NXT Stand & Deliver Review

My review of NXTs Stand & Deliver Premium Live Event

WrestleMania weekend kicks off with NXT Stand and Deliver.

The Kickoff Show:

8-Person Tag Team Match for Control of Chase University – Chase U (Andre Chase, Duke Hudson, Tyler Bate & Thea Hail) vs Schism (Joe Gacy, Jagger Reid, Rip Fowler and Ava Raine)

Chase and Fowler start the match, Chase getting the better of Fowler. Fowler tags in Reid and he gets very little offence. Chase tags in Bate and he beats down Reid, hits a European Uppercut and gets a nearfall. Hudson tags in, but there appears to be a breakdown in communication between Chase U. Hail tags in and Raine enters the match but she instantly tags Gacy in before the women can come to blows. Chase enters the match and gets taken down by Gacy.

Gacy very dominant, but Chase able to fight back and tags in Bate. Hudson doesn’t seem very happy at all. Chase and Bate double team Gacy, Bate goes for a pin and gets a nearfall. Raine tags in and so does Hail. Raine getting the advantage over Hail but Hail able to come back with a flurry of strikes. Hail hits a somersault senton and a springboard. She covers Raine and gets a nearfall as well. Reid and Bate now in the match. Bate hitting Reid with some unique strikes. Fowler tags in, him and Reid double teaming Bate, hit him with a flapjack. Fowler with the advantage but Bate is able to come back and hits Fowler with a stalling vertical suplex. Gacy and Chase tag in.

Chase clears the apron of Schism and hits Gacy with a body slam. Bate tags in and hits a rebound lariat. Reid and Fowler attack Bate and send him out of the ring. Hudson has seen enough! He runs into the ring to attack Reid and Fowler, he hits a Bionic Elbow on Reid. Raine now in the ring and she hits Hudson. Hail enters the ring and tackles Raine. She hits Reid with a satellite DDT. Bate attempts a Driver 97 but Gacy counters. Hudson accidentally hits Bate with a big boot. Gacy hits a handspring lariat, goes for the pin but Chase breaks it up.

Schism now dominating Chase U. Hudson gets between Schism and Chase U. He stares down Gacy. Reid gives Gacy a Schism shirt and Hudson takes off his Chase U shirt, takes the Schism shirt from Gacy and puts it on! Schism hug Hudson. Hudson rips off the Schism shirt and both teams start brawling. Chase U take out Schism, stomping them and spelling out “Chase U” with every stomp. Hudson and Chase hit the Fratliner on Reid and get the pin. Well, that was a pretty good match. The in ring debut of Ava Raine and it was good. An enjoyable kickoff match. Grade C+

Stand and Deliver begins Now!

Match 1: NXT Women’s Championship Ladder Match. Roxanne Perez vs Zoey Stark vs Gigi Dolin vs Indi Hartwell vs Tiffany Stratton vs Lyra Valkyria.

Perez trying to take out her competition but she is soon thrown out of the ring. Stark and Stratton exchanging blows but Hartwell takes them out. Hartwell attempts to bring a ladder into the match but is stopped. Dolin uses a ladder to crush Perez into a corner. Plenty of brawling on the outside. Hartwell fighting with Stark and Stratton. In the ring, Lyra sets up a ladder but gets pulled off the ladder by Stark.

Lyra and Stratton now fighting on top of the ladder but both get sent to the mat. Hartwell in the ring and boots Stark out of the ring. Hartwell sets up a ladder and she and Stratton climb. Perez sends Hartwell to the mat. Hartwell then knocks Stratton and Perez off the ladder. Dolin then smashes Hartwell into the ladder. Dolin puts the ladder on her shoulders and takes out all the other women. Lyra gets hung up on a ladder in the corner. Stark attempts a crossbody on Dolin, but Dolin ducks and Starks crashes into Lyra. Dolin sets up a ladder, but gets taken out. Stratton and Perez fight over the ladder. They climb the ladder and exchange blows. They both fall to the mat. Stratton again climbs the ladder but Hartwell pulls her off. Hartwell hits a spinebuster onto a ladder and then begins to climb but Stark pulls her off the ladder.

