Tag: Nxt Stand & Deliver

Another busy day for WWE begins with NXT Stand & Deliver from Los Angeles, California, Saturday — the precursor to night one of WrestleMania 39.

Bron Breakker will look to defend the NXT title against former North American Champion Carmelo Hayes while Roxanne Perez will defend her NXT Women’s title in a six-way ladder match against Zoey Stark, Gigi Dolin, Tiffany Stratton, Lyra Valkyria and Indi Hartwell.

Wes Lee will defend his North American title against Dragon Lee, JD McDonaugh, Ilja Dragunov and Axiom in a fatal five-way.

NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus will defend against the Creed Brothers and Tony D’Angelo & Stacks in a three-way while Kiana James & Fallon Henley defend the NXT Women’s Tag Team titles against Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn.

In an unsanctioned match, Johnny Gargano will take on Grayson Waller while Schism battles Chase U & Tyler Bate in an eight-person tag team match for the rights to Chase University.

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A pre-show was mostly hype and video packages, until about 20 minutes before the main show starts. Booker T also gets an entrance on camera as he heads to the announce desk. A mixed eight-person tag match is heading to the ring on the pre-show.

Seeing NXT in an arena is refreshing setting. Nothing against the live studio audience in Orlando, but that setting had become all too familiar. There is a different energy with this crowd in Los Angeles, even as some are still getting to their seats for the pre-show match. 

Chase U (Andre Chase, Duke Hudson, Tyler Bate & Thea Hail) defeated The Schism (Joe Gacy, Jagger Reid, Rip Fowler & Ava)

Hudson pinned Reid to win the match, retaining the rights to Chase U as per the stipulation. That wasn’t played up much, but it was a stip heading into today. Hudson teases turning on Chase U, but it was swerve on The Schism. 

Seemingly the first time the crowd really got up was for Thea Hail and Ava facing off. They tussled a few times in the match. Once was after Ava slapped Hudson, and Hail jumped in to tackle Ava. Reid pulled Hail off Ava, and Hail kicked him in the shin. Moments later, she counters into a tornado DDT on Reid.

The main story of the match was Hudson being frustrated he couldn’t get a tag. Meanwhile, Bate was getting to shine. Hudson eventually was able to jump in to save Hudson. Friction with Bate remains. 

Hudson went for a high kick, but he hit Bate instead. Gacy then executes his Upside Down finisher for a near fall on Bate. The Schism go on to lay out Chase, Hail and Bate. Chase U was down except for Hudson. He bows up to Schism, but he puts down his fists as Gacy whispers into his ear.

Gacy embraces Hudson, and Gacy is handed a Schism shirt. Hudson takes off his Chase U shirt and headband. He throws the items to the ground, and he takes the Schism shirt from Gacy. Hudson puts on the Schism shirt in a spoof of NWO angles of decades past, but it was all a red herring.

Hudson swerves Schism as he rips off the shirt like Hulk Hogan, and Hudson attacks Schism. Chase, Bate and Hail join Hudson is cleaning house on Schism. Bate and Hail do dives to the outside. Frat-liner in the ring by Hudson and Chase. Hudson then covers Reid for a pinfall.

Indi Hartwell defeated Roxanne Perez , Zoey Stark, Gigi Dolan, Lyra Valkyria and Tiffany Stratton in a ladder match to win the NXT Women’s Championship

Hartwell wins the match with help from a returning Dexter Lumis. Jacy Jayne also returns to NXT during the match when she attacks Dolan. 

Stratton, Valkyria and Perez got entrances on the main card. As reigning champion, Perez was last to enter. The rest made their entrance on the pre-show. 

Perez and Dolan try to bring a ladder into the ring earlier on, and both have the ladder dropkicked into them. Hartwell goes put a ladder into the ring, and she avoids flying dropkicks only to get caught by another flying dropkick from Valkyria. A ladder is eventually slid into the ring, while other ladders are used as props around ringside.

A ladder is set up in the ring, and they fight to climb it. Stark does a missile dropkick at one point. Hartwell shoves the ladder over with Perez and Stratton on it. Dolan does the Terry Funk spot where she puts the ladder on her shoulders and swings it around. Valkyria takes a backdrop on a ladder propped in a corner, and she is splashed on the ladder by Stark.

