wrestling / TV Reports
Sambus’ NXT Stand & Deliver 2025 Review
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Good afternoon friends and family of 411! Theo Sambus on hand for NXT today, and it’s an honor to be here to officially kick off Wrestlemania Weekend (…depending on whether or not you got stuck into any of the GCW Collective shows)!
Before we get to the meat of Wrestlemania Night One, all eyes are on the T-Mobile Arena as NXT presents the annual Stand & Deliver PLE. And we have some BIG TIME STUFF lined up, including the 6-pack Women’s Ladder match for the North American championship, the stacked 4-way Women’s championship match, Saints vs Page, and the three-way main event for the NXT title between Oba Femi, Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans.
I tend to dip in and out of NXT week to week but on paper this looks like a really fun show, even if some think they’ve gone a little OTT on all the multi-person matches. The proof will be in the proverbial pudding, so let’s see how the boys and girls of NXT fare as we kick off Stand & Deliver.
Location: Boston, MA
Venue: MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Commentators: Booker T, Corey Graves & Vic Joseph
During the Countdown Pre-show, we saw Gigi Dolan & Tatum Paxley win the Fatal Four-way Number One Contenders Elimination Match, challenging whoever walks out of Wrestlemania Night Two with the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships this coming week on NXT.
TUDUM~!
We are LIVE in Las Vegas, and we are kicking off with our North American championship match.
[WWE NXT North American Championship] Ricky Saints (c) vs Ethan Page
Lockup to start, and Saints gives Page a little slap before they spill to the outside and brawl. Back in the ring, Saints bounces Page face first into the turnbuckles and wakes him up with a chop to the chest. Enziguri from Saints, he takes arm control and ascends the ropes. Rope walk strut and the clothesline connects, and Saints poses in the center of the ring. He goes for a tornado DDT but Page shoves him to the apron. POWERSLAM on the apron by Ethan Page! Ouch.
Page delivers a kick to the face when they return to the ring, and delivers some forearms to the lower back. Vertical suplex, cover, 1, 2, no. Spinning backbreaker by Page gets another 2 as the crowd begin to sing ‘RICKY…RICKY SAINTS’. Suplex attempt reversed this time, and Saints capitalizes. Back outside they go, Saints working over Page against the barricade, then gets back on the apron for a dive…SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY and Page dodges, sending Saints flying right into the announce desk! My God he went SPLAT on that one.
Page takes Saints down in the ring and looks for a Boston Crab, kicking the back and locking it in. Saints claws to the ropes but Page drags him back to the center…and Saints still manages to make it to the ropes! Saints with strikes from the bottom, but it’s not enough. Ego’s Edge attempt, Saints slips out and hits some rights. Back suplex onto the top rope, and Saints spills all the way to the outside, nice! But Saints it back up and nails a tornado DDT with an assist from the ropes, and both men are down. Spinebuster from Saints, followed by a Michinoku Driver, 1, 2, NO! Page gets Saints on his shoulders, Saint slips out again, kick to the face, and Page hits another powerslam for 2.
Swinging reverse DDT, Saint tries to climb the buckles but his back is hurt and it prevents him from gaining momentum. Page climbs up there with him, Saints flips over and hits a stalling sunset powerbomb, 1, 2, NO. Confidence Breaker from Page! EGO’S EDGE!! 1, 2, NOOOOO. Saints is still in this one. Twisted Grit reversed, Saints with a spear, and he connects with the Ro Sham Bo to pick up the 1, 2, 3.
Winner and STILL WWE NXT North American champion: Ricky Saints
Time: 12:44
Rating: ***1/2 – This felt grounded and traditional in the best possible way. Really strong encounter from these guys, who have tremendous chemistry. Run it back.
[WWE NXT Tag Team Championships] Fraxiom (c) vs Hank & Tank
Hank and Axiom to start, little feeling out process with Hank seemingly getting the better of it. Dropkick from Axiom and a tag to Frazer. Axiom applies an octopus stretch, and Frazer hits the ropes, building up steam to deliver a running kick to the gut. Frazer with a quick rollup, Hank makes a tag to Tank, and we get a little double teaming, with Tank hitting a senton for 2. He slams Frazer on top of the buckles and lays him out there, charging in for a running strike. Frazer flips up and kicks him away, tagging Axiom back in. Running kicks from both champions, and now Axiom is in control of Hank.
