Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 5.26.23

-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Mr. Stone
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL

Oro Mensah vs. Tavion Heights

-Lockup to start and Oroh goes to his back and lands an up-kick. Heights back with a take down and he works the arm. He gets another take down and floats over into a side headlock. Mensah tries to pick up the pace, but Heights takes it back to the mat. Mensah blocks a hip-toss and connects with a pair of deep arm drags. Mensah throws some leg strikes and gets a cross-body off the top for two. Mensah tries to spring from the middle rope, but gets blasted with a forearm and then a release German Suplex. They start trading strikes and Heights with this battle. He hooks a neck crank as the crowd tries to rally Mensah. They fight over a backslide and Mensah up hitting a boot to the face. Heights back with a capture suplex into a pin for two. Heights goes back to a chinlock, but traps the arm with this one. Mensah fights out and throws some chops, but Heights responds. Mensah comes off the middle rope with a moonsault and gets the pace to his liking. He misses a big boot and Heights gets a roll-up for two. The Doctor Bomb is escaped and Mensah gets a spin heel kick in the corner and then springs off the top with another kick for the pin at 5:32.

Winner: Oro Mensah via pin at 5:32
-This was fine as I like Mensah and Heights is improving. *1/2

-Yulsa Leon and Valentina Leon are back on Level Up after making a cameo on SmackDown. They team up tonight for the first time in nine months.

-WWE Shop commercial!

-NXT Battleground is live on Sunday!

Javier Bernal vs. Boa

-Lockup to start and not much happening so they go again. Bernal gets a tripe, but Boa reverses and gets a knee-bar, but Bernal gets to the ropes. Bernal tries to go for Boa’s surgically repaired knee, but Boa snuffs that attempt. Bernal hooks a side headlock, but gets shoved off and Boa gets a leg trip. Boa lands an elbow in the corner and then a boot the face. Another kick is blocked and Bernal gets in a kick to the knee. Spinning toe-hold from Bernal as he stays on the bad knee. Next up is a heel hook and Boa tries to chop his way out. The chops are enough to make Bernal switch things up as he releases the hold. Boa gets a roll-up with the tights for two. He follows with a series of kicks while selling the bad knee. He delivers a series of knees to ribs and hits a Gord Buster. Bernal ducks a kick and gets a leaping Flatliner for the win at 5:00.

Winner: Javier Bernal via pin at 5:00
-Bernal going after the knee made sense, but that was about all I enjoyed with this one. Just kind of dull overall. *

-SummerSlam is in Detroit this year!

-Night of Champions tomorrow!

Jakara Jackson and Lash Legend vs. Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon

-It’s nice seeing Yulisa back on the show as she had been out with injury since August of last year. The crowd starts a “welcome back” chant which is nice. Leon and Feroz quickly use some double team offense on Jackson for two. Arm-drag from Leon and then she ties Jackson up and rolls around the ring with her. Feroz in and she gets cut-off by Jackson who makes a tag to Lash. Feroz gets a sleeper, but Feroz is able to escape. She tries to come off the second rope, but Lash slams her across the ring. Lash bounces Valentina’s head off the mat and makes the tag to Jackson. She hits a butterfly suplex and gets a reverse chinlock. Tag back to Legend who throws Feroz on the back of her head. A pump kick gets two as she caught Feroz coming off the ropes. Jackson back in and she grabs the leg to prevent a tag, but Feroz kicks away and makes the hot tag. Leon with a gutwrench suplex and then another on Jackson. She comes off the top with a missile dropkick and then gets an overhead press, but Legend makes the save. Legend gets low-bridged to the floor which lets Jackson get a roll-up for two with her feet on the rope. Everything breaks own as everyone hits everyone. Legend gets sent out by the ref which lets Leon hit a cross-body off the top while Feroz has a suplex on Jackson for the pin at 5:43.

Winners: Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon
-The last minute or so got fun when Leon got the hot tag. They had some solid near-falls in the end and good Leon getting this moment after her injury. Not much else to this one though. *1/4

-Thanks for reading!

3.5

The final score: review Bad

The 411

Not feeling this show this week as each match just seemed longer than they were and it was kind of boring. Perhaps I am just having a bad day.