NXT Stand & Deliver Review – 04.04.26

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Stand & Deliver is NXT’s biggest show of the year, and tonight’s card comes to Youtube and Netflix LIVE from The Factory in St. Louis, MO. The announcers for tonight’s show are Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Sarah Schreiber on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

Pre-Show Match: Birthright (Uriah Connors, Lexis King, Stacks Lorenzo, Charles Dempsey, and TNA Knockouts Champion Arianna Grace) vs Hank and Tank, Shiloh Hill, EK Prosper, and WWE Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair

There’s a Pier Six to start and Birthright have the immediate advantage. The babyfaces fight back and it’s Hill and Connors to start. Hill drives in a shoulder and Hank tags in, followed by Tank. They smash Connors around and Tank covers for two. Connors tags in Stacks and Tank dumps Connors before tagging in Hank. Hank and Tank dump Stacks to the floor. Hank runs Stacks back in and covers him for two. Stacks fires off an elbow and Connors tags in. Connors smashes Hank with a swanton looking thing from the apron and King tags in. King smashes Hank around and Dempsey tags in. Dempsey fires off some uppercuts that drop Hank to the mat and Dempsey covers for two. Stacks tags in, Connors tags in, and Hank wipes everyone out. Hank dumps Dempsey and Connors and Sinclair tags in. Grace tags in and Sinclair runs wild on her for a bit before it ends with an X-Factor and the Final Wrench. Dempsey breaks up the submission as Sinclair is shocked. Grace grabs a roll up for two, and Prosper tags in. Prosper wipes out Stacks and Connors and ascends. Grace puts the stink-mouth on Prosper and Dempsey uses that to dump Prosper to the floor. Dempsey tags in and dumps Hank down, and then Sinclair comes in to slap Dempsey around. Sinclair hits a double underhook suplex before Grace comes flying in to break up that flurry. Stacks gets caught in a helicopter Black Hole Slam, and Hill flies in to start mashing everyone around. Dempsey wipes out Hill, and Prosper hits a top rope double springboard moonsault to the floor on everyone. Hank, Tank, and Hill hit HONK HONK on Dempsey. Hill hits his lofted twisting neckbreaker finisher on Dempsey and covers him for three.

I didn’t cover about 60% of what happened there, because that match went SO fast it was beyond comprehension. The good guys get a win to light up the crowd and a whole bunch of big spots happened. It’s not my cup of tea but the crowd ate it up. 2.5*

Winners – Hank/Tank/Sinclair/Hill/Prosper (Hill finisher on Dempsey)

Here’s Shawn Michaels out to “Sexy Boy” and hitting his signature pose to Booker’s delight. Michaels welcomes everyone to the show and brings out Sexxy Red. Red gets a nice hand and she and HBK have two words for you if you’re not down with Stand & Deliver. I guess tonight is for the Attitude Era fans, huh Pat?

Arrivals: NXT Men’s Champion Joe Hendry, Ethan Page, Ricky Saints, Tony D’Angelo, Sol Ruca, and Zaria.

NXT Women’s Chanpionship:Jacy Jayne (C) vs AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion Lola Vice vs Kendal Grey

Wren Sinclair is out with Grey, and Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid are out with the champ. Mike Rome does in-ring announcements and we’re off. Jayne bullies Grey and Vice around at the outset, so they team up to dump her to the floor. Grey grabs a roll up for one, and her and Vice roll around a bit. They exchange covers that get one, and Jayne sneaks in to try to pin both of them. That gets two, and Jayne puts the boots to Grey. Grey grabs a roll up on Jayne that gets two, and Jayne sends her to the floor when she kicks out. Jayne trucks Vice and then there’s a long rope-running sequence that ends with Grey dropkicking both Jayne and Vice down. Grey covers Vice and gets two. Grey works a front face lock on Vice, but Vice brekasout of it. Vice misses a charge and Grey gets yanked off the apron by Jayne. Jayne rams Grey into the steps and then gets hammered by a Vice flying tackle. Vice yanks up Jayne and runs her back in to kick her in the back. Vice’s cover gets two.

