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NXT Stand & Deliver (2022) -- Results & Afterthoughts

The 2022 NXT Stand & Deliver was the second annual Stand & Deliver professional wrestling live event produced by WWE. It was held primarily for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event was available to stream through Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network internationally. It took place on April 2, 2022, as part of WrestleMania Weekend at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

The event took place on the same day as Night 1 of WrestleMania 38, and had a special start time of 1 p.m. Eastern Time. Although this was the second Stand & Deliver, it was the first to not be held as an NXT TakeOver event, as that event series was discontinued when NXT became NXT 2.0 in September 2021 and reverted to being WWE's developmental territory. This was also the first NXT event to be held outside of Florida since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Seven matches were contested at the event, with one match featured on the pre-show. In the main event, Dolph Ziggler defeated Bron Breakker to retain the NXT Championship. In other prominent matches, MSK (Nash Carter and Wes Lee) defeated previous champions Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) and The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) to win the NXT Tag Team Championship, and in the opening bout, Cameron Grimes defeated previous champion Carmelo Hayes, Santos Escobar, Solo Sikoa, and Grayson Waller In a five-way ladder match to win the NXT North American Championship.

Tag Team Match for the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship

Raquel González and Dakota Kai defeated Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne) (c) by pinfall

I didn't see this match at all since I didn't watch the preshow, but I did see who won from the replay/highlights later during the rest of the show. Cool that Wendy Choo came out to lend a hand before the finish.

Fatal Five-way Ladder Match for the NXT North American Championship

Cameron Grimes defeated Carmelo Hayes (c) (with Trick Williams), Santos Escobar (with Joaquin Wilde, Raul Mendoza and Elektra Lopez), Solo Sikoa, and Grayson Waller (with Sanga)

This was a very exciting opener with a lot of fun spots. It felt a lot like TLC II from WrestleMania X-7 with the managers, valets, and other miscellaneous allies/partners getting involved in the action. I felt that Santos Escobar and Solo Sikoa were the MVPs of this match, but everyone delivered as far as I was concerned here.

In the end, I was glad to see Grimes pick up the win, despite the fact that I wasn't a fan of how forced his story about his father was being played up for the last few weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if they call up Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams to the main roster sooner more than later.

I will be surprised if Grayson Waller isn't injured from that coast to coast dive onto the ladders setup as a bridge at ringside.

Cameron Grimes is going to take the NXT North American Championship TO THA' MOON!!

Singles Match

Tony D'Angelo (with AJ Galante) defeated Tommaso Ciampa by pinfall

I hate to say it but this was Ciampa's most boring TakeOver match to date. It definitely wasn't a strong note to end on. I don't even blame that on him either. Whoever thought that Tony D would be a great opponent for him to do the honors for didn't see how much of a complete mismatch this was in terms of opponents. I dare say this was as much of a mismatch as teaming Kyle O'Reilly with Von Wagner in KOR's last feud before departing for AEW. Ciampa dominated like 90% of this until D'Angelo turned the tables into his favor with Ciampa really not getting much in afterwards.

Sucks to see Ciampa go out on a weak note like this. I thought it was pretty cool that Ciampa did a homage to Triple H with his ring entrance by spewing water. Triple H would come out and show his respect and appreciation at the end of this match by giving Ciampa his personal endorsement.

Let's just hope his run on the main roster is MUCH better than this.

Triple Threat Tag Team Match for the NXT Tag Team Championship

MSK (Nash Carter and Wes Lee) defeated Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) (c) and The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) (with Malcolm Bivens and Ivy Nile) by pinfall

This was another fun match, but I felt that MSK and Imperium completely overshadowed Diamond Mine's Creed Brothers. It was to the point where I almost completely forgot that they were in this match at points. I understand they are the least experienced of the three times vying for the titles, but it just felt like they were regulated into the spot of the Authors of Pain as when and where spots allowed them to cooperate/contribute into the action.

After this match, I'm so ready to see other teams feud with each other other than MSK and Imperium - both of which who I'm surprised haven't been called up to the main roster. I'm anxious to see the big reveal on who attacked the Creed Brothers too. I find it a little too convenient that Roderick Strong has been nowhere to be found for weeks during the Creed Brothers' matches.

