NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver Night 1 Preview - New champions guaranteed; Will Io Shirai finally fall?

Modified Apr 07, 2021 07:18 GMT

It's time for the two-night special NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver

NXT Women's Championship: Raquel Gonzalez vs. Io Shirai (c)

Few women have had the run at the top that NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai has. Shirai has held the title for 303 days and counting, giving her the fourth-longest reign in the brand's history. The only NXT Superstars ahead of her right now are Paige, Shayna Baszler, and Asuka.

Shirai has also beaten everyone on the NXT brand that it has to offer. Toni Storm, Mercedes Martinez, Zoey Stark, Candice LeRae, Rhea Ripley, Shotzi Blackheart, Dakota Kai. The list goes on. Shirai even defeated SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks at NXT Great American Bash over the summer.

.@shirai_io's track record speaks for itself. 😈 Will The #GeniusOfTheSky be able to retain her #WWENXT #WomensTitle against @RaquelWWE in the main event of tomorrow's Night 1 #NXTTakeOver: Stand & Deliver on @USA_Network? @peacockTV @WWENetwork pic.twitter.com/09LuvKXiiS
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) April 6, 2021

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With all that, it's clear that Shirai's reign has been one of the most successful runs in the brand's history. There's not much left for the Genius of the Sky to accomplish in NXT anymore, which is why Raquel Gonzalez will more than likely walk out of TakeOver with the gold.

Raquel Gonzalez has been presented as the new powerhouse in the division, so much so that she even managed to send Rhea Ripley packing in a Last Woman's Standing Match. The fact of the matter is Gonzalez seems to be the new star of the division, and with a Shawn Michaels-Diesel alliance with Dakota Kai seemingly heading toward a break, a feud between them for the gold would be exciting, and fresh.

Get an in-depth look at @RaquelWWE's training ahead of challenging @shirai_io for the #WWENXT #WomensTitle at this Wednesday #NXTTakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night 1️⃣! pic.twitter.com/QUTcV55JSb
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) April 4, 2021

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If this is Shirai's last night as NXT Women's Champion, it's been an incredible ride. That would also mean that she'd be on her way to the main roster. Since we're used to seeing call-ups take place on the RAW and SmackDown after WrestleMania, we should expect to see the Joshi Judas appear on the main roster very soon after this match.

Which match are you most looking forward to for night one? Let us know below, and be sure to follow along with us here at SK Wrestling as it takes place live.

About the author

Greg is a pro wrestling writer at Sportskeeda. He has been an avid wrestling fan since he was able to do elbow drops off bunkbeds at the age of three. He's gone through the highs and lows of the Attitude Era, Ruthless Aggression, and PG eras and lived to tell the tale, with his favorite wrestler of all time being Diamond Dallas Page. His other favorite star is the late great Bray Wyatt.

Greg has contributed to sites like Bleacher Report before joining Sportskeeda in 2017 as a content writer and editor. If you've ever checked out the various wrestling shows through our live coverage, chances are you've read Greg's work. Apart from the world within the squared circle, he also keeps track of other sports such as American football, baseball, golf, boxing, and MMA.

His goal with his writing is to be able to mentally take readers right into the action through his words. Greg strives to ensure his readers get nothing but the best and most accurate information by always checking and using only the best and most reliable sources.

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Edited by Amar Anand