Brothers

The Brothers are defending in an all Diamond Mine showcase. Brutus runs Strong over to start and it’s quickly off to Julius to grapple with Kemp. That’s fine with Julius, who takes Kemp into the corner and hands him off to Brutus for a fireman’s carry slam into said corner. Kemp tries to get out but Strong sends him back in, allowing Julius to send him outside. Brutus goes up top for a cannonball to the floor and the crash sends us to a break.

Back with Strong kneeing away at Julius but Brutus comes back in to clean house. Strong runs over and slaps Julius on the apron. The distraction lets Strong hit the jumping knees to the face and he hands it off to Kemp for a slingshot spear. Brutus fights out and hands it back to Julius to clean house again. Julius powerslams both of them down and hits the sliding lariat to Kemp to retain the titles at 12:12.

Rating: C. I get the story they’re going for here, but I don’t know if Diamond Mine is interesting enough to pull it off. The Brothers are a good team and Kemp has barely wrestled as part of the team so far. Strong as the delusional leader getting shoved further and further away is only somewhat interesting and this match didn’t help things.

Post match Diamond Mine poses, though Roderick Strong isn’t pleased.

We hear from someone who seems to be a math genius who has used his match skills to learn to fight. His name is Axiom and while we don’t see his face, he sounded a bit like A-Kid from NXT UK.

Video on Cameron Grimes vs. Bron Breakker.

Mr. Stone and company aren’t happy with Von Wagner being off the show but Solo Sikoa comes in to say he doesn’t want to hear it. A match seems likely for next week.

NXT Title: Cameron Grimes vs. Bron Breakker

Breakker is defending and, after the Big Match Intros, grabs a headlock. That’s broken up and Grimes goes for the arm, earning himself a trip into the corner as we take an early break. Back with Breakker hitting a suplex but getting sent to the floor for a dive from Grimes. They get back inside with Grimes hitting a kick to the arm and cranking back on it to make things worse.

Breakker fights up and hits some clotheslines but Grimes nails a superkick. There’s the running flipping crossbody for two but Breakker catches him on top for the Frankensteiner. The spear misses so Grimes pulls him into something close to an Octopus. That doesn’t work so Breakker is sent into the corner, setting up the Cave In for a near fall. Grimes heads up, only to dive into a spear to retain the title at 12:36.

Rating: B. This was a match that was well laid out and they got the story right. Stuff like Breakker’s arm giving out and him not being able to follow up made the match that much better. I’m not sure what is next for Grimes but it might be time to turn him heel for the sake of having nothing else for him to do. Either that or call him up, though I don’t want to imagine him as the distant cousin of Hillbilly Jim, Jesse and Festus.

Post match Grimes goes to celebrate but JD McDonagh shows up to jump him, calling himself the necessary evil.

Overall Rating: B-. This felt like an old school NXT show as they had stories to build towards, brought in new stars, and had some mostly good wrestling throughout. I liked this show more than I’ve enjoyed NXT in a long time, though I have no reason to believe that it is going to last. For now though, good show and a very nice break after some less than awesome shows.

Results
Cora Jade/Roxanne Perez b. Toxic Attraction – Pop Rox to Dolin
Trick Williams b. Wes Lee – Trick Kick
Tiffany Stratton b. Wendy Choo – Twisting Vader Bomb
Carmelo Hayes b. Grayson Waller – Top rope ax kick
Creed Brothers b. Roderick Strong/Damon Kemp – Sliding lariat to Kemp
Bron Breakker b. Cameron Grimes – Spear

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NXT
Date: June 21, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph

it’s another title week this time around as we have Carmelo Hayes defending the North American Title against Tony D’Angelo in the main event. Other than that we continue the build towards the Great American Bash, where Bron Breakker will defend against Cameron Grimes. Other than that, we get more Lash Legend and Joe Gacy because we’re that lucky. Let’s get to it.

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

Solo Sikoa vs. Grayson Waller

Before the match, Sikoa talks about how he’s tired of Sikoa whining and is ready to uncensor himself. That’s enough for Sikoa to charge at him and the fight is on fast. They head inside with Sikoa hammering away and hitting a belly to back suplex. Back up and Sikoa head fakes him to set up a clothesline as Waller can’t get anything going here. Waller gets smart by kicking at the leg and dropping Sikoa for a change. Sikoa gets sent outside but comes back with an elbow to the face as we take a break.

Back with Waller hammering away and grabbing a cravate. The trash talk takes a bit too much time though and Sikoa knocks him to the floor. The turnbuckle pad is taken off somewhere in there, meaning Sikoa misses a charge into the exposed buckle. That means the rolling Stunner can finish for Waller at 12:14.

Rating: C+. The Waller push gets a bit of a recharge as he beats Sikoa, who was on a pretty nice roll coming into this week. I’m not sure where all of this is leading for the North American Title, but odds are it will involve having a bunch of people in a match at once. At least it might not involve a ladder this time around.

Tony D’Angelo is ready for a big night and promises to take things over tonight. Santos Escobar shakes his hand and calls him the Don, though D’Angelo makes threats if he doesn’t win the North American Title tonight.

JD McDonough is coming. He says never bet against an ace, he looks like Jordan Devlin and he sounds like Jordan Devlin, but this is JD McDonough.

Katana Chance/Kayden Carter vs. Yulisa Leon/Valentina Feroz

Carter dropkicks the dancing Leon down to start and the rapid fire double teaming begins. Leon is sent into the corner for a running dropkick to give Chance two. Chance sweeps the leg for two but it’s quickly off to Feroz to take over. That doesn’t last long as Carter is right back in to double team Feroz down. A superkick into the neckbreaker/450 splash combination (with the 450 being more knees to the chest) gives Chance the pin at 5:14.

