WWE kicked off WrestleMania weekend with a historic NXT Stand & Deliver. Over 16,000 fans packed Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center to witness some of the biggest stars from the White and Gold Brand in action.
Between Guilia’s first live WWE appearance to Ava’s groundbreaking reveal of the Women’s North American Championship, NXT Stand & Deliver was a night full of emotions, excitement, and unforgettable action.
But, before we dive into the right, let me just tap my shoulder because I correctly predicted the outcome of four of the six matches from NXT Stand & Deliver’s main show.
Okay, let’s continue.
Joe Gacy vs. Shawn Spears – NXT Stand & Deliver Kickoff Show
Shawn Spears returned to NXT in the lead-up to NXT Stand & Deliver. The former Tye Dillinger made his return at the expense of Ridge Holland. Spears would soon enter into a rivalry with the unpredictable Joe Gacy.
The two superstars collided on the kickoff show for Stand & Deliver. Gacy was attacked by Ridge Holland with a steel chair before the opening bell. The unexplained assault left everyone, including Spears, baffled.
Despite the initial setback, Gacy managed to pick up the win with The Upside Down. A fun, little sprint that set the tone for the main show. I was personally rooting for Spears to win, but giving Gacy the win in the city he grew up was the right booking decision.
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Two teams with completely different set of styles collided to determine the fate of the NXT Tag Team Championship. The defending champions, Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin, found themselves taken out by the high-flying duo of Axiom and Nathan Frazer before the opening bell.
The challengers worked at an extremely fast pace, but the champions found ways to counter their offense. Bron, in particular, displayed his impressive athleticism and strength. The way he sprinted to take out Axiom with a running clothesline was unbelievable.
All four men feed off of the crowd’s energy to deliver a great match. Corbin effortlessly countered Axiom’s offense to hit him with the End of Days. Bron followed through with a devastating spear to Frazer, allowing Corbin to pick up the win for his team.
NXT North American Championship Triple Threat Match
Oba Femi, Dijak, and Josh Briggs, in my opinion, delivered the match of the night at NXT Stand & Deliver. This might as well be among the earlier contenders for NXT Match of the Year in 2024. All three men went out and completely stole the show with their performance.
The champion looked like a monster when he made his way to the ring. Props to Oba for standing his ground against two veterans of the ring. And then there’s Josh Briggs. The former tag team specialist delivered arguably his best match thus far in NXT.
Briggs took out both Dijak and Oba by chokeslamming the former on the latter onto a chair. This was a major nod to Dijak versus Keith Lee from NXT TakeOver: Portland 2020. Vic Joseph was right when he said this match was the coming out party for Briggs.
As for Dijak, this match is a reason why they call him NXT’s “Mr. PLE.” Dijak showed tremendous strength when he carried Briggs and walked a few steps for a chokeslam. Speaking of strength, the electric chair spot was awesome.
And the final spot was a thing of beauty! Oba could be the greatest NXT North American Champion if he continues to walk this path.
Team Hail vs. Team Jayne at NXT Stand & Deliver
General Manager Ava called women the backbone of NXT after a solid six-woman tag team match. Thea Hail, Kelani Jordan, and Fallon Henley took on Jacy Jayne, Izzi Dame, and Kiana James. All six women did a great job picking up the action following the epic triple threat.
There were some missed spots but, overall, it was an entertaining match-up. Thea picked up the win for his team after she made Dame tap out with her submission maneuver. Fallon seemed cut off from the celebration after the match.
A heel turn in the making maybe?
NXT Women’s Championship match
Roxanne Perez fully embraced her dark side in the lead-up to NXT Stand & Deliver. The Prodigy injured Lyra Valkyria’s arm in a ruthless assault. The champion walked into the match with her arm taped to sell the injury.
The two women worked a slow, more methodical match compared to the rest of the matches from the night. Roxanne worked Lyra’s injured arm throughout the outing to weaken the champion.
The Tatum Paxley angle was inevitable but I felt it was underused. The diversion ultimately cost Lyra the NXT Women’s Championship. NXT teased a potential Roxanne versus Guilia match by showing the latter right after the title win.
NXT Championship Match
This was a fight in every sense of the word. Ilja Dragunov has this unique ability to make every match he’s in mean something. The Czar told the Don of NXT he always finds a way in the lead-up to NXT Stand & Deliver.
Both men spent nearly 18 minutes beating the life out of each other. Tony dished out some nice offense. The Don of NXT knew he would’ve to match the Mad Dragon’s intensity inside the squared circle.
There was a spot where Stacks tried to interfere but Tony stopped him. It took Ilja three H-Bombs to retain his NXT Championship. Both men showed respect to each other with a handshake after the brutal fight.
The main event of NXT Stand & Deliver
History was made in the main event of NXT Stand & Deliver. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams became the first two black men to main event an NXT PLE. This was truly a great moment to witness between the two former best friends.
Trick was the hometown hero in this match. The 2023 NXT Iron Survivor entered the arena to over 16,000 people chanting, “whoop that trick.” Both men showcased great chemistry inside the squared circle.
What I don’t get is the match stipulation. If it was a NO DQ match, then why did both referees stop both men from using the steel chair? Ava had told the official to use his digression to determine a winner. On paper, that means anything goes until there’s a winner, right?
The second issue I had with the match was that it felt way too short for a payoff. It took a single running knee from Trick to put away Melo. The match should’ve gone 20 minutes or more.
Anyways, the Trick Williams era is upon, and I can’t wait to witness Trick vs. Ilja II for the NXT Championship.
Did you enjoy NXT Stand & Deliver? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
