WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights Post-Stand & Deliver

Returning home to the Performance Center, WWE NXT looked very different in its April 4 episode following Stand & Deliver 2023.

Carmelo Hayes dethroned Bron Breakker as NXT champion, and Indi Hartwell climbed a ladder to claim the NXT Women's Championship and end the reign of Roxanne Perez.

Tony D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo could not beat Gallus at the weekend and looked to regain momentum by fighting Pretty Deadly on Tuesday.

Wes Lee retained his NXT North American Championship by overcoming a great foursome of challengers on Saturday. One of that quartet, Dragon Lee, would compete in the Performance Center for the first time against Nathan Frazer.

Dijak was not allowed to compete at Stand & Deliver after he was eliminated by Odyssey Jones last week in a Battle Royal. Hard Justice promised to make The Future Favorite pay.

Saturday was an important day for NXT, but the brand needs to keep moving forward, starting Tuesday night.

Zoey Stark Steps Up to Challenge Indi Hartwell First

Indi Hartwell talked about her love for the fans and the reason winning the NXT women's title meant so much to her. Zoey Stark interrupted to challenge her.

The crowd reactions to this were awkward. They started by celebrating Hartwell but then did not seem to know how to react to her promo, which awkwardly plodded along until Stark arrived.

The story Stark told made sense, mocking the "fluke" champion. But her promo was also off as she spoke with an odd cadence while the crowd just sang at her. This didn't feel like the setup for a big women's title match.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• Hartwell got the expected "you deserve it" chant after she walked out.
  
• The crowd booed when Indi Wrestling said she would give Roxanne Perez the first shot at the NXT Women's Championship.
  

Pretty Deadly vs. The Family

After a physical fight with The Family, Pretty Deadly stole the win with a version of "twin magic" as Kit Wilson switched with Elton Prince.

Wilson hid himself long enough for Prince to sneak up and bash Tony D'Angelo's face into the exposed steel for the win.

This was a solid tag team match. Pretty Deadly never miss, but The Family continue to look better together. The finish was silly, but it was a creative way for Wilson and Prince to get back in the win column.

It was surprising to see D'Angelo and Stacks lose, though. They are still finding their footing as a tag team. A complete feud with Pretty Deadly would do wonders, but that would mean Wilson and Prince are not going to the main roster soon as they should.

Result

Pretty Deadly def. The Family by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Wilson slapped D'Angelo in the face and got a pair of right hands for it. The Family followed up with side-by-side back body drops on Pretty Deadly.
• Jacy Jayne promised to break Gigi Dolin's will next after breaking her spirit at Stand & Deliver by costing her the NXT Women's Championship.
  

Dijak vs. Odyssey Jones

Odyssey Jones showed resilience early against Dijak, but he was outmatched by the vicious power of Hard Justice, who put the big man away with a Death Valley Driver and diving moonsault.

This was a typical midcard NXT match. It was competitive but too short to be good. The Future Favorite lost fast, but at least he looked fluid working with a top NXT talent.

Hopefully, this will be the first step in truly pushing Dijak. He is an immense talent who is, arguably, too good for NXT. If he is going to stick around for a while longer, he needs to be used to test the less-proven talent.

Result

Dijak def. Jones by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• After the dominant win, Dijak warned the NXT locker room that he was back and angry.
• Joe Coffey promised to add gold to Gallus soon, but first, he is going to pick some fights to establish the dominance of the group.
  

Dragon Lee vs. Nathan Frazer

Dragon Lee found an impressive challenger in Nathan Frazer. The two showed each other respect and went back and forth until Dragon put the match away with a running knee strike.

This was a solid, high-octane match. While it lacked drama, it made up for it by keeping both men looking strong throughout.

NXT's newest luchador showed off exactly what makes him great against one of the best cruiserweights on the roster. Frazer continues to overdeliver, even if NXT isn't ready to commit to him as a top guy.

It should be interesting to watch Dragon's evolution. He is immensely talented, a step above most of the field, but he is still adapting to the WWE style.

Result

Dragon def. Frazer by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Dragon promised to show what he can do in NXT in a vignette.
• Noam Dar arrived with the NXT UK Heritage Cup, telling both men to fight for his amusement and maybe he'd decide one was worthy of a match with him.
• Dragon nearly got the win with a big powerbomb.
  

NXT Women's Championship: Indi Hartwell (c) vs. Zoey Stark

Indi Hartwell fought harder than she ever has, and it paid off. She fell to the floor after taking the Z360. Once Zoey Stark got her back in the ring, the champion reversed the pin into a backslide for three.