Rating: D+. This was a bit rough, with that ending being a hard landing for everyone. Chance and Carter continue to be one of the better women’s teams in the company, but hopefully the main roster doesn’t figure that out and think that they should be involved in the Tag Team Title picture. Leon and Feroz are fine as jobbers of the division but that’s about it so far.

Here is an upset looking Wes Lee for a chat. He thanks the fans for everything but he has gone from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Lee was a two time Tag Team Champion but then he had his world explode under his feet. All he has been doing is trying to prove himself from Xyon Quin all the way to Sanga, but here is Trick Williams to interrupt.

Williams says no one wants to hear this and suggests that Lee’s partner (not named) left because Lee was dragging him down. Lee accuses Williams of playing second fiddle to Carmelo Hayes and the challenge seems to be thrown out. Williams calls him Afro Thunder and says he’ll leave like Lee’s partners do. Somebody better call the doctor after that line (Ready 2 Rumble reference if that didn’t make sense.).

Tiffany Stratton rants about how annoying Wendy Choo is, especially with all of those onesies. Stratton swears revenge for Choo costing her a match though.

Legado del Fantasma vs. Diamond Mine

Joaquin Wilde/Cruz del Toro vs. Damon Kemp/Roderick Strong here. Strong takes del Toro down by the arm to start and cranks away. Kemp comes in for a shot of his own, followed by dragging del Toro into the corner so Strong can kick away. That doesn’t last long as it’s off to Wilde to clean house.

Kemp is right there to cut him off though and the chinlock goes on. That’s broken up as well and it’s del Toro coming in to take over on Strong. Everything breaks down and it’s del Toro hitting a slingshot dive to the floor. Two Dimes yells at Del Toro though, leaving Wilde to get caught with a jumping knee to the face to give Strong the pin at 4:54.

Rating: C. This stuff with Legado/the D’Angelo Family is wearing thin in a hurry and I don’t exactly see myself keeping up much interest on the whole thing. The teams don’t like each other and now they’re screwing each other over. It wasn’t a great story before it got to the point and now it is continuing. Kemp is still worth a look most of the time though and you can see the development week to week, which is a great thing.

Giovanni Vinci brags about his win last week but Ikemen Jiro comes in to brag about his own style. A match seems likely.

Apollo Crews fantasizes about beating someone up in a stairwell. Then he snaps back to reality and goes to do it for real.

Here is Toxic Attraction for a chat. Mandy Rose doesn’t think much of Roxanne Perez, who is going to learn what it means to fail. Cue Perez, with Cora Jade, who knows what it means to live your dreams, especially with Cora Jade by her side. Perez would rather win the Tag Team Titles with Jade, but here are Katana Chance/Kayden Carter to interrupt. The line starts behind them so the brawl is on.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are ready to win, including Hayes defending his North American Title against Tony D’Angelo.

Indi Hartwell is ready to move on but Kiana James interrupts to mock her. Hartwell says no one cares about James’ opinion and a match is set for next week.

Cameron Grimes vs. Edris Enofe

Grimes spins out of a wristlock to start but the pace picks up until Enofe dropkicks him down for two. Enofe gets sent outside though and Grimes hits a running kick in the apron. A high crossbody gives Grimes two and he tries some YES Kicks, which have Enofe begging for more. They trade shots to the face for a double knockdown until Enofe sends him into the ropes for a knee to the head. The big running flip dive drops Grimes again but the 450 misses back inside. Grimes hits a swinging Side Effect and the Cave In finishes for Grimes at 5:37.

Rating: C. Completely fine match with Grimes getting some build before he gets to the title match. Sometimes that’s all you need and it worked well here. Enofe is just good enough to make Grimes break a bit of a sweat and that is all he needs to do with something like this. Good enough match here with Grimes getting the boost that he needed.

Thea Hail arrives at Chase U and finds out that she’s rooming with Bodie Hayward. Hail unpacks (with wacky sound effects) and is VERY excited to be here. She’s off to get food, though Hayward takes a shot to the ribs to slow him down.

Nikkita Lyons is on her way back next week.

Brooks Jensen vs. Von Wagner

Jensen gets sent into the corner to start but Wagner goes after the hand (not the one that was hurt), including tying it up in the turnbuckle. The armbar is broken up and Jensen starts fighting back, only to get taken down by the arm. The fireman’s carry neckbreaker finishes Jensen at 4:46.

Rating: D+. Yes, more Wagner, as we continue the push of the generic power guy who has nothing going for him and does absolutely nothing of note in the ring. I don’t see much in Jensen either, but Wagner is reaching the point where I spend more time trying to figure out what WWE could possibly see in him. Not much more than a squash here, and even that was boring.

Bron Breakker comes in to see Cameron Grimes and says that’s the Grimes he wants to see at the Great American Bash. Grimes says if this version shows up, he’s winning the NXT Title.

Joe Gacy gives the Dyad a pep talk about winning the Tag Team Titles again. Can we just say they’re the Grizzled Young Veterans and move on?

Alba Fyre vs. Lash Legend

Legend kicks her down to start but has to fight out of a Gory Bomb attempt. A butterfly suplex drops Fyre and legend gets to keep up her awkward looking stomps. Fyre is back up with a Gory Bomb but misses her Swanton, allowing Legend to get in a baseball bat shot for the DQ at 3:27.

Rating: D. Lash Legend is not good and I’m running out of ways to say it. I know WWE wants the NIL people to succeed and that Legend has the size and sports background that they love but my goodness. Who looks at her and thinks she is ready for TV when she can bring down someone as talented as Fyre?