Vice kicks Jayne in the gut a few times and Jayne snaps off an armbar in response. Vice hits a big right to Jayne’s midsection, and then goes after Henley and Reid. Jayne uses that to waffle Vice with a backstabber before going to ground and pound. Jayne hits a rolling senton on Vice and gets two. Jayne drives a knee into Vice’s back and goes back to the rear chinlock. Vice tries to break out and kicks a charging Jayne. Grey flies up for a cross-body on Jayne, but Jayne rolls it over and gets two. Jayne hits a double knee drop on Grey and then Vice charges in to wallop Jayne with a tackle that gets two. Vice misses a charge and Jayne’s dropkick sends Grey into Vice. Jayne hits a cannonball on both of them and then dumps Vice to the floor. Jayne hits a thrust kick and covers Grey for two.

Jayne clubbers away on Grey and then Grey grabs a roll up for two. Jayne crushes Grey with a short arm clothesline that gets two. Vice is back and she smashes Jayne with a shoulder but Reid grabs Vice’s leg to prevent further damage. Jayne snaps off a neckbreaker that sends Vice to the floor and then walks into a Grey roll up that gets two. Grey hits a sunset flip but Jayne pops right up to blast Grey with a kick. Jayne rams Grey’s head into the mat a few times and then smashes her with a short senton. Grey and Jayne fight on the second rope and Vice flies in with an Angle Slam that drops both of them. Vice covers Grey and gets two, and then she tries with Jayne and gets two. Vice fires off some kicks on Grey and then lights up Jayne with some kicks as well. Vice hits the Hip Attack on both Grey and Jayne and then puts some extra sauce on the last one she hits on Jayne. Jayne gets hit with a belly to back, but Grey flies in to smash Vice with a release German. Grey drops the straps and hits Jayne with a German. Grey wallops Vice and Jayne with a bunch of suplexes, but Jayne flies in and breaks it up with a running knee that gets two.

Jayne and Vice slug it out and Jayne ends it with an enziguri. Vice hits a back roundhouse on Jayne out of nowhere that gets two as Grey breaks it up. Vice hits a bunch of kicks on Grey and covers her for two as Jayne drags Vice to the floor. Jayne wallops Vice with a running kick but appears to have hurt her ankle. Grey yanks Jayne into the ankle lock, Jayne rolls into a quick roll up that gets two, and Grey keeps going with the ankle lock. Grey gets a roll through on Vice that gets two, and then Vice slaps on a guillotine. Jayne flies in with a knee on Vice but gets caught with Grey’s backfist. Grey tries to slap on an armbar on Vice but gets walloped with her backfist. Vice ends up on the floor and Jayne casually rolls over and covers Grey for two but we then see that Vice has stopped the count by putting Grey’s foot on the ropes. Reid and Henley try to attack Vice, but they miss and Sinclair comes flying in with a double cross body on Reid and Henley that drops them to the floor. Sinclair, Henley, and Reid fight to the back and Jayne wonders where they went. Grey hits a moonsault to the floor on both Jayne and Vice. Grey ascends and hits a Shades of Grey on Jayne that gets two. Vice grabs a rear naked choke on Grey but Grey rolls it over and gets two. Vice slips off and Jayne wallops Grey with the Rolling Encore. Jayne turns right into Vice’s backfist and Vice covers Jayne and gets three.

This felt like they were going for epic and didn’t quite get there. I guess they’re finally trying with Lola and she’s been there long enough now that it’s probably time for this. It’s not the way I would have gone but presumably Jacy is headed to the main after Wrestlemania so someone was getting the title tonight. This was long and a bit too spot-tastic for me, and the selling was periodic at best. The pace was too quick, but that’s what we do in NXT. The crowd has been interesting thus far and only really popped for the finish sequence. It was fine for an opener, everyone worked hard, and we have a new champ. 3.25*

Winner AND NEW NXT Women’s Champion – Lola Vice (spinning backfist on Jayne)

Here’s a look at Kali Armstrong who’s announced as COMING SOON to NXT.

