Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review: The Final Episode 12.27.24

-We are making history tonight with 150th and final episode of NXT Level Up. The show took over for 205 Live and even ran under that name long after they stopped using cruiserweights. The Level Up name finally took over on Feb. 18, 2022 and my review for that show can be found here. Yes, I have been here for every single episode and it’s sad to see the show end, but tonight we celebrate. For the final time on Level Up, let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Byron Saxton
-Taped: WWE Capitol Wrestler Center, Orlando FL

Wendy Choo, Kali Armstrong, and Lainey Reid vs. Carlee Bright, Kendal Grey, and Layla Diggs

-Grey hits a quick spear on Reid and goes to the ground and pound. I appreciate the aggression. Choo gets the tag and Grey is a little cautious. He tries a running boot, but Choo catches her. Grey gets a suplex into a bridge for two as Howard and Saxton discuss the history of the show. Diggs in and Choo tags out to Armstrong. Diggs with a hip-toss and then a slam. Tag to Carlee and Diggs slams her onto Armstrong and that gets two. Choo lands a kick from the apron and that lets Armstrong hit a powerslam as Howard mentions Reality of Wrestling and TNA. Still wild! Choo in and she hits the handspring forearm. Reid in and she plants Bright face first into the middle buckle. Running uppercut in the corner and then she decks Diggs on the apron for good measure. Suplex into a swinging neckbreaker for two. Armstrong shows off the speed and hits a shoulder tackle for two. Cool! Armstrong misses a splash in the corner and the hot tag is made to Diggs. She runs wild as the crowd is into this one. Handspring Splash followed by an overhead release suplex on Reid gets two. Armstrong saves, but Grey sends her to the floor. Choo trips Grey and pulls her to the floor. Bright off the apron with a flip dive to Choo. This is wonderful! Diggs with a pump kick and then a scissors kick finishes at 5:35.

Winners: Carlee Bright, Kendal Grey, and Layla Diggs via pin at 5:35
-I enjoyed this as they just the six of them go out there and have fun. I may be overrating things tonight because of it being the last show, but so be it. ***

-Dante Chen is proud of everything he has achieved on Level Up and has mixed emotions about this being the final show. He has to win tonight so he can close the show as The Gatekeeper of NXT.

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-Cool little package showing off some of the names that have come through Level Up: Lola Vice, Keilani Jordan, Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, Myles Borne, Tavion Heights, Thea Hail, Dante Chen. Blake thanks the fans who have watched from the star and that’s me!

Gauntlet Match: Dante Chen vs. Keanu Carver

-This is Chen’s 43rd match on Level up which is the most. He first appeared on the 3rd episode against Javier Bernal. Perfect person to close the show. I am pumped for this as they should just let it all hang out and tear the house down. Lockup and Chen gets a front facelock. He transitions to working the arm as the crowd starts a chant for Dante. Arm-drag from Chen, but a second one is blocked. Carver hits a powerslam for one. To the corner where Carver buries some shoulders. Chen avoids snake eyes and gets a roll up for the pin at 1:34.

-Carver plants him with Sky High after the match.

Gauntlet Match: Dante Chen vs. Harlem Lewis

-Lewis rushes in and gets two quick roll-ups, but only two each time. Lewis had his first match on Level Up against Chen. Suplex from Lewis gets two. Splash to the back in the corner. Running boot gets two! The slow-mo showed that boot caught Dante right on the ear. The crowd is fully behind Chen, and good for him. Chen hits a Gentle Touch out of nowhere and gets the win at 3:50.

Gauntlet Match: Dante Chen vs. Kale Dixon

-Makes sense for someone like Dixon to be the last entrant so he can pick the bones. He also made his debut on Level Up against Chen. Dixon Dance into a LOUD CHOP! STO from Dixon! He comes off the middle ropes with a splash for two. Another loud chop to the back. Those have to suck! Chen rallies with a backdrop and strikes. He looks for the running kick, but Dixon bails to the floor. They fight on the ramp which doesn’t happen often on this show. Chen gets into the ring second and Dixon catches him with a Flatliner for two. Dixon MOCKS THE GENTLE TOUCH and pays for it as he eats a superkick. CHEN HITS A GENTLE TOUCH ONE LAST TIME AND GETS THE PIN AT 7:25.

Winner: Dante Chen via pin at 7:25
-This was also fun and just a way to close out Level Up and give Chen a shining moment that he deserved. It wasn’t the epic I wanted, but it makes sense for this show as it was never about giving us BANGERS and EPICS. ***

-Thanks to everyone that has ever read one of my reviews for this show. There aren’t many of us out there, but I greatly appreciate the support whether it was one episode or all 150. As I mentioned, I will have my annual countdown of every match from this show in the coming weeks and I want to do something to celebrate the entire nearly three-year. I have some ideas, and I will see what I can do. Again, thank you for reading and following along for 150 episodes. Thank you to the wrestlers who made this show a joy to watch each week and credit to them for going out there in front of a live audience in most cases for the first time and learning on the fly. That’s what made this show so unique and fun to watch. I will wrap it up as I want to save some words for down the line. Again, thank you to everyone!

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

It's the final show ever and it ended on a happy note. It was going to be hard not to have a good show here as I as in the bag for anything they wanted to do. Go watch the show as it is an easy watch and both matches were fun with people working hard for a crowd that was enjoying what they were seeing.