Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review: 05.12.23

-This WWE NXT Level Up review was delayed as I was working on things with my son last night as we get ready for his upcoming birthday party. That means we get the Hulu version. Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Byron Saxton
-Tape: WWE PC, Orlando, FL

Dante Chen vs. Tavion Heights

-Lock-up to start and Heights gets a side headlock into a take down. Chen fights to his feet, shoves off, and gets his own side headlock, but Heights breaks. Hiptoss is blocked and Heights goes back to the mat game. Chen escapes a slam and gets a weird looking cross-body as it looked like it knocked the wind out of both men. Single leg is stuffed and Heights gets a throw, but Chen keeps hold of the leg. They fight over a backslide and Heights just tosses Chen with an overhead bell to belly and then another suplex into a pin for two. Heights hooks a chinlock as the crowd tries to get Chen back into this match. Heights carries Chen around, but Chen turns his weight to avoid a belly to back suplex. Chen catches Heights with some armdrags, but gets caught with a sunset flip for two. Chen gets to his feet first and lands the double chop for the pin at 4:42.

Winner: Dante Chen via pin at 4:42
-This was okay though a little rough in spots. They picked things up a bit before going home. *

-Kelani Jordan gets promo time as she makes her debut tonight. She is a recent grad from Michigan State with a gymnastics background. Her motto is “work hard in silence and let your success make the noise.” She faces Wendy Choo next!

-Hulu commercials!

Wendy Choo vs. Kelani Jordan

-Lockup and neither woman gets an advantage. They go again and take turns countering an arm bar. Jordan with a side headlock on the mat but Choo counters with a head scissors. Jordan uses his athleticism to hand stand her way out of the hold. Choo slaps at the offer of a handshake and runs Jordan down with a shoulder. Jordan pops the crow with a cool looking armdrag variation. Choo counters a move and gets a two count. Choo gets a whip into the corner and follows with a handspring into a splash for two. Suplex is countered into a small package for two, but Jordan back with a dropkick and then a running boot in the corner. Choo drops an elbow for two. Jordan blocks a right hand and starts her comeback with a series of forearms and then a cartwheel into a back elbow. Springboard crossbody gets two! They fight over a waistlock and Choo hits The Snooze Button for the pin at 5:18.

Winner: Wendy Choo via pin at 5:18
-This was okay and Jordan showed off her athleticism. I appreciate that Choo’s gimmick has been toned down as far the comedic nature of her sleeping during the match. *1/4

-Hulu commercials!

-As always Hulu throws in a match from RAW to pad the run time of this show. In this case we don’t get an entire match in full and instead get the close from both Triple Threat matches in the World Title Tournament and then the Semi-Final match between Rollins and Balor. Again, Rollins was an easy choice to win on the RAW side and the match with AJ Styles should be a BANGER. This whole RAW flashback ran over 25 minutes.

-Hulu commercials!

Malik Blade and Edris Enofe vs. Lucien Price and Bronco Nima

-I swear we have seen this match before, but I could be wrong. Enofe starts with Nima and immediately blitzes him with offense. He tries a dropkick and nearly gets dropped as Nima catches him. Blind tag brings Blade in and we get some tag team offense. Blade with a dropkick for one. Nima gets a slam and makes the tag to Price. He misses a clothesline and a kick and another blind tag. Double suplex from Enofe and Blade gets one. Enofe flips out of a belly to back, but gets blasted with a superkick. Enofe slaps Price as they looked like they weren’t on the same page there. Price goes crazy with punches in the corner and tags in Nima. He stomps the hand and lands a headbutt. Price back in and he lands a clothesline that turns Enofe inside out for two. Nasty bump for Enofe there as he landed on his neck. Snake Eyes in the corner and another tag to Nima. He gets a boot into a stomp for two. Nice little touch as he knocked Blade off the apron before attempting the pin. Bronco goes G Riding and Price lands a cheap shot on the apron behind the ref’s back. Bronco gets a two count and goes to a nerve hold. Blade tries to fight his way out as he keeps running Bronco into the corner and finally gets the hot tag to Blade. He runs wild with dropkicks and gets a springboard into a double ax to send Price to the floor. Slingshot cross-body to the floor on both Bronco and Price. Price gets rolled back into the ring and Blade hits a cross-body from the top and Edris lands the flying elbow (he was tagged back in) for the pin at 7:00.

Winners: Malik Blake and Edris Enofe via pin at 7:00
-A standard tag match that hit all the timed tested beats. It was speed vs power and in the end Blade and Enofe gets another tag team win which makes sense as they are the more established team. **

-Thanks for reading!

5.0

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

As always an easy show to watch as the crowd enjoys being there and it's fun seeing debuts as well. Nothing special about the matches, but again that's not the point of the show. Just another basic NXT Level Up and nothing more.