North American Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Tony D’Angelo

Hayes is defending and a bunch of people are here. Hayes flips around to start but everyone gets on the apron. The referee looks at them and….does nothing, as they drop to the floor so D’Angelo can punch Hayes. They head outside with Hayes being sent into the steps as we take a break.

Back with D’Angelo grabbing a seated abdominal stretch but Hayes fights up and hits a springboard spinning clothesline for two. D’Angelo grabs a suplex for two as Trick Williams is looking worried. A Codebreaker gives Hayes two but Stacks offers a distraction, allowing Escobar to slip…..Hayes some brass knuckles. D’Angelo yells at Escobar and it’s a right hand from Hayes for the knockout to retain at 10:35.

Rating: C+. I liked this a bit more just because it seems like we might be on the way to some big finale of this Escobar/D’Angelo stuff. Hayes can get out of this and move on to the other challengers, as thankfully this felt like a side quest. Good enough match too, with the ending being there to advance the storyline more than anything else.

D’Angelo is mad to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. I wasn’t feeling this one of the most part, though most of the wrestling was adequate. The problem here was that NXT seemed to be focusing on the least interesting stuff, which isn’t the best way to spend two plus hours. The show felt long and there was nothing on here worth seeing, making this a rather long show. Granted there is a very good chance that has to do with it being another taped show, so maybe the live versions can pick it up a little. For now though, not a good week for NXT.

Results
Grayson Waller b. Solo Sikoa – Rolling Stunner
Katana Chance/Kayden Carter b. Yulisa Leon/Valentina Feroz – Neckbreaker/450 combination to Leon
Diamond Mine b. Legado del Fantasma – Jumping knee to Wilde
Cameron Grimes b. Edris Enofe – Cave In
Von Wagner b. Brooks Jensen – Fireman’s carry neckbreaker
Alba Fyre b. Lash Legend via DQ when Legend used a baseball bat
Carmelo Hayes b. Tony D’Angelo – Right hand with brass knuckles

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NXT LVL Up
Date: June 17, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

Things are starting to take form around here and it makes for some more interesting shows. You can tell which names are going to put on a good match and which ones are going to be there as either cannon fodder or to get in some reps. That can make the show easier to predict, but not necessarily good, as tends to be the case. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Thea Hail vs. Arianna Grace

Hail has the rest of Chase U with her and Grace now wears a feather boa to the ring. Grace powers her around to start before they fight over a wristlock. Hail’s arm is snapped across the top to cut her off though and it’s time to kick away in the corner. A DDT on the arm gives Grace two and we hit the hammerlock, with Grace slamming Hail into the mat for a bonus. That’s broken up as Hail fights up and hits a running flip neckbreaker, followed by an arm trap cradle for the pin at 5:29.

Rating: C-. Grace continues to do very little for me, though it does seem like she is starting to put together a persona. Hail on the other hand playing the college student with a bunch of energy could be worse. Neither is great, but at least they went with the one who is doing better at the moment.

Guru Raaj vs. Miles Borne

This is Borne’s debut and they trade flips away from each other for a fast start. Borne takes him down with an armdrag into an armbar to slow things up though, which isn’t surprising as he’s clearly a technical guy due to wearing a singlet. That’s countered into a northern lights suplex and Raaj kicks away, setting up a double arm crank on the mat. Back up and Borne hits some dropkicks into a slam for two as this is rather riveting offense. Raaj fights back and strikes away before a middle rope bulldog finishes Borne at 4:56.

Rating: D+. This was a match between two people who have nothing that sets them apart and had little redeeming value. It wasn’t a bad match, but it was about as boring as you can get without falling off a cliff. Just two guys having a match and that isn’t going to make me care much about either of them.

Respect is shown post match.

Ivy Nile vs. Elektra Lopez

Lopez has Stacks and Two Dimes with her. Nile easily takes her to the mat to start for a headlock. A snap suplex gives Nile two but a gutbuster cuts her down. What looked to be a running spinning chop in the corner is just a run, a stop, and then the spinning chop to Nile, followed by some forearms to the back. The abdominal stretch goes on, with Lopez lifting the leg for a bonus. Lopez takes it to the mat for a bonus but Nile fights up and hits an enziguri. The dragon sleeper finishes for Nile at 5:48.

Rating: C. Nile is at the point where she doesn’t belong on this show. She has mowed down everyone in front of her and was this close to winning the NXT UK Women’s Title. There is no reason to keep her here but she does add some star power. Lopez on the other hand has more natural charisma than she needs, but I don’t remember the last time she won anything important. That’s a weird mixture, especially for part of a stable that gets so much TV time.

Overall Rating: C-. This was a rough going for the show as there wasn’t much to see this time around. The main event was ok at best and that was because Nile is one of the best things going in NXT. LVL Up is only so good from time to time and this wasn’t one of their better weeks, with people just getting in the ring rather than doing anything of note.

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NXT
Date: June 7, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph

We’re fresh off In Your House and the show came with a few changes. The North American and Tag Team Titles changed hands so there is some fresh blood in the gold scene around here. This week’s features the finals of the Women’s Breakout Tournament as Tiffany Stratton faces Roxanne Perez. Let’s get to it.

Here is In Your House if you need a recap.

We open with a match by match recap of In Your House.

Here is new North American Champion Carmelo Hayes, with Trick Williams, for a chat. Hayes is really happy to have the title back and gives Cameron Grimes credit for a tough fight on Saturday. He brags about his greatness, but here is Solo Sikoa to interrupt. Sikoa says he has next, but Hayes says that deal was with Grimes, not the new champ. Now it’s Grayson Waller to interrupt, saying it doesn’t matter who Sikoa’s family is because no one cares or likes him. The brawl is on, with Sikoa being taken down by some triple teaming.

