NXT Stand & Deliver (2024) -- Results & Afterthoughts

Kick-Off: Singles Match

Joe Gacy defeated Shawn Spears by pinfall

I remember putting the replay of this show on when I got home late Saturday evening and listening to the bulk of the kick-off/preshow only to look up at the entrances for this match, along with the pre-match attack by Ridge Holland. I thought Holland had retired or whatever a few weeks ago. So does this mean that he's sticking around?

Tag Team Match for the NXT Tag Team Championship

Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker (c) defeated Axiom and Nathan Frazer by pinfall

Nothing against anyone in this match, but I thought this belonged on NXT's regular TV tapings instead of being a TakeOver match. That being said, it was a solid opener - just not one I would pick to start this PLE, especially not one for kicking off WrestleMania weekend for WWE. 

This match was essentially a highlight reel for Axiom and Nathan Frazer, lesser so for Bron Breakker, who is being called up to the main roster full-time to the SmackDown! brand as of this posting. He gave his farewell address after he and Corbin lost the tag titles on NXT's post-PLE episode this week. I think that is for the best as he has done all that he could over in NXT without losing more of his luster. I hate to say it, but Breakker is definitely not as a bright spot as he was this time last year when he and Carmelo Hayes were main eventing Stand and Deliver 2023. I hope that is going to change on the main roster where they should have a coherent plan in place for him in the wake of the Bloodline storyline dominating all of the main roster's air time. 

Triple Threat Match for the NXT North American Championship

Oba Femi (c) defeated Dijak and Josh Briggs by pinfall

I get how people love to see these "big hoss" fights with three big men going at it "slapping meat" as the phrase goes, but it comes off as boring to me in the modern landscape of professional wrestling. Majority of this match came down to Briggs and Dijak fighting each other one-on-one for long stretches until Oba Femi came back into the mix for the finish where he powerbombed Dijak on top of Briggs to pick up the win. I could only shake my head at the fact that Dijak was robbed of another big title win at a TakeOver special, despite beating Joe Gacy a few months ago in a non-title match. That dude can't catch a break at all when it comes to these big matches as he always drops the ball when it matters the most. 

That being said, I can't be too surprised as NXT seems to be really high on Oba Femi, who isn't bad at all, but I can't see him losing the North American title anytime soon until they have a proper challenger lined-up and even then, I could only see him losing it when he's in one of these multi-person matches where he can lose and not be involved in the losing pinfall or submission. 

Six-Woman Tag Team Match

Fallon Henley, Kelani Jordan, and Thea Hail (with Chase University (Andre Chase, Duke Hudson, and Riley Osborne)) defeated Izzi Dame, Jacy Jayne, and Kiana James (with Jazmyn Nyx) by submission

As much as I'm happy to see Thea Hail go back to her explosive, fiery babyface antics, this was a nothing burger of a match. Much like the men's tag team match that opened this show, this was another match that could have been on NXT's following TV taping. I get it though, they wanted to give their rising stars on this brand something to do on their biggest show - in front of their biggest crowd no less - for WrestleMania weekend. Was Jazmyn Nyx legitimately hurt since she was standing around at ringside with her arm in a sling or was she merely selling the submission from Thea Hail the week prior? I didn't hear commentary mention anything about that. 

I honestly could see Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley getting called up to the main roster in the upcoming WWE Draft in a few months. Both solid workers and I could see them fitting in with the current crop of ladies on the main roster. Thea Hail could use a little more time on NXT despite having so much experience at such a young age. Kiana James and Izzi Dame still need something else before I think they are main roster ready. People gush over Kelani Jordan but I still don't see it. Out of dozens of women in modern wrestling who do flips, she doesn't stand out to me at all. Maybe if she gains some sort of a personality or character, I'm willing to change my opinion on her but she definitely needs to stick in NXT longer. 

Singles Match for the NXT Women's Championship

Roxanne Perez defeated Lyra Valkyria (c) by submission

I feel like this was the match that we should have gotten at the previous PLE before Lola Vice cashed in her Breakout Tournament contract to insert herself into that title match. Roxanne has really won me over with this heel turn, but I swear she needs to reel it back in a bit in terms of making it too obvious that she's imitating her idol AJ Lee. It irks me the wrong way, much like how Alexa Bliss was copying and imitating Trish Stratus' mannerisms and inflections while speaking down to the finest detail when she started her heel turn. It's cool to have people that inspire you from the past, but don't become a carbon copy of them. 

