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The first night of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver hosted some great matches. MSK defied all odds to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions just weeks after winning the Dusty Rhodes Classic Cup. Will the Grizzled Young Veterans continue to stay in the title picture following another loss?
WALTER chopped his way to victory over Tommaso Ciampa and showed his dominance once again. Has Imperium forgotten why it came back to NXT?
Io Shirai failed to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Raquel Gonzalez just days before WrestleMania. Can Gonzalez replicate Rhea Ripley's reign in NXT?
Bronson Reed outlasted five other men to become the #1 contender to the NXT North American Championship. He now has the chance to win his first title in WWE. Will The Colossal overcome Johnny TakeOver at Stand & Deliver?
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The first night of TakeOver left fans asking many questions. Let’s take a look at the five biggest questions from the first night of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
#5 What does the future hold for KUSHIDA after NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver?
KUSHIDA got a match against Pete Dunne for NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. While the story for this match did not have much development, fans expected both men to put on a great performance on the first night of the event.
Dunne and KUSHIDA did just that by delivering a great opener to set the mood for TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. KUSHIDA matched Dunne’s aggression and fought through the pain of his fingers being snapped.
The former NXT UK Champion was able to put KUSHIDA away with a Bitter End to back his claims of being the best technical wrestler in the world. Dunne got what he wanted while KUSHIDA once again failed to pick up a victory.
The Japanese Superstar has only won two singles matches since the beginning of the year. He has performed well in every match he’s been in, but it’s unfortunate that he fails to pick up the victory whenever it matters the most.
Why does KUSHIDA keep losing in big matches? What does the future hold for him?
Japanese Superstars such as Io Shirai, Asuka, Kairi Sane and Shinsuke Nakamura have done well over the past couple of years. However, KUSHIDA has failed to deliver in big matches.
Will NXT creative allow him to get a major push and reach the top of the brand anytime soon?
#4 Why was Dexter Lumis held back at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver?
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver hosted a Gauntlet Match on the first night to determine the #1 contender to the NXT North American Championship. Johnny Gargano was not too happy about defending his title at the event, but William Regal was not going to let the heel off the hook.
Dexter Lumis was among the six competitors who took part in the Gauntlet Match. Considering his recent rivalry with Gargano, Lumis would've been the best choice to win the contest.
But instead of giving him a chance to proceed to the NXT North American Championship match, WWE awarded Bronson Reed the victory. Reed has been outstanding in NXT and deserves all the chances he gets.
But why was Lumis held back from the North American Championship, especially considering his rivalry with The Way? The Tortured Artist was perfectly positioned to dethrone Gargano at TakeOver and win his first title.
Lumis has suffered a few setbacks in his NXT career. He suffered an injury at a time when he was the favorite to win the North American title after it was vacated by Keith Lee. This could have been the perfect time to award him a title reign before giving him a major push.
#3 Where was Timothy Thatcher at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver?
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver saw WALTER defend his NXT UK Championship against Tommaso Ciampa. Imperium arrived back in NXT and looked to recruit Timothy Thatcher into their faction.
However, Thatcher’s partner, Ciampa, stood up for him. The Blackheart also challenged Imperium’s leader for the NXT UK Championship.
The match between the two men turned out to be great. Both the NXT Superstars delivered a wonderful performance that helped them showcase why they’re considered the best in WWE.
Everything went according to plan for WALTER, who overcame Ciampa in the contest and retained his NXT UK Championship. But where was Timothy Thatcher?
Some fans expected Thatcher to show up and help either WALTER or Ciampa in the contest. But the superstar did not show up at all. Why did NXT keep the main person of interest away from this big match?
Thatcher could have either joined Imperium or gone against WALTER in the contest. However, the match was purely about the NXT UK Championship with no mention of Toothless Timmy. Has NXT decided to change plans? Or is Thatcher out with an injury?
#2 Should The Grizzled Young Veterans go back to NXT UK after losing at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver?
The Grizzled Young Veterans (GYV) impressed with their teamwork in NXT UK. The duo won the NXT UK Championship before heading to NXT last year. GYV came close to winning the Dusty Rhodes Classic in 2020 but were outdone by Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne in the finals.
The GYV did not give up and stayed on top of the tag team division. James Drake and Zack Gibson once again reached the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Classic in 2021, but lost to newcomers MSK.
Drake and Gibson have made several tall claims in their build-up as heels. Yet, they failed to win the NXT Tag Team Championships at TakeOver: Stand and Deliver.
Should the two men head back to NXT UK where they can get back in the brand’s tag team titles picture? Have the major losses dented the team’s overall reputation?
There is no doubt that The GYV are among the best tag teams in WWE today. However, the loss at TakeOver could take them out of the NXT Tag Team Championships picture for some time. Will it be better for the duo to return to NXT UK for a while?
#1 Is Io Shirai ready for the big league after NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver?
Io Shirai suffered the biggest loss of her WWE NXT career at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Her 304-day reign as the NXT Women’s Champion came to an end at the hands of Raquel Gonzalez.
Gonzalez had a great 2020, and she continued the momentum well into 2021. This prompted Shirai to pick Gonzalez as her challenger for TakeOver. However, she failed to overcome the powerhouse even though she delivered a massive splash from the top of the 20-foot skull on the stage.
Shirai has had an excellent run and title reign on NXT. Is she ready to head to the main roster now?
Rhea Ripley recently moved to RAW and immediately challenged Asuka for the RAW Women’s Championship. Will WWE move Shirai to SmackDown to bolster the women’s division of the blue brand?
The Genius of the Sky could end up having a few major rivalries on SmackDown before fueling a partnership or rivalry with Asuka.
