WWE NXT Stand & Deliver 2024: The Review

Trick Williams faces Carmelo Hayes in the main event, Tony D’Angelo’s most important match against Ilja Dragunov, and more in the first PLE of WrestleMania weekend.

The Countdown:

Singles Match: Shawn Spears vs. Joe Gacy

Joe Gacy won by pinfall in 9:04

Both men made things work and delivered the right amount of hype before the main show. The rivalry wasn’t otherworldly, but it generated buzz amongst the fans and led to an engaging match. It’s sad to see Spears lose this early, but from Gacy’s perspective, he needed this win to bounce back from the string of downfall in recent weeks. Holland’s pre-match interruption and his whole take on this story feel weird still, and it could take time to see what’s in store for the former Brawling Brute.

Rating: 3/5

The Main Show:

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin [C] vs. Nathan Frazer & Axiom

Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin retain in 11:20

Despite a few mishaps, the synergy between these teams was amazing. Wolf Dogs are growing so well as a duo, creating an energetic dynamic that most makeshift teams lacked in on the long haul. Frazer & Axiom fit the same description but brought a more frenzy nature of two diverse acrobats. That’s why I had them winning the titles here so that the transition of Bron to SmackDown would be smooth. Now that the result wasn’t in favor of the challengers, it creates an immediate intrigue on what’s next for the champions.

Rating: 3.5/5

NXT North American Championship Match: Oba Femi [C] vs. Dijak vs. Josh Briggs

Oba Femi pinned Josh Briggs to retain in 15:01

Phew! The heart of Big E would be filled with satisfaction after witnessing this hellacious fight of “Big Meaty Men Slapping Meat”, and that’s what I expected. Every person had their chance under the spotlight, and they killed it like there was no tomorrow. Dijak is a specialty in matches like this where the stakes are high and the barriers are huge to hurdle. His performance is undoubted, but the showings of Briggs and Oba must be praised. Briggs walked in as the dark horse and stayed the same, and the champion himself stepped up higher than anticipated in such a short time. The meteoric rise of Oba continues, and there wasn’t any form of disappointment within the fans.

Rating: 4.25/5

Six-Woman Tag Team Match: Thea Hail, Fallon Henley & Kelani Jordan vs. Jacy Jayne, Kiana James & Izzi Dame

Thea Hail made Izzi Dame tap out in 11:41 for the victory

I was rooting for this match to be the catalyst for cooling down the audience, and it certainly was! No disrespect to the talent involved, but, this story didn’t break the ceiling like other rivalries. From the start of the Hail/Jayne friendship, it was meant to travel this path and I’m glad that both picked the right cohorts to infuse in this story to hide the amateur shades of Izzi and Hail to an extent. Kelani took a lot of damage, which worked very well as part of her character as the undermined starter. The winning way was a surprise that matched well with Thea’s energy.

Rating: 3/5

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Lyra Valkyria [C] vs. Roxanne Perez

Roxanne Perez won by submission in 16:18

Unlike the previous matches, this started slow with an underlying layer of Lyra walking into this match less than a hundred percent. The limb work on Lyra’s arm was well focused and executed by Roxanne, and props to Lyra for her selling. As the clock ticked, they transitioned to a fast pace, started to trade blows, and felt more connected with the fans. The interference of Tatum was expected in one way or another, but it didn’t resonate well with the story. Roxanne’s title victory needed so much after bringing the shift in her character, and at a young age, the accolades on her resumé speak volumes.

Rating: 3.75/5

NXT Championship Match: Ilja Dragunov [C] vs. Tony D’Angelo

Ilja Dragunov won by pinfall in 17:05

The buildup to this match was extremely intriguing, and I didn’t anticipate an instant classic; all I rooted for was a breakout party for D’Angelo through the main event scene. Thanks to the intensity brought by both men, this match certainly became the party and let every one soak in his caliber. The moments were spot on, the action was equally delivered, and the emotions were expressed excellently. If it weren’t now, the stars would certainly align for D’Angelo in the future, and Dragunov’s reign has reached its peak here.

Rating: 4/5

Singles Match: Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes

Trick Williams won by pinfall in 14:46

Considering the monstrous build, I’d say on behalf of the fans that the expectations were sky-high for this showdown. As much as I loved the ‘relaxed rules’ condition being the theme of the match to let them loosen up, the benefits would’ve been even better if it had a wild stipulation. In addition, the match length was arguably cutthroat as the hype was enormous. Nonetheless, the magnitude was felt, the action was kept to a minimum without going too hard because of Trick’s grow-up process, and I firmly believe that the rivalry is far from over.

Rating: 4/5

Overall Match Rating: 3.5/5 Overall Show Rating: 8/10

Match of the Night: Oba Femi vs. Dijak vs. Josh Briggs Highlight of the Night: Giulia’s classic appearance Weak Link of the Night: N/A

Overall Thoughts

In recent memory, NXT’s work in building matches ahead of the upcoming PLE has been commendable despite taking a few bumps in the journey. However, the quality of the event is undeniable, and Stand & Deliver is no different. From the highly energetic tag-team opener to the emotionally superior main event, every match had a reason to be on the card, and nothing overstayed. The North American three-way was the best match, a supercharged hoss fight between three of the meatiest men in NXT’s current crop. To add more sauce, the surprise appearance of Giulia, a former superstar in STARDOM in classic TakeOver style. Other than the excitement of her presence, the major takeaways would be the anticipation of the next steps for the champions who walked out and the main event storyline’s consequence.

What are your thoughts on the show? Chime it in the comments section below!

Until next time, enjoy wrestling and life!