Stark hits Hartwell with the ladder repeatedly. She then sets up another ladder, perpendicular with the already standing ladder. Stark climbs the ladder and grabs the title, but Perez stops her from pulling down the title. Perez pulls Stark off the ladder. Stark attempts a back suplex but Perez counters with a Canadian Destroyer. Perez attempts another Canadian Destroyer, this time on Stratton, but Stratton counters. Perez takes Stratton out of the ring. Perez climbs the ladder, grips the title but Dolin pulls her down from the ladder. Dolin smashes Perez into the ladder and hits a Crucifix Bomb. Dolin climbs the ladder and so does Lyra. They begin to brawl. Lyra gets thrown to the floor. Dolin attempts to grab the title, but Jacy Jayne appears to stop Dolin winning the title!

Stratton climbs the ladder but is stopped by Hartwell, sending her crashing to the floor onto Lyra and Stark. Hartwell can’t seem to climb the ladder, but Dexter Lumis appears from under the ring and helps Hartwell climb the ladder and win the title! A very good match. Very hectic! I am loving the continuation of the rivalry between Jayne and Dolin. Nice to see Indi finally win the big one. Grade B

Match 2: NXT Tag Team Championship Match – Gallus vs The Creed Brothers vs The D’Angelo Family.

A chaotic start to the match, various tags, brawls and breaking up pin attempts. The D’Angelo family getting the better of the Creed Brothers, but they get pulled to the outside by Gallus. Creed Brothers fly to the outside, taking out everyone. The straps come down! Brutus and Julius double team Wolfgang and then celebrate with Daniel Cormier who is sitting at ringside. Brutus throws D’Angelo around. Coffey takes out everyone and tags in Wolfgang. Wolfgang hits Brutus with a huge senton. He powerslams D’Angelo. They trade blows. Julius tags in, belly-to-belly on D’Angelo then Wolfgang, then Coffey. Stacks tags in and takes out everyone. He hits a diving crossbody on Julius and gets a nearfall. Julius fights back, gets both Coffey and Stacks onto his shoulders for a Double Doomsday Device. Everyone is down!

Back in the ring, D’Angelo hits a spinning fisherman buster on Julius. Stacks hits a diving splash, Coffey makes the save, breaking up another pinfall. D’Angelo and Stacks hit Coffey with a Bada Bing Bada Boom and get a nearfall. Gallus hits their finish on Stacks, getting the pinfall and retaining their titles. A very good match. Another hectic one, but enjoyable. Grade C

Video package hyping the return of Cora Jade.

Backstage – Pretty Deadly are outside Bron Breakker’s dressing room.

Match 3: NXT North American Championship Match – Wes Lee vs Dragon Lee vs JD McDonagh vs Axiom vs Ilja Dragunov.

Wes Lee in the middle of the ring, everyone staring him down. A brawl ensues. Dragunov & McDonagh sent to the outside. Lee, Axiom and Dragon Lee all showing their athleticism with some acrobatic offence. McDonagh and Dragunov chop Axiom and Lee in the corners. Dragon Lee clears the ring and takes out McDonagh. Dragunov then takes down Dragon Lee with a strike. Dragon Lee comes back with dropkicks. Lee avoids a splash from Axiom. Axiom and Lee hit stereo dropkicks. Dragon Lee hits a Tope Con Hilo onto Lee and Axiom.

Back in the ring, Lee and Dragon Lee exchanging blows. Lee getting the better of Dragon Lee. Dragunov runs in, but Lee manages to avoid a suplex. Lee sends Dragunov into a corner. A missed dive to the outside is recovered quickly and McDonagh is hit with a superkick. Axiom sent to the floor. McDonagh hits an Enzui Lariat. Dragon Lee levels McDonagh. McDonagh then levels Dragon Lee. McDonagh and Axiom get into it, with McDonagh getting the better of Axiom. McDonagh hits a moonsault to the floor.

