wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 4.5.24
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Hall of Fame coverage on Friday meant I could not review this show when it aired Friday night. Instead, I had to wait until this morning when it popped up on Hulu. Thank you to everyone that followed along with my live coverage of the Hall of Fame. The actual report can be found here.
-As we have noted in the past, Hulu always gets something from RAW to pad the run time to over 50 minutes. I found WrestleMania Night One entertaining enough last night with Zayn/GUNTHER being the match of the night. The Rock looked better than I thought he would and the result of the Main Event was what it needed to be. I want Roman/Cody tonight to be epic craziness where they pull out all the stops as if this is the end of Roman’s World Title reign it needs to be spectacular. Everyone is ready for Thanos End Game and we kind of deserves something like that at this point. For now it’s back to Friday Night for the Level Up kids. Let’s get to it.
-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Byron Saxton
-Taped: WWE Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, FL
Dante Chen vs. Drake Morreaux
-GATEKEEPER IS BACK! Apparently, Drake has been on this show in the past in a tag match, but I have no memory of this. Drake with gets a take down and then gets back to a waist-lock. Chen grabs an arm and works that a bit. Drake tosses him into the corner, but Chen goes back to the arm. He heads up top and walks the ropes for OLD SCHOOL! Back to the arm again, but Drake shoves. They run the ropes and Chen tries a hip-toss, but Drake blocks, gets a slam and then a clothesline. I am starting to remember Drake now as Byron mentions he is a former college football player at SMU. Splash from Drake gets a two count. Chen grabs the arm to get off Drake’s shoulders, but continues to be dump and throw Drake around. Just not working right now. Chen nearly gets the hip-toss, but Drake just collapses on him for two. Drake hooks a reverse bearhug, but misses a second splash. Chen escapes a slam and lands a forearm to the back. Then a series of them to the face followed by chops as Chen fires up. Clothesline and another, but Drake is on his feet. A running boot stuns Drake and now Chen gets the HIP-TOSS! Gentle Touch finishes at 5:43.
Winner: Dante Chen via pin at 5:43
-I assume this was throwing a bone to Chen for his helping out on RAW this past week with the Gable, Sami segment. Decent match as they played big man vs. little man and I appreciated how Chen had to fight for the hip-toss and they played it off. **
-Ja’Von Evans is confronted backstage by Scrypts and his crew, but has backup with Igwe and Dupont. I assume that’s our Main Event tonight.
-Rhea/Becky WrestleMania commercial. Good match! Becky being sick had to be crushing for her, but as you would expect she powered through.
-Hulu commercials!
Tatum Paxley vs. Brinley Reece
-Lockup to start and Paxley starts with mind games as she slides away. Another go and Reece hooks the arm and floats over into a pin for a one count. Paxley kips up and whispers something to Brinley which distracts her. Reece with a hand stand into a flip to avoid and trip and she goes back to the arm. She sends Paxley into the corner and gets a running shoulder tackle. To the opposite corner where Paxley floats over and then grabs the ropes to avoid a dropkick. Step-up splash from Paxley! Nice! Paxley with a crossbody in the corner and she grabs the buckle to squash Reece a little bit as well. Not sure I have seen that one before. Modified camel clutch as the crowd is split between rallying Reece and wanting her to tap. Tatum fights to her feet and carries Paxley around on her back. She gets a slam and then her own standing splash, but no cover as the ribs are still hurt. Slam from Reece followed by the front flip clothesline. Paxley escapes a slam and The Psycho Trap finishes for the pin at 4:28.
Winner: Tatum Paxley via pin at 4:28
-That finisher is still pretty sweet and Tatum winning is the right call. This was okay for a sub 5 minute match. *1/2
-Hulu commercials!
-Back to RAW for the set-up and then the actual Solo vs. Seth Rollins in a Bloodline Rules Match. We get the entire match and then the post match beat down with Rock and Roman whipping the fire out of Cody and Roman with Rock’s weight belt. It didn’t happen last night, but at some point Cody has to get in a belt shot on Cody. It was teased, and I think they will deliver tonight much like they did with the slap to the face that started all of this. All of this ran nearly twenty five minutes to really pad the show.
-Meek Mill WrestleMania commercial setting the stage for Cody/Roman.
-Hulu commercials!
OTM vs. Tyson Dupont, Tyriek Igwe, and Je’Von Evans
-The last we saw Igwe and Dupont they lost their BUTTERS to Hank and Tank. Young OG chant as the crowd continues to love Evans. Can’t blame them! Evans and Scrypts start us out and they immediately start flying and flipping all over the ring. Crazy height in a dropkick by Evans! YOUNG OG! Igwe and Price in next and they collide in the middle of the ring with neither man budging. Dupont in with a splash for a two count! Price back with a boot to the chest and the tag to Nima. Double team offense from Nima and Price gets a two count. Nima gets caught with an elbow in the corner and Dupont gets a Stinger Splash. Igwe back in and he lands a single leg dropkick for a two count. Blind tag to Price and after a boot stomp, he goes to the ground and pound. Scrypts back in to throw some punches in the corner and then he tags back out to Nima for more punches. Sweet spot as Nima and Price launch Scrypts into the corner for a splash on Igwe. Elbows from Scrypts and he hooks a chinlock. Igwe powers out and a hot tag to Evans. YOUNG OG! He shows off his bounce and hts a spinning kick. CRAZY CODY CUTTER. Cody never got that high! Tipsy with Jey Uso maybe, but never that high. I want Evans vs. Ricochet! Nima makes the save off a double team from Igwe and Dupont. Everyone starts brawling as Evans hits a dive to the floor. Jaida Parker distracts Dupont from the floor which leads to Price and Nima hitting Paid in Full for the pin at 6:21.
Winners: OTM via pin at 6:21
-Didn’t get much time for a six man, but this was fine and the crowd was into it. Evans is amazing and I want to see him every week on this show until it’s time to move up to the main NXT Roster and then give this man a match with Hayes and then Ricochet. **
-Thanks for reading!
