wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 8.02.24
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Leaving for Cleveland at 7 AM, so need to wrap up this NXT Level Up review so I can pack and get some sleep. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Blake Howard
-Taped: WWE Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, FL
Tatum Paxley vs. Tyra Mae Steele
-Steele decked out in her red, white, and blue while the ring and stage is still decked out for The Great American Bash makes sense. Steele has been on the show before and is an Olympic Gold Medalist. She controls early on the ground, but Paxley back flips out and gets back control. Cool! Paxley plays mind games by rolling around on the ground and she fires off some leg kicks. She gets a cross-body block in the corner, but Mae gets arm control and works on the shoulder. She hits Paxley in the face with her ass in the corner but gets caught charging in again. Paxley targets the arm as she wraps it around the middle rope. Still weird hearing TNA mentioned on WWE programming as Howard mentions Paxley recently challenged for the TNA Knockouts Title. Paxley controls the arm from her back but nearly gets pinned. Steele lifts her off the mat and gets a sit-out powerbomb for two. Man, I love the red, white, and blue ropes. Snake Eyes from Steele followed by a POUNCE! Nice! Paxley tries an F5 or AA, but Paxley lands on her feet. She targets the arm again and then hits The Psycho-Trap for the pin at 4:34.
Winner: Tatum Paxley via pin at 4:34
-This was solid and I like what we see from Steele. I also like the character work and small touches Paxley is doing. **
-Shiloh Hill gets promo time backstage! He is about heart, grit, and work!
-Shop WWE!
-Great American Bash! Night Two! Tuesday! SyFy!
Riley Osborne vs. Shiloh Hill
-Chase U in the house! Handshake to start and a dueling chant starts though it sounds like the crowd is leaning Osborne. Osborne with a hammerlock and Shiloh searches for a way out. She hooks the head and turns it around into a hammerlock of his own. Osborne runs around until it gets Hill off and he spills to the floor. Back in Osborne starts flipping all over the place to counter leg trips and gets a roll-up for two. Sunset flip for two! Hill is tired of Osborne flipping on his own, so he drills him with a clothesline that flips him inside out. Running clothesline the corner and a hard whip to the opposite corner. Hill slams Osborne down for a two-count and then hooks a chinlock while also working the shoulder. Double under-hook into a slam twisting slam for two! Osborne uses the corner to flip out and get a roll-up for two. Osborne lands some strikes and gets another roll-up for two. The kick-out sends him into the middle buckle though. Hill charges but gets caught with a boot to the face. Running boot from Riley and he comes off the top with the Shooting Star Press for the pin at 5:35.
Winner: Riley Osborne via pin at 5:35
-Osborne is wonderful and Hill hung in there with him. This was solid as well. **1/4
-We get video from NXT Anonymous. Okay then!
-WWE Live commercial!
-SummerSlam! Cleveland! Rhodes vs. Solo! I’ll keep saying it because I am pumped…I WILL BE THERE!
Bronco Nima (w/ Lucien Price) vs. Malik Blade (w/ Edris Enofe)
-Nima uses his power early as he tosses Malik across the ring. He misses a boot though and Blade fires off chops. Nima eats the first one, but the second one he felt a little more. Blade gets a side headlock and takes it to the mat. Modified Curb Stomp from Nima but he charges in the corner. Blade is ready to come off the middle ropes, but Price distracts him and Nima slugs him to the floor with a clothesline. Running boot in the corner as Nima talks some trash. He throws some shoulders in the corner and sends Blake hard back into the corner off a whip. More trash talk, which fires Blade up, but he gets dropped face-first off a modified F-5. He stands on Blade’s back while choking on the ropes and kicks him in the head for good measure. This is a beating from Nima in these first four minutes. Neck crank from Nima followed by more strikes. Another hard whip into the corner, but Blade lands a knee to stop the onslaught. He follows with a series of flying forearms and then a Standing Blockbuster. He comes off the top with a crossbody for two, but Price distracts him again. Nima tries to slam him off, but Blade hangs out and gets a small package for the pin at 5:45.
Winner: Malik Blade via pin at 5:45
-This was a Nima SQUASH for most of the match before the flurry by Blade at the end. Then he gets the slip on a banana peel win. It was fine and I was enjoying the intensity between the two as these teams have history. **1/4
-Thanks for reading!