Slight botch but Stratton hold it together to give Dolan a rolling fireman’s carry slam on a ladder. Stratton and Perez run through some spots, and both fall off a ladder. Hartwell jumps in to give Stratton a spinebuster on a ladder. Starks gets hung up on the ropes doing a slingshot into a twisting senton, and she lands awkwardly.

Stark goes for a her finisher on Perez, but Perez counters her. Perez then does her Pop Rocks (code red) finisher on Stark. Stratton blocks Perez’s finisher, but Perez has a counter for her as well. Stratton is sent over the ropes with a hurricanrana. Perez goes for another hurricanrana on Dolan, but Dolan catches Perez and smashes her into a ladder.

Valkyria is hung upside down on a ladder, and she is thrown off by Dolan moments ladder. Dolan is left alone atop the ladder and the title belt is within reach. Suddenly, Jacy Jayne runs up the ladder and knocks Dolan off. A stunned Dolan falls backwards and takes a bump on a ladder bridge. Referees pour into the ring to eject Jayne. 

Stratton takes a bump off the ladder where she turns it into a dive on several other women. Hartwell shoved her off, and she is left alone in the ring. She is taking forever to climb. In a surprise, Dexter Lumis appears out of nowhere. Lumis puts Hartwell on his shoulders, and he climbs the ladder with her on his shoulders. Hartwell grabs the title belt, wins the match, and reunites with Lumis. In-Dex is back together.

Daniel Cormier is shown in the audience.

NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus (Wolfgang & Mark Coffey) defeated Tony D’Angelo & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo and The Creed Brother (Julius & Brutus Creed) in a triple threat match to retain their titles

Gallus retains the tag title thanks in large part to the returning Joe Coffey. Match was decent enough, but the crowd seemed quiet for the most part. They did perk up for certain spots.

There was a double Doomsday Device that was botched. Coffey had Stacks in an electric chair. Julius Creed then lifts both Coffey and Stacks up in another electric chair. Brutus jumps off the top rope, but he misses by a country mile. They other still topple over.

Joe Coffey returns and he appears on ringside to break up a pinning attempt by Stacks. D’Angelo eats a lariat from Joe, and Joe rolls Stacks back into the ring. Wolfgang and Mark Coffey execute their tandem finisher, and Wolfgang covers Stack for a pinfall to retain the tag titles.

Pretty Deadly are outside Bron Breakker’s locker room. They were planning to interview him, but both are reluctant to knock on Breakker’s door. So, they don’t. This was a waste of time.

NXT North American Champion defeats Ilja Dragunov, Wes Lee, JD McDonagh and Axiom in a fatal five-way to retain the title

Wes Lee pinned Dragunov to win what was an action-packed spectacle. Notably, this was also Dragon Lee’s in-ring debut in NXT.

They start the match with the champion in the center of the ring, and his four challengers each in a corner. Lots of action from the beginning.

McDonagh and Dragunov tangle early on to continue their blood feud. Dragon Lee gets to shine with some of his signature offense. He eventually squares off with Wes Lee. He crashes and burns on a dive, but he no sells it as I think he was supposed to land on his feet.

Getting to look strong, McDonagh runs wild for a bit. Dragunov breaks up a pinning attempt. Dragunov gets his time to shine among the plethora of high spots. Dragunov was also busted open and he bled some.

Lots of clever spots that play into everyone’s strengths. There was also a double submission spot, and some tandem spots in the closing minutes. They take turns running through intricate high spots. Some stuff looks rather stiff. Numerous near falls in the closing minutes and some great saves.

Finish comes as Dragunov was measuring Dragon Lee for his finisher. Just as Dragunov strikes, Wes Lee hits him with a Cardiac Kick. Wes Lee then pins Dragunov to retain his title.

Johnny Gargano defeated Grayson Waller in an unsanctioned match

Gargano submitted Waller in a great match. This was arguably Waller’s best match in NXT, and this was probably Gargano’s best match since returning to WWE.

Gargano’s wife Candice LeRae and their child are at ringside watching the match. Gargano is on fire at the start of the match, and he tosses props into the ring like kendo sticks, trash cans and such.

Waller nails Gargano with a trash can lid when Gargano goes for a tope. Waller goes on to set up a bed of folding chairs on the floor. He would later take a bump on the bed of chairs. They tease it for a bit before Gargano suplexes Waller onto the bed of chairs. 

Waller later spoofs doing Sweet Chin Music, but is blocked by Gargano. They tease another suplex through a table, but that is broken up. Waller gives Gargano a stunner on the floor, and Waller powerbombs Gargano through a table.