Afterward, Tiffany Stratton came out to challenge Hartwell, but Cora Jade returned to lay out Indi Wrestling and stake her own claim to the title.

This was the best that Hartwell and Stark have looked together. The added weight of championship gold pushed them both to tighten up their offense and sell the drama.

It was still not the most involved title defense. Indi Wrestling is a limited performer who will likely rely on her challengers to set the pace in her title defenses going forward.

Everyone is stepping up to fight Hartwell, which is a smart way to keep her momentum. She worked three matches in eight days and remains champion for the moment. It may not be a long reign, but it can be a memorable test of her skills.

Result

Hartwell def. Stark by pinfall to retain the NXT Women's Championship.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Hartwell took the win with a diving elbow to the back of Stark. The champion was again close after catching her opponent with a spinebuster.
• Andre Chase promised Duke Hudson an MVP award celebration next week.
  
• Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn celebrated their NXT Women's Tag Team Championship win in a private dark room before warning Kiana James and Fallon Henley that they would finish them off soon.
  

Ivy Nile vs. Tatum Paxley

Ivy Nile punished Tatum Paxley whenever she got an opportunity. She finally sealed the victory with a dragon sleeper to force a tapout.

This match was packed with action. Both women fought hard to maximize their minutes. It was sloppy in spots but only because they were rushed by a four-minute run time.

While Paxley got in her licks, this was ultimately about reestablishing Nile, who is getting better with time. She is about six months of training out from going on a real run in NXT.

It's still a shame Paxley and Nile broke up. The two have chemistry, and while Nile rises, her former tag team partner may just fall.

Result

Nile def. Paxley by submission.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Nile battered a kneeling Paxley with snap kicks, but she fought through and hit a suplex off the middle rope.
• The Diamond Mine member caught her rival in the corner to hit her repeatedly with palm strikes in the corner until the referee had to pull her away.
• Nile got some revenge outside with a running soccer kick to the chest.
  

NXT North American Championship: Wes Lee (c) vs. Axiom

After surviving multiple counters from Axiom, Wes Lee had to duck a Golden Ratio before hitting the Cardiac Kick to win.

Afterward, Scrypts tried to sneak attack Axiom but dived right into a Golden Ratio.

This was the best match of the night by far. The two have chemistry to spare and drove home their knowledge of each other built over several matches. It never quite felt like Axiom could win, but he at least made it exciting.

At this point, it's hard to deny who the MVP of NXT is. Lee has been an incredible champion, putting on great defenses for months. He is doing more than Carmelo Hayes did as NXT North American champion.

If WWE can recapture his underdog energy on Raw or SmackDown, he can be a reliable workhorse for years to come. But it might be best to just stay in NXT, given how much trust Shawn Michaels has in him against the uncertainty of the main roster at the moment.

Result

Lee def. Axiom by pinfall to retain the NXT North American Championship.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments

• Axiom challenged Lee at the airport after both landed back in Florida.
• Lee put over the fight of Axiom and was glad to give him one more shot.
• The champion had to change direction mid-Cardiac Kick, hitting a double foot stomp instead to avoid the Golden Ratio. His second attempt at the Cardiac Kick was reversed into a body lock.
• Axiom almost stole the victory with a tight small package. Lee responded with a superkick and corkscrew, but Axiom got his knees up.
• Backstage, Ilja Dragunov warned that he was not done with the NXT North American Championship. Von Wagner challenged The Czar, but Mr. Stone told him that he would drop him as a client if the big man lost.
  

Bron Breakker Lays Out New NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes

After an initial celebration, Carmelo Hayes said he respected Bron Breakker and called him out. The two showed each other mutual respect before the former titleholder blasted the new champion with a clothesline and a spear.

It is often better to end a wrestling show with a match rather than a talking segment. However, it did make sense to set the stage for what was next after Melo took the NXT Championship on Saturday.

A heel turn from Breakker has been a long time coming. It seemed more likely to happen at Stand & Deliver, but the creative team let that moment breathe before making the change.

Given this turn, it looks like Breakker is not going to be an immediate main roster callup. But he may show that he is a better heel than face and find greater success in a few months when he does get his opportunity.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Cora Jade promised to explain her actions next week. Valentina Feroz confronted her in the parking lot.
  
• Nathan Frazer had an epiphany backstage, promising to make his new perception his reality.
• NXT showed videos highlighting new stars: Tank Ledger, Dani Palmer and Oba Femi.
• The crowd showed their fickle nature by chanting "one more time" after Breakker laid out Melo despite cheering the champion just moments before.