WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 21

Tensions are rising in WWE NXT. As matches continue to be announced for NXT Stand & Deliver, many wrestlers are on the outside looking in. The March 21 edition of the gold brand could have been the last chance to earn a spot.

JD McDonagh has antagonized Ilja Dragunov to the point of constant fighting between the two rivals, and they hoped to end their rivalry on top. Wes Lee was likely to be watching closely after his own brawl with The Necessary Evil last week.

Roxanne Perez has yet to be medically cleared for Stand & Deliver on April 1, but NXT has set qualifiers for the NXT Women's Championship ladder match regardless.

Indi Hartwell would face Tiffany Stratton, while Lyra Valkyria battled Ivy Nile. Only two women could advance to join Zoey Stark and Gigi Dolin in the ladder match.

Chase U also set the challenge to Schism to engage in a Great Debate this week.

Tuesday's show was also sure to feature Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, Johnny Gargano, Tony D'Angelo and more.

Carmelo Hayes and Bron Breakker Set to Challenge Pretty Deadly in Main Event

Stand & Deliver hosts Pretty Deadly opened the show.

Their words brought out Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams, who challenged them to a surprise tag match against Melo and Bron Breakker, who cleared the ring after the heels attacked.

Kit Wilson and Elton Prince carried this segment, showcasing their talent and charm while setting up the obvious tag team match from last week's carnage.

This time could have been better utilized, though. WWE could have announced this match ahead of time and left out the awkward setup.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• Pretty Deadly have such a distinctive delivery of Stand & Deliver that it should be deemed the only way to say the event's name going forward.
  
• Melo seemed confused why Trick announced Breakker would be his partner, but he accepted the help of the NXT champion when he helped clear the ring.
• Trick explained to Him that he wanted Melo to study Breakker in the main event.
  

Ladder Qualifier: Tiffany Stratton vs. Indi Hartwell

Tiffany Stratton took advantage of Indi Hartwell's hesitation after a near-fall, putting her down with a rolling fireman's carry into a moonsault.

This was a solid match, though it hardly stood out among the many Stratton-Hartwell bouts. The Buff Barbie Doll has looked good consistently as of late but needs the right spotlight and opponent to push her.

She has a real chance to steal the show at Stand & Deliver. She might even take the NXT Women's Championship as one of WWE's best rising stars in recent months.

Hartwell picked up another loss here and looks ready to take the jump to the main roster. She is just cycling in NXT.

Result

Stratton def. Hartwell by pinfall to qualify for the NXT Women's Championship ladder match.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• NXT showed a message from Roxanne Perez, who confirmed she was still uncertain on when she would be cleared to compete again.
• Hartwell ducked a springboard moonsault and planted Stratton with a spinebuster.
• Later, Stratton interrupted Gigi Dolin to tell her that no one would beat her in the ladder match. Zoey Stark taunted Hartwell, who had a tantrum backstage.

Wes Lee Meets Dragon Lee/JD McDonagh vs. Ilja Dragunov

Wes Lee talked about fighting with all he has to be a worthy champion.

Dragon Lee came out to call his shot for the NXT North American Championship. JD McDonagh tried to call his own, but Ilja Dragunov arrived for their match.

Lee remained at ringside to watch a brutal battle between the two men. However, the contest was left undecided after they brawled right into the luchador, who fought them both to a no-contest.

What a great match, though. As good as these two have been together already, this was the best bout in NXT to date from McDonagh and Dragunov. This was the kind of hard-hitting war that would have made Sheamus, Drew McIntyre and Gunther proud.

The two leaned into their strikes and barely wasted a second while still selling the toll of the battle on both of their bodies. It was one of the best contests on NXT television in years and a Match of the Year contender for WWE.

It is just a shame that the two could not find a definitive finish. While it sets up Dragunov and McDonagh as competitors in the NXT North American Championship Fatal 5-Way, it does leave the question of whether the two can recreate the magic in a future contest.

Result

McDonagh vs. Dragunov goes to a no-contest.

Grade

A

Notable Moments

• Lee got a strong reaction from the NXT crowd.
• Dragunov and McDonagh traded slaps until The Czar took over and planted The Necessary Evil with two German suplexes and a rebound clothesline.
• McDonagh nearly knocked out The Czar by tripping him into the lower rope.
• Dragunov somehow back to his feet after two big German suplexes then caught his rival with an enzuigiri. He went for his finish, but The Necessary Evil countered, grappling him to the ground.
• Lee announced McDonagh and Dragunov for the third and fourth spots in the Fatal 5-Way. He told Axiom he would need to earn the final place in a Battle Royal next week.
  