Gargano takes a sideslam onto a chair. Waller works the back further with shots from a kendo stick. Waller would pummel Gargano in front of his wife and child. Gargano turns the tables and gets the stick from Waller. Candice LeRae jumps the guardrail to hit Waller with the stick. Waller’s back is left with whelps and cuts.

One Final Beat by Gargano for a close near fall. Gargano then goes for a crossface submission, but Waller rakes Gargano’s eyes. Waller puts a trash can on top of Gargano, and Waller goes a coast-to-coast for a Van Terminator. That leads to a near fall for Waller. Gargano powerbombs Waller through the gimmicked announce desk. Roll though into a stunner by Waller for another near fall. 

Waller is taunting Gargano, and Gargano gives him a low blow. Gargano then repeatedly hits Waller with chairs shots as Waller feeds him his back. Gargano puts a chair around Waller’s neck, and Gargano hits that chair with another chair. Gargano Escape is applied, and Waller taps out.

– Tony D’Angelo was in the locker room trying to console Stacks for the loss earlier. Pretty Deadly entered and didn’t help matters, eventually enraging D’Angelo and leading to a pull-apart 

Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn defeated Kiana James & Fallon Henley (w/ Jensen & Briggs) to win the WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team titles

James & Henley were bickering on the way down to the ring and Fire took advantage with a top rope dive to the outside to take advantage. Fyre & Dawn were on their game early, working over Henley with several near falls. Their double team combos were especially on point with Fyre looking particularly crisp.

Henley eventually got the hot tag and took out Fyre & Dawn, hitting a moonsault to the outside off the apron on both women at one point. Henley came in off a blind tag and had mixed results, losing the advantage and nearly getting beat off a double team reverse slam that James had to save.

The champions worked their way back into things with Henley connecting on a missile dropkick on Fire as she was mounted on James’ shoulders that got a close near fall. The challengers responded in kind, getting a super close near fall off a double superkick on James that the ref looked to pull up on as the three was coming.

James then yelled at Jensen for her bag and both Henley and Briggs urged him not to hand it over. The distraction led to Henley getting taken out and James getting hit with a backstabber from Dawn and a swanton from Fyre combo to earn Fyre & Dawn the titles.

This was good in spots, but felt like it was a few minutes too long.

– Coming up Tuesday: Pretty Deadly vs. D’Angelo & Stacks, and Dijak vs. Odyssey Jones

Carmelo Hayes defeated Bron Breakker to win the NXT Championship

Trick Williams did a big intro for Hayes which added to the big fight feel between two of the top stars in NXT at arguably their biggest show of the year. The crowd was really into Hayes at the onset with their chants.

The early going was both men trying to establish their own games. Hayes had a miscue, slipping on the middle rope off an Irish whip. He went right back to it and attempted to hit his jumping cutter, but Breakker shoulderblocked him to get things back on track.

Breakker’s agility was on display with a frankensteiner and standing moonsault that got a near fall. Hayes rallied, Breakker rallied and so it went. 

The champion went on an offensive run, using his power advantage. As he got Hayes up for a torture rack, Williams jumped up and pulled Hayes out. Instead of the ref calling for a DQ, he used his discretion and tossed Williams out.

That was followed by a huge Breakker running somersault dive over the top onto both men. He hit the top rope bulldog on the way back in that got a close near fall.

Hayes came back as the crowd chanted “Melo,” but Breakker slide outside the ring to curb the momentum. He blocked a suplex back in, but Hayes jumped on the middle rope to counter and hit the suplex in a really innovative spot.

As the story of the match went, Breakker roared back with a run-up frankensteiner off the top to counter Hayes as neither man could keep the advantage for more than a move or two.

Things took a turn as Breakker speared Hayes who fell into the referee. The straps came down and Breakker clamped in the Steiner Recliner for the visual tap. Williams then reappeared, hit Breakker with the title and dragged Hayes onto the champion…for a super close near fall. Hayes’ look of disbelief afterward was great.

Breakker countered a Hayes springboard into a press slam which was then countered with the First 48. Hayes went to the top, hitting Nothing But Net for the pin and title change to end a really, really good match.

Afterward, Breakker handed Hayes the title and showed him respect as Hayes looked on cautiously in case a swerve was coming.

Let the Carmelo Hayes era truly begin and the speculation of Bron Breakker to the main roster begin.