McDonagh and Dragunov come to blows, Dragunov getting an assist from Dragon Lee and Axiom. A triple dropkick to McDonagh. Dragunov unleashes on Axiom, Lee and Dragon Lee. He delivers a series of high suplexes. He hits a King Kong Knee Drop on Dragon Lee and then proceeds to attack Lee, hitting a Death Valley Driver. Dragunov hits Lee with a diving senton. He climbs the ropes but is sent to the outside. McDonagh also sent to the outside. Axiom hits a Golden Triangle Moonsault on Dragunov & McDonagh. Lee and Dragon Lee fighting on the top rope, Axiom joins them but is sent to the canvas. Dragon Lee hits Lee with a Hanging Double Stomp to the floor.

Back in the ring, Axiom hits tandem offence on Dragunov and McDonagh. Axiom locks in an Ankle Lock on Dragunov but it is broken up by McDonagh. Axiom hits McDonagh with a superkick. Axiom stretches Dragunov, Dragunov chokes McDonagh. Dragunov and McDonagh headbutt each other. Dragon Lee gets in on the submission action but is thwarted by Dragunov as he powerbombs Axiom onto them to break up the submission. Dragunov goes for a pin, but Lee breaks it up with a dive. All five men now with a flurry of offence, ending with Dragunov getting a nearfall on Dragon Lee. Dragon Lee hits a sitout Last Ride on Lee for a nearfall.

McDonagh takes out Axiom and Dragon Lee, getting a nearfall. Axiom then hits a handspring DDT, getting a nearfall. Another flurry of offence ends with all the men on the outside. Dragunov hits Axiom with a deadlift superplex. A sliding strike gets Dragunov a nearfall. Even more chaos ensues, Lee and Dragunov hit Dragon Lee with their finishers, but Lee able to take advantage and gets the pin, retaining his title! Oh my! Absolutely amazing match. These men are phenomenal. Grade A

Backstage Segment: Pretty Deadly are told by Trick Williams that “Hollywood ain’t ready, Bron Breakker ain’t ready”.

Match 4: Unsanctioned Match Johnny Gargano vs Grayson Waller

The fight begins during Gargano’s entrance. Waller gets thrown over the announce table. Waller thrown back into the ring, and Gargano begins collecting weapons. Gargano hits Waller with a Springboard Spear. He hits Waller with a trash can and wedges it into the corner. Waller gets thrown out of the ring. Gargano attempts a suicide dive but Waller hits him with a trash can lid. Waller grabs lots of chairs. Begins setting them up. Waller takes Gargano to the apron. Gargano fights out of a Death Valley Driver. He counters a somersault stunner. Waller powerbombs Gargano into the trash can in the corner. Gargano counters another powerbomb. Gargano suplexes Waller from the apron, through the chairs on to floor. Gargano gets Waller back in the ring.

Gargano gets a table from under the ring and sets it up. Waller counters a slingshot spear with a knee to the face. Waller hits a rolling elbow. Gargano able to get the better of Waller and takes him to the outside. He lays Waller on the table, climbs the top rope but then climbs down. Waller able to recover and hits a somersault stunner and powerbombs Gargano through the table. The match is back in the ring and Waller pins Gargano who kicks out at 2. Waller with chairshots to Gargano. Waller and Gargano trading blows. Waller hits a spinning side slam through a steel chair. Waller attacks Gargano with a kendo stick. He then taunts Candice LaRae and Quill at ringside while beating up Gargano. Waller lays Gargano on the ring steps and grabs a chair. Gargano able to evade. Gargano attacks Waller with the kendo stick. Candice give Quill to someone and jumps the barricade and attacks Waller with a kendo stick. Gargano gets Waller back into the ring and gets a nearfall. Gargano locks in the Gargano escape but Waller able to rake Gargano’s eyes to escape the hold. Waller gets a new trash can and puts it over Gargano’s head. He hits a coast to coast on Gargano and gets a nearfall. Waller lays Gargano on the announce table and puts a chair over his face. Waller climbs to the top rope and Gargano throws a chair at Waller. Gargano powerbombs Waller through the announce table. Waller hits a low blow and gets Gargano back into the ring, getting another nearfall. Waller again attacks Gargano with a steel chair. Gargano hits Waller with a low blow and hits him in the back with a chair. He gets a new chair and continues the assault on Waller. Gargano wraps a chair around Waller’s neck and hits a home run with another chair. He locks in the Gargano escape and Waller submits. Absolutely brilliant match! I don’t know what else to say about it. A quick, heated rivalry brought out a brilliant match. Grade A.

