5 surprising moments from NXT TakeOver Stand & Deliver Night One

#1 Raquel Gonzalez wins the NXT Women’s Championship clean at NXT TakeOver Stand & Deliver 2021

It was a quick rise to the top for Raquel Gonzalez at NXT TakeOver Stand & Deliver.

Raquel Gonzalez made her television debut in NXT on February 16, 2020 at NXT TakeOver Portland when she helped Dakota Kai defeat Tegan Nox. It was amazing to see Gonzalez get an NXT Women’s Title shot at NXT TakeOver Stand & Deliver a little more than a year later. After night one of NXT TakeOver Stand & Deliver, she is now the NXT Women’s Champion. That is certainly one of the most impressive first years that someone has had in WWE.

The size disadvantage was played to perfection in the main event. Io Shirai did everything in her power to retain her title. She almost got Gonzalez to tap out to a submission move at one point. Shirai dived off the top of the set onto Raquel. Shirai even hit a moonsault and only got a two count. This was the first time in NXT that someone has kicked out of that move from Io Shirai.

Gonzalez was able to hit a huge one-armed powerbomb and the match was over. It was a clean and dominant win over Shirai to help Raquel Gonzalez win her first NXT Women’s Championship. Will Gonzalez become a dominant champion in the talented NXT Women’s Division? Time will tell. Here is hoping for good things for Io Shirai as well. She certainly deserves it.