{"id":123769,"date":"2024-04-05T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T12:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=123769"},"modified":"2024-04-05T00:56:14","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T04:56:14","slug":"best-matches-nxt-stand-and-deliver-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/04\/05\/best-matches-nxt-stand-and-deliver-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Matches in NXT Stand and Deliver History"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Since 2021,\u00a0<\/span><strong><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE NXT<\/span><\/em><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0has hosted its own PLE, the day before\u00a0<\/span><strong><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE WrestleMania<\/span><\/em><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. <\/span><strong><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NXT Stand and Deliver<\/span><\/em><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> quickly became the Black and Gold answer to the &#8220;Show of Shows,&#8221; with excellent matches and compelling stories drawing eyes to the third brand of WWE.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The event being so close to\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE WrestleMania<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0has given it a reputation for playing host to some of the best matches in <em>NXT<\/em> history.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ahead of this Saturday\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NXT Stand and Deliver<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, join me in taking a look back at the greatest bouts from the PLE\u2019s short history.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE NXT North American Championship Fatal Five-Way Ladder Match (2022)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OfEOsHHb3eU?si=P6E9iSArjOxYE-Qv\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It\u2019s funny to think that every single person involved in this match has since made their way to the main roster, but it goes to show how impressive the work here was.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The NXT North American Champion,\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Carmelo Hayes<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, put his championship on the line in a fatal five-way ladder match which stole the show.\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Cameron Grimes<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Grayson Waller<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Santos Escobar<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Solo Sikoa<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0were all vying for the belt and undoubtedly put on the match of the night.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Each of the competitors involved was dead set on climbing the ladder and leaving\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NXT Stand &amp; Deliver<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0with the title, as they all put on a clinic in front of the Texas crowd.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As you can imagine, there was a lot of time spent in the air for each man involved. Dives to the outside, springboards and leaps from ladders were all a part of this five-man frenzy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At one point, all five men found themselves atop a ladder and a scramble for the belt ensued before they turned their attention to toppling one another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Grayson Waller took a particularly nasty bump, as he missed an elbow drop from the top of a ladder and crumbled through a ladder bridge at ringside. After a series of brutal moves, eventually Cameron Grimes found his way to the top of a ladder and secured the gold.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This match has been widely regarded as one of the best multi-man matches in NXT history (although there would be another the following year) and was a spectacular showcase of each man\u2019s abilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Johnny Gargano vs. Grayson Waller &#8211; Unsanctioned Match (2023)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V372hCsInHU?si=5Xxv7Wlg0w9b85-R\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The \u2018Aussie Icon\u2019 featured again the following year, as he was embroiled in a heated feud with\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Johnny Gargano<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. The two men had been trading verbal and physical attacks for weeks and finally came to blows at\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NXT Stand &amp; Deliver<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As expected, the match quickly devolved into a brutal bout, as both men utilised as many foreign objects as possible to dole out devastating damage. Steel chairs, tables and even trash cans came into play as the two decimated one another.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Of course, there was some spectacular wrestling on display throughout, as both men are extremely talented and put on an excellent match, but the violence on display was the main talking point.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Grayson Waller hit a Coast-to-Coast on Gargano late in the match, while \u2018Johnny Wrestling\u2019 was trapped inside a trash can. Also, this match saw the return of\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Candice LeRae<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and she tore into Waller, walloping him with a kendo stick until it snapped.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This violent encounter culminated with a submission, as Waller tapped out and Gargano left as the victor. Gargano and LeRae were also reunited with\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Dexter Lumis<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Indi Hartwell<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0&#8211; The Way &#8211; at the end of the match, in a heartwarming moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Kyle O\u2019Reilly vs. Adam Cole &#8211; Unsanctioned Match (2021)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jKmWirXk1_s?si=CwUOEyxRJ0iQE4BN\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">We\u2019re taking a trip back to the main event of the first\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NXT Stand &amp; Deliver<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0for this next match.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In 2021,\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Adam Cole<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0attacked his Undisputed Era stablemates and split the most dominant group in NXT history. He turned on\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Kyle O\u2019Reilly<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0earlier in the year and their feud became the most must-see rivalry in NXT.