Shibata-esque dropkick in the corner from Axiom gets a 2 count. Axiom applies a body scissors from behind, but Hank qucikly works out of it. Hank fires up and wants more punishment, reversing Axiom to deliver a clothesline. Frazer in, running forearm to the face and a standing SSP connects for 2. Axiom goes for a triangle, Hank looks to counter with a powerbomb but Frazer helps him out, only for Hank to swing Axiom round and knock Frazer out. Tags from both men, Tank with strikes to Frazer, throws him overhead and clotheslines Axiom into the ring, following up with a slingshot splash. Fisherman’s spinebuster gives Tank a 2 count. Axiom cuts off Tank on a big move, and now Hank takes both guys off the apron. Hank and Frazer back on the apron now, superkick from Frazer, Hank dumps Frazer back in the ring as he went for a tijeras, but now Axiom comes out of nowhere and sends Hank into Tank with another tijeras. Frog splash and the 450 connects, 1, 2, NO. Knee to the face on the outside from Axiom, leaving Frazer and Hank in the ring. Misses an enziguri, Hank delivers a flipping Full Nelson bomb for 2, which Axiom breaks up.
Hank tries to go up top, diving clothesline to Frazer, and Tank lifts Hank up to slam him on top of Frazer for an elevated splash. Axiom is tossed outside, as Tank goes back up top. Pounce from Hank sends Frazer to the floor. Tank opens the ropes…HANK with a suicide dive and he eats shit on the announce table haha! Tank off the apron, dives into a superkick. Back in the ring, Axiom delivers the diving dropkick high-low combo with Frazer, 1, 2, NO.
Tank fights on his own now, enziguri from Axiom, and a SPANISH FLY off the top connects. PHOENIX SPLASH from Frazer, 1, 2, TANK BREAKS IT UP!! Great nearfall there! Axiom with kicks, Tank lariats him down, slingblade from Frazer and another Phoenix Splash misses. BLACK HOLE SLAM from Hank, Tank with a suicide dive, this is crazy. Hank and Tank get fired up, double splash! And the assisted powerslam connects, 1, 2, 3!
Winners and NEW WWE NXT Tag Team Champions: Hank & Tank
Time: 13:57
Rating: **** – This was sink or swim for Hank & Tank, and they swam for their lives. Talk about overachieving! Crazy action, great nearfalls, and Hank & Tank made you believe in them. Big success right here, and the crowd bought into the win in a big way. Fraxiom lose nothing, but Hank & Tank are absolutely made from this win.
*Post-match, Hank & Tank try to shake hands, and Axiom shoves the hand away and goes in for a hug instead. Aww.
*Sarah Schrieber is with the celebrity Penn backstage, pimping out their Vegas magic show. Lexis King shows up and says magic doesn’t exist. Penn advises King to keep the Heritage Cup safe and has a cage for it. He locks it in a cage and rolls a cover over it, then rips the cover off and here is Teller, who Yeets, silently. What the hell haha?
[WWE NXT Women’s North American Championship Ladder Match] ZARIA vs Kelani Jordan vs Izzi Dame vs Sol Ruca vs Lola Vice vs Thea Hail
This is to crown a new NXT Women’s North American champion after it was relinquised by Stephanie Velaquer earlier this month. Things immediately spill to the floor, leaving Ruca and Jordan in the ring. X-factor from Sol Ruca, while Dame traps ZARIA against the steel steps, shoving a ladder into her. Sol Ruca does the same to Jordan in the ring and sets up the ladder. Tornado DDT from Hail and she climbs but Lola Vice puts a stop to that and climbs instead. Kelani grabs her, Vice pulls her leg back and Thea Hail ducks in to deliver a powerbomb. ZARIA with a double spear. Spear to Dame too. ZARIA picks up a ladder and wears it like a scarf, swinging it round to take everyone out before Dame delivers a dropkick.
Dame with a back body drop on ZARIA into the ladder. Jordan with a spin kick on Dame, sort of axe kick across the back, and she continues to kick ger competition. Springboard moonsault to the outside on Hail and Ruca. Dame places a ladder and tries to suplex Jordan, but Jordan puts the breaks on and hits a reverse DDT into the ladder. Split-legged moonsault on ZARIA on the ladder too! Kelani sets up a bigger ladder and climbs, with no one around. Finger tips touching the title, but here comes Lola to interrupt. Ruca pulls Vice off, and Vice locks in a guillotine. Hip attack in the corner and Vice goes back up the ladder, but now it;s Hail to interrupt. Educated feet from Lola takes her outt oo. Hip attack to Dame, Vice is still in this. Ruca grabs Vice, Vice hits a backfist but Ruca ducks and she hits the ladder instead!
