WWE NXT Level Up Review - August 19, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Dante Chen def. Javier Bernal

These two have teamed a time or two on this show and I didn't mind their alliance because it gave them something to do, but that was before Bernal began his heel turn by cheating in his matches. Apparently that was what he was missing because now he finds himself days away from having his first meaningful singles match on NXT TV. We'll see if it sticks and if he's ready for the opportunity, but time will tell. Chen was a good opponent for Bernal given their history and this was a well-worked outing. I liked that Hank Walker made an appearance at ringside because I believe he'll be Bernal's first opponent on NXT next week. That said, why the hell would you have Bernal lose before then?

Ivy Nile def. Arianna Grace

Grace getting some time to talk beforehand in the ring was a nice touch. As I've mentioned in the past, she has a presence about her, but she's still very green and needs more work in every area. As for Nile, she wasn't featured in that segment with the rest of Diamond Mine at NXT Heatwave, but she was back here for the first time since the start of the month when she and Tatum Paxley failed to win the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship. The crowd was behind Nile and Grace held her won. It was a decent affair.

Axiom def. Xyon Quinn

I still can't get behind A-Kid's new masked mathematician gimmick. It's just not necessary when he got over as himself in NXT UK doing extraordinary things. This was the best bout I've seen him have yet with this character, but then again, I haven't seen much from him in the ring since he was repackaged. As for Quinn, the dude lost on Level Up recently t to Quincy Elliott of all people, so I'm not at all shocked he lost again here. This had a nice pace but followed the formula you'd expect.

Overall Show

This past week on NXT, we found out that Bernal will be wrestling on next week's episode and a vignette also aired promoting the debut of Quincy Elliott. Both guys have been regulars on Level Up for months, meaning that the "stars" of this show are indeed being shifted over to NXT TV when the time is right. I'm not convinced either of them are ready for prime time yet, but at least they're being given a chance. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this edition of Level Up because it felt like there was more to it than usual. Things felt like they mattered and we were treated to Axiom in the main event.

SEE MORE: NXT Level Up Reviews