NXT Stand & Deliver (2022) — BrandWiki

NXT Stand & Deliver (2022)

Overview

NXT Stand & Deliver

promotion	WWE
brand	NXT
date	April 2, 2022
city	Dallas, Texas
venue	American Airlines Center
wwenlast	Elimination Chamber
wwennext	WrestleMania 38
event	NXT Stand & Deliver
lastevent2	TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
nextevent2	2023
event2	NXT major events
lastevent3	WarGames
nextevent3	In Your House

The 2022 NXT Stand & Deliver was a professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the second annual Stand & Deliver held for the promotion's developmental brand NXT. The event took place on April 2, 2022, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The event was held as a part of WrestleMania Weekend, being held the same day as WrestleMania 38 Night 1 with a special start time of 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

Unlike the previous year's event, which also aired on pay-per-view (PPV), the 2022 event was only available via livestreaming, as beginning with this event, NXT's major events no longer air on pay-per-view. Although this was the second Stand & Deliver, it was the first to not be held as an NXT TakeOver event, as that event series was discontinued in September 2021 when NXT reverted to being WWE's developmental brand. This was also the first NXT event to be held outside of Florida since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Seven matches were contested at the event, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. In the main event, Raw roster member Dolph Ziggler defeated Bron Breakker to retain the NXT Championship. In other prominent matches, MSK

Event

Pre-show

During the Stand & Deliver pre-show, Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne) defended the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship against Dakota Kai and Raquel González. González attempted a Chingona Bomb on Jayne, who escaped, but González performed a big boot on Jayne. González followed up with a twisting Vader Bomb for a nearfall. Kai performed a German Suplex on Jayne and a Pump Kick on Dolin. Jayne and Dolin performed a double Suplex on Kai and followed up with a high-low kick combo on Kai for a nearfall. In the climax, Wendy Choo appeared and struck Dolin with a pillow before throwing orange soda in her face. Back inside the ring, Kai performed a Yakuza Kick to a cornered Jayne followed by a Chingona Bomb by González to win the titles for a record-setting second time.

Preliminary matches

The actual event began with Carmelo Hayes defending the NXT North American Championship against Cameron Grimes, Santos Escobar, Solo Sikoa, and Grayson Waller in a ladder match. During the match, Waller's bodyguard, Sanga, brought a ladder in the ring, only to have Escobar send it to Sanga. After a brawl between Sanga and Sikoa outside the ring, Sanga got the upper hand and tossed Sikoa back inside the ring. Grimes performed a Tope Con Hilo on Escobar, and Hayes performed a Moonsault on Grimes. After Escobar took out Hayes, Escobar attempted to climb the ladder, but was attacked but Waller. Grimes performed a Spanish Fly on Escobar. As Hayes' partner, Trick Williams, set up another ladder, Sanga broke it up with his bare hands. Afterwards, Legado Del Fantasma (Elektra Lopez, Joaquin Wilde, and Raul Mendoza) used the broken pieces of the ladder to take out Sanga. Sikoa performed a Press Slam on Wilde and Mendoza at the same time. As Sikoa and Escobar were at the top of the ladder, Williams tipped it over. Williams was at the top of the ladder when Grimes tipped it over, causing him to crash into the other wrestlers. After Hayes pulled Grimes off the ladder, Hayes and Waller fought at the top of the ladder when Sikoa, Grimes, and Escobar climbed up an adjacent ladder. Waller then knocked Hayes and Escobar off the ladder and touched the title belt, but Escobar performed a Dragonrana on Waller from the top of the ladder. Moments later, Sikoa performed a Frog Splash on Escobar. Grimes performed a Cave In on Sikoa onto a ladder outside the ring. Waller attempted an elbow drop on Hayes, but Hayes moved out of the way, causing Waller to crash. In the closing moments, Hayes attempted to retrieve the title belt, but Escobar performed a Gutbuster and a Phantom Driver on Hayes. Moments later, Grimes performed a Cave In on Escobar. Grimes then retrieved the title belt to win the title for the first time.

