Pretty Deadly start the show, Tiffany Stratton VS Indi Hartwell: NXT Stand and Deliver Qualifying Match
Pretty Deadly came out to start this week’s NXT and they talked about how they’ve now scrapped last week's footage from the archives. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams then came out and Trick Williams said that Melo is going to become NXT Champion before he accepted Pretty Deadly’s tag team challenge on the behalf of both Carmelo Hayes and Bron Breakker. PD then started to beat them up before Bron Breakker ran down and made the save. Pretty Deadly are fantastic. Nothing really to add regarding this segment.
Grade: C+
Carmelo Hayes wasn’t best pleased with Trick Williams’ decision backstage, but Trick Willy told his buddy that this gives him the opportunity to study Bron Breakker before their big match at Stand and Deliver. The first match of the night then took place as Tiffany Stratton took on Indi Hartwell with a spot in the NXT Women’s Championship Ladder match on the line. I actually thought this was a good match as both women seemed to work well together. Tiffany Stratton has been one of the top-performing superstars in NXT for the past year and a bit (male or female) whilst Indi Hartwell does a very good job at making her opponents look good. In the end, Tiffany dropped Indi with her signature before she picked up the win with her beautiful moonsault. I really hope Stratton wins the belt on WrestleMania Saturday.
Grade: B-
Wes Lee gets a new challenger, Ilja Dragunov VS JD McDonagh
Gallus were once again in the pub (pretty sure they own this place now) before the Creeds walked in. The teams went on to play pool which Gallus won easily before Julius and Brutus beat them at darts. The two teams agreed to have the decider be a match at Stand and Deliver for the NXT Tag Team Championships. However, as they left the pub, Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo were waiting outside for them and said they have “some business to talk about”. We then got a coolly shot video of Lyra Valkyria before Gigi Dolin said she felt sorry for Roxanne Perez, but she’s going to take advantage of the situation and win the NXT Women’s Championship. Tiffany Stratton then walked in and said everyone had a chance to win until she qualified. Wes Lee was then in the ring and he talked about how his mission is to fight the best wrestlers from all over the world. Dragon Lee’s entrance music then played and the NJPW star got a big reaction. He told his fellow Lee that he’d love a shot at the NXT North American Champion and Wes was happy to say that Dragon Lee will be the first person in the championship match at Stand and Deliver. JD McDonagh then made his way down to the ring and he made it clear to Lee that if he’d set his sights on the North American Championship, Wes wouldn’t be standing at all. Ilja Dragunov’s music then hit to end the segment. WWE clearly have big plans for Dragon Lee so putting him in a big match like this makes sense. Also, the way Wes talked about fighting the best wrestlers from all around the world made me think that we’re going to have 5 different competitors from 5 different countries in the match at Stand and Deliver.
Grade: C+
We cut to another one of those NXT anonymous videos where he filmed Indi Hartwell throwing a fit. Zoey Stark then walked up to her and took a shot at Indi Wrestling definitely not being the next NXT Women’s Champion. That isn’t necessarily true as Hartwell’s going to be competing in a “Second Chance Qualifier” next week. Fallon Henley then went up to Kiana James in the locker room and Fallon told Kiana that she knew about Sebastian and she’s going to go and tell Brooks about it. We then got the match between Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh and it was really good. Both of these guys are on a very high level right now that only Carmelo Hayes can match in NXT and this showed as the two just went out and beat each other up. Some of the kicks and strikes from Dragunov were mad whilst JD is such a good technician. Unfortunately, Dragon Lee was watching on the outside and after he got annoyed at JD for an accidental collision, McDonagh just punched him in the face and Lee had had enough so he caused the disqualification. Wes Lee then jumped on all three men before officials broke it up. If we’d got a definitive winner, this match would’ve definitely been in my best matches of the year come December.
