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In addition to two nights of WrestleMania, NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver will also be a two-night affair. Prior TakeOver events have taken place on a single night with a card of approximately five matches.
With four titles on the brand, it often meant that at least one titleholder would not make the card. The creation of the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships pushes that total to five titles on the black-and-gold brand.
With the switch to a two-night TakeOver, it means that every title on the black-and-gold brand will be defended.
Having two back-to-back nights for TakeOver isn't necessarily a bad idea. NXT has arguably one of the best rosters in all of professional wrestling. NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver will allow the bookers to highlight more talent from the NXT roster in different types of matches.
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Over the last two weeks, several matches for the event have either been announced or alluded to on television. Finn Balor vs. Karrion Kross is already booked for NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. LA Knight and Bronson Reed have been circling each other ever since the former showed up on NXT. Io Shirai will defend her title in the main event of Night 1.
Dexter Lumis will likely challenge Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Championship while Tommaso Ciampa will battle Imperium in some form. There will also be an NXT Cruiserweight Championship unification match between Jordan Devlin and Santos Escobar.
With two nights of a showcase, NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver has the opportunity to highlight many stars of the black-and-gold brand. All of the titles should be defended, but the challengers are not all set in stone.
Since the likes of Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly have been staples of NXT, they'll likely wrestle at the pay-per-view. Here are five other NXT Superstars who deserve a match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
#5 Candice LeRae could finally win gold at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Once Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon won the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships from Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez, the women's roster was shown celebrating backstage. That was, however, with the exception of Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell.
LeRae has been one of the top women in NXT for the better part of four years. She's had fantastic efforts in matches against Io Shirai (twice) and both of her WarGames appearances. With all of those efforts, however, she hasn't yet captured a title in NXT.
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver is a significant showcase where Candice LeRae could finally accomplish that goal. While it would be strange to have another quick title swap, LeRae deserves a title victory. She's been an integral part of NXT and has helped everyone else look better on the black-and-gold brand.
#4 LA Knight's in-ring pay-per-view debut should be at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
It's been apparent from the get-go that LA Knight will be a future NXT Champion. It won't happen at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, but he should still wrestle at the pay-per-view.
Fans who have followed IMPACT Wrestling know how good Knight is on the microphone. His ability to annoy people is equally balanced by his skill to make the fans laugh. Stars who have this type of charisma in promos don't get lost in the shuffle too often. Most professional wrestlers are passable on the mic, but Knight is in the upper echelon of stars with great promo skills.
Knight had his debut match for NXT earlier this month. His NXT in-ring debut could have been against Bronson Reed due to Knight interfering in Reed's recent match against Cameron Grimes.
Instead, Knight faced August Grey while Reed appeared on the entrance ramp to destroy Knight's blue jacket. That segment will likely set up a match between the two performers at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
The match should paint LA Knight as a major player going forward. It will, however, likely come at the expense of another talented performer in Reed. Reed doesn't need his words to make a point but is an imposing obstacle in anyone's path. If Knight cheats to win, it would also protect Reed in the process.
The title picture in NXT has mainly included Balor, Kross, Cole, O'Reilly, and Pete Dunne. Some new names need to be infused into the NXT Championship scene and Knight would be a perfect foil for a babyface Champion after NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Reed is willing to stick up for smaller guys like Leon Ruff and Drake Maverick, but perhaps he needs to turn heel. After all, one only needs to look at what a heel turn has done for the likes of Roman Reigns and Apollo Crews.
Big names newer to NXT usually win their first major match in a TakeOver setting. Since NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver will be that stage for LA Knight, expect him to win and brag about that fact if he dispatches Reed.
It could also be somewhat of a send-off for Bronson Reed if he is to join the main roster following WrestleMania 37. Reed's potential loss to Knight at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver could propel both men in different directions and possibly on different brands.
#3 Isaiah "Swerve" Scott could break out with a performance at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott is in a strange position in NXT. He doesn't have a match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver at the moment but has been feuding with Leon Ruff. While a win over Ruff won't necessarily propel Scott into the main event, it could be the first step towards moving up the card.
Swerve will hopefully experience more success as a heel than he has had as a face in NXT. He's also in a strange spot on the black-and-gold brand as he technically qualifies as a cruiserweight. His matches, however, haven't been restricted to that division.