NXT Tag Team Championships: The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) vs Los Americanos (Rayo and Bravo)

Los Americanos are accompanied by the greatest hero in Mexican history, El Grande Americano Nuevo. Jackson Drake is out with Baylor and Smokes. Smokes and Bravo start and Smokes works a wristlock. Bravo flips out of it and poses for the crowd. Bravo hits an Atomic Drop and then throws some hands at Smokes head. Smokes gets dragged down and crotched in the Americano corner. Rayo tags in as does Baylor. Rayo drops the double knees and then tags in Bravo. They hits some double team stuff on Baylor and then Bravo goes to work with rights in the corner. Baylor fires up with a clothesline and then tags in Smokes. Smokes and Baylor put the boots to Bravo. Bravo escapes further damage and tags in Rayo as Smokes decides to tag in Baylor. Rayo runs wild on Smokes and Baylor and ends it with a Meteora on Smokes. Rayo ascends and hits a moonsault on a charging Baylor. Rayo covers and gets two.

Rayo chops away at Baylor and then whips him into the Project corner where Smokes grabs a blind tag. Rayo charges and Smokes flies through the ropes to spear Rayo down. Smokes covers and gets two. Smokes puts the boots to Rayo and then mounts him in a corner. Smokes ascends but Rayo flies up and over with a suset flip powerbomb that gets two. Smokes fires up with a splash in the Project corner and Baylor tags in. Baylor yanks up Rayo for a neckbreaker off his knee that gets two. Rayo fires up with a half-and-half suplex and wants a tag but Baylor holds him off so Smokes can join in. Baylor holds up Rayo so Smokes can dropkick him and Baylor’s subsequent cover gets two. Rayo fights his way out of the Project corner and tags in Bravo. Bravo waffles Baylor with a cross-body and a flying lariat before lofting a charging Smokes up for a facebreaker. Bravo gets kicked in the hamstring by Baylor and Smokes tags in. Bravo hoists both of them up for an overhead toss. Bravo hits a choke-airplane spin combo and Rayo and Bravo combine on a dropkick-Michinoku Driver on Smokes that gets two. Baylor dumps Bravo and then gets clotheslined out by Rayo. Smokes sneaks over and plants Rayo with a Flatliner. Baylor tags in and they combine to drop Rayo with a helicopter driver that gets two.

Baylor goes for Rayo’s mask so he turns and smashes Baylor with an enziguri. Rayo hits an X-Plex on Baylor and covers for two. EGA offers the metal plate to Bravo and he gets a tag. Bravo misses a charge and Baylor and Smokes hit a double-team backdrop suplex that gets two before Rayo breaks it up. Smokes pulls out the metal plate from Bravo’s mask and puts it in his trunks. Baylor gets slammed on the apron by Rayo. Smokes ascends and Bravo drops him crotch-first on the top turnbuckle. Rayo hits a rana on Smokes, Bravo follows with a frog splash, and Rayo hits one of his own before covering and getting two. Baylor tags in and works some SMALL JOINT MANIPULATION on Rayo but that seems to fire Rayo up. Bravo flies in with a clothesline and a tope suicida on Smokes as Rayo drops Baylor with a Riptide looking thing that gets two. Drake gets the metal plate from Smokes and eats an immediate spear from EGA. Smokes dumps Rayo down, and Bravo gets caught by Drake with a big right. Smokes tags in and hits a double stomp from the top rope before covering Bravo and getting three.

Lots of shenanigans in this one as you might have expected and almost none of it helped with the quality of the match. Like, the Americanos act is fine in certain situations but this one felt like a major styles clash with the more old-school Project kids. Plus, I think the crowd didn’t really know what to do because this group of Americanos are heels on the main roster, and the Project guys are heels in NXT. The whole thing was kind of weird and it didn’t really work how I think they were hoping it might. I would suspect Baylor and Smokes will have much tougher challengers coming up soon in the form of OTM and possibly Hank & Tank, but we’ll see. 2.5*

Winners AND STILL NXT Tag Team Champions – The Vanity Project (Smokes double stomp from the top rope on Bravo)

Shiloh Hill and NXT Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley are backstage laughing about Hill’s triumph in the pre-show match. Hill says Blake Monroe is not ready for Paxley’s demon mode. Sexxy Red enters to help celebrate and here’s Ricky Saints to say Red shouldn’t be hanging out with these weirdoes. Red: “What’s wrong with weirdoes?” Saints tells Red after he becomes a two-time champ tonight Red should hang out with him, and then leaves.

