Just hours before the first of two Wrestlemania 40 nights took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one of NXT’s biggest cards of the year took place. Stand & Deliver 2024 saw a major title change take place, featured the culmination of a blood feud, and included a pair of big performances to open the show.
Trick Williams overcomes Carmelo Hayes, scores big win in feud
The blood feud between Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams was the main event of the afternoon. Williams, the natural babyface in this storyline, received a massive reaction during his entrance. The commentary made note that this was the first time two Black wrestlers had ever headlined an NXT PLE.
Hayes had a cocky attitude to start the match, taunting Williams many times after escaping moves. Williams came to life after being slapped, unloading punches and dumping Hayes into the crowd. They brawled throughout the stands, going up past the floor seats.
Hayes dove onto Williams after throwing him into a garbage can. Williams tossed Hayes over the barricade once again, bringing them close to the ring. The referee didn’t do a count during this outside brawl – it was noted on commentary that he would be more relaxed on the rules for this fight in comparison to a normal match.
Hayes hit a springboard clothesline. He started to peel protecting off a corner of a turnbuckle but was hit with a splash from Williams in the process. This turnbuckle was never revisited later in the match. Hayes tripped Williams while in the corner, causing him to fall to the outside. Hayes landed a series of kicks to the chest before putting Williams back into the ring.
Hayes came off the ropes but was caught with a punch on the way down. Williams scored a big kick to the body that took both of them down. Willams sent Hayes into the ropes twice and scored with a series of kicks and then a flapjack. Hayes came out of the corner and dropped Williams face-first to regain momentum. Williams hit a neckbreaker and then a big boot for a near fall.
Outside the ring, Hayes did a dive off the ropes to the outside to take out Williams. Hayes brought Williams back into the ring for a frogsplash that received a two-count. Even during the downtime, it was clear that the crowd was very into this match.
Hayes scored a Codebreaker for a near fall. Williams tried for a splash into the corner but Hayes moved out of the way. Instead of Williams hitting Hayes, he landed on the referee. While Williams was shocked by the referee injury, Hayes was able to take out his left leg – a clear callback to Vengeance Day.
With the referee out, Hayes went under the ring for a steel chair. Williams snatched the chair out of Hayes’ hands in the ring and started to unload with shots. The referee came back into the ring and took the chair from Williams. As the referee was putting away the chair, Hayes kicked Williams in the groin. He tried for a pin but Williams kicked out at two.
Hayes tried for a knee strike but, as Williams dodged it, the referee ate the move. Hayes scored with a leg drop off the top. A second referee came into the ring to count a kickout at two. Hayes, frustrated at the kickout, grabbed a chair, although the referee confiscated it before he was able to use it. After missing a move, Williams came off the ropes and scored his knee strike finisher to win the match, to the joy of the packed crowd.
Ilja Dragunov keeps title reign alive after beating Tony D’Angelo
In the co-main event spot, Ilja Dragunov put his WWE NXT Championship on the line against Tony D’Angelo.
The first big moment for this fight came early, as a suplex from Dragunov sent both of them over the ropes and outside of the ring. D’Angelo nearly mirrored this spot, picking up Dragunov and sending him over the ropes and to the outside with him. They went back into the ring, where a clothesline took out Dragunov.
Dragunov reversed a punch from D’Angelo and landed a few suplexes. Dragunov started to heavily sell a right hand injury, falling to the canvas while grab onto hold onto the ropes.
The fight went outside of the ring, where Dragunov dumped D’Angelo onto the barricade at ringside. Back in the ring, Dragunov landed a running knee to the head of D’Angelo for a near fall. He went off the ropes for a hard clothesline that was also kicked out of.
D’Angelo blocked an H-Bomb from Dragunov, then was given brass knuckles from his team. He refused to use the knuckles and got hit by Dragunov while trying to hand the weapon back.
