wrestling / TV Reports
Pantoja’s NXT Stand & Deliver 2024 Review
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Loading...NXT Stand & Deliver
April 6th, 2024 | Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Attendance: 16,545
Due to time constraints in a busy weekend, I’ll be skipping the pre-show. Also, I have so much to review between this, Sakura Genesis, and STARDOM shows.
NXT Tag Team Championship: Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker [c] vs. Axiom and Nathan Frazer
The effect for Frazer and Axiom’s entrance is a cool idea but they need to do something different during it to make it really work. The challengers attacked before the bell with dives, though this became a traditional tag rather quickly. I kind of like that Bron is signed to Smackdown but is defending the titles here. It’s a cool idea they haven’t done much before. He looked like a beast here and commentary hyped his eventual full-time move to Smackdown. They didn’t overdo a heat segment here either, with Frazer and Axiom both taking beatings, yet both getting in their high flying stuff. It made for a cool battle of athleticism vs. power. The challengers threw everything they had at the champs and managed to withstand what was thrown back at them. Baron Corbin even busted out a top rope splash. Axiom and Frazer had a chance after Bron ran into the steel steps and Frazer hit a Phoenix Splash. However, Bron saved Baron and then crushed Frazer with a Spear to end this in 11:23. A really good start to the show and an action-packed tag bout. [***¾]
NXT North American Championship: Oba Femi [c] vs. Dijak vs. Josh Briggs
Oba Femi’s entrance rules. That man looks like a star. He’s typically dominated though now he’s facing dudes who are a lot bigger than most opponents. The challengers teamed up to send Oba outside but the partnership didn’t last long. This was filled with BIG MEATY MEN SLAPPING MEAT spots. From Oba using Dijak as a battering ram on Briggs to them just trading shoulder blocks to Briggs doing the Undertaker KOTR 2000 avalanche chokeslam spot, sending Dijak onto a seated Oba. That last spot was sick. From there, these three beefy men just beat the hell out of each other with stiff shots and big offensive moves. The biggest moment came when Dijak went for an avalanche DVD on Briggs only for Oba to hoist him up in an Electric Chair. From that position, he dropped Dijak who hit a massive DVD on Briggs. Dijak got going afterward, hitting several Feast Your Eyes but always having something interrupt the follow-up. The final case of that was Oba cutting off a pin on Briggs by picking Dijak up and powerbombing him onto Briggs for the win in 15:00. An outstanding clash of the titans with a ton of action. [****¼]
Fallon Henley, Kelani Jordan and Thea Hail vs. Izzi Dame, Jacy Jayne and Kiana James
I love the work that NXT does with the women. Even the ones who aren’t top stars still feel important. This got off to a fiery start with the six women brawling outside. It was fitting for the feud and for Thea Hail reverting back to her old gimmick. There were a few spots that didn’t quick for me or looked awkward though that can be expected with some green women in there. Kelani Jordan had a few miscues before she ended up playing the face in peril for a bit. That set up a hot tag to Henley though that was all a precursor to the Thea/Jacy showdown they’ve been building to for months. They went at it but of course, they’re saving a result between them for a singles match so Thea made Izzi tap to an armbar at the 11:41 mark. That was a pretty good little match here. Some stuff didn’t click the way they wanted but it worked. [**½]
NXT Women’s Championship: Lyra Valkyria [c] vs. Roxanne Perez
It feels like Perez got a spot that was going to Cora Jade before injury but she has excelled in it, delivering some quality character work and becoming a favorite of mine. Before the bell, William Regal was shown in the crowd with Giulia and Rossy Ogawa. Roxanne targeted Lyra’s injured arm immediately and the champion had to fight through it and find other ways to get her offense going. Roxanne kept up the focused assault on the arm though, really putting the pressure on the champion. I popped for her busting out the Pentagon Jr. arm snap spot. I liked Lyra’s spots during her rally as her Northern Lights Suplexes were good only for her next move to see her arm give out. It wasn’t a blowaway sell job but it was done well enough. She couldn’t get quite enough going though, with her tope suicida meeting a forearm and her next attempt at a comeback seeing her get thrown shoulder first into the ring post. Lyra avoided a repeat of the spot that hurt her arm in the first place only to accidentally run into Tatum Paxley outside. The two traded shots and counters inside until Roxanne hit a poison rana, Pop Rox, and then locked in a crossface to win the title in 16:02. A very strong match here that had a subdued crowd for bits of it. Roxanne’s more vicious style came off well and the limb work was smartly done. [***¾]
NXT Championship: Ilja Dragunov [c] vs. Tony D’Angelo
Interesting match on paper given how Tony feels more like a character and Ilja is more of a straight-up wrestler. In execution though, it more than delivered. The story here was that Ilja came in a bad hand and it prevented him from getting a good grip on the challenger. Things got worse for him when his chop hit the ring post. Stacks attempted to cheat with brass knuckles but Tony tossed them aside, looking to do this cleanly. This really picked up when Tony was throwing suplexes as it’s a very good part of his game. The fight spilled outside and onto the announce table for a slugfest before Ilja connected with the H Bomb on the floor. A second one put Tony through a table but back inside, the challenger went for the hand to stop his momentum. However, Ilja would not be denied, hitting Torpedo Moscow and adding another H Bomb to retain in 17:05. A few bits dragged but the hand selling was well done and Tony impressed me here. [***½]
Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams
It’s weird that this is a straight singles match. Not No DQ or anything like that. I guess there’s some relaxed rules but it feels like they need more. Right off the bat, it was disappointing to see them locking up and trying to outwrestle each other. The broken friendship and storyline call for a fight. Thankfully, Melo slapped Trick and they got to throwing hands soon after. That led to the fight going into the crowd but they ran into trouble when they attempted to use the steel chair. The referee kept stopping them which kind of defeated the purpose. If it’s relaxed rules, let it happen or disqualify them. Stopping it messed with the flow. After Trick hit the exposed turnbuckle, Melo called back to Vengeance Day by chop blocking his former partner. Trick finally got to use the chair a bunch of times but the official took it from him, allowing Melo to low blow him. Trick survived that and caught Melo with the Trick Knee after 14:47 to win. A good match that never felt like it went as far as it should’ve. It lacked the fire you need from this kind of feud but was solid enough overall. [***]
