This match is from the December 23rd edition of NXT LVL UP, and was recommended by Andrew. Brief clips aside, this was my first proper look at Charlie Dempsey, getting around eight minutes against Myles Borne, who debuted mere months ago. Before I get into the match itself, it’s worth noting that this is the developmental show’s developmental and everyone, including Dempsey, is still very much finding their way.
Nonetheless, I immediately like Dempsey’s presentation here. He walks to the ring with a palpable personality that both borrows from his father while pairing it with a slightly unsettling edge. It’s not quite natural yet but it’s there, which will be an interesting part of Dempsey’s development. By contrast, Borne’s persona has less shape and that’s fine, he’s a genuine rookie after all. He does do a backflip in his entrance, if you’re into that kind of thing.
It’s established early, both in-ring and on commentary, that there’s a stylistic overlap at play here. Both guys are comfortable on the mat but have clashing backgrounds, with Dempsey’s familiar British Catch Wrestling variant being challenged by Borne’s Folkstyle Wrestling. Works for me and with that in mind, they swiftly get to work, trading holds and wrestling for an early advantage. Dempsey already has some great detail work, revealing a clear target and offering a questionable tactic or two for good measure.
After struggling to take control on the mat, Dempsey slightly alters his approach, throwing a forearm before stopping Borne in his tracks with a headbutt to the stomach. Now in control, Dempsey returns to the arm that he wanted earlier, targeting that emerging weakness at every turn. There isn’t yet much to Borne’s selling but again, he is absolutely brand new so that will come. Don’t get me wrong, it’s there and Borne certainly isn’t ignoring Dempsey’s work, he’s just not adding much to it right now.
On the other hand, Dempsey is much further along in his journey and has a remarkable polish. In fact, he’s just about flawless here, with my only tiny gripe being that his strikes on the ground could pack a little more punch. His persistence on the mat is immense though, returning to the arm with such consistency, seamlessly establishing a trend while getting his style over in the process. In many ways, that’s the goal here after all, not just showcasing this style but actually proving its worth along the way.
Even opposite a grappler with credentials, Dempsey ultimately dominates, doing so with a very particular approach that allows him to immediately stand out. Nonetheless, Borne eventually powers himself off the mat, throwing some really nice punches afterwards and scoring a couple throws also. He then shows his inexperience, heading up top at the first sign of an advantage, allowing Dempsey to move and swiftly close the show with a Regal-Plex, beautiful bridge included.
This was very effective, further establishing who Dempsey is and giving Borne a chance to develop alongside him. Stylistically, this was very different to what I perceive as the norm in NXT, and a hilarious contrast with that setting. That’s a good thing for Dempsey though, as it’ll allow his approach to standalone. Borne has some exciting raw ingredients in his own right, so I’m sure I’ll see him again before long also.
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