Sol Ruca vs Zaria

Ruca sprints down the ramp and mashes Zaria with a springboard clothesline prior to the bell sounding. The bell goes and Ruca smashes Zaria around in a corner. Ruca trips Zaria up and elbows her in the back of the head before hitting a short thrust kick. Zaria trips up Ruca and wallops her with a clothesline. Zaria tosses Ruca halfway across the ring but Ruca catches her with a right when Zaria advances. Zaria gets sent to the floor and Ruca misses a Sol Snatcher attempt before Zaria waffles her with a pump kick. Zaria yanks up Ruca and drops her face-first onto the ring steps. Zaria fires Ruca back in and smashes her with a clothesline and a big back body drop. Zaria kicks Ruca in the ribs and then clubbers away. Ruca gets dragged to a corner and hoisted in a choke before Zaria drops Ruca and kisses her biceps. Ruca snaps off a kick but Zaria catches her coming off the top turnbuckle with a fall away slam that gets two.

Zaria smashes Ruca down and puts the stink-mouth on her. Zaria rams a knee into Ruca’s gut and then puts a foot in the middle of her back to drive her face-first into the mat. Zaria’s cover gets two. Ruca fires up with rights and then grabs a roll up into a double stomp. Zaria hits a spear and goes to ground and pound. Ruca hits a short dropkick and eats a knee from Zaria when she charges her. Zaria hits a release German and then ascends. Ruca hits some elbows and a kaman giri before ascending for a top rope rana that drops Zaria to the mat. They meet in the middle of the ring and go nose-to-nose while screaming at each other. They start slugging it out and Ruca wins the advantage with some flying elbows. Ruca hits a release German and a second rope dropkick. Zaria hoists Ruca but Ruca slips off and they kind of hang each other over the top rope. Ruca goes to the floor for some ground and pound and then whips Zaria repeatedly into the apron. Ruca runs Zaria back in and wants the Sol Snatcher but Zaria senses it coming and kicks Ruca dead in the face. Ruca sends Zaria out to the ramp and then hits a Sol Snatcher that drops Zaria face first on the ramp. Zaria shakes it off and spears Ruca through the ropes. Zaria rises and hoists Ruca, but she slips off and hits another Sol Snatcher in the ring that gets two.

Ruca gets caught with a spear when she tries some springboard move, and Zaria hoists her up for an F5. Zaria covers and gets two. There’s more chat between the two and Zaria fires up with a bunch of headbutts. Zaria hoists Ruca and ascends but Ruca fires off some elbows and slips off. They slug it out and Ruca hits a top rope X-Factor before hitting a third Sol Snatcher. Ruca covers and gets three.

I legit thought that Zaria would get booked to win this match. I don’t have the official count handy but I think Zaria is now 0-173 in what people would call “big matches”. It’s like….when are you going to let this person win something meaningful? She’s not, you know, Asuka or Shayna Baszler or something, but she’s not like Duane Gill either. Damn. Anyway, hopefully this ends this saga and Ruca can move on and up. Zaria will continue in NXT and perhaps a new feud will emerge where she can actually win something of meaning at some point. 2.75*

Winner – Sol Ruca (Sol Snatcher)

Lola Vice is backstage getting kudos from everyone and NXT GM Robert Stone offers up a celebration for Tuesday night’s show. Sexxy Red joins in to celebrate with Vice and they shake their moneymakers a bit.

