NXT Stand & Deliver Preview & Predictions
This weekend marks the 40th Anniversary of the biggest spectacle in all of Sports Entertainment and Professional Wrestling. It’s that time again for the Grandaddy of them all, the Showcase of the Immortals – it’s WrestleMania XL! Just when I thought that this brand known as WrestleMania couldn’t get any bigger, and it just continues to up the ante. This WrestleMania weekend has become so big that all of the Independent promotions, and even from International promotions all flock to the city that it’s held in, which in this case, is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I thought I would write a little preview of what I expect and what I hope for, for this weekends festivities as it pertains to NXT.
As most of you will know, NXT has their biggest show of the year ‘Stand & Deliver’, which takes place earlier in the day on WrestleMania Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center, and if the last year of NXT has taught me anything – it’s that people have been sleeping on this product for a long time because currenttly NXT is my favorite Pro Wrestling product. This years Stand & Deliver will certainly be a sure fire classic, and here’s what I think, and what I am hoping for. The difference being, clearly I want certain results, but I’m going to also talk about what is more likely going to happen.
Shawn Spears vs. Joe Gacy (NXT Stand & Deliver Countdown Show)
What I think will happen:
This was the last match thrown on the card, and it’s on the Countdown Show, which is fine, because it makes the Countdown show worth tuning in for. I do however think they could have added at least 2 matches to the Countdown, because I think Blair Davenport vs. Sol Ruca should have been on this card, and I thought Gigi Dolin and Arianna Grace should have had a beauty pageant with Meta Four as the Judges or something like that. Anyway, I think Joe Gacy will pick up the win here, and the feud will continue till it has a blow off stipulated match at a future special.
What I want to happen:
Shawn Spears really needs to pick up a needed win. He’s made Ridge Holland take his ball and go home, he lost a big match to Dijak – you can still continue the feud in some way, but I want Spears to gain some momentum before the inevitable where he starts putting people over on a consistent basis because I think he’s mainly back in NXT to help the younger talent and isn’t necessarily there for his own success. I say this because he is 43 years old and I think after this he will transition into being a Coach at the WWE Performance Center.
Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Tony D’Angelo: Singles match for the NXT Championship (Stipulation: Singles match for the NXT Championship)
What I think will happen:
I have a feeling that somehow, someway Ilja Dragunov is going to walk out of Stand & Deliver still the NXT Champion. I only base that off the fact I am pretty sure Roxanne Perez is going to win the NXT Women’s Championship, and just can’t see 2 title changes on this show. This is a bold move by me to decide this and there’s a good chance I am going to be wrong.
What I want to happen:
I think Ilja’s run has been fantastic, but the thing is, Tony D’Angelo has been working so hard for years there in NXT and with his ‘Family’ backing him up, the newly formed stable with his consigliere, Luca Crucifino, his #2 being Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, and the lovely Adriana Rizzo – this is a group that I would love to see be the focal point of NXT weekly television, so a Tony D title victory is what I want to see this weekend!
Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker (c) vs. Nathan Frazer and Axiom: Tag team match for the NXT Tag Team Championship (Stipulation: Tag team match for the NXT Tag Team Championship)
What I think will happen:
To be perfectly honest, I was so confused that Nathan Frazer and Axiom won the tournament to face Breakker and Corbin at Stand & Deliver. I was certain Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, The O.C, were going to face The Wolf Dogs here and take the belts and have a short run as champions in NXT before heading back to the Main Roster when they finally have something legitimate for them to do there. Bron Breakker is surely going to be full time on Smackdown soon – so this one leaves me baffled. I think Nathan Frazer and Axiom are going to win this somehow, because they have already lost to The Wolf Dogs before. Why do this again for the same result?
What I want to happen:
I want The Wolf Dogs to retain the titles and keep the run going. They have been really gelling well as a force together in NXT and it just doesn’t seem right to end that yet, in my wrestling fandom heart of hearts. This was the most confusing one for me.
Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Roxanne Perez: Singles match for the NXT Women’s Championship (Stipulation: Singles match for the NXT Women’s Championship)
What I think will happen:
If I had to venture a guess, I just have a feeling Roxanne Perez is going to beat Lyra Valkyria in this match and win the championship back. She was having a run last year before she randomly had to vacate the belt after ‘fainting’ during a match early last year, which I still don’t entirely understand…. I just see her walking away with the title here, much to my chagrin.
What I want to happen:
Lyra Valkyria shuts her up and Tatum Paxley helps Lyra get the victory to keep their duo going strong, as Tatum has slipped on a few banana peels as of late, and she needs to prove that she is of use to Valkyria. The Roxanne Perez character has been annoying me for nearly a year now, and if she becomes a heel Champion… grrr! That will not go down well with me. Lyra, in my opinion, could use a longer title reign considering she beat Becky Lynch for it.
Oba Femi (c) vs. Dijak vs. Josh Briggs: Triple threat match for the NXT North American Championship (Stipulation: Triple threat match for the NXT North American Championship)
What I think will happen:
Oba Femi will show his dominance, Oba Femi will destroy the field, Oba Femi will continue on his unstoppable run whilst also making his opponents look good, and Oba Femi will certainly retain the NXT North American Championship.
What I want to happen:
Oba Femi will show his dominance, Oba Femi will destroy the field, Oba Femi will continue on his unstoppable run whilst also making his opponents look good, and Oba Femi will certainly retain the NXT North American Championship. Oba has a heck of a future ahead of him and I am super excited to see where he heads in his career.
Thea Hail, Fallon Henley, and Kelani Jordan vs. Jacy Jayne, Kiana James, and Izzi Dame: Six-woman tag team match (Stipulation: Six-woman tag team match)
What I think will happen:
I firstly want to say I am really happy that this match is taking place on Stand & Deliver. I think all these ladies earned their spot on this card, and it’s going to be a great match. I particularly feel like Fallon Henley has improved SO much this past year, Kiana James has really come onto my radar with her great character work and in ring work. Kilani Jordan is a star of the future, from day dot she impressed me with her athletic ability. Thea Hail has been an absolute joy since she joined Chase U, and certainly knows how to entertain. Izzi Dame is a newbie, but her improvement over the past few months has been evident after a shakey start on NXT LVL Up last year, in my opinion. I think that Jacy Jane will get a pinfall victory over Thea Hail in this match, which will lead to a showdown between the two of them at a later date on an NXT Special in a blow off match.
What I want to happen:
I don’t really know what I want, because I am such a fan of the baddies. I won’t be fussed with the result either way. I do think the heels PROBABLY should go over, but it is a joyous sight seeing Thea, Fallon and Kilani celebrating. This is a real tough one, but through writing this paragraph, I’m going with the bad girls.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams: Singles match (Stipulation: Singles match)
What I think will happen:
This is a huge deal considering where we were when NXT was revamped, and the team of Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams has been a welcome team in NXT – a staple of NXT if you will. They spent so much time building this story before the inevitable heel turn. It has truly been probably the most long drawn out, meaningful stories that they have ever told in NXT. I think Trick Williams is going to triumph and finally step out of Carmelo’s shadow, and I think it will be one and done – I think Carmelo will leave NXT after losing to Trick and will end up showing up on Monday Night RAW.
What I want to happen:
I pretty much want to see Trick Williams pick up the big win here too, but I would like the feud to continue through the year before Carmelo does get drafted to the Main Roster. I have no doubt this match will probably go 20-30 minutes in length, it’s been set as the Main Event, above all title matches. This is probably one of the most important matches in NXT History.
Final Thoughts:
NXT will always have a bright future. The way they have things running down there in the Performance Center is certainly working. Look at all these young athletes coming through the ranks and delivering the goods. I already mentioned Kilani Jordan, but this Jazmyn Nyx was terrific the other week! Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe, Je’Von Evans is an absolute freak, Dani Palmer, Sol Ruca – these young athletes are all so impressive and they have only JUST BEGUN! This goes to show the concept of changing the way they run their developmental program instead of relying on aging Independent Talent who won’t be coached because they think they already know everything – it works. I have been so excited by NXT over the last year and it’s just great that there is weekly episodic Pro Wrestling that I can sink my teeth into and enjoy for the first time since the early 2000’s.
