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We are less than a week away from NXT Stand & Deliver. The event will take place just before WrestleMania weekend and serve as the brand's big event of the year. It'll also showcase some of the biggest matches from the biggest names in NXT.
The black and gold brand looks extremely different than what it did last year. Superstars have come and gone. Some have even made their return to the once developmental brand.
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As with any Takeover card, this one is brimming with dream matches. Big names collide in once-in-a-lifetime matchups that we thought would never happen.
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New names like LA Knight (formerly Eli Drake), Bronson Reed, and Cameron Grimes are all looking to cap off their first year in NXT with the largest showcase of their careers. At the same time, veterans like Finn Balor and Adam Cole are looking to retain their places at the top of the food chain.
It's difficult to say who will emerge victorious. Yet, let's take a stab and predict who we think will take the win at Stand & Deliver!
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - Gauntlet eliminator
If you like variety, this match will be for you. The winner of the Gauntlet Eliminator match will face Johnny Gargano for the North American Championship on night 2 of the event. With so many participants, it's hard to pin down who will come out on top.
Let's break down each participant and see where they could go storyline-wise.
Isiah "Swerve" Scott and Leon Ruff don't have much momentum at the moment. Hence, neither might be the winner.
Cameron Grimes has been on another level with his character lately. Honestly, he doesn't need a win now, so it's a no-go for him.
It's tempting to claim LA Knight as the winner of this match. He secured the final spot in a match on NXT this past week. However, I believe there's more to be done with his feud with Bronson Reed. I believe both men will end up costing the other this match. That leaves just one man standing...
Winner: Dexter Lumis
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - Pete Dunne vs. Kushida
This match feels like filler on the NXT Takeover card. That's a shame as both men have proved to be genuine assets to the brand over the past year. It seems like just yesterday, both men were challenging for the gold on various Takeover cards.
That doesn't mean this won't be a delightful match. Both Dunne and Kushida have a raw viciousness about them at the moment. One can only assume there will be stiff strikes and submissions aplenty in this bout. We caught a glimpse of what the pair could do this past week, and it didn't disappoint.
As great as both men are, only one can come out the winner. That's where this match starts to get tricky.
As exciting as it is to see this square-off, neither one feels like they can afford to lose at the moment. Both superstars have lost in big title bouts recently that are still fresh in fans' minds. Who will come out as the winner on this NXT card? We will go with whom the company seems more behind at the moment.
Winner: Pete Dunne
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - Tommaso Ciampa vs. WALTER for the UK Championship
It seems WALTER has a vice grip on that NXT UK Championship. The big man has held the belt for more than 700 days. His time with the gold might be running out though, as he faces Takeover's veteran in Tomasso Ciampa.
This match has a chance to steal the show. These two have been part of multiple Match of the Year candidates. It stands to reason that magic can happen when standing across the ring from one another.
On any given day, either of these men could come out the winner. However, this won't be just any normal day since this has become a nuanced feud with many layers.
The wildcard here is Timothy Thatcher. Once an enemy of Ciampa, the two built mutual respect for one another. All that changed when WALTER turned up in NXT again. Where do Thatcher's loyalties lie now? That's where we believe Ciampa will see his downfall as Thatcher aligns himself with Imperium.
Winner: WALTER
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - Triple threat match for the Tag Team Championships
After Burch and Lorcan had to vacate the NXT Tag Team titles, this feels like a fantastic solution. What better way to crown new tag champs than to have your three best teams go at it?
Legado del Fantasma has been one of the most consistent teams on the black and gold brand. Their work alongside Santos Escobar has been top-tier. They've also proven they can stand as a duo without the need for Escobar as well.
Then there's the ongoing rivalry between MSK and the Grizzled Young Veterans. These teams have been at each other's throats ever since the Dusty Classic Tournament's conclusion.
This match will definitely showcase some grueling action. All three teams have shown they're more than worthy of carrying the tag team gold.
Who comes out the victor though? Well, it'll be the one that progresses storylines and carries the tag division into a new era. MSK chasing the gold is a story that can still be told. That's why they will probably fall to their rivals during NXT Stand & Deliver.
Winners: Grizzled Young Veterans
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - Raquel Gonzalez vs. Io Shirai for the Women's Championship
Hopefully, the NXT Women's champion knows what she's gotten herself into. Io Shirai has personally selected Raquel Gonzalez as her Stand & Deliver opponent. Will the Nightmare of the Sky live to regret it?
