WWE NXT Level Up results: Channing Lorenzo vs. Oro Mensah

This week’s WWE NXT Level Up was taped before Tuesday’s NXT with Sudu Shah and Byron Saxton on the call.

Thea Hail (w/ Andre Chase & Duke Hudson) defeated Dani Palmer

Hail picked up a win over the debuting Palmer. You could tell this was a match between two less-experienced wrestlers, but that’s what Level Up is here for. It was fine by this show’s standard.

This was Palmer’s Level Up debut. According to commentary, she is a three-time national champion in acrobatics and tumbling representing Baylor University. It’s Baylor vs. Chase U tonight, although at this point I would like both schools’ chances against Texas A&M. Palmer shook hands with both Chase and Hudson on the floor before locking up with Hail.

Hail worked on Palmer’s arm with Palmer trying to use her athleticism to get out of Hail’s holds. She eventually got out with both women crashing into each other with a crossbody attempt. Hail fought out of an abdominal stretch and strung some offense together, including a big throw into the corner. 

After a slight stumble, Hail hit a springboard senton and a big facebuster for the win. They showed Hail missing the ropes on the springboard on the replay, even though this show is taped and they could have edited it out to begin with. Alas, Hail won.

– It’s time for the weekly Kelly Kincaid interview, which I will now be calling Kincaid’s Korner. She talked to another Level Up newcomer, Oba Femi. He gave his background and how he got a scholarship from the University of Alabama to throw shotput. He also talked about how he threw that shotput around like LSU threw Alabama around the field a couple of weeks ago. (He didn’t say that, I added that part.)

Dante Chen defeated Oba Femi

This was Femi’s Level Up debut, and he accounted for himself well. His power spots impressed the crowd, and he didn’t look out of place.

Byron Saxton read off some of Femi’s weightlifting stats, all boiling down to the fact that this man is exceptionally strong. He showed off his strength by hammering Chen with an uppercut and tossing him around the ring with ease. A one-armed backbreaker from Femi got a near fall. He then locked Chen into the dreaded bearhug before shutting down a flurry of offense from Chen with another uppercut.

Femi went back to the bearhug as the camera focused on the bruises on Chen’s back. Chen slipped out and avoided another uppercut. He dodged a big elbow drop and fired off shots, finally knocking Femi down with a springboard forearm. Chen hit two Steamboat-style double arm chops for a near fall, hitting a third one for the win.

Channing Lorenzo (w/ Tony D’Angelo) defeated Oro Mensah

Mensah is very talented and a highlight of Level Up whenever he’s on. I’m not a fan of the D’Angelo family act as it’s very corny and played out. But Lorenzo’s work here was just fine.

D’Angelo joined Shah and Saxton on commentary, shouting encouragement to Lorenzo at points. Mensah sent Lorenzo running out of the ring after hitting a backflip off of Lorenzo’s chest and some arm drags. Mensah kept control after some upkicks and a squash against the ropes, but Lorenzo baited him into the corner and sent him into the ringpost.

D’Angelo is not very quick on commentary as you could hear him searching for answers in his head after being asked a question by Shah. Meanwhile, Lorenzo worked on Mensah’s arm, reversing a roll-up into a Rings of Saturn-type hold. Mensah fought out, winning a strike exchange with a big lariat.

A no-hands springboard moonsault from Mensah fired the crowd up, and a springboard dropkick sent D’Angelo off of commentary to try and distract him. It didn’t work as Mensah hit a rolling Capo kick for a nearfall. Mensah went for another springboard move, but D’Angelo popped him with his crutch. Lorenzo then hit a curb stomp with his knee to win.