Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 6.23.23

-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Byron Saxton
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL

Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo vs. Kale Dixon

-Lockup to start as Blake goes over the angle of a snitch sending Tony D back to prison and Stacks is looking for answers. Dixon pulls Stacks down by the hire and then catches him with a right hand. Stacks avoids a charge in the corner and hits some knees to the face. Stacks throws some jabs in the corner and goes to punt Dixon in the balls, but the ref stops that. Dixon uses the opening to land a strike and gets a roll-up for two. Stacks back with a double leg and he drops both legs onto Dixon’s groin. Back in Dixon lands a punch and gets a gutwrench suplex for two. Running knee to the face gets another two count. Dixon avoids a roll-up and gets a discus kick. He drops Stacks on his face and follows down with an elbow to the back for two. Dixon hooks an abdominal stretch to slow things down a bit. Stacks fights out and gets a knee to the head. He catches Dixon charging with a boot and side steps a charge in the corner. Nice clothesline from Stacks followed by a shotgun dropkick to the side of the head. Stacks comes off the middle ropes with a European uppercut for two. Roll-up gets two for Stacks. Dixon throws a kick that gets caught and he tries an enziguiri, but Stacks avoids and hits Cement Shoes for the pin at 5:49.

Winner: Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo via pin at 5:49
-This was okay as they hit worked well together. Cement Shoes is such a cool name for a finisher. **

-Stacks tells Dixon he knows he isn’t the snitch, but if he hears anything he needs to tell him ASAP.

-Tavion Heights gets some promo time as he has a match with Luca later.

-Kurt Angle is part of Most Wanted Treasures this Sunday as they look for his milk truck.

-NXT Gold Rush continues this Tuesday!

Luca Crusifino vs. Tavion Heights

-Lockup and Heights throws Luca down on his face. Another go and Luca complains about a hair pull. Heights shoves him on his ass again and then controls with a side headlock. He switches to arm control and gets a fireman’s carry to take it to the ground. Luca punches his way out and gets a side headlock briefly before getting shoved off. He gets a shoulder tackle, but Heights catches him again and gets an armbar on the mat. Luca punches out again, gets a side headlock again, and gets shoved off again. This time he catches Tavion with a shot and stomps away in the corner. He sends Heights chest first into the corner and gets a scoop slam for a one count. He gets mount and throws some strikes and gets an two count before going to a nerve hold. He transitions to a reverse chinlock. Modified neckbreaker gets two. Luca fish hooks Tavion, but breaks before the ref counts five. Heights starts his comeback though this crowd is dead silent. Heights with a running clothesline in the corner and gets a nice overhead release belly to belly suplex. He looks for The Doctor Bomb, but Luca holds onto the ropes and uses that to turn into a pin and he keeps hold of the ropes for extra leverage and it gets the pin at 5:57.

Winner: Luca Crusifino via pin at 5:57
-Not a fan of this one as the crowd wasn’t into it and it was just kind of a struggle to get things going. 1/2*

-Shop WWE commerical!

-Money in The Bank in London next Saturday!

Ivy Nile vs. Jacy Jayne

-Jayne is slumming it on Level Up this week! She may have been on this show in the past, but I can’t remember. Meanwhile Ivy owns this show! Blake channels his inner Gorilla Monsoon as he notes this match can Main Event any night of the week. The crowd hums Ivy’s theme music! Nile controls early as she keeps Jayne on the mat. Jayne goes to the hair, but gets run over by Nile. Flying head scissors from Nile and she catches Jayne with a back elbow. Nile goes to the middle rope, but Jayne pulls her down in a solid bump. Jayne goes to a neck crank and gets a reverse neckbreaker for two. Jayne throws some kicks to the back and lays the bad mouth on Ivy. Probably not smart! Reverse chinlock from Jayce as the crowd debates whether or not she sucks. Jayce screams but misses a charge in the corner. Nile with some heavy kicks to the legs and then to the head. She runs wild with shoulder tackles and a sweet kick to the face in the corner. Gutwrench suplex gets two! Jayne gets a back elbow and an ugly roll-up for two. The repeat the spot as I think Jayne messed something up and Nile turns into her submission, but Jayne escapes as she couldn’t completely lock the hold. Head kick from Nile, but she misses a clothesline and Jayne hits a discus forearm for the pin at 5:19.

Winner: Jacy Jayne via pin at 5:19
-I believe this is Ivy’s first loss on Level Up and that kind of sucks. I assumed something was up this week with her facing Jayne, but I still don’t like it. The ending sequence got a little wonky, and as mentioned I am not a fan of the result, but here we are. *

-Thanks for reading!

4.5

The final score: review Poor

The 411

Not a fan of the show this week as the crowd seemed a little subdued and things ended on a sour note for me. The middle match was kind of rough after a decent opener and then it never recovered. Still, an easy show to watch, but not their best this week.