NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night One Results - New Champions crowned; Ciampa and WALTER steal the show
It's time for the first night of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night One. Three Title Matches took place tonight, including a triple threat to determine the new NXT Tag Team Champions.
Io Shirai defended the NXT Women's Title in the main event against Raquel Gonzalez. However, we got a special surprise prior to the match, as new signee Sarray appeared in the audience with Stephanie McMahon, eager to scout out the best that the division had to offer.
WALTER would also defend his NXT UK Title against the Psycho Killer himself, Tommaso Ciampa. If you were expecting a hard-hitting, all-out slobber knocker of a war, that's exactly what you'd get. Ciampa and WALTER delivered a match of the week contender.
All that and so much more. We kicked the night off with Pete Dunne and Kushida, who both aimed to prove who was the greatest technician in NXT.
Pete Dunne vs Kushida at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Kushida and Pete Dunne went right to the mat, both looking for quick submissions. Dunne avoided a cross armbreaker and narrowly escaped a sliding leg trip. Kushida countered a heel hook, transitioning from STF to surfboard to an attempt at an armbar.
Dunne slid to the floor as Kushida went for his handspring back elbow, taking out his arms and dropping him on the apron with an X-Plex. The former NXT UK Champion snapped Kushida's arm in between the ropes, adding some extra pressure to the fingers for good measure. This technical showcase turned into a slugfest between the two before Kushida hit his snapmare/dropkick combination.
Dunne avoided a dive to the elevated entrance ramp, but the handspring back elbow finally connected. Kushida followed with that running kick to the exposed arm that sent Dunne inside the ropes. As the Japanese star entered the ring, Dunne went for a leaping guillotine. Kushida blocked and rocked Pete with an enzuigiri.
A third handspring back elbow was countered by Dunne, who caught NXT's Time Splitter with an over-the-shoulder arm breaker, snapping Kushida's fingers in the process. The Japanese star only fired up from this and took Dunne down for a series of stomps to the back of the head.
A Falcon Arrow connected, but Kushida's cross armbreaker was blocked by Dunne. Kushida blocked one of Dunne's attempts as well and hit the wind-up punch to put a stop to the nonstop action.
The Bruiserweight was taken to the top rope, and Kushida managed to hit a top-rope hoverboard lock, falling all the way to the mat. Somehow, Dunne was able to drag himself to the ropes, but another armbreaker was quickly locked in.
Dunne, again, got to the ropes and used them to stand up. That was a bad decision, as Kushida landed on that arm with a double knee drop.
A Hoverboard Lock was once again locked in, but Kushida couldn't keep Dunne away from the ropes. Dunne caught another right hand, snapping the index finger. The double-handed stomp connected, and Dunne eventually hit the roundhouse.
The Bitter End bounced Kushida off the mat, and that was all she wrote.
Results: Pete Dunne defeated Kushida via pinfall at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Grade: A
Anyone that watched this one probably wanted this to go a bit longer. Still, it was what fans wanted out of these two. What a way to kick off this two-night extravaganza.