Video on Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen vs. Von Wagner.

Legado del Fantasma is now Tony D’Angelo and company’s chauffeur/various lackeys. Happiness does not ensue.

Josh Briggs vs. Von Wagner

Fallon Henley, Brooks Jensen, Sophia Cromwell and Mr. Stone are all here too. Briggs slugs away fast to start but Wagner gets in a few shots in the corner. The arm cranking is broken up though and it’s Briggs kicking him in the chest. They fight to the floor, where Wagner gets in a shot to Jensen’s bad hand. Henley gets up for a distraction so Jensen throws Briggs the cast for a shot. That and Briggs’ lariat is enough to finish Wagner at 3:04.

Rating: C-. Standard big man match here with the interference making the difference. If this means slowing Wagner down a bit, I’m all for it though, as he has been the most generic of the monster villains that you can find. Briggs and Jensen aren’t exactly great, but they’re more interesting than Wagner could hope to be.

Solo Sikoa wants Carmelo Hayes and Grayson Waller tonight, whether he has a partner or not.

Thea Hail gets a scholarship to Chase U. Pretty Deadly comes in to mock them, so Bodie Hayward says we could have them get in on a picture to add some star power. Go get the Tag Team Titles…..which Pretty Deadly lost so never mind.

Nathan Frazer vs. Santos Escobar

This is on Tony D’Angelo’s orders so D’Angelo sits in on commentary. Escobar takes him to the mat to start and then does it again for a bonus. D’Angelo declares that boring so do something else. Frazer is back up with a running hurricanrana and Escobar is angry in the corner. Back up and Escobar sends him outside for the suicide dive, though D’Angelo doesn’t approve.

We take a break and come back with Frazer still in trouble as Escobar grabs a Boston crab. With that broken up, Frazer gets in a shot of his own and a standing shooting star press. The jumping superkick drops Frazer again but one of Escobar’s goons slides in a crowbar. That doesn’t work for Escobar, who throws it back, only to get kicked in the head. Frazer’s phoenix splash is good for the pin at 11:52.

Rating: C. You can feel the Seth Rollins influence on Frazer and I’m not sure I would consider that a compliment. The Escobar story isn’t exactly great either, but at least it is getting him some serious sympathy from the crowd. Escobar isn’t likely to go anywhere on the main roster, so a nice push around here is about all he can hope for at the moment.

Xyon Quinn doesn’t like Nathan Frazer or Wes Lee, who stole a win from him last week. That’s why he’s going to crush Lee next week in their rematch.

Here is still NXT Champion Bron Breakker for a chat. Breakker talks about how he overcame the challenges of Joe Gacy and did it for NXT, because this place is special. He knows everyone wants a shot, so come get a shot. Cue Apollo Crews, with the crowd being VERY happy to see him. Crews has dropped the accent and Nigerian royalty stuff and is just himself, and is here for as long as he wants to be. He praises Breakker and is very happy to be back here, because there are things he wants to do here. Crews says he’ll see Breakker down the road and they shake hands. I can go for more of this Crews.

Video on Roxanne Perez vs. Tiffany Stratton in the Women’s Breakout Tournament final.

Joe Gacy talks to his minions about how there are people who need guidance. That was the case with the two of them, who needed someone to show them the way. They are the dyad and they can continue to be an extension of him when they compete for the first time next week.

Women’s Breakout Tournament Finals: Tiffany Stratton vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez grabs a headlock to start but doesn’t go anywhere with it. Instead, Stratton takes her to the mat for some arm, and finger, cranking to keep control. Back up and Perez armdrags her way out of a slam attempt but gets dropped arm first on top as we take a break. Back with Stratton still on the arm, including moonsaulting onto it for two.

The handspring elbow in the corner drops Perez for two more but she’s back with a middle rope Thesz press for two. Stratton is sent outside for the suicide dive and a Russian legsweep gives Perez two. A sitout powerbomb gives Stratton two more but Perez is right back with Pop Rox for the pin out of nowhere at 12:21.

Rating: C+. Rather nice effort from both of them here in a case where either would have been a fine pick. Perez feels like an actual prodigy though and it is nice to see her getting the biggest win of her career so far. Stratton’s gimmick and athleticism will carry her a long way so she’s going to be fine. Good stuff here with Perez being the slightly better choice for the win.

Since Perez now gets a title shot of her choice, here is Toxic Attraction to interrupt. Mandy Rose says enjoy the moment, because it’s all downhill from here. If Perez cashes in on her, it will go very badly so the fight is on. Cue Indi Hartwell to even things up and Toxic Attraction is cleared out.

Bodhi Hayward has been attacked and says Pretty Deadly did it.

Tiffany Stratton interrupts Wendy Choo’s interview so Choo throws her drink in Stratton’s face.

Pretty Deadly vs. Andre Chase

Chase storms to the ring for the sake of revenge but gets sent into the corner to cut that off. The double teaming is on so here is the injured Bodhi Hayward, only to have Thea Hail cut him off. Hail gets on the apron to offer a tag, allowing Chase to make a comeback. That’s cut off quickly and it’s Spilled Milk to give Deadly the pin at 3:11.

Rating: C-. Hail’s deal aside, this was little more than a handicap match with Chase fighting hard but coming up short because of the numbers game. The good thing is that it might mean more Chase, and that is always a positive. He has taken this completely ridiculous gimmick to levels no one would have thought possible and is one of the highlights of the show. Give me more of him, maybe even in a more important role.

Tony D’Angelo and company try to intimidate Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams, who isn’t interested. Hayes wants some more respect on his name too.