NXT Men’s North American Championship: Myles Borne (C) vs Johnny Gargano

Candice LeRae is out with Gargano. Mike Rome does the in-ring intros, and we’re off. Gargano is the clear crowd favorite here as they lock up. Borne works an elbow lock and then transitions into a a side headlock. Borne trucks Gargano down and it seems to make Gargano sad. HE WAS FAKING and starts smashing Borne around. Gargano sends Borne to the floor and gets a “Johnny Wrestling” chant. They slug it out when Borne re-enters, and Gargano sends Borne back to the floor where he waffles him with a rolling tackle. Gargano chops away but Borne fires up and sends Gargano into the announce table before Borne smashes Gargano’s back into the ring post. They go back in and Borne drives a knee into Gargano’s spine. Borne whips Gargano into a corner and then hits his snap powerslam for two.

Borne yanks up Gargano for a short suplex that gets two. Borne hits a backbreaker and then torques Gargano over his knee. Gargano fires up with some rights to break that up and then catches Borne with a boot and an elbow when Borne charges. Borne goes shoulder-first into the ring post and Gargano starts firing off rights. Gargano hits some forearms and then wallops Borne with a kaman giri from the apron. Gargano hits a spear and covers Borne for two. Gargano works Borne’s arm but Borne breaks away and slips a Gargano charge. Borne fires off some rights and then mounts Gargano on a top turnbuckle. Gargano slips out and pulls Borne down for a Cheeky Nandos. Gargano hits a sunset flip powerbomb and covers Borne for two.

Gargano hits a tope suicida and runs Borne back in. Borne flies up for a top rope powerslam that gets two. They slug it out and Gargano ends up eating a dropkick and a release German. Gargano snaps off a kick to Borne’s head but Borne hits a Superman punch and a neckbreaker over his knee. Gargano rolls to the apron and Borne decides on a flying clothesline to the ramp. Borne pushes Gargano back in and gets caught on the way in with the Willow’s Bell. Gargano hits a springboard DDT and covers Borne for a LONG two. Gargano hits a short thrust kick but Borne snaps off a Borne Again that gets two. Gargano gets turned over into a Boston Crab but Gargano slips out of it and gets a quick two. LeRae takes a cheap shot at Borne and Gargano grabs a handful of tights that gets two. Gargano slaps on the Gargano Escape and Borne finally makes the ropes. Gargano fires off some rights and then smashes Borne with a superkick. Borne flies in for two more Borne Agains and covers Gargano for three.

There’s just something off with this show tonight and it’s not easy to say why. Everything feels like it should be better and this crowd is not really helping things at all. They aren’t quiet but they aren’t into it either. Borne is functionally fine but has almost zero pizazz to him, and Gargano is now 38 years old with a fairly full bump card. Like, in a vacuum this wasn’t bad or anything, but it also never got above the “good” level either. It was a match you could see on any random Tuesday night show, and this is the biggest NXT card of the year supposedly. 2.75*

Winner AND STILL NXT Men’s North American Champion – Myles Borne (Borne Again x 2)

Post-match sees Dion Lennox come in to waffle Borne in the back with a chair. Lennox yanks up Borne for a power slam on the chair before standing over him and barking at the crowd.

Here’s Sarah Scrheiber with Sol Ruca and Ruca says that tonight was her hardest match. Ruca is going to put her focus on championship gold, and here’s Izzi Dame to say that she’s going after the same thing Ruca is.

NXT Women’s North American Championship: Tatum Paxley (C) vs Blake Monroe

Monroe holds up the title belt she stole like she’s the actual champion during introductions. Paxley opens with a right hand and a knee lift. Paxley waffles Monroe with a drop kick and then hoists Monroe into a Gory Special pinning attempt that gets two. Monroe kicks out of it and drops Monroe with a neckbreaker. Monroe bullies Paxley around and Paxley fires up to drape Monroe in the Tree of Woe position. Paxley hits a running splash and covers Monroe for two. Monroe fires up with a right and a rana onto the ramp. Paxley clutches at her shoulder as Monroe runs her back in and covers for two. Monroe puts the boots to the injured shoulder before running Paxley’s face along the top rope. Monroe fires Paxley into a corner and then ascends to hit a missile drop kick that gets two. Monroe slaps Paxley and then puts a boot under her jaw. Monroe hits a German and covers Paxley for two.

