WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights Before Stand & Deliver

It's WrestleMania week, and for WWE NXT, that means Stand & Deliver season. The April 2 edition was the go-home show for what had a chance to be the brand's best-ever event.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams met one last time before Saturday. Could anything contain their animosity days before their clash?

Meta-Four started hosting duties early by bringing Lyra Valkyria and Roxanne Perez together on "Supernova Sessions." What would they have to stay about their upcoming title bout?

Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin have waited for their next challengers for the past month, and the top teams in NXT have fought for that opportunity. Who would emerge from the No. 1 Contender Triple Threat: The OC, The LWO or Nathan Frazer and Axiom?

Oba Femi looked to make an example out of Joe Gacy, and Dijak and Josh Briggs were certain to watch this one closely.

This show would also feature some important grudge matches for those not on the Stand & Deliver card.

Sol Ruca sought revenge for Blair Davenport putting on the shelf, while Fallon Henley wanted to make Jacy Jayne pay for how she has treated everyone around her.

It was a big night that would leave no doubt about how great Stand & Deliver could be this weekend.

No. 1 Contender: Gallows and Anderson vs. LWO vs. Frazer and Axiom

In a chaotic match, Nathan Frazer and Axiom refused to slow down and eventually found a perfect opportunity.

Frazer hit a 450 splash on Joaquin Wilde to win.

This was everything it promised to be. The action was fast and exciting. Frazer showed out especially with his impressive speed. Gallows and Anderson played the hated heels at the center, attacked by both other teams consistently.

While Frazer and Axiom were the right team to win, it was a genuine surprise. NXT has teased Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson repeatedly over the past months.

The speedsters will deliver something special in a return match from the best contest in the Dusty Classic.

This is a chance to switch the titles to a worthy NXT-exclusive duo before Breakker and likely Corbin head to SmackDown.

Result

Frazer and Axiom def. The O.C. and LWO by pinfall to earn an NXT Tag Team Championship match at Stand & Deliver.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Frazer and Del Toro dived onto The O.C. during their entrance.
• Frazer hit a moonsault on Gallows and Wilde outside, followed by Anderson dumping Axiom onto both of them. Anderson and Cruz Del Toro jumped onto the pile.
• The O.C. ducked Del Toro and hit him with the Magic Killer, but the rest of the field broke up the attempted pin.
• Kelly Kincaid interviewed the winners, who promised to pull out their craziest offense at Stand & Deliver.
  

Fallon Henley vs. Jacy Jayne

Fallon Henley dominated this match with her physical offense.

However, Kiana James and Izzi Dame attacked Thea Hail and Kelani Jordan, and Henley tried to save them.

She returned to the ring and ran into a Jacy Jayne running knee strike that took the three-count.

This did not have enough time to feel like more than an extended angle, but Henley was working hard to make the most of the time. These two could revisit this with title implications later in the year.

This was all about setting up the six-woman tag team match for Stand & Deliver that was teased last week.

Jayne, James, Dame and Jazmyn Nyx have an unclear alliance. They could just be heels working together temporarily or a growing stable. But the feud has made it clear why fans should root for Hail, Jordan and Henley to make them pay.

Result

Jayne def. Henley by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Hail came out in full cowgirl attire complete with a hat that was nearly too big for her. Jordan also barely stopped her from attacking Jayne multiple times.
• Nyx was wearing a sling from Hail's Kimura last week.
• Hail and her full crew gloated backstage. Hail followed, begging Ava to let her at Jayne. Ava booked a six-woman tag for Stand & Deliver.
  

Lexis King vs. Von Wagner

Von Wagner charged Lexis King from the start, showing his uncontrolled anger. He was too focused on hurting his rival, which allowed King to slip away and hit the Coronation to win.

This feud continues despite the lack of chemistry between King and Wagner. Both men need momentum, but they are cancelling each other out with 50-50 booking.

There will almost certainly be a final fight between the two to settle who is better, but despite the best efforts of both men, this rivalry lacks any excitement.

Hopefully, at least Wagner could come out looking a little more credible as he is running out of chances to shine in NXT.

Result

King def. Wagner by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• King taunted Wagner ahead of their match, confident the big man could not beat him without Stone.
  

Lola Vice vs. Karmen Petrovic (w/ Natalya)

Lola Vice focused too much on Natalya at ringside, allowing Karmen Petrovic to nearly pick up the upset.

However, a back elbow and Sharpshooter forced Petrovic to tap out.

NXT has stumbled into a perfect rival pairing with Vice and Petrovic. They looked smooth together, trading strikes until Vice showed why she is the better fighter for now.

With only three minutes, though, this came off too one-sided to establish Petrovic as a real threat to Vice. That is understandable for now but should not be the case forever.

It seems like Natalya will stick around in NXT, setting up a rematch with Vice that will mean more when the time is right.

Result

Vice def. Petrovic by submission.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Petrovic nearly picked up the win after a spin kick to the back. Vice responded with a back elbow that nearly knocked Petrovic out cold.

Lyra Valkyria Delivers Physical Statement to Roxanne Perez

Lyra Valkyria refused to take Roxanne Perez's complaints seriously. This frustrated The Prodigy until she threw a punch. The Valkyrie responded with a fireman's carry slam through a table.

Meta-Four, especially Noam Dar, had fun watching the drama unfold in this final battle of words. Both women delivered, selling the clear story of this rematch.