Dragunov reversed a spinebuster into a DDT. He took the back D’Angelo and unloaded with a series of forearms to the back of his head. Dragunov taunted the family of D’Angelo, telling them to do something. D’Angelo told them not to interfere as it was his fight, not theirs. D’Angelo broke out of a clinch with a headbutt and started to unload with punches. He landed a belly-to-belly. Dragunov came off the ropes but ate a hard clothesline from D’Angelo.
D’Angelo hit a german suplex for a two-count. They both went to the ropes, where D’Angelo scored an overhead belly-to-belly. The move sent Dragunov flying, sending him out of the ring. In a brief moment of unity, D’Angelo and Dragunov took apart the Spanish announce table together. After trading punches, D’Angelo tried to powerbomb Dragunov through a table. Dragunov escaped and scored an H-Bomb to a lying down D’Angelo.
Dragunov put D’Angelo on the table and then hit an H-Bomb onto him, causing the table to implode. Back in the ring, Dragunov hit a senton off the top rope for a near fall. Dragunov went to the top once again, but this time was hit with a powerbomb on the way down.
Dragunov reversed a suplex attempt into a roll-up that received a near fall. Dragunov hit a headbutt when on the feet, scored with an elbow to the back of D’Angelo’s head and then hit an H-Bomb off the top rope to win.
Roxanne Perez begins second reign as NXT Women’s Champion
A pair of big developments for the NXT women’s division took place before the next match. Backstage, Ava announced that an NXT Women’s North American Championship will soon be released. A camera shot also informed viewers that STARDOM stand-out Giulia was in attendance for the match, hours after Fightful reported that she would soon join the NXT roster.
Up next, Lyra Valkyrie put her WWE NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Roxanne Perez. The big storyline around this match was Perez earned a new aggressive edge and hoping to regain a title that she dropped in 2023.
Perez controlled the match at the start, putting a beating on Valkyria at a slow pace. Valkyria climbed back and the match started to become more 50-50. Valkyria put together a series of strikes and connected with a pair of Northern Lights suplexes. She tried for a third but stopped due to an apparent knee issue.
Perez stayed on Valkyria despite the knee problem, but Valkyria was able to battle back and hit a third suplex. This match was an exciting back-and-forth battle at this point, but it seemed like the crowd wasn’t very interested. Perez met Valkyria on the top rope, where they traded slaps. Valkyria tried for a powerbomb, landing it after some resistance from Perez.
Valkyria tried for a dive to the outside, but Perez landed a punch as she went through the ropes. Perez did her own dive, hitting a DDT on the way down. Back in the ring, Perez scored the Pop Rox for a near fall.
As the fight went over to a corner of the ring, Tatum Paxley suddenly appeared from the crowd. She tried to grab a hand of Valkyria but was knocked off the ring apron by Perez. Valkyria ran Perez into the ring post, then started to kick and punch her outside of the ring. Valkyria tried running at Perez, but Perez sidestepped and caused the champ to run over Paxley.
The fight returned to the ring. Perez put in a crossface, but Valkyria reversed it into a pin attempt. Valkyria landed a spinning kick for a near fall. Valkyria then climbed to the top and tried for a dive but was caught in another crossface. Once again, she escaped with a pin attempt. Valkyria reversed a Pop Rox into a pin attempt. After trading pins, Valkyria hit a german suplex.
Valkyria tried for a Nightwing, but Perez reversed it into a Poisonrana. She hit another Pop Rox, then applied the crossface. Valkyria came close to the ropes, but Perez was able to roll the submission back into the middle of the ring. Valkyria tapped out eventually, making Perez the NXT Women’s Champion once again.
Chase U’s Thea Hail leads team to victory
A six-woman tag match was up next, as Thea Hail, Kelani Jordan and Fallon Henley faced the team of Izzi Dame, Jacy Jayne, and Kiana James. This match was in a tough spot, following an opener and three-way match that were both very well received.
The trio of Hail, Jordan and Henley were jumped before the match could start. Things were off to a hectic start, with Jordan and Hail doing dives outside of the ring. The heel team had control of the bout for a large amount of the beginning. Henley eventually got a hot tag, but started to get picked apart as well.