Monroe puts on a rear chinlock that has the bad arm locked between her legs. Paxley rolls her over and gets two and then starts firing rights. Paxley snaps off an enziguri and some running forearms. Paxley hits a Saito suplex and then smashes Monroe with another enziguri. Paxley runs back in and hits a rolling legdrop that gets two. Monroefires up with a kick and a Sling Blade but turns right into a Paxley superkick. They slug it out on the floor with kicks and Paxley is first to rise. Paxley eats a kaman giri and Monroe ascends but Paxley rises up with another enziguri. Paxley hits a superplex and follow with another suplex. Paxley hits a sit out single leg suplex that gets two. Paxley eats some headbutts and then gets yanked over in a half-and-half suplex. Monroe pulls Paxley up but Paxley fires up with a jackknife powerbomb. Monroe rolls to the apron where she gets caught by a Monroe sunset flip powerbomb to the floor. Monroe rolls Paxley in and waffles her with a knee that gets two.

Monroe starts removing turnbuckle covers and Paxley yanks her out to the floor. Monroe grabs the title belt and smacks Paxley with it. Monroe rolls in and hoists Paxley for a Death Valley Driver that gets two. Monroe mounts Paxley on a top turnbuckle and Paxley fights her way out. Paxley flips over and hits a rolling Pele kick but turns right into a Monroe headbutt. Monroe hits the Glamour Shot DDT and Paxley kicks out at two. Paxley reverses into a Cemetery Drive and gets three.

Again, this didn’t rise to anything more than “television main event” for me. Monroe feels like she’s regressed since joining the WWE and it’s hard to pinpoint why that is, unless it’s because she’s now in a company with a legitimate training facility that produces a lot of folks who are just as good, if not better, than she’s ever been. Paxley is a popular talent because of her character, and she’s kind of bolted on this never-say-die babyface energy to it, and it’s working. Paxley’s finisher is treated like an MDK move and that’s a nice thing for her. I would suspect that Monroe doesn’t have a whole lot left to do in NXT but there is a babyface women’s champion now, so if she stays, they might point her at Vice. We’ll see where things go. 3*

Winner AND STILL NXT Women’s North American Champion – Tatum Paxley (Cemetery Drive)

Here’s Darkstate in a stairwell celebrating Dion Lennox wasting Myles Borne earlier, but Saquon Shugars seems perturbed. Shugars wonders why Lennox didn’t ask for help, and Lennox says there is no “we” without “us”. Shugars says it’s starting to feel like Lennox thinks he’s the leader and the other three are his lackeys. Shugars points out that Lennox said that they were all going to be equals when it started, and Lennox says he’s right and he’s got a plan that will let all of them eat. Shugars seems upset still but agrees on it.

Jasper Troy talks up the three way happening between him, Josh Briggs, and Keanu Carver. Everyone has verbals and they will meet on Tuesday to presumably attempt to hurt each other badly. There will be a Men’s Speed Tournament starting on Tuesday, and Izzi Dame will meet Sol Ruca.

Tatum Paxley celebrates with Hank, Tank, Shiloh Hill, and EK Prosper. The Vanity Project wander by and here’s Blake Monroe to tell them that the Project can help her out, and to bring a hairbrush. Sure.

NXT Men’s Championship: Joe Hendry (C) vs Ricky Saints vs Ethan Page vs Tony D’Angelo

Page and Saints immediately rush Hendry and then turn and try to attack D’Angelo. Hendry and D’Angelo dump Page and Saints and then face off mid-ring. They goozle each other but Page and Saints return. All four start slugging it out and D’Angelo and Saints go to the floor as Hendry dumps Page over. Hendry swings Page around and then dumps him on D’Angelo. Hendry yanks up Saints for a long vertical suplex and covers him for two. Hendry eats a high boot from Page and Saints drops Hendry with a belly-to-back suplex. Page and Saints put the boots to Hendry and Saints pops Hendry with a big right. Page and Saints whip Hendry to a corner and follow with splashes. Page and Saints pose together but Hendry fires up with uppercuts on both. Saints hits a jawbreaker and Page follows with a powerslam on Hendry. They hoist Hendry up for a double vertical suplex and then fight over who’s making the cover. They punch Hendry as they argue over the cover, and then Saints and Page see D’Angelo getting ready to return. Page smacks D’Angelo around and then suplexes Saints. They bicker and Hendry fires up with uppercuts on both Page and Saints. Saints hits a running stunner and they both cover Hendry for two.

