Tag: NXT Level Up

This week’s WWE NXT Level Up was taped before Tuesday’s NXT. Byron Saxton introduced newcomer Blake Howard as his new broadcast partner to kick things off.

Tank Ledger defeated Kale Dixon

Ledger took control of Dixon’s arm to start, lifting him in the air in a show of strength. Dixon escaped with an overhand chop, but Ledger caught him on the run and dropped him with a World’s Strongest Slam for a near fall. The two got tied up in the corner and Dixon took control by running Ledger into the buckle, latter dropping Ledger with a neckbreaker for a near fall.

Ledger fought out of a chinlock before getting the better of a strike exchange. Ledger ran wild with two-handed chops before hitting a big bodyslam. Ledger hit the cartwheel splash for a near fall and followed that up with the Oklahoma Stampede for the three count.

– Kelly Kincaid interviewed Axiom, who was wearing a snazzy tan turtleneck. Luchadores in street clothes are always a great look. He called out Damon Kemp for jumping him on NXT last week and says that he will beat Scrypts tonight despite Scrypts’ advantage as a masked man — funny because Axiom also wears a mask.

Lash Legend defeated Dani Palmer

Legend drove Palmer into the corner to start. Palmer almost turned a biel into a sunset flip, but Legend stuffed it. Palmer got thrown off of a headlock but was able to bait Legend into the corner for a headscissors. Legend reversed an Irish whip attempt, sending Palmer into the corner and dropping her with a wheelbarrow back suplex.

Legend picked Palmer up by the hair and slammed her to the mat for a near fall. Legend pummeled Palmer in the corner with a series of clotheslines before dropping Palmer face-first on the apron. Legend followed that up with a leg drop to the back of the head. Palmer ducked a corner charge and peppered Legend with offense, taking her to a knee with an enzuigiri. Palmer hit a Destino-type move for a near fall, but Legend caught Palmer with an interesting facebuster move for the win.

Axiom defeated Scrypts

I don’t mean to pick on Scrypts, but putting him across the ring from Axiom just showed how low rent his gear looks. After a stalemate to start, Axiom scored the first big shot with a single-leg dropkick. Scrypts went to the apron, but got his springboard attempt cut off with another big kick.

Axiom went for a big dive, but no one moved Scrypts’ entrance trampoline, so Scrypts used it to jump over the ropes and kick Axiom down. That doesn’t seem fair, but I’m not a referee.

Scrypts hit a corkscrew crossbody for two before slapping on a headlock. Axiom fought back, chopping Scrypts’ vest open before hitting a running dropkick. Axiom landed a top-rope crossbody for a near fall. Axiom brought Scrypts to the top rope, but Scrypts knocked him down before hitting an impressive high-arching moonsault press for a nearfall. Axiom came back with a northern lights suplex and a penalty kick for a nearfall.

Scrypts went for the corkscrew crossbody again, but Axiom just punched him in the face. Scrypts stuffed an O’Connor roll attempt and superkicked Axiom on the rebound. Scrypts went for the big moonsault again, but was met by a superkick from Axiom before the Golden Ratio scored Axiom the win.

This week’s NXT Level Up was filmed prior to Tuesday’s live NXT. I’m going to guess the action in Saturday’s Vengeance Day will be much better than this.

Sol Ruca defeated Lash Legend

Ruca had quite the week, taking to social media to explain her inclusion in a Black History Month image NXT released. The match was competitive early with both unable to get the upper hand even after Ruca outsmarted Legend on a criss-cross spot.

Ruca locked on an STP that had Legend scrambling for the ropes. The submission hold followed incredibly slow rope running by Legend. Another rope run led to a big boot to Ruca’s midsection that shifted things in her favor.

Legend continued to use her power to keep control including the dreaded rest hold standing armor. Ruca eventually rallied after landing an electric chair, countering a Legend big boot with a super kick and the incredibly impressive Sol Snatcher for the pin and her fourth straight win on TV. Legend now has 11 straight TV losses dating back to late-May 2022.

This was a struggle to get through.