Chokeslam from Dame on Jordan as Ruca tries to climb the ladder. Izzi slides under her and delivers a sit-out bomb. Headbutt from Hail on Dame, and Vice is back in and gets body slammed on the ladder. Coffin drop off the bottom rope from Hail. EXPLODER on Jordan sort of into the ladder, although it didn’t land flush. Hail straightens out the ladder and climbs…she has her hand on the title but Dame pulls the ladder away and runs up the other side. Hail with a Kimura lock on top of the ladder! Spears arrives with his crew, and ZARIA lifts up the ladder, tossing Hail from the top of the ladder into a dive on top of Spears and co.
Jordan stops ZARIA from climbing and begins to slam a ladder on top of her. Sol Ruca helps protect ZARIA, they jockey with a ladder and they find a way to form a bridge between the ropes and the standing ladder. Sol Ruca and Jordan stand on top of the bridge, but Vice shoves them off. Vice climbs over ZARIA, rear naked choke…and ZARIA keeps climbing! She reaches for the belt but she’s fading, and now she falls backwards very gently onto the ladder. Froggy Bow from Jordan on top of Vice across the bridge. Jordan climbs, Sol Ruca springboards over to the ladder and climbs too. ZARIA catches Jordan on her shoudlers and tosses her over the top rope to take out everyone on the floor below. Now we get the face off on the ladder between ZARIA and Sol Ruca.
They come face to face at the top….and it’s Ruca to make the first strike. They trade blows, and stereo headbutts connect. Sol flips her legs up and kicks her away, and then SKINS THE CAT on to the top of the ladder! But Izzi Dame is there to stop her. SOL SNATCHER to Dame off the ladder, and another to Hail! Sol Ruca climbs…and she retrieves the title!
Winner and NEW WWE NXT Women’s North American Champion: Sol Ruca
Time: 14:40
Rating: *** – Honestly this had more than a few rough spots, and came across as pretty messy, but there were enough fun moments to keep it engaging. That finishing sequence saved it too, with Sol Ruca looking fantastic in the closing moments.
*Sarah Schrieber is with Gigi Dolan and Tatum Paxley along with Shotzi to congratulate them on their victory on the Countdown show. Dolan says they’ve been busting their asses lately and they are ready to bring the tag team titles home. This is their moment, and they see New Champs in their future.
The D’Angelo Family vs DarkState
I’ll be relying heavily on commentary here as I’m not terribly familiar with the DarkState guys. The Family attacks as DarkState make their entrance, and now D’Angelo is trapped by all three men. He fights them off, Shatter Machine as Stacks gets involved. The bell rings and this is underway, Crusifino gets knocked to the floor with a right hand by Osiris. The ring apron is pulled back, and Crusifino is thrown back first into the exposed steel girder.
Osiris toys with Crusifino, fallaway slam delivered. Flapjack from Lennox gets a 2 count. Elbow drop misses, so in comes Shugars. Rollup by Crusafino and a short-arm powerbomb connects. He crawls for a tag, but Cutler is creeping up on Stacks so Tony jumps off the apron to get involved. Stacks tags in, canonball to Lennox, and one off the apron on Shugars. Osiris comes out of nowhere to pounce him over the barricade! He picks him and drives him back towards the apron. Stacks fights back but Lennox delivers a spinebuster for 2. Shugars with a body scissors applied, Tony D’Angelo does not look best pleased. Enziguri connects for Stacks, and he reaches for a tag but Shugars intercepts. Running knee from Stacks, he stretches out for a tag, and finally tags in D’Angelo.
The Don sends Osiris to the floor, belly to belly on Lennox. Spinebuster on Osiris. Shugars to the top, D’Angelo meets him there and tosses him overhead, covers for 2 until Dion breaks it up. Shugars suplexes Luca to the floor. Lennox tags in, jackhammer connects on D’Angelo for 2. Three-way powerbomb on D’Angelo, but the Family break up the pinfall. The six all square off and it breaks down now. Luca gets smacked into the ringpost on the outside, but Rizzo dives with a crossbody off the top to take out Cutler!
Tony and Osiris battle in the ring, Stacks brings him a crowbar, but Tony tosses it to the floor and says they’re not doing that. Shugars from behind takes them both out. Shugars trips on the ropes, and Tony takes him out anyway with a spear. Tony kisses Stacks and tosses him over the top rope to take out everyone on the floor. The Don is alone in the ring now, as Cutler has the crowbar but the ref restrains him. Stacks has the crowbar and takes out Shugars. Spinebuster from Tony. Tony and Stacks hug it out….and Tony turns his back to Stacks as Stacks thinks about hitting him. He thinks better of it and hands the crowbar to the ref…but he LOW BLOWS D’Angelo instead! Stacks exits the ring, and now the DarkState hit the triple powerbomb. 1, 2, 3.
