WWE NXT Level Up 5/10/2024

WWE NXT Level Up 5/10/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/wwe-nxt-level-up-532024.html

Wendy Choo vs Wren Sinclair

This is Wendy's return from injury. They lock up. WC has a major leg brace on that looks real silly with her oversized socks. WC armdrags her from the buckles then waves at Wren. Wren waves back. Wren high fives her androlls her up off of it. Wren trips and armlocks her.

WC trips her then does a pin attempt for 2. WC single leg dropkicks her and they lariat each other in the corner. Wren suplexes her then abdominal stretches her. Wren shoulders her over then facebusters her while she is doing a split.

Wren stranglehold chokes her then WC armdrags her. WC backrolls her and they try pin attempts. WC hits lariats then WC spinning double axe handles her. WC cartwheel splashes her in the corner then 2nd rope crossbodies her. WC full-nelson slams her and wins.

Thoughts: They had a few sloppy moments here that they shouldn't have had. It was a different dynamic than usual here with both girls being friendly faces.

Cutler James is interviewed. He said people hear his name and think he's a friendly, neighborhood guy. He said people in cul-de-sac know him as a competitor. He said he's known as a hometown hero and local legend. He said soon he will be a star in WWE. He said he will grow his legacy and show he can hang with the best. He says he's not a regular name but a community leader.

This gimmick is one of the worst gimmicks they have done for some time. It's a stupid idea on paper and it's a stupid idea in execution. I do not know why they would give a brand new wrestler a gimmick that is doomed to fail.

Cutler James vs Josh Briggs

They say CJ is from the suburbs and went to Duke. He has green lawns and white picket fences for his intro video. He also has houses and picket fences on his tights.

They lock up. JB back elbows him and hits shots in the corner. CJ gives him a stiff forearm. JB pounds on him then side slams him. JB splashes him for 2. CJ hits punches then waistlock takedowns him. CJ has a hard time turning him over as JB isn't cooperating.

CJ shoulder him over then JB hits a stiff back elbow. CJ is sent hard into the buckles. JB says "this ain't no reality show, kid". JB running facekicks him for 2. JB backdrops him then chinlocks him. CJ armdrags him out of it and hits back elbows.

CJ hits snake eyes then running back elbows him. CJ misses a corner charge and JB hits a big lariat. JB wins it.

Thoughts: Something went wrong here. These two were not working together well early and Josh seemed to have an issue with James. They really didn't do too much here and James got almost no real moves in aside from an armdrag. James' gimmick of some kind of suburban local hero has zero chance of getting over. This whole thing felt like some weird Tough Enough humbling ritual.

The D'Angelo Family (Stacks and Luca Crusifino) vs Dion Lennox and Dante Chen

Dion armdrags Luca then throws him down by the arm. Luca headscissors him and Dion kips up. Chen armdrags Luca. Things break down. Dion's head is banged off of Stacks' foot. Stacks works on him between the ropes. Luca elbow drops the back of Dion's neck while he's between the ropes.

Stacks side headlocks Dion. Dion rolls Stacks then Chen tilt-a-whirl backbreakers Stacks. Chen hits forearms to the spine then throws Stacks hard into the buckles. Chen slams Stacks then running face kicks him.

Stacks is thrown hard into the buckles. Dion northern lights suplexes Stacks then spinebusters him. Dion cobra twists him. Stacks tags out and Luca gets in. Luca hits a flying shoulder on Dion then corner lariats him. Luca hits corner punches and drops Chen with a nice punch. Stacks lariats Chen over the the top and Dion is thrown high into a big rig (called sleeping with the fishes). Dion is then pinned.

Thoughts: Luca had a nice hot tag segment here and the finish looked good. Dion and Chen are a weird team that feel like a way to get Dion more experience while keeping the attention off of him so that they can push him hard later down the line. This was just a so-so match otherwise.

Overall thoughts: This wasn't a great night for Level Up. Cutler James' gimmick is really bad and is going to take a herculean effort to get over. Briggs also seemed to be purposely stiffing him. The other matches weren't that good either.