As for MSK winning, I'm beyond caring about them having their "moment". They won the Dusty Tag Team Classic last year and the past year since has been the sluggish narrative for them to get the NXT Tag Titles back. Great, they got them back, so now what? I'm ready for these guys to make me care about them again or to reinvigorate themselves like Trey Miguel has done in their absence over in IMPACT Wrestling.

Fatal Four-way Match for the NXT Women's Championship

Mandy Rose (c) defeated Cora Jade, Kay Lee Ray and Io Shirai by pinfall

After hearing that Toxic Attraction's Gigi Dolin and Jacey Jane lost the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles earlier to Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzales, I thought it was going to be a complete sweep for all of Toxic Attraction to lose their gold tonight. Boy, was I wrong. Mandy Rose ended up retaining against all three of these women.

I should have known that Cora Jade wasn't winning shit when they went out of their way to give a special entrance for the show tonight with all of those skaters coming out, only for her to BARELY be able to ride her board out onto the stage. Like c'mon gurl, give up this skater chick gimmick if you legitimately can't ride your board. Everytime she makes her entrance, she looks terrified on that thing. In comparison to the other women in this match, her offense looks laughly weak too. I just can't buy into her being a "threat" in any shape nor form.

I was personally fine with Mandy retaining as I honestly don't see the big fascination with Kay Lee Ray, I really don't think Cora's ready for that spot yet as she's still farely new (plus they wouldn't have made this into a fatal 4 way if they thought her and Mandy could have carried this match on their own...), and Io Shirai is at the point of overstaying her welcome on NXT too. I know people don't want to hear it but I'm ready for her to be called up to the main roster, especially if Asuka's cleared to come back into the ring. They would make for a great tag team or even rivals for each other if they want to pull the trigger on that. WWE, don't make the same mistake you did before you lost Kairi Sane back to Stardom by not giving us a Asuka vs. Kairi match until she was about to head out of the door. You could get some mileage out of Io against Asuka for a few events if you play your cards right. I'm just sayin'...

Singles Match

Gunther defeated LA Knight by pinfall

Much like with Ciampa with D'Angelo, I thought this was ~~Gunther~~ WALTER's worst TakeOver match to date. It's not that LA Knight is an awful opponent. It just felt like a clash of styles with little to no chemistry between them. This match for a mostly boring match for wide stretches of it with the only saving grace being that they continue to keep WALTER strong with a win here.

LA Knight is LONG overdue for a call up to the main roster. I don't get what the hold up is at this point. It's either now or never as he's not getting any younger...

Singles Match for the NXT Championship

Dolph Ziggler (c) (with Robert Roode) defeated Bron Breakker by pinfall

I thought this was fine for what it was worth. Great back and forth action, with Ziggler clearly leading Breakker throughout this match. The fun of this match was constantly guessing who would win, even though I was convinced that Breakker was getting the title back here after Ziggler kept eating Spear after Spear after Spear. Somehow Ziggler cheated destiny and snuck away with another win over Breakker, thanks to Roode's cheating antics. I was really surprised that Ziggler would retain here, but this decision would play out two nights later on the Monday Night RAW after WrestleMania (April 4, 2022), where Ziggler would lose the title right back to Breakker in a rematch on that broadcast.

I have to give Ziggler props where it's due though. He's been on a career renaissance here in NXT as the flag bearer while holding that championship. The video packages for him and Breakker, namely Ziggler's that highlight his beginnings of his career to now, was simply incredible. Both Ziggler and Roode have gotten that much needed fresh coat of paint by coming down to work with the NXT roster. I just hope that it's not going to end after WrestleMania and they go right back up to RAW doing next to nothing like they have been prior to this feud.

Closing Thoughts

For the first big TakeOver-style event for NXT 2.0 since the brand re-launched with this reboot/revamp of sorts to much criticism over the last few months, I thought this show was fine for it was that served as an adequate appetizer for what was to come from WrestleMania Night 1 later that evening. I still don't understand why WWE couldn't have aired this on Thursday evening instead of flooding the airwaves with this show first thing on Saturday morning? It's was already a packed weekend as is and would have given a few more of these events over this packed weekend some time to breathe. At the end of the day, this is a show that's not going to win over any new viewers/fans of the NXT 2.0 product if you haven't been a fan following along already, but not a bad point of entry either. Just keep in mind that this is a show that won't be setting the world on fire and you won't be disappointed if you keep your expectations low.

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