wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 7.21.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Byron Saxton
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL
Tank Ledger and Hank Walker vs. IKEMEN JIRO and Quincy Elliot
-IKEMEN is back! It’s been a while since he’s been seen on this show. The crowd starts a “welcome back” chant for IKEMEN which is cool! Quincy starts with Hank and Hank gets a side headlock. Quincy starts dancing as Walker tries to knock him down. Quincy gets a cartwheel and blows Hank a kiss. Quincy with a headlock, but Tank gets a blind tag. They double Quincy, but can’t get him off his feet and he stumbles to his corner where IKEMEN gets the tag. This is his first appearance this year as I assume he was injured. His jacket game is still on point and shows it off after his kips up. Tank shows off his vest as it’s a wardrobe contest. I give IKEMEN the advantage there. IKEMEN drops Tank throat first over the top rope, but gets caught trying to sling-shot back in. Tag to Hank and he whips JIRO into Tank who gets a clothesline from the apron. Tag back to Tank who sling-shots in with a splash for two. The crowd starts a “jacket power” chant. IKEMEN escapes a headlock, but gets cut off trying to go for the tag. He avoids an elbow though and the hot tag is made to Quincy. He runs wild and gets a nice European Uppercut. Splash in the corner followed by a bulldog out for two as Hank makes the save. JIRO in with jacket punches, but Tank dumps him to the floor. Quincy spanks Tank, so Tank responds with his own spanking. Yep! Hank and Tank hit a standing double splash and Hank hits The Flying Fridge for the pin at 5:41.
Winners: Tank Ledger and Hank Walker via pin at 5:44
-Standard tag match with the right team winning as Ledger and Walker are at least a team. It was great to see IKEMEN back! *1/2
-Izzi Dame gets promo time as she is making her debut tonight. She is here to give everyone a reality check they need. She even has a catchphrase: “It is what it is.” PRINT THE SHIRT!
-SummerSlam! Detroit! Ford Field!
-Cody Rhodes documentary drops later this month and it looks pretty strong. Hogan, Austin, HHH, Angle, and KO are some of the talking heads. I will have my review/recap of that one. Can’t wait!
Dani Palmer vs. Izzi Dame
-Let’s se what Izzi can do here! She uses her power to start, but Palmer flips over a backdrop attempt and comes back with a dropkick. She hooks a side headlock and uses the corner to take it to the ground. Back up and Izzi breaks, but Palmer goes right back to it and gets it back to the ground again. Palmer gets caught trying a float over in the corner and gets dropped on her face. Izzi drops her on her back and gets a two count off that. Another cover gets two! Bear-hug from Dame, but Palmer escapes and tries a sunset flip, but Dame lifts her off the mat and throws her into the corner. Palmer comes off the middle ropes, but gets caught and dumped on her back for one. Palmer escapes a suplex, but gets mowed down with a clothesline. Dame misses a splash and then misses a boot. Palmer lands a back elbow and double knees to the face. She gets back control, but Dame runs her into the corner. Dame misses another charge and Palmer comes off the top with a crossbody for the pin at 4:33.
Winner: Dani Palmer via pin at 4:33
-Like so many others, Dame loses in her debut. Palmer looked the better of the two, but that is to be expected. Dame didn’t get to show much her as Palmer just bounced all over the place for her. This was rough in spots and didn’t work for me. I do want to see more from both women though. 1/2*
Javier Bernal vs. Dante Chen
-These two have to be at the top of the list for most matches on Level Up. I have been watching this show since Day 1 and I probably should have been keeping records. Perhaps I will go back and figure that out one day. Lockup to start and neither man gains an advantage so we go again. Bernal tries to land a kick, but gets caught and Chen just cautiously puts the foot down as he is a good sport. Skip that! Kick him! Chen gets an armdrag and takes it to the mat with an armbar. He works that for a bit as the crowd starts a dueling chant. Bernal gets to the ropes, but misses a punch and gets his arm trapped again. Whip to the corner where Chen runs into an elbow. Stun-gun from Bernal! Bernal with a double stomp as Chen was trapped under the bottom rope. Belly to back suplex followed by an elbow gets a two count. Bernal hooks a chinlock for a bit and then tries to come off the middle rope, but gets caught with a boot to the face. Eat Defeat from Chen leaves both men down. They start trading blows in the middle of the ring which is won by Chen. He lands a palm strike and then another. Atomic Drop from Chen, but he misses a kick. The ref nearly gets bumped and Bernal uses that to get a thumb to the eyes. Scorpion Death Drop gets two for Bernal. Chen fights off the shoulders and lands a knee to the head. Double Chop finishes at 6:50.
Winner: Dante Chen via pin at 6:50
-Fun match between two veterans of this show. There were given some time (for this show) and gave us something fun. Not as good as the Main Event we had last week, but perfectly acceptable wrestling and I would sign up for something like this every week on this show. **1/2
-Thanks for reading!