Johnny Gargano Challenges Grayson Waller to Unsanctioned Match

Johnny Gargano's music hit, but Javier Bernal arrived instead and demanded his own Stand & Deliver spotlight.

Johnny Wrestling hit the ring, laid out Bernal and challenged Grayson Waller to an Unsanctioned match.

Waller appeared on the titantron and agreed to sign the contract for the contest next week but only if Gargano agreed to stay out of the arena for that entire show.

The hits kept rolling as the former NXT champion raised the stakes even further for arguably the best-built match for Stand & Deliver. An Unsanctioned match is a perfect spot to allow both men to get physical and sell their rivalry.

It is night-and-day watching Gargano in NXT instead of Raw. He is an absolute star on this brand. Hopefully, he can carry this momentum forward beyond WrestleMania.

Grade

A

Notable Moments

• The Creed Brothers challenged Gallus to a game of pool and darts and then agreed to an NXT Tag Team Championships match at Stand & Deliver. Tony D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo arrived to negotiate their way into the bout.
• NXT showed a video package on a debuting Eddy Thorpe.
• Hank Walker talked about his journey to NXT and the heartbreak of losing his mentor, Drew Gulak. Gulak and Charlie Dempsey watched the interview unimpressed.
• Fallon Henley confronted Kiana James about her infidelity to Brooks Jensen. Henley was attacked by Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn until James made the save.
  

Ladder Qualifier: Lyra Valkyria vs. Ivy Nile

Ivy Nile wanted to prove herself, but even her best shot was not good enough to overcome Lyra Valkyria's speed and striking ability.

Valkyria sealed the win with a spin kick.

While this was short, the two women were motivated and maximized their minutes. This was a solid burst of energy that highlighted what both bring to NXT.

Valkyria is highly valued by the brand and has the talent to work with anyone. She just hasn't quite put it all together in the transition to the United States from NXT UK. Hopefully, the ladder match is her big break and will showcase her best moves.

Result

Valkyria def. Nile by pinfall to qualify for the NXT Women's Championship ladder match.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• NXT presented a vignette of Valkyria's training for Stand & Deliver.
• In a pre-match interview, Nile was heartbroken about Tatum Paxley's betrayal. Paxley watched this match closely backstage.
• Valkyria and Nile traded strikes, challenging each other to hit harder until they both landed on the mat.
• Nile caught her opponent in a dragon sleeper, but she flipped over using the corner turnbuckle to escape.
  

Chase U Contests Schism in the Great Debate

New WWE correspondent Blake Howard facilitated the Great Debate.

Tyler Bate was the surprise clincher for Chase U, talking up the philosophy of the university above all.

Bate challenged Schism to an eight-man tag team match at Stand & Deliver. Joe Gacy was not interested until Duke Hudson said the winner would gain control of the Chase University campus.

This was a fun segment, setting up a surprise match for April 1 that could be a big hit, especially given how hot the crowds have been for Chase U in the past.

The question has been set: Will Hudson turn on Chase U and join Schism? That almost feels like too obvious to answer. Perhaps miscommunication alone will win them the match, or maybe it will be another member of the face group who turns.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Hudson did not try in his round against Rip Fowler.
• Thea Hail was prepared, and she impressed by using scholarly backing to her argument in contesting Ava Raine.
• Gacy did not let Andre Chase speak, demanding an immediate win.
• Bate was too poised and confident for Jagger Reid.

Pretty Deadly vs. Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes (w/ Trick Williams)

Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes worked well together, but Pretty Deadly found a way to smartly isolate the latter.

However, the NXT champion got the hot tag and hit a Spear on Kit Wilson to set up Melo for a Mic Drop to win.

Elton Prince and Wilson can make anyone look good. While they should have been able to beat a makeshift team, they worked so well with Breakker and Melo that they made them look like a true tandem.

It was a strong main event that highlighted the talent and took another small step toward NXT's biggest night of the year on WrestleMania weekend.

At this point, NXT is probably comfortable with this as the main event.

Result

Breakker and Melo def. Pretty Deadly by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Breakker and Melo talked backstage, and the NXT champion called out Trick as untrustworthy.
• The champion and challenger took the ring, and Melo extended his fist. Breakker tried to shake it.
• Trick Williams took close notes when Breakker was in the ring.
• Breakker planted Wilson with a release German suplex and a diving bulldog.