I'm split on whether or not I would call these two up quite yet. Roxanne is on the cusp of getting this heel turn over and I think she still has some mileage in terms of this second, proper run with the title after complaining that it was the title that she never lost for well over a year now. Plus, she's still young and still has some bad habits that she needs to iron out before getting called up - calling spots loudly is definitely up there along that "C'mon!" cringe attempt to fire up the crowds. The latter isn't going to be problem while being a heel currently, but I'm just saying. Lyra still has some mileage as she's got a built-in feud with Tatum Paxley waiting for her - who has turned on her officially on the post-PLE TV taping this past week. That could easily spill into a Women's North American Championship tournament if there's one to crown that first champion since that title was revealed on this show. They will definitely need to pad that division with more heavy hitters to accommodate for two singles titles for the women on that brand.

In all honesty, I think Guila - who was shown sitting with William Regal and Bull Nakano at ringside at the start of this match - who should be the first holder of that belt and have a lengthy reign with it, much like Asuka before her. Guila's got one hell of an impressive resume from her tenure in Stardom alone and I'm excited to see what she does under WWE's umbrella. That's one hell of a free agent signing that I'm sure Tony Khan is fuming at the gills that he missed out on. 

As for this match, I'm fine with Roxanne dethroning Lyra as they could easily come back to this match down the road as this heel Roxanne still has some room to grow as she continues to cook this gimmick. Lyra on the other hand has room to grow her persona as I don't think she doesn't need to change much in her in-ring game before getting called up, which could be sooner than later if I'm being honest. 

Singles Match for the NXT Championship

Ilja Dragunov (c) defeated Tony D'Angelo (with The D'Angelo Family (Adriana Rizzo, Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo, and Luca Crusifino)) by pinfall

This was one match that I was baffled why it was even one of the two main events on this card period. I honestly can't believe that this wannabe Sopranos/Godfather gimmick with Tony D as "The Don" is still a thing even after we have moved on from the NXT 2.0 days of stereotypical and silly, cartoonish gimmicks. Instead, NXT is still has the foot on the gas for this being a thing while adding more members to the faction to boot. Tony D is a solid worker and I think he's better off doing something better than this with his talents as this gimmick feels like career death on the main roster if he's called up anytime soon. I'm personally having deja vu back to Riddick Moss being paired with Tino Sabbatelli as the God Gifted Athletes when they were still on NXT as a tag team. That didn't work out, especially after Sabbatelli was released from the company but Moss was called up to the main roster as Happy Corbin's sidekick, "Mapcap" Moss. After the comic gimmick tanked, he turned face and worked back as Riddick Moss before him and his girlfriend, now wife, Emma/Tenille Dashwood were released from their WWE contracts last year. I see Tony D following a similar cycle with these stupid gimmicks. Great in-ring talent doesn't always save you from bad booking and/or creative stupidity. I'm just sayin'. 

As for this match itself, I can't say anything other than its what we've come to expect from your typical Ilja match. Ilja gets some nice shots in and heavy hitting blows in, only to absorb a punishing beating from his opponent while selling his ass off that he is in agony blow for blow, only to muster the strength to land the deciding factor the retain the title in the end. There's nothing wrong with that formula, but definitely the wrong opponent for WrestleMania weekend, especially when you compare how loaded that NXT title match was for the 2023 Stand and Deliver. This year, it's playing second fiddle to the non-title grudge match between Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes. 

Singles Match

Trick Williams defeated Carmelo Hayes by pinfall

The big selling point for this match and better yet, this entire event was that this match was the first ever NXT main event headlined by two black men. There's nothing wrong with another feather in the cap "for the culture" but I feel that this was the wrong match to cap this show off. This match should have been for the NXT Championship. I get maybe they didn't want to take the title off of Ilja quite yet but I personally think he should have been main roster bound AGES ago. They should have found a way to get Carmelo to win the title back at one of the shows that led to Stand and Deliver and have Trick have his crowning moment then. Alternatively, they could have billed this match as a triple threat match with Ilja in the middle. That way Melo gets another shot at the gold and Trick does too while Ilja is in the middle as the cornered animal, ready to bite back. 

What we got here was fine and good, especially with the early interactions with Trick's family in the crowd at the start of this match while they were brawling around the arena. When they finally took the action to the ring that's where I felt the excitement in this match cooled off a bit, despite Melo working the knee that he targeted on Trick from his heel turn at the previous PLE. All of that being said, the right man won and they sent the NXT crowd home happy. Can't really complain about that one. My only gripe was that I wish they ended a hook to get people tune in next week. It felt like a missed opportunity. 

Where does Trick and Melo go from here? I'm hoping that Melo gets called up to the main roster during the WWE Draft to be honest. By that point, he should be wrapping up his feud with Trick Williams, hopefully in a match where Trick goes over to win the NXT Championship. Trick is primed and ready to be the NXT Champion. It's just a matter of time when they want to have Ilja drop that title to him in a possible rematch.