After the match, Gargano celebrates his win with Candice LaRae, Dexter Lumis and Indi Hartwell.

Backstage Segment: Pretty Deadly get into a scuffle with D’Angelo and Stacks.

Match 5: NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match – Fallon Henley & Kiana James vs Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn

A brawl breaks out during the entrances. Fyre and Dawn able to get the early advantage, but Henley and James able to come back. Henley tags in, attacking Fyre but gets grabbed by Dawn. Neither team able to get the advantage. James and Henley able to co-exist and save each other, even with the friction within the team. Fyre and Dawn are definitely the more dominant team in regards to teamwork. After a flurry of offence, both teams are down. James crawls to the ropes and asks Jenson to give her the purse, but he refuses. Fyre and Dawn hit a backstabber and a swanton bomb combination and get the win! Fyre and Dawn are the NEW NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions. Not that impressive of a match, especially following the previous matches. A bit of a let down. Grade D.

Main Event: NXT Championship Match – Bron Breakker vs Carmelo Hayes.

A lock up, and another lock up. Bron on the advantage. He grabs Hayes around the waist and slams him. Bron taunts Hayes. Hayes able to use his speed to his advantage and takes down Bron with a dropkick. Bron drops Hayes with a shoulder tackle. Hayes slips up attempting a springboard and Bron takes advantage. Hayes tries again and Bron able to avoid. Bron hits Hayes with a Frankensteiner, a stalling suplex and gets a nearfall on Hayes. Bron alligator rolls Hayes around the ring, Hayes tries to escape but Bron holds on. Hayes fights to his feet but Bron keeps the hold and tosses Hayes. Hayes fights back and hits Bron with some stomps. He hits a springboard crossbody and gets a nearfall on Bron. Hayes locks in a Fujiwara Armbar, Bron struggles to get a roll-up counter. Hayes takes Bron into the corner and chops Bron. They begin trading chops. Bron manhandles Hayes and gets a nearfall.

Bron tries to stretch Hayes and drags him to his feet. He hits a big back suplex and again gets a nearfall. Hayes manages to counter a back suplex. Bron attempts a Torture Rack, but Williams pulls Hayes to the apron. The ref sends Williams to the back. Bron leaps over the top rope and hits a Tope on Williams and Hayes. The match gets back into the ring, Bron hits a diving bulldog and gets a nearfall. Bron stomping Hayes. Hayes hits a tilt-a-whirl facebuster on Bron, followed by a cutter. He gets a nearfall. Hayes climbs to the top rope but Bron able to avoid the splash. Hayes hits Bron with a pump kick. Bron to the apron. Hayes hits a springboard suplex into the ring and gets another nearfall. Hayes climbs to the top rope, but Bron is able to recover and hits a top rope Frankensteiner. Both men struggle to their feet. They trade slaps. Bron takes Hayes down to the mat, Hayes counters a Steiner Recliner. Hayes locks in a cross face, Bron counters with a roll-up for yet another nearfall.

Bron hits a spear on Hayes but the ref gets taken down too. Bron locks in the Steiner Recliner and Hayes taps, but there is no ref. Williams slides back into the ring and hits Bron in the back of the head with the title belt and lays Hayes on top of Bron but only gets a nearfall. Bron attempts a gorilla press slam, Hayes counters, he climbs the top rope, hits Bron with Nothing But Net for the pinfall! Carmel Hayes is the NEW NXT Champion! A decent match, but nowhere near the best on the card. I’m not a massive fan of Bron, but this match wasn’t too bad. Grade C-

After the match, Bron presents Hayes with the title and there is a show of respect. Bron raises Hayes’ hand.

Overall, a great start to Mania weekend. Some absolutely brilliant matches, some not so good ones, but it doesn’t take away how good the show was. I’m even more excited for night one and two of WrestleMania now.