Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 5.19.23

-Announce Team: Blake Howard (it’s his birthday) and Byron Saxton
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL

Eddy Thorpe vs. Kale Dixon

-Lockup and Thorpe gets his arm caught, but flips out and gets a side headlock. Dixon shoves off, but Thorpe goes back to the headlock and takes it to the mat. Dixon fights off his back, but gets caught with a cross-body and then some chops in the corner. Thorpe heads to the middle rope, but Dixon yanks him down by his feet. Dixon goes to work on the back with some heavy forearms. Dixon gets a knee strike for a two count and throws a chop. Thorpe fires back with chops, ducks a clothesline, but gets caught with a back elbow for two. Dixon hooks a neck crank as the crowd rallies behind Thorpe. Thorpe throws an elbow to snuff out a rally and goes right back to the neck crank. Thorpe elbows out and catches a boot, leading to a leg whip. Thorpe throws some strikes and then lands a few elbow followed by a head kick. Eddy chant from the crowd! Thorpe with a running boot in the corner and then a Saito Suplex for a good near fall. Dixon throws an uppercut, but a second one gets a caught and Thorpe hits a snap German Suplex and then the leaping elbow for the pin at 4:51.

Winner: Eddy Thorpe via pin at 4:51
-Thorpe continues his undefeated streak and Dixon has yet to win a match. This was a solid showcase for Thorpe as he continues to roll and get over with the crowd. I like Dixon and his look as we always need cocky douchebags. **

-Wendy Choo and Kelani Jordan cut a promo backstage as I guess they are partners now after facing off against each other previously.

-The Bump gets a commercial!

-WWE Shop commercial!

Elektra Lopez and Lola Vice vs. Wendy Choo and Kelani Jordan

-Jordan starts with Lopez and I feel for Lopez getting left behind in NXT when LDF got the call up. Now, Vega has done a wonderful job in her place, but I always liked Lopez in the group. Not much of note as Lopez tags out to Vice and then Jordan brings in Choo, who hits an elbow for two. Tag back to Jordan and Choo flips her into a moonsault on Vice for two. Lopez gets a blind tag and Jordan doesn’t realize it as she hits a dropkick on Vice. Lopez decks her from behind and goes to the work on the ribs/abs. She hits a running elbow in the corner followed by some shoulders to the ribs. Vice back in and she gets a spin kick while Lopez holds an abdominal stretch. Vice lands a spinning back fist for another two count and then just opts for the mount for some ground and pound. Vice uses the hair to prevent a tag and tosses Jordan back into her corner. Lopez back in and she hits a gut-buster as I appreciate the work on the stomach. Lopez hooks a body scissors to continue the body work. Jordan escapes a hold and things get a little wonky, but Jordan makes the hot tag. Everyone starts hitting everyone as it is becoming a bit of a mess. Choo hits The Snooze Button on Vice for the pin at 5:35.

Winners: Wendy Choo and Kelani Jordan via pin at 5:35
-I appreciated the work on the stomach, but it didn’t get anywhere and then things got sloppy in the final 30-40 seconds or so. 3/4*

-WWE on A&E commercial!

-NXT Battleground one week from Sunday!

Dante Chen vs. Luca Crusifino

-Our favorite wrestling lawyer is back! I dig the knock off People’s Court theme as his entrance music! Luca goes right to the hair and Chen makes the mistake of offering a clean break. Dumb! Never trust a lawyer and especially a wrestling lawyer. Luca tries a headlock, but Chen counters into a hammerlock and then goes to work on the other arm. Luca lands an elbow to escape, but gets caught with a slam and then a couple arm-drags. Luca goes back to the hair and avoids a slam. He sends Chen into the corner and gets a modified neckbreaker. Basically a hip-toss into a neckbreaker which was kind of cool! Luca gets a two count and then sends Chen into the corner. Chen fights his way out, but gets dropped with another neckbreaker variation for two. Luca looks for another neckbreaker variant, but Chen blocks and gets the mounted punches in the corner. He gets a backslide, but Luca rolls through, but then gets caught with a neckbreaker. Irony! Chen gets a running boot and Luca bails to the floor. He grabs his briefcase and heads back in the ring. The ref takes it away which lets Luca get in a thumb to the eyes and he gets a roll-up for the win at 5:11.

Winner: Luca Crusifino via pin at 5:11
-This was fine with the evil lawyer cheating to win. Chen continues to be the gatekeeper in that everyone faces him at some point. *1/2

-Thanks for reading!

5.0

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

Another week and another so-so edition of Level Up. As always, it's a breeze to watch and the point is getting ring work for the newbies. On that end it is always a success, but even by the graded scale for this show, this episode was on the lower end.