Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 10.28.22

-My Retro Review of Halloween Havoc 97 can be found here. Rey/Eddie still awesome! Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Sudu Shah and Byron Saxton
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL

Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo (w/ Tony D’Angelo) vs. Tank Ledger

-Tony D joins Byron and Sudu on commentary for this one. This is our second look at Ledger, but his first shot in a singles match. Stacks tries run Ledger over, but I mean, the guy is named Tank. Ledger controls the arm and works the shoulder as he bounces Stacks around the ring. Stacks lands a shot nd goes to a side headlock, but gets pushed off and mowed down with a shoulder tackle. Stacks bails to the apron and gets tossed back in the ring. He rolls to the floor which lets Tony D talk smack to distract Ledger which lets Stacks get a boot to the face. He manipulates the fingers in the ropes and sends Ledger to the corner with a whip. More small joint manipulation! Stacks gets a back elbow for two and goes back to bending the fingers. He throws some blows and stomps the hands. He throws a clothesline that Ledge no sells as he seems annoyed. He lands some strikes and plants Stacks. He hits a splash for a two count. Ledger tries to hook his hands, but the damage has been done to the fingers which lets Stacks break. PSYCHOLOGY! Stacks gets a running boot and then a basement clothesline which looked pretty weak as Tank was already going backwards before taking the move. That really hurt the impact of the move. It gets the win for Stacks though at 5:42.

Winner: Stacks Lorenzo via pin at 5:42
-This was okay and I appreciate the finger work playing into the finish. The finisher though was kind of weak and perhaps he needs to find a new one. *1/2

-Trick Williams gets promo time backstage as he faces Jensen in our Main Event.

-NXT trading cards!

-Brock/Lashley! Crown Jewel!

Thea Hail (w/ Andre Chase) vs. Jakara Jackson

-Duke Hudson is sitting in the Student Section as he is apparently enrolled in Chase U. We are told Jackson is a model and found her passion for wrestling when she watched Total Divas. She was also a contestant on The Rock’s “Titan Games” show. Lockup and nothing happening. Another lockup and Jackson gets a take down, but gets caught with a side headlock. Jackson fights out and shows some decent power as she plants Hail on her face. Jackson buries a knee to the back and grabs an arm. Hail tries to armdrag her way out, but Jackson maintains the hold. Duke Hudson shows up in the aisle waving The Chase U Flag. That seems to inspire Hail as she powers out of the hold and gets a throw. Forearm strikes from Hail followed by a splash in the corner and another. Hail gets the spinning neckbreaker followed by a face plant for the win at 4:25.

Winner: Thea Hail via pin at 4:25
-Jackson showed some aggression, but that was about all. Most of the match was Hail fighting out of arm control. 1/2*</b

-Roman/Logan! Crown Jewel!

-WWE Shop!

Trick Williams vs. Brooks Jensen (w/ Josh Briggs)

-Lockup to start that goes on for a bit as they force each other to the mat. It’s a stalemate so they talk trash and have another go. Jensen with a shoulder block and a faceplant. He follows with a head scissors and tries to slide outside to hit a move, but Trick pulls the ring skirt up to trap Jensen. Nice! Running clothesline from Trick and then he just stomps Jensen down in the corner. Leaping clothesline gets a two count. Jensen lowers his base to avoid a suplex, so Williams lands a strike and gets a slam. He drops an elbow for a two count and then goes to a cravat. Jensen is able to break and catches a charging Trick with a powerslam. He drops Trick with a spinning heel kick and tries the move Trick blocked with the ring skirt earlier and this time Jensen goes out a different side of the ring to land the punch. Jensen off the top, but eats a right hand on the way down. Trick a sweet looking swinging neckbreaker for two. I thought that was the end! Jensen turns a suplex into an inside cradle for two. The Fame-asser finishes at 6:11.

Winner: Brooks Jensen via pin at 6:11
-I enjoyed this! Credit to both men for a fun match with some hard hitting moves. **1/2

-Thanks for reading!

5.5

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

The Main Event was fun and the rest was what we expect from this show, which is fine.