Saints mounts Hendry in a corner at Page’s behest and then goes up for a superplex. Page frog splashes Saints and says sorry before covering Hendry for two. Page gets pushed into a Saints spear and Saints gets waffled by a D’Angelo spear. Hendry yanks D’Angelo up for an Attitude Adjustment. Everyone is down and then rises at the same time. Page and Saints put Hendry in a Boston Crab together and D’Angelo flies over and dumps them both down with neckbreakers. D’Angelo drops Saints and Page with back body drops before clotheslining both of them to the floor. D’Angelo mashes Hendry with a spinebuster but gets yanked to the floor by Page and Saints. They run D’Angelo into the ring steps and then Page and Saints move the steps so they are right by the announce table. Saints hits a Revolution DDT off the steps and Page follows with a Twisted Grin on D’Angelo. Hendry flies over the top rope and mashes both Page and Saints with a cannonball. Hendry runs Page in and Saints clips Hendry from behind. Page and Saints get yanked over by Hendry in a double suplex. D’Angelo flies in and Hendry smashes everyone around including a rana for Page. Hendry hits a fall away slam on D’Angelo, and then has one for Saints as well. Hendry hoists D’Angelo up for a drop suplex that gets two.

Hendry bullies D’Angelo a bit and smashes him with a headbutt that has no effect. D’Angelo yanks Hendry into a German, and then hits Page with one. D’Angelo hits an overhead suplex on Saints and then hits him with a German. D’Angelo drops Page with a Fisherman’s suplex that gets two as Hendry breaks it up. Hendry and D’Angelo slug it out and Hendry wallops him with a DDT. Hendry goozles Saints and gets hit with a D’Angelo spear in the process. D’Angelo spears Hendry again and covers him for two. Saints has a chair and waffles D’Angelo with it, and then pulls Hendry into the Revolution DDT on the chair. Page breaks up Saints cover at two. Saints misses a chairshot on Page and they tumble to the floor. They slap each other and Page yanks off the announce table skirt and slams Saints through it. Page pulls Saints onto the ring steps and D’Angelo flies in to spear both of them through the announce table. D’Angelo heads back in and meets a Hendry knee. D’Angelo hits a spear and a chokeslam before covering Hendry and getting three.

So both the men’s and women’s champion were in multi-person matches and both of them were the ones to get pinned clean as a sheet mid-ring. Whenever you think of the booking for those types of matches, a lot of times the story is “oh, they didn’t get pinned but still lost their title” but definitely not tonight. Hendry is basically bulletproof at this point and will probably graduate to the main, and Page and Saints are just NXT bodies at this point. D’Angelo is really the last of the 2.0 kids to graduate to this level and good for him finally getting the call. We’ll see where it all leads because it’s kind of hard to tell what his alignment is in terms of face/heel. This was fine, it never got beyond “good” much like everything else tonight, but I thought it was well-agented at least. 3.25*

Winner AND NEW NXT Men’s Champion – Tony D’Angelo (Spear/Chokeslam on Hendry)

Post-match sees D’Angelo hold the belt up while getting a “You deserve it!” chant from the crowd. The credits roll and we’re out.

This show was disappointing, there’s no other way to put it. This is NXT’s Wrestlemania-equivalent show and nothing felt like it rose to the point where you couldn’t have seen it on a regular Tuesday night, at least for me. It’s been a problem for them since a bunch of big names graduated to the main, and I don’t blame it all on the talent available, they lost some major stars and there’s been a vacuum since. The two main singles titles changing hands was unexpected to me as I thought Jayne would probably lose but I thought Hendry might keep his in response and then start a program specifically with D’Angelo, but it seems like maybe there’s another wave of call-ups getting ready to happen. That remains to be seen. Regarding this show, everything was good but nothing was great, and now we move back to the regular NXT calendar. Thumbs very much dead in the middle for this evening’s effort.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your Sunday.