James hit a Spanish Fly off the top rope, which Henley kicked out of. Dame threw Henley outside of the ring but was caught by Chase U’s Duke Hudson. Hail and Jayne were in the ring now, this is the big storyline that this match was really built around. After a staredown, they started to brawl. Jayne connected with a big boot to end their back-and-forth punching exchange. Hail fought back with a combination including an exploder suplex, but was tripped and sent into the corner turnbuckle. Jayne dumped Hail onto the ring apron, where James tripped her and then put her back into the ring.
Jayne tagged out for Dame. She grabbed Hail but was caught in a kimura for a sudden finish.
Oba Femi overcomes triple threat to retain North American title
Backstage, Oro Mensah was pressured by the Meta Four group to do a backstage report in front of Oba Femi’s locker room. Mensah started his report but then was flung into the wall by Femi’s locker room door flying open.
Up next was a three-way match for the NXT North American Championship. Incumbent champ Oba Femi was putting his belt on the line against both Dijak and Josh Briggs. This match was sponsored by a Paramount+ show about Sonic character Knuckles, with ads displayed around the ring during the match.
The match was fast from the start, with Briggs and Dijak teaming up to do damage on Femi. The match went to the outside, where Femi caught a crossbody from Dijak and used him to deflect a dive from Briggs. Femi then dropped Dijak onto Briggs, who was lying on the ground.
Femi tossed Dijak over the Spanish commentary table. Luckily, the commentators had jumped over the ringside barricade and moved out of the way. Femi threw one of the commentary chairs at Briggs’ head. Dijak climbed to the top rope but was chokeslammed by Briggs onto Femi, who was sitting in a commentary chair outside of the ring.
Back in the ring, Briggs scored a pair of big boots in the corner to Femi. He tried to come off the ropes, but ate an open-palm slap from Femi. Back in the ring, Dijak and Briggs teamed up again to chokeslam Femi. They both came off the ropes but were double chokeslammed by Femi. Femi’s power was the main storyline at the start of this match. In the ring apron, Briggs dumped Femi on his back.
It was now Briggs and Dijak fighting in the ring. Dijak came off the ropes but ate a big boot to the head for a two-count. Briggs climbed to the top but was stopped by Femi, who joined him up at the top. Dijak superkicked Femi, then climbed up to the top with Briggs. After a back-and-forth, Briggs clotheslined Dijak onto the canvas.
Briggs kicked out at one after Dijak hit a clothesline. A chokeslam attempt was reversed into a Canadian Destroyer from Dijak that earned a two-count.
Femi picked up both Dijak and Briggs for a double slam that received a massive reaction. Dijak escaped a powerbomb and landed a trio of head kicks to Femi. He lifted Femi up and hit the Feast Your Eyes. He tried for a pinfall but moved out of the way as Briggs came down for a moonsault. Dijak got Briggs out of the way and landed another Feast Your Eyes, but Briggs pulled the referee from the ring to stop a pin attempt. Dijak did a dive to the outside onto Briggs moments later. Briggs pounced Femi, putting him through a guardrail. Dijak then landed a knee onto Briggs outside the ring, then brought him back into the ring. Dijak connected with a Feast Your Eyes on Briggs, but was stopped by Femi afterward.
Femi chokeslammed Dijak onto Briggs, allowing him to score a pinfall and retain the NXT North American Championship.
Baron Corbin, Bron Breakker retain in fast-paced battle
The Stand & Deliver card opened with a creative video package that showed the event’s hosts, Meta Four, visiting notable locations that were utilized in the build-up to the event.
The NXT tag titles were on the lineup first, as Axiom and Nathan Frazer challenged Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker.
Axiom and Frazer got the jump on the tag champs, attacking them during their entrance. Axiom scored a moonsault off the top rope and to both Corbin and Breakker outside of the ring before the match officially started.