Alba Fyre vs. Tatum Paxley

Fyre grabs the arm to start but gets flipped over so Paxley can put on an armbar of her own. Paxley rolls her up for some near falls and sits down on a sunset flip attempt for two more. Fyre knees her in the face for two of her own and the Gory Bomb plants Paxley. Fyre goes up top for a Swanton so Paxley rolls away before she can launch, but after a shrug, Fyre hits a Swanton anyway for the pin at 2:41.

Post match Lash Legend jumps Fyre, because YOU WILL CARE ABOUT LASH LEGEND.

Malik Blade and Edris Enofe come up to the Creed Brothers and issue the challenge. The Creeds are down but Roderick Strong comes in to yell about how that’s a mistake champions don’t make. That is the one thing they can get wrong.

Giovanni Vinci is here next week and we see his face, confirming that it is in fact the former Fabian Aichner.

Carmelo Hayes/Grayson Waller vs. Solo Sikoa

Trick Williams is here with Hayes and Waller, but hold on because Sikoa has a partner.

Carmelo Hayes/Grayson Waller vs. Solo Sikoa/Apollo Crews

I would have bet on it being Cameron Grimes so well done on the surprise. The fight is on before the bell with the villains being cleared out. Back in and it’s Sikoa vs. Waller to start with the latter being sent into the corner. Crews comes in for a delayed suplex (Barrett: “PUT HIM DOWN WILL YOU???”) and it’s time to work on the arm. Hayes comes in from behind though and catches Crews with a spinning faceplant to take over. Back up and everything breaks down, with Crews hitting a slingshot dive to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Sikoa in trouble and Waller stomping away. The top rope elbow gives Waller two and the Crossface makes things even worse for Sikoa. A rope is grabbed for the break and Sikoa gets over to Crews for the hot tag. House is cleaned as everything breaks down, with Crews hitting the toss powerbomb to finish Waller at 13:42.

Rating: C+. This was a standard main event tag match formula and it worked out as well as can be expected. What mattered here was getting Crews back into the mix and he filled in just fine, which is always a good sign. It isn’t like Crews was doing anything on the main roster, so why bother leaving him up there to do nothing at all?

Overall Rating: C+. They kept some momentum going here after In Your House and that is more than I would have expected. It is nice to see NXT actually going somewhere and if they can keep it up, that makes it all the better. The action was the usual hit and miss, but what mattered here was a feeling that we are moving on to some new stuff. Crews was a rather nice surprise and again, if he isn’t doing anything else, why leave him on the main roster? Pretty good show here, and I’ll take what I can get from NXT.

Results
Josh Briggs b. Von Wagner – Lariat
Nathan Frazer b. Santos Escobar – Phoenix splash
Roxanne Perez b. Tiffany Stratton – Pop Rox
Pretty Deadly b. Andre Chase – Spilled Milk
Alba Fyre b. Tatum Paxley – Swanton
Solo Sikoa/Apollo Crews b. Grayson Waller/Carmelo Hayes

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NXT
Date: May 31, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

It’s the go home show for In Your House and that means we are ready for the final push towards the show. Most of the card is set but there is always the chance that we will be seeing another match added this week. The main event is Nathan Frazer vs. Cameron Grimes, which should be a good one. Let’s get to it.

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

Diamond Mine is coming to the ring but Roderick Strong tells the Creeds that they have the night off.

Diamond Mine vs. Pretty Deadly

Non-title and it’s Strong and Damon Kemp for Diamond Mine. Prince takes Strong into the corner to start and whips him into it again for good measure. Wilson comes in and gets kicked down so Kemp comes in, sending Wilson bailing into the corner. A slap to the face wakes Kemp up and he explodes on Prince, including a bunch of suplexes into a chinlock. It’s back to Strong, who again gets stomped down in the corner, allowing Wilson to forearm away. Strong manages to get over to Kemp though and it’s a slingshot spear to cut Wilson down. Everything breaks down and Diamond Mine clears the ring as we take a break.

Back with Wilson chinlocking Kemp, which stays on a bit longer than you might expect. Kemp finally fights up and powers over to Strong for the house cleaning. Pretty Deadly is sent into each other as the fans are behind Strong again. Everything breaks down and Prince grabs a title belt. Cue the Creeds for the save but Julius takes the shot for Strong. The distraction lets Spilled Milk finish Strong at 13:17.

Rating: C+. That ending is going to cause even more issues with the Diamond Mine, which seems to be living on borrowed time as it is. The Creeds continue to be the good guys while Strong has had all of the power go to his head, which isn’t going to be the best combination. The Creeds very well could take the titles on Saturday and that should make for a rather nice moment, assuming Strong doesn’t cost them somehow.

Solo Sikoa wants Cameron Grimes to take care of Carmelo Hayes at In Your House because he has the next title shot. Grimes agrees but Duke Hudson comes in to say he should get the shot. Hudson says he doesn’t expect Sikoa to understand this because he isn’t on that level. The match is set for tonight.

Grayson Waller yelled at some wrestlers, telling them to learn from Tiffany Stratton, who is so much better than Roxanne Perez. On top of that, she’s better than Fallon Henley. Josh Briggs comes up and says he’ll give Waller a country whipping tonight.

Earlier today, Tony D’Angelo and company met Legado del Fantasma on Santos Escobar’s yacht for their usual face to face bickering. The result this time: a six man at In Your House.

Cora Jade vs. Elektra Lopez

Jade snapmares her down into a basement dropkick for a fast one. Lopez isn’t having that and faceplants her down, setting up some choking on the rope. The fans get in Cora’s corner but she misses a knee in the corner and gets her leg chopped down. Lopez tries to take her up but gets knocked back down. The top rope backsplash gives Jade the (possibly upset) win at 5:04.