It only seemed a matter of time before Gonzalez was made the next breakout star. She now has the opportunity of a lifetime to prove her worth on the biggest stage NXT has to offer.
Io has proven herself to be a worthy champion. She's taken down worthy contenders like Dakota Kai and Toni Storm. Her reign has also felt important since she captured the gold against Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match. Since then, she has been a dominant champion.
Shirai thinks Gonzalez can bring out the best in her. We were given a taste of that on NXT this past week when the duo brawled throughout the show.
Who will come out on top? Maybe it's time for a new resident monster atop the Women's division.
Winner: Raquel Gonzalez
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon vs. The Way for the Women's Tag Team titles
It isn't easy to assess the success of the NXT Women's tag belts, but the Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart are making it work. The duo have excellent chemistry and will need all of it to fend off their opponents during their first major title defense.
The Way has been a staple of NXT programming over the past couple of weeks. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell (along with Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory) have been entertaining. Now LeRae and Hartwell have a chance to show what they can truly do in the ring.
The feud between the two teams hasn't been too serious, but that's just fine. They've managed to be funny and entertaining, a commodity in wrestling. It's also a great way to build Hartwell and LeRae as in-ring competitors.
Will Blackheart and Moon fend off the Gargano Way? We believe so, as the duo are just getting started as champs.
Winners: Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - Dexter Lumis vs. Johnny Gargano for the North American Championship
As stated earlier, Dexter Lumis could win the eliminator on night one of NXT Stand & Deliver. This sets up Lumis to face Johnny Gargano for the North American title on night two. Will the strange Lumis finally best Gargano in a singles match?
It makes sense in a story that Lumis faces Gargano for his title. These two have had an off-and-on feud for a long time. They've even collided in the ring on a number of occasions.
The feud has also taken some weird turns, like Lumis kidnapping Johnny's protege Austin Theory on a fateful NXT. The traumatic events led to The Way seeking therapy for Theory's apparent Stockholm syndrome.
Since then, things have been dicy for The Way. Theory seems like a man in space after being abducted by Lumis. Will this play into the match itself? We believe so.
Winner: Dexter Lumis
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - Santos Escobar vs. Jordan Devlin to unify the Cruiserweight Championship
Escobar and Devlin used to be the best-kept secrets in wrestling. That's no longer the case. Both men have proven their worth on the big stage as Cruiserweight Champion. Now we find out who the true champ is.
The circumstances surrounding this feud solely rest on events outside the ring. The pandemic forced NXT to crown a new Cruiserweight champ in Santos Escobar as Devlin was stuck overseas.
Escobar has proven himself to be a worthy champion. He has defeated all challengers to his belt. He has put his money where his mouth is and scraped together a significant title reign.
Devlin, on the other hand, never lost his belt. The Irish Ace never got a fair shake due to circumstances beyond his control. So who will win?
As they say, there's strength in numbers. Unfortunately for Devlin, the numbers favor Escobar.
Winner: Santos Escobar
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - Karrion Kross vs. Finn Balor for the NXT Championship
Who is the true NXT Champion? That answer will come on the final night of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, as Karrion Kross takes on Finn Balor. The two immovable objects will clash for the gold in the night's final title fight.
Kross is looking to reclaim the title he never lost. Much like Devlin, Kross was subjected to forces beyond his control. When he fought Keith Lee for the belt (and won), he tragically dislocated his shoulder and had to vacate his title.
Since then, it has been the reign of The Prince. Balor has never looked more dominant in his WWE career. His new no-nonsense attitude has led to great success as a champion.
Both men have been booked as a dominant force. It's hard even to remember a time when one of these guys lost.
As strong as Kross is, his time as the top guy has passed. All hail The Prince.
Winner: Finn Balor
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly
No rules, no liability. NXT is set to blow off their premiere blood feud between Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly. The two former members of the Undisputed Era will clash in an unsanctioned match on night two of Stand & Deliver.
Cole's shocking betrayal of his Undisputed teammates, when he beat up his former friend and put the nail in the faction's coffin, is still fresh in everyone's minds. Since then, the duo have brawled almost every week.
This feud has reached nuclear levels. Both men clearly have something to prove. O'Reilly wants revenge and Cole wants to prove he never needed his UE brothers.
Will O'Reilly get on upon his former friend? Will Cole become his own man? Will NXT be able to contain these two men? There's only one solution, Bay-Bay.
Winner: Adam Cole
