🔵🟢🟠 Smackdown/NXT LVLUP Thread 9/1/2023 - You Can See Him

[gritizen]

Best Heritage Cup match of all time.

[Deleted]

What a LVL UP!!!

[J is Justice]

Sept 1, 2023 21:32:47 GMT -5 @vonwagner said:

What a LVL UP!!!

[hbkid718]

Here are my Smackdown Thoughts:
Nice. Starting Smackdown with John Cena. BTW, I watched Vacation Friends 2 on Hulu last weekend. It was very funny.
Awesome John Cena promo. Looking forward to seeing him as host of Payback tomorrow & what else he will do. Cool new theme for Jimmy Usos (LOL there were 3 Ms in his Nameplate.) Good promo exchange & fight between them to set-up a future match.
Fun interview with Austin Theory & Grayson Waller.
Damn, Jimmy Uso is mad.
Santos Escobar & Rey Mysterio VS Austin Theory & Grayson Waller was excellent. Theory & Waller mesh well as a team especially for a team that never teamed before & should become a regular tag team as it will give them something different to do. FACT: This will be the 1st time that Escobar & Mysterio teamed up since they defeated The Usos on Smackdown on 5/19, Theory's 1st 2-on-2 Match since he & Sheamus lost to Bobby Lashley & Drew McIntyre on Raw on 7/25/22, & Waller's 1st 2-on-2 Match since he & Carmelo Hayes lost to Apollo Crews & Solo Sikoa on NXT on 6/7/22.
OK segment with Adam Pearce, Mia Yim (good to see her get some TV Time) & Jimmy Uso.
Cool, AJ Styles will handle what happened to Mia Yim. Looks like he's finally moving on from his never-ending feud with Karrion Kross.
As much as it's cool to see Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits together, that promo segment sucked. They need a mouthpiece to talk for them. But nice tease with Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn.
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn VS The LWO should have been longer. The LWO were treated as Enhancement Talents. They are too good to be wasted like that. OK promo by Sami Zayn. FACT: This was Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn's 1st Smackdown since they defeated Pretty Deadly on 6/30/23. It was The LWO's 1st Smackdown & match overall since the Tag Team Gauntlet on 6/16/23 & 1st 2-on-2 since they lost to Imperium on SD on 1/27/23.
Interesting interaction with Jimmy Uso, AJ Styles, & then Jimmy & Solo Sikoa.
Good promo by AJ Styles. Styles VS Sikoa for the 1st time ever will be awesome. Interesting issues building with The O.C.
There were a few mistakes, but besides that a really good segment with LA Knight & The Miz. No one's perfect. I remember when Miz had to read the Diva's Search Voting Number from his hand & he still screwed up.
Is anyone else having audio issues with the announcers sounding all muffled & also the screen has gone to black a few times?
Shotzi VS Bayley was fun, but it was ruined by Charlotte Flair. There is no need for her be in the Women's Title Picture again. Let Shotzi wrestle IYO SKY next. FACT: This was Shotzi's 1st Smackdown since she lost to Bayley on 6/30/23, 1st time since then 2 1-named women wrestled each other, & was the 3rd 1-on-1 Match between them after Smackdown on 9/30/22 & 6/30/23, with Bayley winnng both matches until tonight. This was Shotzi's 1st 1-on-1 win since she defeated Shayna Baszler on Smackdown on 11/18/22 & 1st win overall since she & Raquel Rodriguez defeated Damage CTRL on Smackdown on 5/19/23.
Awesome video package on Seth Rollins VS Shinsuke Nakamura and it's the only main event on Payback, the way it should be.
OK, Charlotte Flair & Shotzi VS Damage CTRL, even though I don't want to see it, will be pretty good next week. And of course, John Cena's back on Smackdown for the next few months, but he won't be on the show next week in his hometown.
AJ Styles VS Solo Sikoa was an awesome match. I am intrigued by the ending & Jimmy Usos helping out his brother. I hope we get a feud between The OC & The Bloodline. I wouldn't mind a match between Styles & Roman Reigns. FACT: This was the 1st time that AJ Styles wrestled someone other than Karrion Kross in a 1-on-1 Match on Smackdown since he defeated Bobby Lashley on 5/12/23 & was Solo Sikoa's 1st match since he lost to Jey Uso on 8/4.

Here are my Smackdown Match Rankings:
1) AJ Styles VS Solo Sikoa
2) The LWO VS Austin Theory & Grayson Waller
3) Shotzi VS Bayley
4) Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn VS The LWO

Here are my Level Up Thoughts:

Riley Osbourne VS Javier Bernal was incredible. I'm glad that Osborne is now in NXT as he showed promise in NXT UK but was used as an Enhancement Talent. FACT: It was Osbourne's Level Up debut & 1st match since he was Josh Morrell when he lost to Dave Mastiff on NXT UK on 7/21/22. It was Javier Bernal's 1st Level Up since he lost to Dante Chen on 7/21/23. It was only his 2nd win in WWE after he defeated Primate on NXT UK on 7/7/22.
Good promo by Stevie Turner.
Stevie Turner VS Valentina Feroz was OK. It's good to see Stevie Turner back. FACT: This was Turner's Level Up debut & her 1st match overall since she defeated Dani Palmer on NXT on 1/31/23 & was Feroz's 1st Level Up sicne she defeated Lola Vice on 7/14/23, which was her last Singles Match.
Akira Tozawa VS Duke Hudson was an excellent match. I am happy that Tozawa is being used like this. The Global Heritage Invitational is perfect for him. FACT: This was Tozawa's Level Up debut & he is the 1st since Von Wagner on 1/12 & 1/13 to wrestle on both Main Event & Level Up in the same week. This was Hudson's 1st Level Up since he defeated Luca Crusifino on 7/28/23.

Here are my Level Up Match Rankings:
1) Akira Tozawa VS Duke Hudson
2) Riley Osborne VS Javier Bernal
3) Valentina Feroz VS Duke Hudson

Overall, a pretty good Smackdown. The matches were pretty good except for one that was too short. It sold me on Payback tomorrow though I was already excited for it.

[Deleted]

Sept 1, 2023 21:35:46 GMT -5 J is Justice said:

Sept 1, 2023 21:32:47 GMT -5 @vonwagner said:

What a LVL UP!!!

At least you got to see Shotzi win tonight, even though it was against one of your other favorites!

[asuka007]

Blair Davenports BF is pretty good

[gl83]

[Deleted]

Sept 1, 2023 22:22:10 GMT -5 gl83 said:

"She can stalk me as long as she wants!"

[J is Justice]

Sept 1, 2023 22:22:10 GMT -5 gl83 said:

Cry more, Bayley, hahaha!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spoiler}I still love you.