Rating: C-. Lopez is still in a weird spot as she seems like she could be a star but has never broken out of the same spot she has been in for a long time. Jade is rather talented but needs a good bit more seasoning. The return of NXT live events could do her a lot of good as she needs the ring time more than anything else. The match wasn’t exactly great, but I’m glad Jade is getting somewhere.

Wes Lee is ready to face Xyon Quinn because he has to keep fighting. Sanga comes in to give Lee a pep talk, saying he may not be a giant, but he has a giant heart. It’s nice to have a different kind of giant for once.

Video on Roxanne Perez, who has been growing up wanting to be here. While her friends were watching Stranger Things, she was watching Raw and Smackdown to be like Paige, Michelle McCool and Nikki Bella. She would take a ten hour bus ride one way to train with Booker T. No one got it but Cora Jade because she was doing the same thing. Tiffany Stratton is stronger than her, but Stratton doesn’t have the same desire.

Wes Lee vs. Xyon Quinn

Lee kicks him down but gets dropped ribs first onto the top rope to cut him off. Quinn takes it into the corner for some shoulders to the ribs to stay on a target. Back up and Lee manages a kick to the head but the middle rope moonsault press is pulled out of the air. A lawn dart sends Lee into the corner so Quinn loads up the running punch, only to get rolled up for the fast pin at 3:41.

Rating: C. I could go with more of Quinn but it’s nice to see Lee get a win after a few losses in a row. He’s a talented guy who got put into a bad situation so it’s refreshing to see him still getting a chance. Even if it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s still better than the Forgotten Sons mess, which was rather pathetic even by WWE standards.

Roderick Strong yells at Diamond Mine but Ivy Nile explains what happened because Strong can’t watch a tape. Strong doesn’t really care and says he should have been hit with the belt because it would have been a DQ win. What matters most is getting all the wins, so the Creeds better win the Tag Team Titles or they’re off the team.

Joe Gacy talks about Rick Steiner not being there to do much for Bron Breakker, who would fight with his brothers while Rick wouldn’t do anything. That made Breakker angry, which he used in football and now in wrestling. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, so Breakker will let his anger get the better of him at In Your House.

Bron Breakker isn’t going to let Joe Gacy get the better of him. Gacy’s laughter is heard and Breakker wants to fight, but he stops himself from breaking a TV.

It’s time for a women’s champions summit between Toxic Attraction and Wendy Choo/Katana Chance/Kacy Catanzaro with Wade Barrett hosting. The challengers don’t want Toxic Attraction to talk but the champs need to brag about what they’ve done and who they’ve run off. Choo: “JUST SIGN THE CONTRACT!” Barrett tries to calm them down but there are most scripted lines to get in, including Wizard of Oz Munchkin jokes.

Choo: “JUST SIGN THE CONTRACT!” Mandy Rose goes on a rant about how Choo, in a cow suit, belongs in Candyland. “OR WONDERLAND!” Rose wants more respect on her name and finally signs. Then Choo fires a spit ball at her and the fight is on, with Choo putting Rose through a table. This was one of the most annoying segments I have heard in a long time.

Ivy Nile is working out when Kiana James comes in to ask if Nile is going to be talking to the Creeds after they lose to Pretty Deadly. Nile says they’ll win, but James gives the Creeds a 12% chance. Nile slams her against a locker.

Solo Sikoa vs. Duke Hudson

Sikoa strikes away to start and knocks Hudson to the apron, only to have Hudson grab a slingshot German suplex. There’s an overhead belly to belly and another makes it worse. Sikoa fights back up with a Samoan drop and the running hip attack in the corner. The Superfly Splash finishes Hudson at 4:43.

Rating: C. Sikoa winning is the right move here as Hudson can talk his way back to whatever low spot he has. You can see the star power in Sikoa though and he certainly has the family skills included. Let him get a nice push and see where he can go, because the potential is right there.

Tiffany Stratton is glad that she fixed a problem last week. She doesn’t care that she took Nikkita Lyons’ spot because Lyons wasn’t going to win anyway. Stratton has all kinds of accomplishments anyway and works harder than anyone else. Oh and Roxanne Perez took a bus ten hours to train? Has she never heard of an AIRPLANE? Stratton is over everyone liking Perez so much. This was how you present an annoying brat.

Thea Hail has graduated high school and will be attending…..ANDRE CHASE UNIVERSITY! Ok point for a good payoff.

Grayson Waller vs. Josh Briggs

Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley are here too, but Waller says the horse face needs to leave. Waller: “And take Henley with you!” Briggs starts fast and knocks Waller into the ropes, which is enough for him to come out with a cheap shot. Waller side kicks his way out of the corner for two as we hear that Jensen has a firm grip on his recovery. Briggs gets in another shot of his own but here are Sofia Cromwell and Mr. Stone for a distraction. The rolling Stunner finishes the distracted Briggs at 3:43.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here but they got the story in that they needed. Waller picks up a win while Briggs vs. Stone and company continues. I still think Jensen turns on Briggs in exchange for Cromwell, even if that might not be the most PG NXT story. It would be a bit of a shame too as the country boys are a fine midcard team.

Post match Von Wagner comes in to go after Briggs and sends him shoulder first into the post. Jensen makes the save and Wagner is held back.

Ivy Nile vs. Kiana James

James takes her into the corner and gets shoved right back down. Some forearms annoy Nile but James manages to knock her back. Back up and Nile fires off some kicks, including a running one in the corner for two. James actually takes her down again and says it’s brains over brawn. Nile’s quick dragon sleeper attempt is broken up and James clotheslines her down. Nile clotheslines her much harder though and the kicks to the chest make it worse. A throw finishes James at 3:32.