Winners: DarkState
Time: 13:11
Rating: **3/4 – Well everyone saw the turn coming, but they played it off effectively. I don’t know if DarkState particularly got themselves over here as they ended up playing second fiddle to the D’Angelo-Stacks story, but that’s kind of been the case for a while anyway. Shugars looked good in the spots he was given though, his energy is pretty infectious.
*Sarah Schrieber catches up with Hank & Tank, and they say the output matches the input. When you join NXT, you’re joining for moments like these. Tank knew he’d put the work in, but he had no idea he’d be doing this with his brother. Sarah tells them to enjoy the moment.
[WWE NXT Women’s Championship] Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs Giulia vs Jaida Parker vs Jordynne Grace
Oh wow, I thought this would be the main event! That’s a choice. Vaquer and Giulia go face to face, but Parker and Grace pull them apart and throw them to the outside. Grace hosts Giulia to the top rope, climbs up, but the other gets involved to put a stop to it. Parker looks for a double DDT, Vaquer reverses into a reverse DDT. Giulia and Vaquer with a drop toe hold to Grace, and now we get another staredown between the champ and Giulia. Parker pulls Giulia to the floor, Grace sweeps Parker’s legs, and runs right throw a lariat attempt from Vaquer. Vaquer tries to monkey flip Grace, can’t get it but nails a victory roll for 2. Miscommunication but Vaquer rolls Grace up for another 2 and hits a back suplex. Parker breaks up the cover, and Guilia is in to take everyone out. Parker knocks Grace off the apron, and Giulia works Parker over against the ropes.
Dropkick from Vaquer, and Parker comes right back with a shoulder block. She sets Vaquer up in the corner across the middle rope, but Vaquer kicks her way out of it. Giulia joins in and looks for a double suplex on Parker, but Grace gets both Giulia and Vaquer on her shoulders! DOUBLE BLOCKBUSTER from Parker with the assist from Jordynne! Grace is the way to make the cover, but only gets a 2. Vaquer looks for some skull-fuckery but Grace STANDS UP and gets booed for it. Guilia locks in a guillotine, Grace muscles her up in a suplex though. Grace with a German suplex and a Northern lights at the same time on Parker and Giulia, daaaamn.
Tijeras from Giulia , dodges a swing on the apron and headbutts Parker instead. She climbs the ropes, Grace cuts her off but gets headbutted. Shotgun dropkick takes Grace down. And now we finally get Vaquer and Guilia face to face again. They trade strikes, headbutts, multiple headbutts, good Lord! Guilia grounds Vaquer with them, then tries a body slam but Vaquer reverses, and looks for the skullfuck but NO Guilia counters into the surfboard curb stomp! 1, 2, Grace makes the save. Blockbuster from Parker, and a Samoan Drop on Giulia. Shoulders to the midsection on Grace, and she sets her up across the middle ropes, Guilia on top of her! Oh damn, Parker places Vaquer on top for the triple stack!! Jaida Parker with the hip attack to all three. Michinoku Driver on Vaquer, 1, 2, no.
Parker looks to lock in an Indian Deathlock on Grace, Giulia swings around her into an octopus, and Vaquer applies a Muta lock to Grace, all at the same time! Air Raid Crash on top of Grace. Vaquer with a jawbreaker, superkick to Grace. Eat Defeat to Giulia, meteora to Parker, and another to Grace. Guilia tries to kick Vaquer but the champ grabs the leg and whips it with a dragon screw. Vaquer finally gets Giulia in place and nails the La Primera! And another to Jaida Parker! Suplex to Grace…and Vaquer is on a roll, La Primera to Grace! Booker T might have just cum?
SVB attempt denied, Giulia stacks up Vaquer for 2. Grace is back up, backfist to Giulia. Beast Mode activated, no! Parker hoists Giulia up, Giulia counters for a close 2 count. Gourdbuster on Giulia, running knee, cover, Vaquer hits a Spiral Tap to break it up. SVB connects on Parker. 1, 2, 3! Giulia was right there and almost broke it up, but couldn’t quite reach. Great stuff.
Winner and STILL WWE NXT Women’s Champion: Stephanie Vaquer
Time: 16:29
Rating: **** – To absolutely no one’s surprise, this COOKED. Everyone looked fantastic, and this was just an exhibition for four absolute pros. Constant action from the get-go, and these ladies nailed the time given. Impressive for Parker to look like she belonged in the exact same tier as the other three too, she’s a star. Vaquer stood out the most though, she really could go far in WWE.