In the second match, Tony D'Angelo (accompanied by AJ Galante) faced Tommaso Ciampa. During the match, D'Angelo retrieved a crowbar, but Ciampa intercepted him with a big boot. While the referee tossed the crowbar away, D'Angelo performed a low blow on Ciampa and followed up with a Fisherman's buster for a nearfall. As D'Angelo tossed the crowbar back inside the ring, Ciampa performed Willow's Bell and a Fairytale ending for a nearfall. Ciampa then applied a crossface on D'Angelo, who made it to the rope to escape. In the climax, D'Angelo performed a DDT on Ciampa on the exposed concrete and back inside, D'Angelo performed a face wash boot on Ciampa to win the match, which marked Ciampa's last NXT match. Afterwards, Triple H appeared to share the special moment with Ciampa and both embraced and went backstage.

In the third match, Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) defended the NXT Tag Team Championship against MSK (Wes Lee and Nash Carter) and The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) (accompanied by Malcolm Bivens and Ivy Nile) in a triple threat tag team match. In the end, Aichner and Barthel attempted a European Bomb on Carter, but Carter countered into a sunset bomb. Lee performed a top-rope Frankensteiner on Barthel, which sent him into a powerbomb by Carter to win the titles for MSK for a second time.

In the fourth match, Mandy Rose defended the NXT Women's Championship against Cora Jade, Kay Lee Ray, and Io Shirai in a fatal four-way match. Before the match, Rose unveiled an updated design of the NXT Women's Championship belt, featuring the same overall design but now on a white leather strap and with multi-colors within the ridges of the center plate (matching the NXT 2.0 color scheme).[23] At the beginning of the match, the challengers sent Rose out of the ring. Ray and Shirai performed simultaneous suicide dives on Rose and Jade, respectively. Shirai attempted a 619 on Ray, but Rose pulled her out of the ring. Rose performed a belly-to-belly suplex and a spinebuster on Jade for a nearfall. Rose performed a vertical suplex on Jade. Shirai performed a Moonsault on Ray. Back inside the ring, Shirai performed a 619 and a top rope Dropkick on Ray for a nearfall. Ray applied a Koji Clutch on Rose while Shirai applied a Texas Cloverleaf on Jade. Jade sent Shirai into Ray to break the submissions. Jade performed a Canadian Destroyer on Ray on the ring apron. Shirai performed a German Suplex on Rose for a nearfall. Shirai performed a top rope Spanish Fly suplex on Rose, but Jade performed a Senton on Shirai to break up the pin. In the closing moments, Jade performed a Running Knee, Sliced Bread, and a modified Paydirt on Rose for a nearfall. Ray performed a KLR bomb on Jade, but Shirai shoved Ray off the top rope. Shirai then performed a Moonsault on Jade but as she attempted a pin, Rose performed a Bicycle Knee on Shirai to retain the title.

In the penultimate match, Gunther faced LA Knight. In the climax, as Knight was on the top turnbuckle, Gunther chopped him off and into the ring. Gunther followed up with a top-rope splash and a Powerbomb on Knight to win the match. This would also be Knight's final NXT appearance.

Main event

In the main event, Dolph Ziggler (accompanied by Robert Roode) defended the NXT Championship against Bron Breakker. While Breakker made his entrance, he broke the "X" in the NXT 2.0 logo in half with a chainsaw. Early in the match, after Breakker dominated, Roode grabbed his leg to halt his momentum. The referee saw this and ejected Roode from ringside, after which, Ziggler took off a turnbuckle pad. Breakker performed a Frankensteiner on Ziggler for a nearfall. Breakker performed a Spear on Ziggler for another nearfall. Ziggler attempted a Superkick, but Breakker caught him and followed up with a second Spear. Breakker then performed a Military Press Powerslam on Ziggler, but Roode returned to take Ziggler out of the cover. Despite this, the match continued. Breakker then leapt over the top rope to take out both Roode and Ziggler. After Breakker sent Roode into the steel ring steps, Ziggler performed a Fameasser and a Zig-Zag on Breakker for a nearfall. Ziggler followed up with a top rope elbow drop on Breakker for another nearfall. In the climax, Breakker attempted another Military Press Powerslam, but Ziggler escaped by raking Breakker's eyes. Ziggler then shoved Breakker into the exposed turnbuckle pad and performed a Superkick to retain the title.