Rating: C+. Very nice performance from James here, who wasn’t going to win but made the most of her time in there. She beat up Nile for a good chunk of the match in by far her most impressive outing to date. Nile seems primed to be the next big thing in NXT though and that could be starting any day now.

Post match here is Pretty Deadly to go after Nile but the Creeds make the save.

We get another Giovanni Vinci video, with the woman’s voice confirming that it is a he, who likes to drive fast cars and eat good food.

Cameron Grimes vs. Nathan Frazer

Non-title and Trick Williams/Carmelo Hayes are on commentary. Feeling out process to start and it’s an early standoff with both of them nipping up. They run the ropes until Frazer dropkicks him to the floor, only to be elbowed into the corner. A dropkick has Grimes in trouble and we take a break.

Back with Grimes hitting a swinging Rock Bottom for two and the slugout is on. Neither can get the better of it so Grimes goes with a clothesline to take over instead. Grimes’ powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana but he suplexes Frazer out of the corner, setting up the Cave In for the pin at 10:06.

Rating: B-. This was the best match on the show and it did its thing perfectly well. You had the champ picking up a win and Frazer getting to hang in there against a bigger star. That’s how a main event like this is supposed to go and Grimes is even more ready for Hayes than he was before. The talent is there in NXT and this was another nice showcase.

Post match Hayes comes in to jump Grimes but has to be saved from the Cave In. Glaring ensues to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Pretty good show this week, as they focused on In Your House and made me want to see the show that much more than I did coming in. Other than the summit, nothing was really bad and even the worst match was watchable. They had some storyline advancement to go with completely acceptable wrestling and that is about all you can ask for around here. Nice show.

Results
Pretty Deadly b. Diamond Mine – Spilled Milk to Strong
Cora Jade b. Elektra Lopez – Top rope backsplash
Wes Lee b. Xyon Quinn – Rollup
Solo Sikoa b. Duke Hudson – Superfly Splash
Grayson Waller b. Josh Briggs – Rolling Stunner
Ivy Nile b. Kiana James – Throw
Cameron Grimes b. Nathan Frazer – Cave In

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT LVL Up
Date: May 13, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

We’re in an interesting place on NXT as the show is now featuring some of the people who started here. It makes this one feel a bit more like a launching pad and that could open up some doors for something more interesting. Then again, it might have absolutely nothing to do with anything going on here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence, featuring a bunch of people who will never be on this show.

Sanga vs. Dante Chen

Sanga throws him into the corner to start but Chen swings out of a slam to set up an armbar. A side slam cuts Chen off and some shots to the back of the neck make it worse. The cobra clutch sets up a missed legdrop and Chen hits a quick short DDT. Sanga blasts him with a clothesline and finishes with the chokeslam at 5:07.

Rating: C-. Sanga is another run of the mill monster and it’s kind of weird to see him go five minutes with someone as low level as Chen. I kind of like Sanga as his own man instead of being ANOTHER bodyguard though and he didn’t look awful here. Give him some ring time and maybe it could work, though it’s strange to see him having a regular match like this instead of a total squash.

Elektra Lopez vs. Thea Hail

Lopez powers her into the ropes to start but Hal grabs a rather nifty headlock. Some shoulders stagger Hail but she’s back with some running dropkicks. Lopez takes her down by the arm though and a legdrop on the arm makes it worse. The armbar with a chinlock goes on before it’s off to a rather nasty arm crank. Hail powers up and manages to take her down, only to miss a dropkick. A Blue Thunder Bomb gives Lopez the pin at 5:06.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what to make of Lopez, as she gets to dominate when she is in the ring but doesn’t do it often enough to mean much. Maybe NXT doesn’t think enough of her in the ring but she’s doing well enough here. Hail might need a costume change but she has been impressive enough to be the next project around here if they want to go that way.

Javier Bernal vs. Trick Williams

Carmelo Hayes is here with Williams. Bernal starts working on the arm and manages to take him down for an early chinlock. That gets shifted into a headlock but Williams slips out and hits a heck of a dropkick. A jumping clothesline gives Williams two and he plants Bernal again, allowing some trash talking. There’s a flapjack for two more before Williams grabs a standing armbar. Bernal jawbreaks his way to freedom and it’s an atomic drop into a Russian legsweep as we go back to 1987. Williams isn’t having that and hits a spinning kick to the face for the pin at 6:20.

Rating: C. Hayes gets the attention and the glory but Williams is a perfectly fine worker in the ring. He looked good enough here and the spinning kick for the finish worked well too. Bernal is another guy who is just on the roster and not looking like anything special, which is where so many people fall in NXT. Maybe they can find something else for him, but it isn’t happening so far.

Overall Rating: C-. Pretty nothing show this week and that isn’t exactly a surprise these days. LVL Up continues to be all over the place from one week to the next, as you never know what you are going to get around here. The matches are usually watchable enough, but there isn’t exactly a reason to watch most weeks. Get these people back on some small house show circuit or something, because it is going to mean a lot more than this.

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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 22, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Matt Camp

I’m at the point where I don’t know what to expect from this show, as you might get someone making a one off appearance before debuting on the main NXT show or a name with nothing else going on. The show has worked before so maybe they can do it again here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Malik Blade/Edris Enofe vs. Quincy Elliott/Damaris Griffin

This is Griffin’s in-ring debut. Blade staggers the much bigger Elliott with a dropkick but Elliott hits a quick splash on the back to take over. Griffin comes in to work on Enofe’s arm but that’s reversed into another wristlock, allowing Blade to come in with the ax handle. A double belly to back suplex drops Griffin again but he’s right back with a spinebuster.