*Lexis King is searching for his Heritage Cup backstage. He asks a stage hand but no one can find it anywhere.
*Sarah Schrieber runs after Stacks, and Luca Crusifino runs up. Stacks says he’ll explain everything later, and tells Luca to keep his phone close. He’ll chat to him on Tuesday.
[WWE NXT Championship] Oba Femi (c) vs Trick Williams vs Je’Von Evans
Williams and Femi go for Evans straight from the off, but he evades and springboards with a back elbow to take them down. Femi mows both men down in return though. Nice dropkick from Evans and Femi gets sent to the floor. Trick and Evans face off, Trick flips backwards to avoid a leg sweep. Rollup from the Bouncy One for a 2 count. Evans avoids a leg lariat, backslides Williams for 1. Bicycle kick from Williams and he kips up, so Evans kips up too. Femi storms in and gets BOTH MEN on his shoulders and dumps them with a Samoan Drop.
Femi uses Evans as a battering ram, and then drops him with a shoulder breaker. Gorilla press slam into a gutbuster, and Femi covers for Williams for 2. Williams battles back with some clotheslines but can’t take Oba off his feet, and yep Femi comes right back with a lariat of his own. Evans with a springboard forearm which does take Femi down. Williams isn’t pleased and lariats Evans, following up with a Michinoku Driver. He delivers the 10 count punches in the corner on Femi, but Femi muscles him up. Evans attempts a doomsday lariat but Williams ducks it! Mat return from Williams, cover for 1, 2, no. Femi SLAPS Williams down to the canvas in one shot.
Thrust kick from Evans, jumping neckbreaker by Williams. Both Evans and Williams face off with Femi down in front of them, and Williams springs off the back of Femi’s back to knock Evans out of the sky! Femi sets up Williams on the top rope, but Evans tosses Femi to the floor. Enziguri to Williams. Evans on the shoulders of Femi, tijeras into the apron. Williams is poised, diving crossbody to the floor to take out both men!
OH MY GOD, Evans just jumped to the bottom rope and moonsaulted back, wow. In the ring, a small double stomp on Williams connects. He looks for a body slam on Femi but can’t lift him. Whisper in the Wind from Evans knocks both men down, and he tries a cover on each of them to no avail. Body slam by Williams, and he shoves Evans on the top rope. Femi gets Williams on his shoulders, but Trick still has a hold of Evans…AHHHH HUUUGE SUPERPLEX as Williams had Evans vertical while on Femi’s shoulders!!
The three of them trade some strikes until Trick gets superkicked off Femi’s shoulders. Femi is German’d but stands right back up and hits a double spinebuster! Running uppercut in the corner, Trick comes back with a bicycle kick. Evans rolls up Williams for 2. Handspring Pele drops Williams, and now Evans is poised while Femi is down. He ascends the buckles, frog splash! 1 COUNT and Femi goozles him! Chokeslam INTO A CUTTER FROM EVANS. 1, 2, NO!
Springboard into a cutter, caught, sliced bread by Evans! Another cutter attempt but Femi destroys him with right hand. Femi takes out Williams on the outside, and Evans gets a body slam on Femi. Springboard cutter connects! 1, 2, NOOO! Crowd ate on that one.
Williams just pulled the referee out of the ring! Suicide dive from Evans. Pop-up from Femi but Evans counters with a tijeras to the outside. Femi catches him again and tosses him RIGHT THROUGH the barricade at ringside. Trick with a BOOK END through the announce table on Oba Femi!! Trick grabs Evans and shoves him back in the ring. Running knee, but he took out the ref! Ref makes it back in, but Femi is up, the REF KICKS FEMI AWAY haha. He makes the cover, 1, 2, Femi saves his title!
Williams and Femi trade right hands on their knees. They make it to their feet, but Evans comes out of nowhere with a double springboard cutter! He hits the twisting splash on Femi, but Williams takes him out! Femi with the Fall From Grace on Williams, and another to Evans to pick up the 1, 2, 3.
Winner and STILL WWE NXT Champion: Oba Femi
Time: 16:56
Rating: ****1/4 – Another case of these guys overdelivering and exceeding expectations. Wow. Evans made a name for himself in a big way, but everyone got to look good with some phenomenal nearfalls and genuinely thrilling offense. Damn good main event right here!
*Oba Femi celebrates with the title as the broadcast comes to a close.
Well that was great! Thanks for joining me, folks – now go enjoy the rest of your Wrestlemania weekend!
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