wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 07.08.22
-My In Your House: Canadian Stampede Retro Review should be up last this week and then it’s on to WCW Bash at The Beach 97. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Sudu Shah and Nigel McGuniess
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL
Dante Chen vs. Myles Borne
-Bourne made his debut last month and this is his second match on this show. Chen controls the wrist, but gets taken down with a head scissors. Chen fights out and back to wrist control. He gets a sunset flip, but Borne jumps through. Chen is waiting and takes it back to the mat with an armbar and into a top wristlock. Borne to his feet and gets a go behind, but Chen grabs the arm again. Another escape by Borne and they run a rope sequence with leap frogs that ends with Borne getting a headlock take over. He controls Borne with that for a bit and even when Chen shoves off, Borne patiently waits for Borne to make a mistake and goes back to the hold. Chen escapes and goes back to the arm. Borne flips out and gets a single leg and back to the mat with a side headlock. This is a long mat sequence by this show’s standards. Chen gets dropped with a shoulder, but ducks a clothesline and connects with a crossbody. Armdrag and hiptoss from Chen. Belly to back is escaped as Borne flips out and goes back to the side headlock. The man has a plan at least. Borne runs the corner and springs off the ropes to maintain the hold and get it back to the mat. Chen turns it into a pin and gets the win at 4:38.
Winner: Dante Chen via pin at 4:38
-I give them credit for something different here as Borne was all about his amateur background. He kept Chen off base, but got caught and Chen used his experience to get the win. It was super basic, but they worked what they had to do well and this was a nice change of pace. **
-Blade and Enofe get interview time backstage as they prepare for tonight’s Main Event. Cool! We need more of this as these kids need to get used to cutting promos for TV.
-SummerSlam in Nashville commercial!
-Taker A&E Bio is this Sunday!
Arianna Grace vs. Yulisa Leon (w/ Valentina Feroz)
-Lockup to start as they jockey for position around the ring. Leon gets a front facelock and a double leg takedown. Back to the front facelock and she nearly gets pinned as Grace rolls her over. Leon gets a two count and laughs at Grace. Another go and a side headlock from Leon. Shoulder block from Leon and she clows Grace with a cartwheel and back flip. She dances as well. Grace charges in and backs Leon up to the ropes where she lands some strikes. She grabs an arm and plans Leon face first on the mat. Again and she lays in some kicks that cut to a weird angle as I assume it didn’t look good. Post production magic! Grace goes back to the arm and gets an arm scissors into an armbar. Leon tries to keep her arms locked, but a boot to the face stops that. Leon rolls to get a one count, but gets stuck in a triangle. Leon lifts her off the mat and gets a slam to break. Sling Blade from Leon followed by a flapjack. Corner clothesline and she heads up top. She connects with a missile dropkick. Scott Hall SOS slam with a float over into the pin finishes at 6:21.
Winner: Yulisa Leon via pin at 6:21
-This was solid and I enjoyed the closing stretch as Leon showed some strong offense. More of this please! **1/4
-WWE Lighting Up a City Near You!
-Roman/Brock SummerSlam commercial!
Bryson Montana and Damaris Griffin vs. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade
-Enofe cuts a promo on the way to the ring to give these guys a little more character. Apparently Blade is a freak in the bedroom and the crowd chants “sweater vest.” It is a sweet sweater vest! Enofe lets us know he stands 6 foot tall, but is 7 feet laying down. Blade gets his catchphrase: “Orlando get ready for Climax.” So, that’s where we are going with his characters. I mean, you have the sweater vest and sexual references, just go all the way with a 90s R&B vibe. Think Boyz II Men meets Jodeci! Nigel wants to know how Edris grows 12 inches lying down. Yep! Griffin starts with Blade and uses his power to control early. Blade counters with his speed and hits a dropkick. Tag to Enofe and he comes in off the top rope with a blow to the arm. Nice spot as Montana comes in and tries a backdrop, but Enofe jumps off his back and hits Griffin with a dive. That was sweet! Blade back in and he gets caught trying a crossbody. Montana just tosses him with a non fall-away slam. Griffin with the tag and he lifts Blade off the mat with a choke and slams him down. He hooks a bearhug and then plants Blade with a spinebuster. Tag to Montana as they work Blade over in their corner. Suplex from Montana and he hooks a chinlock while also targeting the back. Tag to Griffin, and Blade fights out of the corner and gets the hot tag to Enofe. He runs wild and gets a splash in the corner. They botch something in the corner apparently, but Enofe covers for it and gets a suplex. Quincy Elliot is out and grinds on the ring post which distracts Montana. Griffin has no one to tag and Blade gets a neckbreaker followed by a top rope elbow drop from Edris for the pin at 5:29.
Winners: Edris Enofe and Malik Blade via pin at 5:29
-This started out well, but kind of rushed to the finish and I wasn’t a fan of the distraction from Elliot. Give these teams a few more minutes without the shenanigans and this could have been a low key BANGER for this show. **1/4
-Thanks for reading!
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