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WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver will feature some of the biggest matches from the Black & Gold brand during WrestleMania week. The two-night event will ensure that every single championship of the brand is defended at the show.
This will be a major event for NXT, and the creative team will look to find ways to make headlines with the matches at hand. Several heels of the brand will likely look for help from their partners to pick up major victories.
Many faces will also rely on their friends to hopefully help them gain an advantage during the matches. However, the chances of betrayals during such major events are always high. Many current storylines feature superstars whose friendships may be jeopardized to leave a lasting impact.
Will Imperium implode just like many other factions have in the past year? Or will The Way finally lose its way when it matters the most at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver? It will be interesting to see where the creative decides to take certain superstars and rivalries.
Let’s take a look at five potential betrayals that could lead to major rivalries on NXT.
#5 Austin Theory leaves Johnny Gargano hanging at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Johnny Gargano will put his North American Championship on the line against the winner of the Gauntlet Match from night one of WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Gargano has held the title since NXT TakeOver: WarGames and has done well during his reign.
Gargano and Candice LeRae have also taken Indi Hartwell and Austin Theory under their wing to create a faction. Known as The Way, the faction has helped Gargano retain his title more often than not.
Leon Ruff, Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes, Dexter Lumis, and LA Knight will compete for a chance to face Gargano on night two of the event. NXT could allow Lumis to win the Gauntlet Match and get a North American Championship match against Gargano.
Fans could then possibly watch Theory appear in Gargano’s corner. Lumis has an interesting storyline going on with The Way and has even kidnapped Theory earlier.
During the match, Gargano could constantly shout instructions at Theory, hoping to get his attention and assistance. The youngster could get fed up with Gargano's behavior, leading to him walking out of the arena.
The betrayal could cost Gargano his North American Championship just before WrestleMania 37. With the way the current storyline involving Gargano, Theory and Lumis is going, fans can expect to see a betrayal in this match. The Way could suffer a major setback at TakeOver.
#4 Legado del Fantasma cost Santos Escobar the Cruiserweight Championship at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Santos Escobar will be heading into TakeOver: Stand & Deliver as one of the two NXT Cruiserweight Champions in WWE. Jordan Devlin has flown west from the United Kingdom to challenge Escobar to determine who’s the real NXT Cruiserweight Champion.
Much like the Intercontinental Championship on the main roster, the pandemic forced WWE to crown a separate champion for NXT after Devlin took the title to NXT UK.
However, with many of the restrictions easing up, WWE has felt comfortable enough to once again crown a single NXT Cruiserweight Champion. At TakeOver, Escobar and Devlin will compete in a Ladder Match for the title.
This could turn out to be one of the most exciting matches of the event as both men have been phenomenal in the cruiserweight division. Escobar has relied on Legado del Fantasma for his matches, while Devlin has been a lone wolf.
At TakeOver, fans could end up watching Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde cost Escobar the title by betraying him at a time when he’s climbed to the top of the ladder. Mendoza and Wilde will compete for the NXT Tag Team Championships a night earlier, and a loss could force them to split with Escobar.
The angle could allow the two men to turn babyface and get in the hunt for the NXT Tag Team titles again, while Devlin could become the one-and-only NXT Cruiserweight Champion.
#3 Roderick Strong takes down Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver witness an unsanctioned match between two former best friends, Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly. Cole’s betrayal broke up the Undisputed ERA to the utter shock of the NXT Universe.
Not only have Cole’s actions shocked the fans of the faction, but also deeply hurt Roderick Strong. The former member of the faction tried to get answers out of Cole following his betrayal but was unable to get anything substantial.
While Cole and KOR are busy building up their rivalry, Strong seems completely lost and is trying to find a new purpose. At TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, Cole and O’Reilly will likely have a brutal match.
This could bring out Strong during the final moments of the match to take his frustration out on both men and lay them out for good. Strong has not attacked Cole or O’Reilly since the break-up of The Undisputed ERA.
He could finally reach the breaking point where he attacks his two former friends to end the unsanctioned match in a no-contest.
#2 Timothy Thatcher joins WALTER to end Tommaso Ciampa at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
WALTER came back with Imperium to WWE NXT in hopes of recruiting Timothy Thatcher to his faction. However, Tommaso Ciampa stood in WALTER’s way like a brick wall.
Ciampa and Thatcher were in a rivalry not too long ago which led to the two men gaining mutual respect for each other. They have been teaming up ever since, and it looks like Ciampa wants to protect Thatcher from Imperium.
Along with that, Ciampa also has his eyes on WALTER’s NXT UK Championship. The Blackheart will get his shot at the title at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. The Ring General will have Marcel Barthel, Fabian Aichner and Alexander Wolfe at ringside for the match, while Ciampa will likely enter the arena alone.
However, during the closing moments of the match, things could take a major turn. Imperium could try to interfere in the match, leading to Thatcher coming out to help Ciampa. Instead of helping his partner, Thatcher could betray The Blackheart and allow WALTER to pick up the victory.
Thatcher could then join Imperium following the match to make the faction even greater. With many of WWE’s top factions breaking up in 2021, it would be perfect to have Thatcher join Imperium to make the NXT UK faction even stronger.
#1 Dakota Kai betrays Raquel Gonzalez during the NXT Women’s Championship match at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
Raquel Gonzalez will have the opportunity of a lifetime at WWE NXT TakeOver: Stands & Deliver. Gonzalez will challenge Io Shirai for the NXT Women’s Championship. Interestingly, the NXT Women’s Champion herself handpicked Gonzalez as her next challenger.
Shirai has already run through some top challengers including Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm and Sasha Banks. However, Gonzalez has proven to be her toughest competitor to date. With a significant height and power advantage, Gonzalez will walk into the match on April 7th as the favorite to dethrone The Genius of the Sky.
Things could get messy during the contest if Dakota Kai tries to betray Gonzalez at the event. Kai must be jealous of the opportunity Gonzalez is getting and could look to sabotage her big match at TakeOver.
Gonzalez could finally become the one to defeat Shirai at TakeOver and win the NXT Women's Championship. After the match, Kai could turn on Gonzalez out of jealousy and beat her down with a steel chair.
Shirai vs Gonzalez is one of the biggest matches scheduled for TakeOver. A betrayal after the contest could change the entire landscape of the women’s division of the brand and immediately lead to another championship feud.
