Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 9.01.23

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

Javier Bernal vs. Riley Osborne

-Debut time! Lockup to start and Osborne gets arm control. He rolls with Bernal to maintain the hold. Byron and Howard note that Osborne has in ring experience with other promotions. Bernal reverses and gets an armbar on the mat. Osborne rolls, and flips his way out. He gets a dropkick and gets an arm-drag into an armbar. Osborne gets a float over in the corner and comes off the ropes, but Bernal catches him with an arm-drag. He throws right hands and a heavy kick to the chest. Osborne escapes a slam, but eats an elbow. Bernal charges and gets caught with a boot. Riley up top and a crossbody gets two, but Bernal drops Riley and hits a lightning legdrop. Double under hook suplex gets two! More strikes from Bernal and then he hooks a chinlock. Riley fights his way out and fires off some chops. Bernal lands a boot to the face, but Osborne slingshots in from the apron with a shoulder. Standing corkscrew splash gets two! Dropkick from Osborne sends Bernal to the floor. Osborne leaps over the top and hits a Fosbury Flop per Howard! Shooting Star Press gets the win at 6:15. WOW!

Winner: Riley Osborne via pin at 6:15
-They actually let someone making their debut get a win. They must see something with this kid. Strong debut as he looked good in there and the crowd was buying into him. This was solid! **1/2

-Payback! Pittsburgh! Tomorrow! Rollins vs. Nakamura!

-Angle documentary drops tomorrow! I’ll have my review at some point tomorrow evening.

Valentina Feroz vs. Stevie Turner

-This is Turner’s first match in seven months. Tuner gets a hammerlock into a wrist lock, but Feroz gets to the ropes and flips out of the hold. Feroz gets a double leg for a one count. She rolls Turner up with her legs for a one count. Feroz gets a running clothesline in the corner, but gets caught on the middle rope and dropped on her face on the top buckle. Turner tries a backdrop, but Feroz gets a sunset flip for two. Tuner back with a clothesline and then a Rude Awakening for two. Feroz mounts her comeback and gets a meteora in the corner for two. The kick-out sent Feroz into the buckle and that lets Turner gets double knees to the back that sends Feroz into the corner again. That gets the pin at 4:19.

Winner: Stevie Turner via pin at 4:19
-This was fine though short. I am interested to see more of Turner in the ring. *1/4

-Payback! Pittsburgh! Rhea vs. Raquel!

Global Heritage Invitational Match: Group B: Duke Hudson (w/ Andre Chase) vs. Akira Tozawa

-LEVEL UP VS. MAIN EVENT! Tozawa was on Main Event this week and is coming off a lost to JD McDonagh, but beat The Miz on RAW a week ago. The rules are that a pin or submission get you 2 points. A draw earns one point and the match has a 12 minute time limit. Tozawa shoots in, but Hudson stuffs that attempt and gets a side headlock. He takes it to the mat, but Tozawa forces him up and gets a side headlock of his own. Hudson catches him with a strike and talks a little trash. The crowd is pumped to have Tozawa back as he is a superstar on this show. Tozawa lands some strikes and he gives the trash talk back to Hudson. Tozawa lands a dropkick that sends Hudson to the floor. He looks for a dive, but Hudson blasts him in the face to block. Release German Suplex from Hudson gets two. Hudson gets a slam for two and hooks a chinlock. Tozawa punches his way out, but gets caught with a knee to the gut. Tozawa shakes it off and hits a Shining Wizard! Tozawa off the top with a missile dropkick for two. Crowd really wanted that! Tozawa can’t lift Hudson, but is able to flip out of a belly to back suplex. He goes to the knees to get Hudson off his feet. He throws kicks, which Hudson no sells. Hudson lands a forearm to the chest followed by a sidewalk slam. Flip, Flip, and Fly, but Tozawa tricks him and lands a strike. He runs into a big boot though. Powerbomb is countered into a sunset flip by Tozwa for two. Tozawa up top, but Hudson gets the knees up and finishes with a release Razor’s Edge for the pin at 6:54.

Winner: Duke Hudson via pin at 6:54
-Solid match as this was on par with what Tozawa delivers on Main Event. The crowd loved seeing him and Hudson seemed fired up to be facing someone from the main roster. Good stuff and I appreciate the fact they gave us a match with importance. **1/2

-Thanks for reading!

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Good show this week as we got two good matches and a hot crowd. I hope we get more Global Heritage Matches on this show. I am also very excited to see more from Osborne. More of all of this!