The post-promo brawl was less interesting as it was too limited to the "Supernova Sessions" stage. Given the story that led to this moment, this could have been a more elaborate brawl to tease the title match.

Still, this is easily the second-strongest story for NXT going into Stand & Deliver. The stage is set for Perez to take back the NXT Women's Championship and hopefully get the title reign she deserves.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Meta-Four sat back and enjoyed the drama as Valkyria and Perez threw jabs at each other. Dar cheered when the action broke down.
• The punch of Perez landed flush on Valkyria and drew blood.
  

Oba Femi vs. Joe Gacy

Shawn Spears blasted Joe Gacy with a steel chair during his entrance and questioned whether he was "laughing now."

Gacy still wanted to fight, and Oba Femi threw him around until the referee called off the match.

With hope that the ending was intentional and Gacy is all right, this was an exciting sprint built on the explosive offense of the competitors. Gacy especially clicked with Femi early.

This was the way to keep building Femi, who was challenged but never truly lost control of the action. He remains unstoppable, walking into a match with two scary big men who are still not at his level.

Gacy vs. Spears is moving quickly. Hopefully, it will help establish the heel's new gimmick.

Result

Femi def. Gacy by referee stoppage.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• NXT showed video packages for Josh Briggs and Dijak, which Femi watched before his match.
• Femi chopped Gacy's chest so loud that it echoed through the arena.
• The champion caught Gacy during the Upside Down and planted him off a Snake Eyes.
• Afterward, Femi confronted both Briggs and Dijak backstage.
• In Ava's office, Gacy begged her for a match with Spears at Stand & Deliver.
  

Arianna Grace vs. Wren Sinclair

Wren Sinclair brought the fight to Arianna Grace, who stole a pinfall with her hands on the ropes.

Grace's over-the-top reactions do wonders in selling the offense of her opponents. She made Sinclair look better than anyone else has so far. This could have gone longer, but it was a memorable sprint.

While this contest was thrown together at the last minute, it felt like an important turning point for both women. Grace is becoming the kind of veteran who can elevate her rivals, and Sinclair is starting to put it together in the ring.

NXT is waiting to reveal the evolution of Gigi Dolin. While it is important to make the most of the moment, it is surprising there aren't more comedy vignettes with her and Grace.

Result

Grace def. Sinclair by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Booker T compared Grace to his wife, Sharmell, as a beauty queen who could become scary when ready to fight.
• Sinclair left a red hand print on Grace with a loud chest chop.
  

Blair Davenport vs. Sol Ruca

Blair Davenport controlled the action in this match by targeting the braced left knee of Sol Ruca.

However, Ruca still had enough energy to reverse a short-arm knee strike into a small package for a surprise three-count.

In the biggest match of her career, Ruca absolutely delivered. This was her longest bout ever and sold the animosity between these two that made this worthy of the main event slot.

It was slower than Ruca's best work, but that was intentional as the two sold the uncertainty of her left knee. Davenport beat her down and pushed her to get smart to survive.

Ruca winning was a surprise, but this isn't the end of the rivalry. Hopefully, there will be a more definitive result down the line that can establish at least one woman as a title challenger.

Result

Ruca def. Davenport by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Ruca sold some uncertainty as Davenport made her confident entrance. As the bell rang, Davenport laid her out with a shotgun dropkick.
• Ruca delivered a springboard splash on one leg as well as an impressive handspring DDT off the ropes.
  

Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes Exchange Final Words Before Stand & Deliver

Carmelo Hayes refused to take the blame for what he did to Trick Williams, calling him out as trying to steal "his" title.

Trick called out his rival's ego, and a fight broke out where the locker room had to separate them.

NXT protected this moment, avoiding putting Melo and Trick in the same ring to talk until this night. Both men delivered, explaining their points of view on this clash of former friends.

While the gold brand has built a strong card all around for Saturday, the presentation here made clear what matters most. Trick Melo Gang will implode, and they have the company on their back.

They need to deliver. It's possible for another match to steal the show, but this must be the moment when Trick comes off as a main event guy for good.

Grade

A+

Notable Moments

• The crowd raised the volume every time Melo tried to speak.
  
• Tony D'Angelo took Ilja Dragunov to a special dinner, promising that it would be The Mad Dragon's last meal as NXT champion.
• Trick called out this match as the first WWE PLE main event on WrestleMania weekend to feature two black men.
  

Overall Show

As a pure episode of NXT, this was solid, especially in showcasing the depth of the women's division. Female wrestlers carried much of the night.

However, as a hype package for Stand & Deliver, this go-home show was only partially successful.

The final promo exchange between Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams was everything it promised to be. The two sold themselves once more as NXT's top stars.

Lyra Valkyria and Roxanne Perez delivered a solid back-and-forth exchange of their own, even if the sell that The Valkyrie was changing because of The Prodigy did not work.

Leaving Ilja Dragunov and Tony D'Angelo's final exchange to a pre-taped segment was disappointing, but the presentation was engaging.

The rest of the card felt mostly secondary.

Oba Femi looks like a monster, but he is not as convincing on the mic.

Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin didn't even appear, though Nathan Frazer and Axiom sold the moment of their deserved No. 1 contender win. Two more matches were also announced at the last minute.

Still, there is no doubt the Stand & Deliver card is special. Hopefully, the talent can deliver on their potential at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Overall Grade: B