NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver Night 1 Preview - New champions guaranteed; Will Io Shirai finally fall? 

NXT North American Championship #1 Contender Gauntlet Match: Leon Ruff vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott vs. Bronson Reed vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Dexter Lumis vs. LA Knight

Who will challenge Johnny Gargano on NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night 2?

On NXT last week, LA Knight managed to outlast every other man in the battle royal to secure the final slot in the North American Championship #1 Contender Gauntlet Match. The latest addition to the Black and Gold brand last eliminated Dexter Lumis to do so in a rather shocking fashion.

I may have lost fights, but I never ran from them! And tomorrow night, I’m fighting to regain my spot on the same mountain top the other five are still trying to reach! #wwe #wwenxt #nxttakeoverstandanddeliver #nxttakeover pic.twitter.com/uIcHXUmLkk

— LEONRUFF (@LEONRUFF_) April 6, 2021

Lumis barely moved throughout the match up until Knight and Cameron Grimes were looking to eliminate Bronson Reed. After assisting them, Lumis was thanked by the "Thousand Dollar Man" of NXT in Grimes. He offered both Lumis and Knight some cash to eliminate themselves, but Lumis attacked him before Knight could consider the deal.

🎶 IT'S RAINING MONEY! Hallelujah! It's RAINING MONEY! 🎶 💵 Money 💵 doesn't talk for @CGrimesWWE as he's eliminated in the #BattleRoyal. #WWENXT @DexterLumis @LAKnightWWE pic.twitter.com/Bowz9N60CQ

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) April 1, 2021

Heading into this match-up, Leon Ruff and Isaiah 'Swerve' Scott are involved in a deeply personal rivalry. Cameron Grimes has also been poking his head into the business of Bronson Reed and LA Knight, which means that the only man in the match that doesn't have a story involving his other opponents is none other than the Tortured Artist of NXT.

He does, however, have an ongoing feud with NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano and The Way. Knowing this, odds are that Lumis will be the #1 contender to Gargano's title heading into night two of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Still, though it's somewhat easy to predict, these are some of the best talents that NXT has to offer. WWE has done well with gauntlet matches over the past few years, and this should be no exception.

It's GOOD to be LAST. #BattleRoyal #WWENXTWednesday's Night 1 #NXTTakeOver: Stand & Deliver #GauntletEliminator Order:1. @LEONRUFF_ 2. @swerveconfident 3. @bronsonreedwwe 4. @CGrimesWWE 5. @DexterLumis 6. @LAKnightWWE pic.twitter.com/XOErxHZz8M

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) April 1, 2021

In every gauntlet match, there is often one who tends to run the...well...gauntlet. Going into TakeOver, it may very well be Leon Ruff, which would be exciting to see.