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The first night of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver is in the books, and what a show it was. Welcome to the black and gold version of Best and Worst.
Right from Nita Strauss' opening solo of the American national anthem to the skull stage setup, NXT's presentation of the latest installment of TakeOver was spot on. Night Two has a lot to live up to.
Admittedly, the 'Worst' section is almost empty as all five matches delivered, while a couple of them truly stood out. There were a few surprising outcomes as well. New Champions were crowned, interesting feuds were kickstarted, and one historic title reign continued.
Here are the main positives and negatives from Night One of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. What was your favorite match on the show? Let us know what you think in the comments.
#1 Best - WALTER and Tommaso Ciampa steal the show at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
The strongest match on Night One of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver belonged to WALTER and Tommaso Ciampa. The two superstars engaged in a stiff war and simply brutalized each other. You could legit feel the pain that both men were going through while watching this bout.
The match featured a series of sickening chops from WALTER as well as a few from the Blackheart himself. The NXT UK Champion even broke the announcers' desk with a chop as well.
The intensity remained off the charts at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, as Tommaso Ciampa and WALTER engaged in a decisive battle. The Ring General won, following a vicious stomp onto his challenger's neck. The finish of the match was reminiscent of his classic with Tyler Bate at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff.
Ciampa kicked out of two powerbombs only to succumb to an overhead throw and a chop. This match was perfectly executed in every way imaginable.
WALTER delivered yet another world-class performance, as his NXT UK Title reign marches beyond the two-year mark.
#1 Worst - Dexter Lumis does not advance to NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night Two
The No.1 Contender Gauntlet Eliminator on Night One of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver seemed to be a vehicle to put Dexter Lumis next in line for a North American Title shot. He had been feuding with Johnny Gargano and The Way for a couple of months on the black and gold brand.
Lumis even kidnapped Austin Theory, who grew weirdly attached to him. Meanwhile, Indi Hartwell has a crush on the babyface serial killer.
He picked up a non-title victory over Gargano in the lead-up to NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver as well.
Lumis was the favorite pick up the win and move on to challenge the NXT North American Champion on Night Two. However, this story will remain incomplete, at least for now. He was eliminated from the No.1 Contender Match by LA Knight and attacked him afterward. It looks like both men will now feud following NXT TakeOver.
To be fair, tomorrow night's title match will feel fresh as Bronson Reed won the Gauntlet Eliminator. Isaiah 'Swerve' Scott also had an excellent showing.
However, one would feel shortchanged after NXT spent multiple months building Dexter Lumis as Johnny Gargano's challenger. It now seems that there will not be a proper ending to this story.
#2 Best - Raquel Gonzalez conquers Io Shirai at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
The main event of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver was yet another belter. Io Shirai put on a magnificent effort in her final NXT Women's Championship defense. Her 300-plus day reign was ended by the dominant Raquel Gonzalez.
The two went at it with frantic ferocity right from the opening bell. The action from that point was excellent, with Dakota Kai being ejected from ringside. Shirai's aerial ability meshed well with Gonzalez's insane power.
The Genius of the Sky was at her very best at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, pulling out all the stops. She hit a moonsault to the outside, as well as in the ring for an intense near-fall. However, Io Shirai's highlight of the match was a crossbody off the 20-foot skull set up on the stage.
Despite bringing her best, Raquel Gonzalez took out the Genius Of The Sky. She ended Shirai with a brutal single-arm powerbomb and won the NXT Women's Championship.
It was a great way to close the night as both women delivered an instant classic.
#2 Worst - The piped-in crowd noise was a bit too noticeable at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
The fans have been the lifeblood of NXT TakeOver events for the longest time. It was the basis for the event's expansion from Full Sail novelty to WrestleMania week show-stealer. However, the past year enforced an unwelcome change for wrestling events around the world.
This was in no way similar to the last full TakeOver crowd in Portland, but the crowd set up was larger than what we have been used to in the Capitol Wrestling Center. However, that did not stop NXT from piping in fake crowd noises throughout the night.
It is one thing to do to enhance the existing reactions, but the chants felt way too manufactured to be authentic. As a result, the fake crowd was incredibly noticeable. It was even distracting at times. The increased crowd for NXT TakeOver should have dictated the reactions.
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver was certainly enhanced as a result of the larger audience and a unique stage set up. The piped-in crowd noise was the one major flaw in an otherwise outstanding production. It was very unlike NXT.
#3 Best/Worst - MSK crowned as Tag Team Champions at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Finally, let's talk about the Triple Threat Tag Team Title match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. It was, quite predictably, a brilliant showcase for all six men. The action came thick and fast, with minimal downtime during the match.
In the end, MSK defeated Legado del Fantasma and Grizzled Young Veterans to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions. It was a feel-good moment for Nash Carter and Wes Lee, who were both overcome with emotion following their victory.
However, with that being said, NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver felt like GYV's time. The heel duo of Zack Gibson and James Drake has delivered superbly on NXT for a while, but they don't have anything truly substantial to show for it. Being two-time Dusty Cup finalists, unfortunately, doesn't count.
Grizzled Young Veterans lost to MSK at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day and did so again here. A victory would have put a lot of heat on the villainous UK duo, with Gibson possibly standing out. Liverpool's Number One is a phenomenal talent and should ideally have become an NXT Tag Team Champion by now.
Regardless, the chase for MSK is over. They are one of two new Champions on a fantastic night of wrestling. Bring on Night Two!