Corbin battled against Frazer and then Axiom to start the match. Breakker got a pop from the crowd once he tagged in, absolutely flying off the ropes and scoring a hard shoulder tackle. The tag champs started to pull ahead in this fight, isolating Axiom in their corner and staying active with tags.
Axiom hit Breakker with a Spanish Fly coming off the ropes, setting up a hot tag that brought in both Frazer and Corbin. Frazer got the best of the hot tag, putting together a series of moves culminating with a standing moonsault for a two-count. Axiom went to the top, but Corbin was able to avoid a splash and score with a move of his own. Axiom and Breakker tagged in, with Axiom scoring a massive head kick for a near fall.
Axiom climbed to the top but was slowed down by Breakker. After tagging in Corbin, Breakker hit a Frankensteiner off the top. Corbin tried for a pin, but Frazer came off the top to break up the attempt.
Axiom scored a german suplex on Breakker, but was thrown into the corner by Corbin before he could follow-up. Frazer took out Corbin, but then ate a gut check from Breakker. Breakker then tried to go to the top but didn’t do what he had planned. Instead, Axiom took him down with a Spanish Fly. Frazer scored a 450 Splash off the top for a near fall.
Breakker and Corbin started to get back in control of the match but weren’t able to put away the challengers. Corbin went to the top and landed a frogsplash for a near fall. Breakker tied to shoulder tackle Axiom at ringside, but Frazer moved him out of the way. Breakker instead went full force into steel stairs at ringside. Corbin tossed Axiom and Frazer onto the English commentary desk, but they jumped off the desk and double-teamed Corbin.
Axiom and Frazer dragged Corbin back into the ring, and Frazer landed a Phoenix Splash for a pin attempt. Breakker was able to get up and enter the ring to break up the pin.
Corbin tried an End of Days onto Frazer, although it was stopped. Coming out of the corner right after that reversal was Breakker, who connected with a spear to end the match in 11 minutes. Corbin and Breakker’s tag title reign will live to fight another day.
Joe Gacy overcomes Shawn Spears on pre-show
The card opened with a match between Shawn Spears and Joe Gacy. This match was a recent addition to Stand & Deliver, as Gacy asked for the pairing on Wednesday’s episode of NXT. It was also Spears’ fourth in-ring appearance since rejoining the NXT roster earlier this year.
Gacy was fighting from a disadvantage from the start, as Ridge Holland attacked him during his entrance with a steel chair. Gacy certainly got back into the match, landing a springboard moonsault nearly five minutes into the bout for a near fall. He tried to follow that up with a dive to the outside, but instead ate a punch from Spears. Spears hung Gacy on the ropes and gave him a kick to the head, and then continued to work the back by dropping him on the ring apron.
Back in the ring, Spears landed a draping DDT off the top using the top more for a two-count. After a series of counters, Gacy hit a Uranage for a near fall. Spears rolled over to the ring apron. Gacy joined him over on the hardest part of the ring to land a senton.
Spears avoided a Swanton Bomb from Gacy, then connected with a Pedigree for another two-count. Gacy connected with the Upside Down clothesline to put away Spears in nine minutes.
NXT Stand & Deliver 2024 Results
Countdown to NXT Stand & Deliver
- Joe Gacy def. Shawn Spears (9:05)
NXT Stand & Deliver
- Baron Corbin & Bron Breakker def. Axiom & Nathan Frazer (WWE NXT Tag Team Championships) (11:23)
- Oba Femi def. Dijak & Josh Briggs (NXT North American Championship) (Triple Threat) (15:00)
- Fallon Henley, Kelani Jordan & Thea Hail def. Izzi Dame, Jacy Jayne & Kiana James (11:42)
- Roxanne Perez def. Lyra Valkyrie (WWE NXT Women’s Championship) (16:02)
- Ilja Dragunov def. Tony D’Angelo (WWE NXT Championship) (17:05)
- Trick Williams def. Carmelo Hayes (14:47)
