WWE NXT Results, Grade & Opinion: March 24, 2021
A.K.A. The One Where HBK Was On NXT
Results:
- Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez def. Io Shirai & Zoey Stark
- Bronson Reed def. LA Knight
- Karrion Kross def. Oney Lorcan
- WALTER def Drake Maverick
- Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart (c) def. Aliyah & Mercedes Martinez to retain the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships
- Jordan Devlin def. KUSHIDA
The Main Event: The Showdown
One of the main storylines continues to be the implosion of the Undisputed Era. While we know Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly are headed for a collision, but where does that leave Roderick Strong? Well it turns out Strong is frustrated with both of them. It seems like the whole group will go their separate ways instead of having any of the group stay together.
Cole and O’Reilly had a contract signing for their Unsanctioned match at NXT, and of course it got physical. O’Reilly said that he has been the one of Undisputed Era to become a better person. Cole said that O’Reilly is a sidekick and wouldn’t have made it to NXT without him. These two are approaching a level of intensity not seen since Gargano & Ciampa’s unsanctioned match.
There was no way this was going to end civilly. #WWENXT @AdamColePro @KORcombat pic.twitter.com/4l7XIDwaJn
— WWE (@WWE) March 25, 2021
The Undercard:
Finn Balor and Karrion Kross had another exchange this week after Kross beat up on Oney Lorcan. This is a pretty simple story to tell with Kross having never lost the NXT Championship in the first place. Kross and Scarlett are putting their own spin on everything, but it’s a basic story we’ve seen before and they’re doing well.
We knew that NXT would need to address the tag title situation after Danny Burch got injured. The pair have vacated the tag titles, and William Regal announced a match for TakeOver: Stand and Deliver Night 1. It’ll be MSK, Legado del Fantasma & Grizzled Young Veterans in a triple threat match for the vacant titles. These three teams were the next teams up in the tag division, and this match could be a barn burner on night one.
#NXTTAKEOVER: STAND & DELIVER NIGHT 1 BLOCKBUSTER#MSK @WesLee_WWE & @NashCarterWWE vs. #GYV @JamesDrake_GYT & @ZackGibson01 vs. #LegadoDelFantasma @joaquinwilde_ & @RaulMendozaWWE for the newly-vacated #WWENXT #TagTeamTitles! pic.twitter.com/h6RRBnr6ot
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 25, 2021
The NXT Women’s Championship is going to be contested between Io Shirai and Raquel Gonzalez. Gonzalez got the better of Shirai this week, running her into the announce table after beating her in a tag match. Shirai has held the NXT Women’s Championship for a while now – are we going to get a change of pace at Stand and Deliver and see Gonzalez ascend to the top?
The final match of the night had Jordan Devlin faceoff against KUSHIDA. Afterwards, Santos Escobar came to the ring and stood toe-to-toe with Devlin, the other Cruiserweight Champion. Surprisingly, Shawn Michaels came out to slide a ladder between the two of them. Now their match at Stand and Deliver will be a ladder match.
.@ShawnMichaels wants to, literally, raise the stakes. 👀 #WWENXT #NXTTakeOver @EscobarWWE @Jordan_Devlin1 pic.twitter.com/LJK6SdLNt6
— WWE (@WWE) March 25, 2021
We’re getting WALTER versus Tommaso Ciampa at TakeOver. Everyone should get excited. It’s going to be an absolute brawl.
Another match was announced: a gauntlet eliminator on Night 1, with the winner getting an NXT North American Championship shot on Night 2. NXT released the breakdown for what will happen on both nights on Twitter.
#NXTTakeOver: Stand & Deliver NIGHT 1 LINEUP:
1️⃣ @shirai_io vs. @RaquelWWE – #WWENXT #WomensTitle
1️⃣ @WalterAUT vs. @NXTCiampa – #NXTUK Title
1️⃣ MSK vs. GYV vs. Legado del Fantasma – #WWENXT #TagTeamTitles
1️⃣ No. 1 Contender #GauntletEliminator pic.twitter.com/1tmCrYCemU— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 25, 2021
#NXTTakeOver: Stand & Deliver NIGHT 2 LINEUP:
2️⃣@FinnBalor vs.@WWEKarrionKross – #NXTTitle
2️⃣@EscobarWWE vs. @Jordan_Devlin1 – #Cruiserweight Title Unification Match
2️⃣@JohnnyGargano vs. Winner of Night 1 #GauntletEliminator – #NXTNATitle Match… on @peacockTV! pic.twitter.com/LvmdGBZEGf
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 25, 2021
Grade: B
With this one show, the table is now fully set for Stand & Deliver. The two nights have their matches divided up, and all of the major titles have their feuds set. This gives NXT a few more weeks to build the feuds up just a bit more. In terms of in-ring action this week, Devlin-KUSHIDA and the women’s tag matches definitely delivered if you wanted action. NXT is really building up for their biggest show of the year.