– Kelly Kincaid was backstage with Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen, Kiana James and Fallon Henley. Jensen was distracted looking at a phone with James and Briggs was concerned about his level of focus, asking the ladies to stay backstage and come up with a tag team name (“Business Casual which they seemed to like”).

Javier Bernal defeated Oba Femi

The commentary team pointed out that Femi has the true big body as opposed to “Big Body Javy.” They then talked about Christmas albums. Femi press slammed Bernal during the match to really drive home the point — about the body, not the music.

This was nothing to write home about. Bernal got the advantage, Femi regained it and then Bernal raked his eyes as the referee was blocked, getting a roll-up with a handful of trunks to get the win, snapping a streak of five losses.

Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen defeated Bronco Nima & Xyon Quinn

The former WWE NXT UK Tag Team Champions were rolling early until Jensen got distracted by Nima and was taken out by Quinn.

The heels grew more confident as the match rolled on, using their strength to keep Jensen on the defensive. Briggs got the hot tag and ran wild, laying out Nima and Quinn. Shortly after, Jensen recovered and hit their double team version of the Hart Attack (a big boot as opposed to a clothesline) for the win to snap a two-match losing skid.

Last week’s edition of WWE NXT Level Up was taped before Tuesday’s NXT with Byron Saxton and Matt Camp on the call.

Nikkita Lyons defeated Jakara Jackson

Lyons came out with a snazzy new fur coat. The announcers talked about how these two were friends outside of the ring both getting signed out of the same tryout class. After an opening period that Lyons controlled, Jackson ducked a kick in the corner and brought Lyons down by the hair. Jackson tied Lyons up in the ropes and proceeded to hammer her with knees to the chest.

Jackson worked on Lyons’ arm for a while until Lyons pulled her up into a sidewalk slam. Lyons ran wild with some strikes before hitting her big kick and the split splash for the win.

– Backstage, Kelly Kincaid interviewed Damon Kemp. He talked with his hands a lot and said that Tank Ledger’s college athletic career didn’t scare him because he was also a high-level college athlete.

Damon Kemp defeated Tank Ledger

Kemp needs some more work, but his amateur background gives him a leg up in his development. He’s got some potential.

Kemp quickly took Ledger down to the mat, keeping control of the big man. Ledger took Kemp down with a shoulderblock and a sidewalk slam, but Kemp cut him off with a Goldust-style chop to the throat and a neckbreaker. Ledger tried to get his feet up on a corner attack, but Kemp caught his feet and spun him into another neckbreaker in the ropes.

Kemp hit an overhead belly-to-belly for a near fall. Ledger fought out of a seated abdominal stretch and ran wild for a moment, hitting a fallaway slam in the process. Kemp cut off the big cartwheel splash with his knees and then hit a backbreaker over the knee for the win.

I assume he did that to honor his trainer Roderick Strong. Then again, Kemp was the one who took him out all those months ago, so maybe it’s a Mega Man situation where he absorbed the ability to break backs effectively.

Joe Gacy (w/ Ava Raine, Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler) defeated Odyssey Jones

Well, my luck of not having to watch my least favorite act in NXT has run out. Saxton claimed that Gacy has a “seductive charisma” about him. Because when I look at Gacy, I think of the art of seduction. At least he’s not dressed like a hotel receptionist anymore. Jones, on the other hand, came out dressed like a funky chessboard. 

Jones overpowered Gacy early on and took control of his arm. I caught sight of the formerly named Grizzled Young Vets on the outside and remembered when they were tearing up Europe and NXT with their simple and effective tag team work. Now, they’re weirdo heaters for a weirdo cult leader.

Jones dropped Gacy with some body slams followed by a pair of forward rolls over Gacy’s body. He went for a third, but Raine cut him off, allowing Gacy to hit a chop block and take over. Gacy hammered Jones in the back of the head with strikes for a near fall, and later clubbered Jones while talking trash. 

Jones fought his way out of a headlock and dropped Gacy with a shoulder breaker and a world’s strongest slam for a near fall. Gacy countered some corner attacks before catching Jones with his handspring lariat for the win.