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NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver will set the stage for what will be the biggest WrestleMania week in WWE history. NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver will join WrestleMania as a two-night event.
WrestleMania 36 began the two-night format last year to stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic. The change allowed matches to be spaced out and pre-recorded. It also allowed two bouts the opportunity to main-event a given night of the Show of Shows.
Now that there is a model to follow, Stand & Deliver will give the stars a chance to prove that NXT is among the best brands in all of pro wrestling. It was already announced that Io Shirai vs. Raquel Gonzalez would close the first night of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
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The rest of the matches for the first night also offer up a variety of contests. New Tag Team Champions will be crowned, while the Gauntlet Eliminator will provide Johnny Gargano with his challenger for Night 2 of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Here are last-minute predictions for the first night of the two-night event.
#6 Toni Storm and Zoey Stark open the festivities on Night 1 of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
This match was only announced on Tuesday as a pre-show match for the first night of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Toni Storm has long been one of the top women in NXT, winning the NXT UK Women's title.
She moved to the Black and Gold brand last year and took part in WarGames in November after a heel turn. Since the heel turn, she's battled Ember Moon, Io Shirai, and Shotzi Blackheart.
One of the other new faces will oppose Storm on the NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver pre-show. Zoey Stark has impressed everyone in her short time on NXT. She's battled Dakota Kai, Shirai, and Kai, and Gonzalez.
At NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, Stark gets to mix it up with another of the bigger names, Toni Storm. Stark is clearly being groomed for a bright future in the women's division, but Storm has been a mainstay.
While it would be a pleasant shock and an immense sign of faith from NXT management to give Stark a win in her TakeOver debut, Storm will win. She needs to rebound after losing her last two matches.
Stark can still afford to lose to bigger stars in her first few months. She has a bright future and is probably going to win the NXT Women's Championship one day. That day, however, is a long way off. Storm needs the win and will get it at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Prediction - Toni Storm downs Zoey Stark.
#5 Pete Dunne and Kushida battle for technical supremacy at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
At NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, Pete Dunne will try to back up his claim of being the best technical wrestler in the world. Once he made that declaration, it foreshadowed that he'd have a featured bout at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Kushida made the same claim in a backstage promo, so it appeared as if the writing was on the wall. Both men were a part of the Gauntlet Battle Royal Eliminator for the NXT North American Championship. The duo was eliminated together as Kushida held on to the Hoverboard Lock while both men went over the top rope.
Both stars can claim to be technical savants, but it's extremely difficult to decide which man is better. It's likely a matter of opinion or favor, but both Kushida and Dunne are among the best wrestlers in the world. They'll look to prove just that to the other man at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
This match also seems like a contest between two men who should be challenging for the NXT title at some point in 2021. Dunne has already had a few shots at the belt but has yet to join Rhea Ripley as stars to win gold in both NXT and NXT UK.
Kushida, while a cruiserweight, is more formidable than his size would suggest. He's physically dominating despite his stature and is among the best in the game with submissions.
The only certain with this showdown is that limbs will be pulled in directions that they should not be pulled. Each man will hurt the other. Whoever comes out intact and with the win can claim that they are the best technical wrestler after NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Both men need a big win to propel them up the card. Dunne has had some time in the main event and in the upper mid-card of the Black and Gold brand. He's a former NXT Tag Team Champion alongside Riddle.
Kushida has not had any title success and needs a huge win to cement himself in the upper mid-card and main event level. For that reason, The Time Splitter will likely walk out victorious at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Prediction - Kushida walks out with the win and fewer broken fingers than Dunne.
#4 New NXT Tag Team Champions will be crowned at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
An unfortunate injury to Danny Burch means that fans will get a new set of Tag Team Champs at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. It would have been decided after MSK won the 2021 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, but Wes Lee suffered a minor injury that briefly took him out of action.
With the way that Lee and Nash Carter were pushed upon debuting in NXT, it seemed like they'd be the team to dethrone Burch and Oney Lorcan. The injury halted that possibility, but they resumed their path for glory heading into NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
NXT decision-makers have had some time to sit back and completely analyze the possibilities of each duo winning at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Any of the three teams could feasibly walk out as new Champs.
MSK is the new team on the block and has taken NXT by storm. They're the only face team in the match, and the previous titleholders were heels. The Grizzled Young Veterans are former NXT UK Tag Team Champs and are solid in the ring. They are also strong on the mic in promos.
Legado Del Fantasma is one of the remaining factions left in NXT, so winning the titles at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver would improve their standing in the hierarchy.
Picking which team will win at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver is akin to throwing darts at a dartboard. It all comes down to what team offers more storylines and feuds going forward. The former titleholders were heels.
Before Lorcan and Burch held the titles, they won them from Breezango. Breezango is a solid team but seemed like transitional belt holders between the Undisputed Era and Lorcan and Burch.
Gibson and Drake will be a good choice if WWE wants to make them the first team to win both the NXT and NXT UK Tag titles. Legado needs to win to add legitimacy to their group.
MSK defeated Legado in the semi-finals and then the Grizzled Young Veterans in the finals of the Dusty Classic. For that reason, it would be strange to have them lose here unless WWE wants some good old 50-50 booking. MSK still seems like the right call to win at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Prediction - MSK become new NXT Tag Team Champions.
#3 The Gauntlet Eliminator provides action for both nights of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
It seemed like a convoluted way to get a challenger for Johnny Gargano, but NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver will give several stars a spotlight. It made sense to have Kushida, and Pete Dunne eliminated because they were headed for a singles clash. Tyler Rust is a rising star but may have to wait for a title program.
