NWA USA Review - April 22, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Labrava Escobar def. Celeste

​​We saw Escobar back on the 312 pre-show two weeks ago when she took on Natalia Markova in a losing effort. I can't say she was overly impressive, but she held her own. She was brought back here and picked up a victory in what was a basic bout. It could've been worse, but it also could've been better, and the same can be said about the NWA on the whole these days. My biggest gripe with this is that we have no idea who Escobar is or what she's about, so it was a cold match with fans having no reason to care.

Jeremiah Plunkett def. Salazar De La Muerte

Plunkett is typically utilized as an enhancement talent in the NWA, so it was interesting that he received his own showcase here. Muerte is not established, so it was fairly obvious Plunkett was winning. The question is why Plunkett was spotlighted. Is he being built up for something/to lose to someone? Or was this purely filler? I lean toward the latter. The match was harmless but left me wondering what purpose it was supposed to serve.

Magnum Muscle def. The Fixers Nation to Qualify for the 2023 Crockett Cup

Fixers Nation are not to be confused with The Fixers. They consisted of Matt Vine (who we've seen in the NWA before) and some masked bum named The Fixer. Maybe we'll find out if they have any relationship to The Fixers, maybe we won't. It doesn't matter much either way. I at least liked that this had stakes, which gave the match more meaning. Magnum Muscle winning was obviously the right call as they now set their sights on winning the 2023 Crockett Cup.

Overall Show

This was an extremely forgettable edition of NWA USA. The backstage promos were better than any of the matches, and even the promos were average at best. Escobar vs. Celeste and Plunkett vs. Muerte felt like dark matches added to the episode in order to fill the time, and the main event was an extended squash. The fact it was a Crockett Cup qualifier helped, but this was a total throwaway show otherwise.

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