Aftermath

On the April 4 episode of Raw, Bron Breakker got his rematch against Dolph Ziggler and defeated him to win the NXT Championship for a second time, which was the third time the title was defended on Raw, as well as the first time the title changed hands on Raw.[25] At NXT the next day, Breakker talked about his win over Ziggler, only to be interrupted by Imperium (Gunther, Fabian Aichner, and Marcel Barthel). Gunther challenged Breakker for the title, and the match was scheduled for that episode's main event, where Breakker retained. Also on that same episode, The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) defeated Aichner and Barthel after Aichner walked away from the match. Afterwards, The Creed Brothers were attacked by two hooded men, who were later revealed to be Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince, formerly "Lewis Howley" and "Sam Stoker", respectively, in NXT UK), making their NXT debut.[26] This was Gunther and Barthel's final NXT appearance, as three days later, Gunther and Barthel, the latter receiving a new ring name called Ludwig Kaiser, debuted on SmackDown.[27] The other member of Imperium, Fabian Aichner, stayed in NXT for a few more months, and received a new ring name called Giovanni Vinci.[28] He made his main roster debut at Clash at the Castle, where he and Kaiser accompanied Gunther (who defended his Intercontinental Championship against Sheamus at the event), reforming Imperium in the process.[29]

This would be Nash Carter's final WWE match. NXT Tag Team Champions MSK (Wes Lee and Carter) were scheduled to have a title defense on the April 12 episode of NXT,[26] but on April 6, Carter was released from WWE,[30] and the titles were vacated as a result.[31] This led to a tag team gauntlet match for the vacant championships in which Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince), in their debut match on NXT, won by last eliminating The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed).[32]

A title rematch between Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne) and new NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Dakota Kai and Raquel González was announced for the following episode of NXT.[33] During the match, Wendy Choo tried to interfere, only for NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose to attack her. This allowed Dolin and Jayne to defeat Kai and González to become record-tying two-time NXT Women's Tag Team Champions. Later that night, Kai destroyed equipment backstage, and warned Rose that she was not safe.[26] This would be González's final NXT appearance before she was called up to the main roster on SmackDown and debuted on the April 8 episode of SmackDown under the new ring name "Raquel Rodriguez".[27] On the April 12 episode of NXT, Kai challenged Rose for the NXT Women's Championship in a losing effort after interference from Dolin and Jayne.[32] This would in turn be Kai's final appearance in WWE until she returned on the main roster at SummerSlam in July alongside Bayley and Io Shirai,[34] as Kai was released from her contract on April 29.[35]

Over the coming weeks, Wendy Choo kept targeting Toxic Attraction (NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose and NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne), including an unsuccessful attempt at winning the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship.[36] After Choo attacked Rose following the latter's match on the May 24 episode of NXT,[37] a title match between Rose and Choo was scheduled for In Your House.[38]

Cameron Grimes talked about his NXT North American Championship win, only to be interrupted by Solo Sikoa, setting up a match between the two for the title for the following week,[26] where Grimes retained. Following the match, Grimes was attacked by Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams.[32] On the April 19 episode, after Hayes' match, Hayes stated that he would be taking the title back from Grimes at Spring Breakin'. As Hayes and Grimes stared each other down, Sikoa appeared and attacked Hayes and Williams. Later that night, a triple threat match between Grimes, Hayes, and Sikoa for the title was scheduled for Spring Breakin'.[39]

Following Tony D'Angelo's win at Stand & Deliver, AJ Galante officially crowned him the "Don of NXT" on the following episode of NXT.[26]

This would also be the final WWE appearance for Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray before their ring names were changed to Iyo Sky (July 30 during SummerSlam, stylized in all caps)[34] and "Alba Fyre" (first reported April 16 by PWInsider;[40][41] made official during a video package on the April 26 episode of NXT[42]), respectively.