Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 7.07.23

-Happy Birthday to my mother! Let’s get to it!

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

Fallon Henley vs. Tatum Paxley

-It’s been a bit since either woman has appeared on this show. Blake tells us this is a first-time meeting as far as one on one, but they faced off in a tag match when each made their debut. I’m sure I reviewed that. Henley runs Paxley down with a shoulder and hooks a front facelock. Paxley misses a weak clothesline and gets stuck in the corner. She tries a kick, but Henley catches the boot and gets a leg whip out of the corner. Henley gets a two count and then goes a side headlock. Paxley breaks and lands a knee to the stomach followed by an elbow to the stomach for two. Paxley lands another stomach shot and plants Henley on her face for a one count. They slowly jockey for position and Paxley ends up getting an abdominal stretch. Paxley yanks Fallon down by her hair for another two count. She hooks a body scissors and nearly gets pinned as Fallon shifts her weight back. Paxley goes back to pulling the hair. Fallon breaks, but Paxley transitions to arm control. Fallon shifts again and gets a two count and then gets the mount position where she unloads with forearms. Henley with a spear and a running shoulder in the corner. Fallon gets a face plant with the hair and connects with a Shining Wizard for the pin at 5:51.

Winner: Fallon Henley via pin at 5:51
-This one was a little rough. The ending picked up when Henley got to show some fire, but not much the previous 5:30. 1/2*

-Kale Dixon gets promo time as he will face Scrypts later tonight!

-SummerSlam! Detroit! Ford Field!

-NXT The Great American Bash July 30!

Scrypts vs. Kale Dixon

-So we are back to two matches for a second week in a row. I guess this is going to be the new normal for this show. Scrypts no longer has a mask anymore either I see. Headlock from Scrypts and he gets shoved off, but goes right back to the hold. Byron calls Scrypts a real life Sonic The Hedgehog. Sure! Dixon gets a side headlock, but Scrypts fights out, gets a clothesline and then takes things to the mat with another headlock. Dixon counters into a head scissors. Scrypts squirms his way out and goes back to the side headlock. Scrypts lands a kick and comes off the apron with a slingshot plancha for two. Back to the side headlock and Dixon goes to the face and gets a release belly to back suplex. Dixon goes for a cover, but doesn’t even get a one count as the ref can’t count as Scrypts shoulders were off the mat the entire time. Dixon lands a spinning kick to the ribs followed by a knee to the face for two. Chinlock from Dixon as this continues to drag along. Scrypts escapes and gets a series of running clotheslines. He gets a Matrix move to avoid a charge and lands a kick. He gets a running kick to the face and heads up top. He finishes with The Molly Go Round for the win at 4:48. I know it’s a somersault plancha, but I always liked it being called The Molly Go Round!

Winner: Scrypts via pin at 4:48
-Not a fun of this one either as it was just a series of side headlocks until the final 30 seconds where Scrypts made his comeback. *

-Thanks for watching!

3.0

The final score: review Bad

The 411

It's kind of hard to judge an 18-minute show, but not a fan of what we got this week. I am finding this show works better with the three-match format. They could give the two matches more time to get things back to 25-28 minute range, but I don't know if that would be a good thing for some of these kids at this point. The crowd seems less energetic as well. Hopefully, they figure something out. The Bloodline segment from SmackDown earlier lasted longer than the last two weeks of this show combined! Even by Level Up standards I found this to be a bad show.