Elliott comes back in to knock Enofe down, allowing Griffin to whip him into the corner over and over. Elliott’s Pounce sends Enofe flying and the nerve hold goes on. A sitdown splash misses though and the hot tag brings in Blade to clean house. Blade’s high crossbody gets two on Elliott but it’s back to Griffin for a powerslam. Enofe dives in for a save and it’s a legsweep into a frog splash for the pin on Griffin at 6:33.

Rating: C+. It wasn’t exactly a classic and it was a match between two teams not going anywhere but I got into this by the end and was wondering who was winning. I could have gone for more of this as Blade and Enofe are starting to become quite the nice young team. Do more stuff like this around here and the show would be a good bit more enjoyable every week.

Fallon Henley vs. Thea Hail

Henley powers her into the corner to start and then sends Hail down, which has Hail thinking twice about this. There’s a shoulder to put Hail down again and Henley throws in a dance. Back up and Hail hits a running ax handle to take over for the first time and a rollup gets two. The double arm crank goes on but Henley fights up and hits a Shining Wizard for the pin at 4:19.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t quite as intriguing as Henley didn’t seem to break a sweat against Hail. Henley is just a step above a manager on NXT at this point, though at least she has a personality compared to her days as just another wrestler. Hail isn’t exactly a star yet but she has done well enough in her limited appearances.

Dante Chen vs. Bodhi Hayward

Andre Chase is here with Hayward (who seems to be a bit sunburned), who takes him to the mat with a headlock. That’s reversed into a headscissors but they’re both back up to run the ropes without hitting each other. Chen grabs a headlock takeover before switching to a front facelock to stay on the neck. We hit the chinlock, leaving Chase to coach from ringside. Hayward fights up and (with a bloody nose) hits his bouncing splash for two. Chen’s fireman’s carry is broken up and Hayward grabs a spinebuster for the pin at 5:56.

Rating: C. Just a match here, but it was nice to see Hayward get a win like this. He is capable of doing some good things in front of a fired up crowd and that is enough of the case around here most of the time. Hayward and Chase aren’t ready for anything that much bigger, but there is nothing wrong with being popular in front of a specific crowd.

Overall Rating: C. The opener was surprisingly good but the rest of the show was just kind of there, with a pretty lame match and one firmly in the middle. There wasn’t much to see with this show and that isn’t exactly surprising, as it tends to be the norm. I can’t imagine they change much to the formula, but at least there is a formula in the first place.

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

We’re basking in that post Wrestlemania glow and while it might have dimmed out a bit by the time it gets to NXT LVL Up, it still feels a bit special. Last week seemed to tease a tag match and that could be a good thing for a future show. I’ll take a small story over no story so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Javier Bernal vs. Guru Raaj

Shah: “Raaj dreams of headlining premium live events.” A quote that has never been said about anyone in history. Bernal grabs a headlock to start before they go to a pinfall reversal sequence. Raaj starts working on the arms as the fans get behind Bernal. That’s broken up and Bernal kicks away, setting up the Codebreaker for the pin at 5:08.

Rating: C-. These are two more guys on the roster with nothing that makes them stand out and nothing all that interesting about them. I’m not sure what NXT is going to be able to do with them, but it isn’t like there has been much of an investment put into them so far. Right now, the best description of these two is where they’re from and they need more than that.

Ivy Nile vs. Thea Hail

This is Hail’s debut and she is dressed like a superhero, complete with a cape. The fans think Nile is going to kill her, starting with a lethal wristlock. Hail, with a gymnastics background, backflips out but gets caught in a fireman’s carry drop onto the top. A fall away slam sets up a running kick in the corner to give Nile two. Hail is sent into the corner for a flipping cutter (that could be a finisher) and a suplex gets two, only to have Hail make a quick comeback. You don’t do that to Nile though as she grabs the dragon sleeper for the tap at 4:09.

Rating: C. Nile is getting into Taz territory with just another victim and that is not a bad thing. NXT has done a great job in making her feel like a star and we are reaching the point where she could be dropped into the title picture without a second thought. That is how you develop talent and Nile certainly has it.

Andre Chase/Bodie Hayward vs. Channing Lauren/Troy Donovan

Chase works on Lauren’s arm to start but Lauren sends him into the corner, setting up the loser L on the forehead. When you’re taking your taunts from the Bellas, you might want to pack it in already. That’s too much for Chase, who takes him down for the CHASE U stomping. Hayward comes in with a sunset flip for two so it’s off to Donovan, who gets armdragged into an armbar. A cheap shot from the apron slows Chase down though and Donovan scores with a dropkick.

Chase fights out of an armbar and rolls his way over to Hayward for the hot tag to clean house. Everything breaks down and Hayward grabs a Gory Stretch, with Chase getting a running start and spinning across Lauren for a Downward Spiral (it’s kind of hard to describe) and the pin at 6:57. Nigel dubs the finisher the Fratliner so we’ll go with that.

Rating: C. This wasn’t quite a squash but it’s nice to see Chase U getting a win for a change. Chase has worked so hard and managed to get that stupid thing over so having them be successful is cool to see. Granted they aren’t going to go much higher, but it’s a unique gimmick and is working fairly well.

Overall Rating: D+. This was a downgrade after last week as they didn’t have anything that you needed to see. Nile continues to be a hidden gem in NXT and I like seeing her wreck whomever is in front of her. Other than that though, this was a pretty nothing, skippable show and unfortunately that has a tendency to be the norm around here.

Results
Javier Bernal b. Guru Raaj – Codebreaker
Ivy Nile b. Thea Hail – Dragon sleeper
Andre Chase/Bodhi Hayward b. Channing Lauren/Troy Donovan – Fratliner to Lauren

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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