WWE NXT Level Up Review - September 22, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Ivy Nile def. Izzi Dame

Nile remains the one all of the newcomers test their mettle against. She's been around long enough that women like Dame can benefit from working with her. It was a fairly basic bout on the whole, but Dame held her own and it was a competent contest. We'll see how Dame progresses. As for Nile, NXT really needs to do more with her on television and not just have her manage The Creed Brothers constantly. She deserves a spotlight of her own.

Luca Crusifino def. Ikemen Jiro

I'm still not the biggest fan of the lawyer gimmick, but Crusifino is clearly trying to make the most of it and I actually enjoyed his backstage interview Kelly Kinciad. He's nothing special in the ring as of now, but similar to Dame, we'll see if that changes. Unfortunately, this marked Jiro's swan song from WWE as it was reported today he was among the latest roster cuts. He was never going to get beyond a certain level because of his booking, but he was always a highlight on Level Up. This wasn't the best way for him to go out as this was quick and forgettable.

Axiom def. Charlie Dempsey in an NXT Global Heritage Invitational Match

At this point in the NXT Global Heritage Invitational, this match didn't really matter because neither guy is advancing from Group A. Despite that, this was a damn fun match, which was expected given how talented both Axiom and Dempsey are. It was an entertaining clash of styles while it lasted. Dempsey will be fine post-Invitational due to his spot in the new group with Drew Gulak and Damon Kemp, but I hope Axiom can find direction.

Overall Show

And with that, the days of the NXT Global Heritage Invitational playing out on Level Up are over, which means this show is likely going back to primarily featuring developmental matches. I realize that's what the program is intended for, but these Invitational matches have been a breath of fresh air for the show in recent weeks. The main event was above-average by Level Up standards and Jiro had his final match, so this ended up being a semi-eventful episode. 

SEE MORE: NXT Level Up Reviews