wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 1.5.24
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-I finished my column counting down all the matches from Level Up in 2023 and I will be posting that once I finish this show. It’s a new year for Level Up, so let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Byron Saxton
-Taped: WWE Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, FL
Brooks Jensen vs. Luca Crusifino
-Jensen is still rocking his Brad Armstrong tribute look and Luca now wrestles without a shirt to show off the work he has been putting in at the gym. Luca gains arm control and works that for a bit. Jensen counters and gets a cover, but no count as Luca kicks out. They continue to mat wrestle and Jensen drops a knee to the arm. Blake educates us on Brad Armstrong and when he says 80s and 90s, I forget that was 30-40 years ago. Now I feel old! Jensen sends Luca across the ring with a toss and then a head scissors to the mat. Middle rope crossbody gets two for Jensen. Luca slips out in the corner and yanks Jensen off the middle rope where he crashes face first on the top buckle. A neckbreaker gets two for Luca. He gets the mount and throws some strikes. Jensen fires back as I keep wanting to call him Armstrong because the announcers are driving home the comparison so much. Luca drops a leg for a two count and then hooks a chinlock. Jensen tries to shove off, but Luca goes to the hair and gets another neckbreaker for two. Jensen lands a clothesline to leave both men down. They struggle to their feet and start trading blows. Jensen gets the better of the exchange and gets a dropkick. A powerslam gets a two count. Jensen heads up and Luca meets him up there. Jensen punches Luca down and then comes off the top with a knee drop for the pin at 6:25. Howard made sure to note that move was shades of Bobby Eaton.
Winner: Brooks Jensen via pin at 6:25
-This was solid as I will never hate a gimmick where someone is honoring Armstrong and Eaton. One of the better Luca matches I have seen. **
-Dion Lennox gets some promo time backstage and lets us know he played college football for Oregon State and had a 1 year run with the LA Rams (BOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Go Niners!) When he takes his glasses off, he isn’t anyone’s friend. He is here to win. The glasses go back on and he switches back to a nice, polite man.
-Shop WWE!
-NXT Vengeance Day commercial!
Brinley Reece and Kiyah Saint vs. Izzi Dame and Kiana James
-James and Reece start with a lockup. James slams her down and lays the bad mouth. Reece with a split and a front flip into a clothesline. She delivers a shoulder in the corner and makes the tag to Saint. James bails and makes the tag to Dame. Saint grabs an arm and works on that, but gets dropped with a shoulder. Dame chokes her on the middle rope as James talks more trash. James gets the tag and goes to the arm, but Saint escapes and makes the tag. Tandem offense as they drop a double elbow for a two count. Blind tag from Dame and she catches Reece with a back breaker. Cocky cover gets a two count! James back in and she stops Reece from getting to her corner. Running boot to the head gets a two count. James with a shoulder in the corner and Reece in to get a two count. TORTURE RACK FROM DAME! Cool! Someone needs to bring that move back. Reece fights though and gets the tag to Saint. She runs wild on James and Dame. She hits a triple jump knee in the corner and then a knee from the middle rope to Dame, who took the bullet for James. That lets James land a strike and Dame is back with a kind of F5. James hits a Deal Breaker and lets Dame get the cover and pin at 5:16.
Winners: Kiana James and Izzi Dame via pin at 5:16
-This was okay as I like they are trying to build a woman’s tag division as early as the Level Up Days. It will help these women develop some chemistry as the main roster will need more tag teams as they continue to try to build a division. Chance and Carter started here and are now on RAW. *1/2
-NFL WWE Titles! GO NINERS!
-Royal Rumble! Tropicana Field!
Oro Mensah (w/ Meta-Four) vs. Dion Lennox
-No Noam, so I guess it’s Meta-Three! Lennox is wearing the glasses! The story is he was picked on for wearing glasses as a kid and wears them as a reminder. Byron makes an Urkel to Urquelle joke that I was thinking of as well. Then I feel old as Byron asks if that is a dated reference. Dion controls with a side headlock, but Mensah punches his way out. Dion goes right back to it and gets a one count. Mensah sweeps the leg and gets a side headlock. Dion with a hip-toss followed by a dropkick. The man is an athlete obviously. Northern Lights Suplex into a bridge for two. Nice! Oro goes to the ears to break, but gets sent to the corner and flies over the top to the floor. Jackson and Legend slow down Dion on the floor. That lets Oro get in the ring first and he catches Dion with a superkick. Nice looking boot to the face followed by a suplex for two. Basement clothesline to the back of the head gets two for Oro. He hooks a front facelock, but gets backed into the corner and Lennox tosses him across the ring. Mensah goes to the knee, but gets POUNCED across the ring. Mensah is just bumping all over the place for Dion. Sweet spinebuster gets a two count and the crowd is not happy as they chant, “that was three.” Mensah gets a fish hook to turn the tide and hits the spin heel kick in the corner for the pin at 5:35.
Winner: Oro Mensah via pin at 5:35
-This was a sweet little match and I want to see more of Lennox. He showed off that athletic ability and Mensah made his offense look great. Mensah bends the rules and gets the win, but they had the crowd believing a upset could happen. I enjoyed this! **1/2
