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WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver is set to be the biggest event for the Black & Gold brand of the year. Spread over two nights, TakeOver will allow several superstars from NXT a chance to showcase their skills just before WrestleMania 37.
Certain current storylines could lead to some superstars moving to the main roster following TakeOver and WrestleMania. Other NXT Superstars could end up in a much more comfortable position on the brand following TakeOver.
To ensure fans stay interested in the event and create hype about it on the internet, NXT will be looking to book a few surprises. Fans can expect to see some heartbreaks and returns on April 7th and 8th.
WALTER and Imperium will have a lot at stake at TakeOver, while Io Shirai will compete against a woman who can possibly take away her NXT Women’s Championship. Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly will finally come face to face, while Finn Balor and Karrion Kross will get their dream match at TakeOver.
With so many great matches lined up for the show, let's take a look at five surprises NXT could pull off at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
#5 LA Knight wins the NXT North American Championship at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
A six-man Gauntlet Match will be held on the first night of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. The winner of the match will challenge Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Championship on the second night of the event.
Leon Ruff, Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes, Dexter Lumis, and LA Knight will be the six men who will compete for a shot at the North American title. Ruff and Scott will likely fight their way out of the match and continue building the rivalry between them.
Grimes has still not been too impressive with his character, and NXT could just use him for some comical moments in the match. Reed and Lumis look like the favorites to pick up the victory. While Reed is still waiting for his big moment in NXT, Lumis is already in a rivalry with Gargano.
However, NXT could pull off the ultimate surprise and give the newcomer Knight a victory in the Gauntlet Match. Knight could then go on to defeat Gargano later in the night to surprisingly become the North American Champion.
NXT is trying to get Knight over with the WWE Universe, and a victory would allow him to get in the spotlight. While the angle may seem bizarre, it could allow the rivalry between Knight and Reed to continue, with The Colossal winning the title from Knight soon after.
#4 Timothy Thatcher turns Imperium against WALTER at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Imperium arrived in WWE NXT looking to recruit Timothy Thatcher to the faction. Imperium’s leader WALTER has a long history with Thatcher, and the two men have competed together in other promotions as RINGKAMPF.
Thatcher’s current partner Tommaso Ciampa is looking to protect him from Imperium. At the same time, Ciampa has his eyes set on WALTER’s NXT UK Championship. The match between The Blackheart and The Ring General will likely be hard-hitting and memorable. It will also decide the fate of Thatcher, who is at the heart of this storyline.
Many fans expect Thatcher to betray Ciampa and cost him the match. Thatcher will likely look to join Imperium and make the faction even stronger than it already is. However, NXT could look to pull off a surprise swerve at TakeOver.
Fans could end up watching Thatcher appear following the match and turn Marcel Barthel, Alexander Wolfe, and Fabian Aichner against their current leader. Thatcher could orchestrate an attack by the three men on WALTER before emerging as the new leader of Imperium.
The angle will help WWE turn WALTER into a babyface, and possibly put him up against his biggest challenger to date. Thatcher is someone who would be the perfect choice to dethrone The Ring General who has held the title for a long time.
The surprise will help NXT elevate the entire NXT UK Championship scene.
#3 Adam Cole pins Kyle O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Kyle O’Reilly will get his hands on Adam Cole on the second night of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. The two men are set to compete in an Unsanctioned Match as General Manager William Regal does not want either man to hold him or the brand responsible for what they’ll do to each other.
Cole has already had a great stay in NXT, while O’Reilly has recently gotten a big push as a singles star. The two men will likely have a show-stealing match at TakeOver. KOR has the upper hand going into this match as a babyface seeking revenge.
Cole has achieved a lot during his NXT career, and he could be headed to the main roster soon. If that is the case, then this match could provide the perfect platform for WWE to have him lose and move to either RAW or SmackDown.
NXT could instead look to pull off a big surprise by allowing The Panama City Playboy to pin O’Reilly after a hard-fought match. A victory for O’Reilly will have a greater impact on the NXT Universe. However, a surprise win for Cole could turn things around and once again get him in the top title picture.
Will NXT decide to continue building Cole on NXT, or is he ready to head to the main roster following WrestleMania?
#2 Zoey Stark costs Io Shirai the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
The rivalry between Io Shirai and Raquel Gonzalez has turned from good to great on the road to NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. The two superstars will do battle for the NXT Women’s Championship on the first night of TakeOver.
Shirai has been an extremely dominant champion in NXT. Since winning the title, only Gonzalez has pinned her during the WarGames match at TakeOver: WarGames. The Genius of the Sky could finally end up losing the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver.
While the chances of Gonzalez picking up a clean victory are high, WWE could look to protect Shirai with a surprise finish. Instead of Dakota Kai interfering in the match, fans could see Zoey Stark appear and cost Shirai the match.
Stark has had a wonderful first few months in NXT, and the creatives could use her involvement in the storyline well. Stark’s interference could cost Shirai the title without diminishing her value. The angle would allow Shirai to either move to the main roster or get into a rivalry with Stark.
On the other hand, Stark could join Gonzalez and Kai to build a lethal women’s faction on the Black & Gold brand.
#1 Aleister Black returns to NXT at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
The match between Karrion Kross and Finn Balor will be one of the biggest showdowns at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Fans can expect this to be the best match for the entire event. NXT will be looking forward to making this dream match special, especially with WrestleMania coming up.
There are several ways in which the match can come to an end. When the dust settles, either Balor or Kross will walk out as the NXT Champion. The brand could look to make things a little more interesting following the match.
A major surprise return will help NXT take things to new heights after Kross or Balor come out as the NXT Champion at TakeOver. Aleister Black, who has been missing from television for quite some time, could look to make a surprise return to the Black & Gold brand.
Black’s return following the match will allow him to confront the winner of the contest. Not only will this allow NXT to have a major spot in the closing moments of TakeOver before WrestleMania, but it will also allow the brand to immediately dive into the next NXT Championship feud.
