NXT 3/31 marked that next week we’re getting NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver starts with Night One on USA, followed by Night Two on Peacock! We are right into the action with a precursor to the 12-man elimination mini Rumble that makes the first tier towards the North American title match on Night Two.
Roderick Strong vs Cameron Grimes
Roddy is out first, immediately followed by Cameron Grimes. Grimes is still trying to secure intellectual property rights for the Undisupted Era, the collapse of which is still stinging for Roddy. They have a good little match all by themselves with Grimes gaining an advantage when Roddy is distracted by an Undisputed Era T-shirt in the crowd. He recovers well enough to nearly get the fall after a big superplex but, when a “foreign object” turns out to be an Undisputed Era armband, it leaves him looking just long enough to fall prey to a Cave In.
Winner: Cameron Griiiimes… Cameron Grimes
Karrion Kross takes us inside his training strategy for his match against current NXT Champion, Finn Bálor, at Stand & Deliver. He’s sticking to his strengths: traditional training in traditional arts and maximum impact for maximum damage.
Tommaso Ciampa and his accomplishments are profiled but it isn’t him doing it. It’s WALTER critiquing his loss of focus and loss of fire. The longest-reigning NXT UK champion promises to wipe out Ciampa’s legacy at Takeover.
Santos Escobar and Legado del Fantasma are in the ring and Escobar announces an open challenge to separate himself from Jordan Devlin and anyone else who might claim the NXT Cruiserweight title. Who answers the claim that Escobar is the greatest cruiserweight in NXT history? Prince Pretty, himself, Mr Tyler Breeze!
Santos Escobar vs Tyler Breeze
Odd timing here, mentioned by all the announcers. Escobar is looking to make a statement but risking injury and giving Jordan Devlin more opportunity to scout him. It looks bleak at one point, with Escobar caught in a coverleaf but a Phantom Driver later and it’s over.
Winner: Santos Escobar
Escobar has Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde hold Breeze up for a beating but MSK come out to make the save. Before they can commence to scuffling, though, The Grizzled Young Veterans show up on the big screen and chastise them for being distracted as all three teams will meet for the NXT tag titles at Takeover.
McKenzie Mitchell asks Johnny Gargano about the North American Championship. He’s still beside himself over the “unfairness” of not being able to prepare for his eventual opponent, even remarking how Austin Theory was a possible challenger. When Theory brings up “The Finger Poke of Doom” as a potential solution, Johnny says that it “killed the business.” Theory says that “We’re still here,” and it looks like the plan is set. Candice LaRae & Indi Hartwell plan to add a title of their own to The Way after taking on Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart soon.
A Pomeranian puppy is shown walking around the WWE Performance Center for some reason as we go to commercial.
A rewind to last week shows Raquel Gonzalez powerbombing Io Shirai onto the announce table and McKenzie Mitchell catching up with the champion in the training room. As Io ices down her back, she’s questioned if she took on too much of a challenge in Raquel. The Genius of the Skies answers, “that is why I picked her.”
Candice LaRae & Indi Hartwell vs Gigi Dolin & Zayda Ramier
The NXT rookies put up a hell of a fight, with Gigi taking a licking and keeping on ticking and Zayda getting in some offense. In the end, the Wicked Stepsister puts an end to any Cinderella hopes.
Winners: Indi Hartwell & Candice LaRae
After the match, Candice runs down all the reasons that they deserve the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship. That brings out the champs on Shotzi’s tank. They launch a foam torpedo and a retort: They accept.
Zoey Stark is shown preparing for her next match but, as she passes Raquel Gonzalez in the back, Io Shirai appears! She tells Gonzalez that she could have killed her and begins attacking her with forearms to the chest. Dakota Kai and a few producers separate them after Io is thrown headfirst into an equipment crate.
More canine capers as the Pomeranian is now, inside the PC and headed towards the Capitol Wrestling Center.
Roderick Strong is seen moping through the halls of the NXT offices when McKenzie asks him where he’s going as he’s still slated to be in the main event battle royal. Roddy simply and sullenly says that he’s done with all of it.
Zoey Stark vs Raquel Gonzalez
Interesting to note that the graphic for the 12-man eliminator rumble shown during this match has already been amended to omit Roderick Strong. Zoey has been impressive in her NXT showings thus far, even in last week’s loss. She’s a ball of fire and taking it to Raquel but the towering Texan makes her pay with grinding submission holds but Zoey is right back to work after getting free. The blonde dynamo is all over Raquel, answering one of her shots with three of her own. The one she can’t make up for? That one-armed powerbomb.
Winner: Raquel Gonzalez
Io Shirai immediately rushes the ring after the match, but after taking it to Gonzalez, gets ragdolled into the barricades and left in a heap.
The dog is now in the training area, running across the “We are NXT” astroturf.
Kushida starts to tell McKenzie about his strategy for the battle royal when Pete Dunne interrupts for a tense moment regarding the time splitter’s claim of being “the best technical wrestler in NXT.”
A look back at Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly’s Undisputed Era-ending beef sells us on the unsanctioned match between the two at Takeover.
Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro vs Xia Li
Kacy looking great in light of her recent knee issues. What looked like it was suppose dto be a tag team match is apparently a handicap match now. Team KC are tagging quickly and often to hammer Xia Li but she’s vicious in her retorts. Mid-match, Kayden gets distracted by Boa and Mei Ying. As she approaches, talking mess, she gets gripped by the throat and some sort of vapor blown in her face to knock her out. Kacy is left all alone and taken out by Xia.
Winner: Xia Li
McKenzie wants to know if she can continue dominating Io Shirai physically. When the champ tries to blindside her, mid-interview, she shows us by lifting Io by the neck and tossing her through a wall!
The Pomeranian finally heels at… a pair of heels! Pink leather boots on some tanned and muscular calves are accompanied by the tag of “See you April 13th.”
Tommaso Ciampa explains the significance of the necklace ripped from his surgically repaired neck last week to WALTER and to all of us. He talks about the doubters and those who think he’s lost the edge. He talks about the loyalists and those who he fights for. And he talks about the dragon of WALTER and how he’ll prove that The Blackheart is still a part of him.
Finn Bálor says that the clash between him and never dethroned former champ, Karrion Kross, was inevitable. But Finn knows the big stage and he’s betting that Kross will choke in the big time atmosphere.
The Main Event of NXT 3/31: Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs Leon Ruff vs Kushida vs LA Knight vs Bronson Reed vs Cameron Grimes vs Tyler Rust vs Austin Theory vs Dexter Lumis vs Jake Atlas vs Pete Dunne in a 12 (minus 1) Man Battle Royal
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott is announced first but he is cut down like a razor by Leon Ruff. The friction between these two in recent weeks could start a forest fire and Swerve has to find refuge among the announce team to catch his breath. Pete Dunne is the last to the ring.
Jake Atlas is first eliminated with some help from Tyler Rust’s representation, Malcom Bivins, but Rust himself is next out. Dexter Lumis has a fairly successful game plan of engaging is staring contests with anyone approaching him.
330lb Bronson Reed is having his way with most of them, including Austin Theory who is saved by very Kofi-esque measures (only to be eliminated in a very Theory-esque fashion.)
Dunne & Kushida get into a submission clinic and eliminate each other, leaving only six men left in the ring. Regardless of winner, LA Knight, Bronson Reed, Dexter Lumis, Swerve Scott, Leon Ruff, and Cameron Grimes are in the gauntlet eliminator at Takeover Night One! Kushida doesn’t care and nearly takes Pete Dunne’s arm home with him before being led to the back by officials.
Cameron Grimes rolls out as Ruff & Scott and Knight & Reed concentrate on their respective rivalries. Meanwhile, Dexter Lumis is miles ahead in the Road Dogg doing-absolutely-nothing-during-a-battle-royal award.
Pete Dunne vs Kushida is announced for Night One as Johnny Gargano joins the broadcast team.
Bronson Reed puts the brakes on LA Knight’s showboating before double stacking Swerve and Ruff, eliminating Ruff and then Swerve on top of him with an overhead press!
Cameron Grimes is back in and helps LA Knight eliminate Bronson Reed with a last second assist by Dexter Lumis! Lumis is engaging in the match for the first time. Cameron Grimes busts out the fat stacks of Game Stonks monies he has in an attempt to appeal to the other two. LA Knight seems like he’s trying to sell Lumis on the idea but they end up tossing the Carolina cash cow over the top.
Lumis saves himself a few times on the apron but LA Knight smartly “misses” a dive through the middle ropes, pulling Dexter Lumis down and planting his feet on the floor for the win! He’ll be last in the order for the Night One gauntlet match and jaws at Johnny at ringside about his intents for Night Two.
Winner: LA Knight
Io Shirai immediately rushes the ring and calls out Raquel Gonzalez. As Raquel approaches the ring, multiple officials and half the ladies’ locker room come out to keep the peace. Io takes them all out with dive and celebrates as we go off the air.
Five Takeaways from NXT 3/31
- It’s the “go home” show for Takeover with this being it for the matchmaking and hype building. I’m pretty well sold for pretty much every match. Case in point: Kushida vs Pete Dunne is a last-minute filler match. It’s up to the finishes to make or break this double card now.
- At one point, I thought that Pomeranian was going to be running up to a much bigger Bulldog. Once I saw the heels, I was slapping myself in the head over how “Loca” that idea was.
- I’ve made no secret in my reviews of NXT, my reviews of NWA Powerrr, and in my conversations with anyone who will bother to listen just how high in regard I hold LA Knight. That said, I’m unsure of where to go with him here. Does he win the gauntlet and then the NA title? Is that too much of a rocket? Is there anything to do with him right now?
- The Roderick Strong walk away is curious story. Is he really (in storyline) done with NXT? Does he interject himself at Takeover? If so, what does that do to this “blow off” match? If not, what does he have left?
- Io Shirai vs Raquel Gonzalez has been built to a damn near Greek drama level. The champion makes the challenge. The challenger defends herself in dominant fashion. In the end, Io just will not stay down. She keeps coming. And, in the end, she gets ahead. Whether it’s keeping her mojo or foreshadowing, it’s just done just right.