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Due to the animosity between these two men, an Unsanctioned Match was the most appropriate stipulation on the night and both competitors took true advantage of it. They immediately brawled to the outside and began destroying one another.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Cole made use of a collection of steel chairs underneath the ring and used them to batter O\u2019Reilly. The match spilled onto just about every surface in the arena, as they took their battle to the entrance ramp, the announce table and the barricades surrounding the ring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Adam Cole was dominant throughout and looked certain to be the victor as the match went on. However, O\u2019Reilly sported an incredible comeback and laid into his former brother, annihilating him with a chain and eventually picking up the shock win.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In one of the most brutal matches in NXT history, O\u2019Reilly emerged the winner after expending every ounce of effort that he had.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NXT North American Championship Fatal Five-Way (2023)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kab7Uw4bMN0?si=997-D1fnRABQzRQu\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Fatal Five-Way at\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NXT Stand &amp; Deliver<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0in 2022 was &#8211; as mentioned previously &#8211; exemplary. It feels as though the five men involved the following year saw that and wanted to somehow top it. And boy\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">did they<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">All of the competitors involved here set out to prove themselves and they pulled out all the stops. The defending champion,\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Wes Lee<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, put his title on the line against\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">JD McDonagh<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Dragon Lee<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Axiom<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ilja Dragunov<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Right from the get-go, each man was firing on all cylinders. They all worked at their highest pace, trying to take out each of their opponents with high-risk manoeuvres and energetic offence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sometimes with multi-man matches, there can be a tendency to focus on individual spots and forget the storytelling between each competitor. However, all five men managed to work brilliantly together and put together some incredible moments as a unit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If you have some spare time, do yourself a favour and watch this match. It\u2019s genuinely one of the best multi-man matches of all time, in my humble opinion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ultimately, Wes Lee retained his NXT North American Championship by pinning Ilja Dragunov after almost 20 minutes of mayhem.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WALTER vs. Tommaso Ciampa (2021)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IBPKx8JKO6I?si=4qo6w1DqXfhj6O63\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Two men hellbent on destruction featured in this final match. The NXT U.K. Championship was on the line, as the record-setting\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WALTER<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0defended his title against \u2018The Blackheart\u2019\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Tommaso Ciampa<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This match had been hyped ahead of time as having the potential to be one of NXT\u2019s hardest-hitting encounters and it certainly was.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The story of this match was the power imbalance between the dominant WALTER and his smaller opponent, and it was clear in every move. The \u2018Ring General\u2019 hammered his challenger with lariats, headbutts, chops and suplexes as he looked to end the match quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, Ciampa fought back and got a few of his impressive moves in. Ultimately, he struggled to overpower WALTER and it was evident as the match drew on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At one point, Ciampa avoided a chop from his opponent on the announce table, as the champion instead split the hood of the table in two. This factored into the rest of the match, as the majority of WALTER\u2019s offence came through his unharmed left arm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">These two men left everything in the ring that evening, as near-falls began to get nearer and nearer. Eventually, after weathering the storm that was Ciampa\u2019s unrelenting onslaught, WALTER hit multiple powerbombs and a devastating chop to get the pinfall victory.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">His dominant reign as champion continued and, as we now know, it was a mere prelude to the incredible work that he would go on to do in WWE.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Let\u2019s hope that the matches at\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NXT Stand &amp; Deliver<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0this year can live up to these high standards. Make sure to catch all the action on Saturday, April 6th, before\u00a0<\/span><strong><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE WrestleMania 40<\/span><\/em><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/h3>\n<p><em>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013\u00a0<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE Network<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Peacock<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since 2021,\u00a0WWE NXT\u00a0has hosted its own PLE, the day before\u00a0WWE WrestleMania. NXT Stand and Deliver quickly became the Black and Gold answer to the &#8220;Show of Shows,&#8221; with excellent matches and compelling stories drawing eyes to the third brand of WWE. The event being so close to\u00a0WWE WrestleMania\u00a0has given it a reputation for playing host [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5065,"featured_media":123785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,2192,5,3],"tags":[8146,1248,68,8323,2073],"class_list":["post-123769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-north-america","category-wrestling","category-nxt","category-wwe-universe","tag-grayson-waller","tag-walter","tag-johnny-gargano","tag-nxt-stand-deliver","tag-tommaso-ciampa"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5065"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}