Austin Theory has been better as a supporting character as a member of The Way. Jake Atlas has had a few title shots here and there. Outside of Leon Ruff, everyone involved in the Gauntlet Eliminator match fits.
Bronson Reed seems like he's ready to break out, and Swerve just needed a push and attention to stand out. While he'd make more of an impact targeting someone other than Ruff, he's still on the rise.
Cameron Grimes recently returned to NXT and is even funnier than before. Dexter Lumis has been tormenting The Way for months. LA Knight recently joined NXT, adding another big player to the mix.
Knight certainly doesn't lack confidence. He reiterated that sentiment heading into NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver after winning the final entrant spot in the Gauntlet Eliminator.
Since Swerve and Ruff will start the match, it's unlikely they'll win. Swerve has already fought Gargano once before but lost. Will he get another shot at Johnny Wrestling?
Grimes just came back, and this is his first big spotlight contest. He'd make for a funny Champion, but he probably won't win at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
It comes down to three men. Reed makes logical sense since he is a face and can fight off the likely two-on-one attacks from Gargano and Theory on Night 2 of NXT TakeOver Stand & Deliver. Knight is the big new star to the brand but is a heel. That rules him out, even though he could be holding gold at some point in 2021.
According to the story that NXT has been telling over the last few months, it seems like Dexter Lumis will be the one to challenge Gargano on Night 2 of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. It looked like he would be facing Johnny Wrestling one-on-one, but the decision was made to have the Gauntlet Eliminator.
Lumis was also supposed to be a part of the ladder match to crown a new NXT North American Champ once Keith Lee relinquished the title last summer. He was injured and taken out of that match. For that reason, and because of the ongoing angle, Lumis will win the Gauntlet Eliminator on Night 1 of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Prediction - Dexter Lumis stalks Gargano on Night 2 of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
#2 Can Tommaso Ciampa dethrone WALTER at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver?
This match will hurt both men and will be painful to watch at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. WALTER is known for his devastating strikes and chops to the chest. His match against Ilja Dragunov was tough to watch due to the physicality both men displayed. It took a lot to put Dragunov down, but that just makes WALTER an even more imposing titleholder.
WALTER's reign has been so impressive that he came to NXT for new challengers. Few are more worthy and opposing than the former NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa. He promised a return to black prior to NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
One big absence is looming over this match. Prior to challenging WALTER for the NXT UK Championship, Imperium was attempting to recruit Timothy Thatcher. Ciampa wasn't having it, and Thatcher disappeared from television during the build to NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Ciampa thought that members of Imperium attacked him, but they claimed to not have done anything. So the question remains - is Thatcher's return being saved for this match, or is he one of the NXT Superstars affected by the COVID-19 breakout in March? We'll have to wait until Ciampa and WALTER chop each other into oblivion.
Things got even more personal two weeks before NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Ciampa walked right into the lion's den to face Imperium in the ring. As expected, they attacked him. In the attack, WALTER ripped off Ciampa's necklace.
The Blackheart later revealed that his wife and daughter gave him the necklace prior to his neck surgery a few years ago. An angry Ciampa is a tough person to deal with, so WALTER will be getting an extremely motivated Blackheart.
If Ciampa is going to move to work in NXT UK, him winning would make sense. WALTER has ruled over NXT UK with an iron fist and does not have many believable challengers for his throne.
It just seems like WALTER's reign should continue past NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. He is the face of the brand and is physically bigger and stronger than Ciampa and most of his challengers. Unless someone like Sheamus or Cesaro joins NXT UK, it doesn't seem like WALTER will be dropping his title any time soon.
Prediction - WALTER continues his dominance by beating Ciampa.
#1 Io Shirai and Raquel Gonzalez will close the first night of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Will Io Shirai regret walking up to Raquel Gonzalez and challenging her to a match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver? Shirai has been one of the best NXT Women's titleholders in NXT history, and she can add to that legacy by beating Gonzalez.
Gonzalez has been slowly groomed as one of the future stars leading up to NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. She was initially paired with Dakota Kai to learn the ropes from a trusted veteran. During the partnership, she's been featured as an imposing threat to anyone in the NXT Women's division.
Kai and Gonzalez even won the first-ever Women's Dusty Classic. That led to them being crowned the inaugural NXT Women's Tag Team Champions. The reign was short-lived, however, as they lost the titles to Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart in their first defense.
That quick title switch was done so that Gonzalez could challenge Shirai for the title at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. The two have been circling each other for months, dating all the way back to WarGames. Gonzalez pinned Shirai to win that match for her team. This title shot is a byproduct of that pin.
Since she was pinned by Big Mami, Shirai decided to challenge Gonzalez instead of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Will Gonzalez be able to dethrone the impressive Shirai at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver? It would make sense for a few reasons. Shirai has had a successful and lengthy reign of over 300 days dating back to last summer. She could be ready to move to the main roster as SmackDown could use several reinforcements in its women's ranks.
Gonzalez will be the most imposing figure The Genius of the Sky has faced during her title reign. Shirai has had an amazing run atop of NXT during one of the toughest periods in recent memory.
It still seems like things are headed for a big title switch in the main event of Night 1 of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Shirai has had her time atop NXT and might be ready to move up to RAW or SmackDown. Gonzalez is still learning the ropes but might be ready to do so as the new NXT Women's Champion.
It would open up new feuds for the title and give some newer recruits like Stark big opportunities. There's also the upcoming debut of Taya Valkyrie. NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver could be the beginning of a new era in the NXT Women's division.
Prediction - Raquel Gonzalez defeats Io Shirai to become the new NXT Women's Champion.
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