Like Daniel Bryan, Finn Balor, and Ricochet, Scott is a talent that transcends weight classes. He unsuccessfully challenged Santos Escobar for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship and has been in random feuds since that loss. That's why he must have a match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
A brief angle with Jake Atlas led to a pairing in the 2021 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. They lost in the first round and went their separate ways soon after. At the moment, neither has a match booked for NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Scott's whole character presentation seemed like it would be better suited for a heel since "Swerve" meant confidence. Confidence is good for any superstar, but that type of swagger usually suits an arrogant heel like The Miz or Carmella much better.
Someone like Swerve, who is extremely talented in the ring, needs a feud or two to truly get over as a big deal in NXT. That can start with a meaningful match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
A showdown with Leon Ruff is all well and good but it won't make a dent in the hierarchy of NXT. A big win over someone like Roderick Strong or Kushida would mean a big deal for Swerve.
Dexter Lumis might take the NXT North American Championship from Johnny Gargano at the pay-per-view. Scott would be a perfect opponent for Lumis whether he wins the belt or not.
He's too talented to be sitting in a recording studio each week. The former scenario might be to sell his new character, but Swerve needs a big match - and a big win - at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
#2 Pete Dunne must have an open challenge for NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver seems like the perfect spot for someone to answer Pete Dunne's open challenge. After falling to Finn Balor earlier this year, Dunne had to go back to the drawing board. He's still one of the best performers in all of NXT and he reminded everyone of that with a recent win over Jake Atlas.
He claimed to be the best technical wrestler in all of wrestling and proceeded to lay down an open challenge for anyone. Several people could answer that challenge including Kushida, Tyler Rust or someone new to NXT.
Kushida has put forth some technical marvels, including matches against Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. He's one of the bigger names in NXT and should also have a featured bout at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Will these two cross paths soon?
Dunne's group has lost a bit of momentum after losing at WarGames. Pat McAfee hasn't been around to brag about his team, leaving the group looking less formidable. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch were also forced to relinquish their titles this week due to an unfortunate injury to Burch.
It would be a huge draw if Dunne met someone in the Fight Pit at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. There aren't any gimmick matches announced for NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, so a brawl in the Fight Pit would offer NXT fans a different type of bout on the card.
If he wasn't going to have a big fight during WrestleMania week, then he wouldn't be receiving some spotlight in NXT. He also wouldn't have laid out an open challenge. These segments have been booked to re-establish Dunne as one of the most dangerous men in all of NXT.
Dunne has battled Roderick Strong on a few occasions, so perhaps Roddy could accept the challenge. He hasn't been on NXT television for a few weeks following an attack at the hands of Adam Cole.
Regardless of who Pete Dunne faces at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, he should have a technical showdown at the pay-per-view.
#1 Toni Storm needs a rebound performance at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Toni Storm made the big move from NXT UK to NXT in 2020. She's one of the top women in NXT and needs a big match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Storm has technically lost two big matches to Io Shirai and needs a showing where she shines on the big stage. That should happen at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
The three biggest faces currently in the women's division are Ember Moon, Shotzi Blackheart, and Shirai. All three women, however, are Champions in NXT and are destined for different opponents. While Storm could have had more feuds by also staying a face, she's a heel. Because of that, there are not a lot of feasible pairings on her plate.
There are a few potential Superstars that would make sense. One potential angle for Storm could be against a debuting Taya Valkyrie. If the latter is set to be a babyface then NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver is the place to book her debut.
That debut would need a worthy opponent and Storm certainly fits that description. Win or lose, that would qualify as a big-time match for the former NXT UK Women's Champion.
Another newer NXT star that has been turning a lot of heads is Zoey Stark. She's had great matches with Shirai and Kai and has impressed everyone. Since she's technically a newbie and a face, Stark would be a perfect opponent for Storm at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
A match between the two would give both women a proper showcase on a big stage. It could also prove that the hype around the exciting new star is real.
Another possibility would be a match against the Japanese star Sarray. A vignette for her arrival aired on last week's episode of NXT. She was finally able to travel to the USA due to some travel restrictions being lifted during the pandemic. That could translate into a loss for Storm since it would be Sarray's debut, but it would still be a high-profile showdown for both women.
A big match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver could also lead to rekindling a brief feud against Mercedes Martinez. Martinez has been absent from TV but is one of the bigger names on the NXT roster.
Whatever it takes, Storm needs a good showing at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Will she get back on track or take another high-profile loss?