Grade: B (nearly B+)
Johnny Gargano challenges Grayson Waller to an Unsanctioned match, Ivy Nile VS Lyra Valkyria: Stand and Deliver Qualifying Match
Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams walked into Bron Breakker’s locker room and Melo told the champ that he didn’t need his help earlier on. The two did however agree to work together in tonight’s main event. Wes Lee then announced during his interview with McKenzie Mitchell that JD McDonagh and Ilja Dragunov will both be in his NXT North American Championship match at Stand and Deliver. Axiom then came up to Wes and asked to be the final competitor, but Lee said he would have to earn it as there will be a battle royal next week where the winner will take the final spot at Stand and Deliver. Given Axiom’s Spanish, he could win and he probably should win. Johnny Gargano’s entrance theme then played, but it wasn’t Johnny Gargano. Instead, it was Javier Bernal doing his best Gargano impression. Bernal said Gargano took his spot on Stand and Deliver and he’s better than him because he’s sold more Christmas albums. He also said that the two are both NXT triple crown champions combined which is just genius. Johnny Wrestling then came out and beat the crap out of Big Body Javi before Gargano challenged Grayson Waller to an Unsanctioned match for NXT Stand and Deliver. Grayson Waller then appeared on the titantron wearing an old Candice LeRae shirt and he said that he will sign the contract for Stand and Deliver if Johnny doesn’t show up at the building next week. Johnny agreed before he deliver a Superkick to Bernal who’d rolled back in the ring. NXT has done such a great job at making this feel like one of the most important matches on the entire WrestleMania weekend let alone Stand and Deliver. The Unsanctioned stipulation is just going to allow Waller and Gargano to go crazy and it also protects Waller if he loses as it won’t count on his “record”. Also, I need Gargano VS Bernal asap!
Grade: B (for no reason other than I had a great time)
We got a video saying Eddy Thorpe is debuting next week. He’s had a lot of hype around him and I’m guessing he’s going to make an appearance in the battle royal. Ivy Nile then spoke about how much it hurt when Tatum Paxley said the two were never a team. She said she will try and forget about it by advancing to Stand and Deliver. Hank Walker then talked about his crazy journey in WWE so far whilst Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey watched and neither man looked particularly interested. Ivy Nile then took on Lyra Valkyria for a spot in the NXT Women’s Championship Ladder match at NXT Stand and Deliver. It feels fair to say that this match wasn’t nearly as good as the other qualifying match from earlier on in the night, but both Nile and Valkyria still gave it a go. Tatum Paxley watched from backstage so they clearly are planning to do that story after Stand and Deliver and it’s Lyra Valkyria who’s heading to that show as she picked up the victory with a roundhouse kick. So far, I think NXT has picked exactly who I would’ve picked for the ladder match at Stand and Deliver.
Grade: C
The Great Debate, Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes VS Pretty Deadly
As Fallon Henley was walking looking for Brooks Jensen, she was attacked by Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn. Kiana James then ran in to make the save before officials got in and separated them. Kiana then told Fallon that she should be the one to tell Brooks. Wes Lee was then walking backstage before Jinder Mahal told him that he’s coming to win the North American Championship. Wes then carried on and Dijak told him that he hadn’t forgotten about him before Dabba-Kato arrived and said this is his time to shine. None of them are winning next week (I think). We then got the Great Debate as the Schism took on Chase University. Rip Fowler definitely beat Duke Hudson in the first round as “the Duke” didn’t try at all before Thea Hail intellectually destroyed Ava. Joe Gacy and Andre Chase then stepped up and Gacy didn’t let Andre Chase speak once. I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works but anyway, Tyler Bate then appeared in the crowd and he absolutely smashed Jagger Reid to seal the “win” for Chase University. The good guys then challenged the Schism to an 8-person tag team match at Stand and Deliver. Joe Gacy completely rejected this as he said that they’ve got nothing to gain from this as they’ve already beaten their opponents multiple times. However, in a shocking turn of events, Duke Hudson said they’d put the University on the line meaning on April 1st, it’s going to be Chase University (and Tyler Bate) against the Schism and the winning team gets control of the University. This has made me really intrigued as I have no idea where this is going to go. I genuinely can’t imagine Andre Chase not being in his current gimmick and the big question is whether Duke Hudson plans to screw Mr. Chase over. Also, Tyler Bate feels like a really intriguing part of this as I originally thought it was going to be Nathan Frazer who was going to side with Chase U.
Grade: B- (as a segment overall)
We then went back to the pub to see Gallus, the Creed Brothers and Tony D’Angelo plus Stacks incredibly drunk. However, what is worth noting is the three teams agreed to a match for the NXT Tag Team Championships at NXT Stand and Deliver. That should be pretty fun. It was then time for the main event as Pretty Deadly took on Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes. Pretty Deadly are definitely one of the best tag teams in all of WWE right now whilst Bron Breakker seems to have a knack for working well in make-shift tag teams. Carmelo Hayes is always special in the ring so on the whole I thought this was pretty solid. Bron Breakker delivered a Spear to Kit Wilson before he tagged in Carmelo Hayes who picked up the win with Nothin’ but Net. The two then shook hands to end the show. I’m so excited for this match and that goes for the whole Stand and Deliver card as well.
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