5 things WWE NXT Stand & Deliver got right
WrestleMania weekend kicked off this year with WWE NXT Stand & Deliver. The loaded event hosted some of the most high-profile matches of the year.
Carmelo Hayes defended his North American Championship in a ladder match against four superstars. Santos Escobar, Solo Sikoa, Grayson Waller, and Cameron Grimes challenged Hayes for the title at the show.
Tony D’Angelo looked to give Tommaso Ciampa a farewell to remember at Stand & Deliver. The two superstars put on a memorable match on Saturday. LA Knight looked to silence Gunther after the two men had a few backstage disagreements.
Mandy Rose put her NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Cora Jade, Kay Lee Ray, and Io Shirai. Plus, Dolph Ziggler defended his title against Bron Breakker at NXT Stand & Deliver.
The men’s and women’s tag team championships were also defended on the show. Imperium took on The Creed Brothers and MSK, while Toxic Attraction faced Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai.
Overall, the creative team did well to kick off this year’s WrestleMania weekend. With that said, take a look at the five things WWE got right on this year’s NXT Stand & Deliver.
#5. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez won the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships
The pre-show of WWE NXT Stand & Deliver saw Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne defend their tag team championships against Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez. The reunited best friends were all pumped up for the title match.
They fought off some early offense to get back in the contest. Kai jumped off Gonzalez to hit Dolin with a stomp for a near fall. They worked well together and kept making quick tags to keep the pressure on the champions.
Jayne fought back and worked on Kai for some time. The heels isolated The Captain of Team Kick before Raquel got another hot tag. The two teams kept trading the advantage before the champs hit Kai with the Toxic Shock. She kicked out to stay alive in the match.
Wendy Choo appeared to smack Dolin with a pillow before throwing her coffee in her face. She distracted the heels to allow Kai to hit a beautiful kick before Gonzalez finished her opponent off with the Chingona Bomb for the win.
Kai & Gonzalez got back together just a few days ago. However, the history between the two superstars coupled with their chemistry allowed them to pick up a big win.
Dolin & Jayne had a decent title reign that needed to come to an end soon. Kai & Gonzalez could help build some more tag teams on the roster in the weeks to come. Hopefully, they will get a longer title run this time around.
#4. Cameron Grimes finally won a title at NXT Stand & Deliver
.@CGrimesWWE has done it!!!!
#AndNEW #NATitle #StandAndDeliver https://t.co/MHSaHVJ6dN
Carmelo Hayes put his NXT North American Championship on the line in the first match of the main show. Cameron Grimes, Grayson Waller, Solo Sikoa, and Santos Escobar made their way out for the ladder match.
Hayes mocked his competition before the action got underway. Everyone attacked him before Trick Williams helped him escape the ring. Trick continued to play a big role in the contest as he tried to keep the other superstars away from Melo’s title.
Grimes and Sikoa teamed up for a little while in hopes of keeping the heels at bay. Sanga helped Waller in the contest and set up some ladders for him. Meanwhile, Legado del Fantasma looked to do the same for Escobar.
All five men continued to trade the advantage in the contest. Elektra Lopez distracted Sanga long enough for Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza to level him with dropkicks. Lopez then climbed the ladder to deliver a splash of her own to Waller.
After enduring a lot of punishment, Cameron Grimes hit Escobar with a springboard Cave-In before pulling down the championship. He finally won his first North American Championship in the process.
Grimes has been one of the brand’s top performers for some time. He deserved to win the title at NXT Stand & Deliver. It was a great match that protected the other men involved. The Technical Savage should get a good run with the title before he heads to the moon.
#3. Tommaso Ciampa had a solid last match at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver
#WeAreNXT ❤️
#StandAndDeliver @NXTCiampa @TripleH https://t.co/Q0AEkciLF3
Tommaso Ciampa made a memorable entrance for his match against Tony D’Angelo. The veteran was looking to write his own fairytale ending in what was expected to be his final match on the brand.
D’Angelo got down to business early and pushed Ciampa to the limits. Ciampa seemed desperate in the match as he rushed to gain control. Tony D hit a low blow but failed to put the veteran away.
The rookie kicked out of the Fairytale Endings to surprise The Blackheart and the WWE Universe. He even fought out of a Gargano Escape as Ciampa tried everything in his arsenal.
The former NXT Champion exposed the concrete outside the ring out of desperation. Tony D turned the tides and hit a DDT outside the ring before rolling Ciampa back in and kicking him in the head for the win at NXT Stand & Deliver.
It was a great match that gave D’Angelo a big push on the brand. It was also a great final match for Ciampa at NXT Stand & Deliver. He was embraced by Triple H on the stage after the match. The veteran will likely move to RAW or SmackDown following the contest.
#2. Gunther defeated LA Knight to emerge as a greater threat at NXT Stand & Deliver
.@Gunther_AUT stands tall at NXT #StandAndDeliver! https://t.co/7wZPYEj6ul
Gunther and LA Knight competed after Mandy Rose retained her Women’s Championship at NXT Stand & Deliver. The two men were looking to prove a point on the show.
Knight took control early but Gunther leveled him with a powerbomb on the apron. The Ring General used his strength to overpower Knight and applied a bulldog choke. He hit some thunderous chops to punish the Million Dollar Superstar and stay on top.
Knight kept making comebacks in the contest but Gunther continued to slow him down. The former went for the BFT late in the match but Gunther pushed him away. The former NXT UK Champion swatted him off the ropes and hit a dive before hitting a powerbomb for the win.
The match was more of a filler than anything else. However, it helped Imperium’s leader emerge as the next contender for the top championship. The Ring General needed the victory after Imperium’s loss at Stand & Deliver. He will likely aim for the top spot sooner rather than later.
#1. Dolph Ziggler retained his NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver
The main event of NXT Stand & Deliver saw Dolph Ziggler defend his championship against Bron Breakker. The latter was looking to win the title back from The Show Off.
Breakker took control of the contest early after Ziggler tried to get away from him. He pounded away at the champion before the latter retained control of the match.
Robert Roode got involved early in the match and the referee ejected him from ringside. This left the champion fighting Breakker on his own. The two men traded some signature moves to keep the action going.
Breakker kicked out of a Zig Zag late into the match, but The Show Off landed a Superkick and pinned him to retain his title. It was one of the biggest surprises of the night. Many fans believed that Breakker would take the title back home at NXT Stand & Deliver.
It looks like the 24-year-old could be moving to the main roster soon. It seems like the only smart move after losing clean to the veteran. Meanwhile, Ziggler will continue to compete against some newcomers before giving one deserving superstar the right rub before leaving the brand. It was his night at NXT Stand & Deliver.