Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 9.08.23

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

Tavion Heights vs. IKEMEN JIRO

-The crowd really like JIRO no matter how much he gets beat! Lockup to start and Heights shoves JIRO across the ring to many boos. He does it again and JIRO bumps like a pinball off the ropes. Heights uses his amateur background, but JIRO sits out and gets an escape. Heights runs him over, but JIRO kips up and flashes the jacket. He does it again to keep up with the mind games. JIRO drops Heights face first on the mat and then hooks a reverse chinlock. “Jacket Power” chant from the crowd! Heights breaks and gets a Sling Blade and then hits the SOS Slam. Heights with some ground strikes and that gets a two count. Another two count and another two count as he is making JIRO work to kick-out. JIRO avoids a slam and throws some non-jacket assisted strikes. Heights with a capture suplex into modified powerslam for two. Tavion has some support in the crowd as a dueling chant starts. Cool! Heights hooks a chinlock which forces JIRO to punch his way out. JIRO lands a series of Jacket Punches. JIRO with a springboard into a head scissors followed by a superkick for two. Heights shoves off, but runs into a boot to the face. JIRO up top and he misses The Swanton. Heights with a running lariat and then a sweet overhead suplex into the pin for his first win at 5:49.

Winner: Tavion Heights via pin at 5:49
-This was a sweet little match! JIRO made Heights offense look great and the crowd was into this one. HEIGHTS has some potential as his arsenal of suplexes and clotheslines look good. **1/2

-Karmen Petrovic cuts a promo backstage in advance of her match with Fallon Henley.

-WWE Live commercial! Coming to a town near you!

-Connor’s Cure commercial featuring Bianca Belair and Cody Rhodes!

Fallon Henley vs. Karmen Petrovic

-Karmen is still looking for her first win since making her debut. Lockup to start and Karmen slides out. Henley gets a take down and lets Karmen knows she is a loser. Henley with a side headlock and she takes it to the mat. Karmen counters into a head scissors, but Henley escapes and goes back to the side headlock. Karmen escapes and throws some forearms followed by a front kick. Henley floats over in the corner and gets a roll-up for two. Henley lands a slap and follows up with a side headlock. She runs Karmen down with a shoulder and lands a right hand from the floor as Karmen was caught up in the ropes. Karmen goes to the back, but gets caught with a shoulder. Karmen trip Henley up on the apron and lands a spinning head kick for two. Another kick from Karmen and then she hooks an abdominal stretch. Karmen breaks and eats an up kick, so she responds with a kick to the back. Karmen hooks a body scissors and goes for a rear naked choke, but Henley fights that off. Henley shifts the weight and gets some ground and pound. Clothesline from Henley and another. She drops Karmen on her ass and lands a knee to the back of the head. Henley hits Shining Wizard for the pin at 5:13.

Winner: Fallon Henley via pin at 5:13
-This started a little sloppy, but got decent when each turned up the aggression and started unloading on each other. More of Petrovic to see what she can do and Henley continues to develop. *1/2

-NFL WWE Belts! Go Niners! This Sunday it’s the game I look forward to every four years: 49ers vs. Steelers! I have lived my whole life in SW PA and everyone in my family loves the Steelers. I have learned to cheer for them as well but not this game. So again, I say, Go Niners!

Global Heritage Invitational: Group B: Joe Coffey (1-0, 2 points) vs. Akira Tozawa (0-1, 0 points)

-As a reminder these matches have a 12 minute time limit and you get 2 points for a win by pin or submission. A draw gets 1 point! Tozawa is also coming off a loss on Main Event to Bronson Reed this week as well. Lockup to start as Saxton and Howard bring up The Cruiserweight Classic and how well, Tozawa did there. That tournament was great! I need to go back and watch it again. Coffey gets a side headlock and lands a punch to the head. Coffey tosses Tozawa into the corner, but runs into a boot to the face. Tozawa with a head scissors and he mocks Coffey. Sunset flip is countered, but Tozawa lands kicks from his back. Coffey with an inverted giant swing and then drops Tozawa on his face. Coffey sends Tozawa into the corner off an Irish Whip and then hits a backbreaker for two. Coffey hooks a Full Nelson, but Tozawa escapes and gets a roll-up for two. European Uppercut from Coffey, but he sets too early on a backdrop and eats a boot to the face. Tozawa hits a backdrop and lands some strikes. He snaps off a rana and hits a Shining Wizard that sends Coffey to the floor. Suicide Dive from Tozawa! Back in the ring he heads up top and hits the missile dropkick for a good near fall. Coffey gets an alley-opp into an European Uppercut and hooks a reverse bearhug. Tozawa elbows his way out and gets two off a German Suplex into a bridge. Nice power there from Tozawa! Coffey grabs the leg and forces Tozawa to stomp his way out. Tozawa takes too long to head up top and Coffey meets him up there. Coffey with a sick overhead suplex from the top rope! Discus Lariat finishes at 6:44.

Winner: Joe Coffey via pin at 6:44
-Another sweet little match as Tozawa has brought goods to this show the last two weeks. Tozawa being the job guy in this group sucks, but I can see why they are doing it as it gives the NXT kids a name to beat. The crowd has been annoyed by Tozawa losing every week though. **3/4

-Thanks for reading!

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Good little show this week as the opener and Main Event were fun. I appreciate them adding Global Heritage Matches to this show as it makes the show feel important. The crowd has enjoyed Tozawa being there the last two weeks as well, and as always, they love JIRO. So a hot crowd plus two fine matches makes this show a winner this week.