Murphy’s Blog: NXT Stand & Deliver predictions – Two title change predictions for NXT’s biggest show of the year

By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)

There are still have two weeks until WrestleMania, but for the NXT brand, Stand & Deliver is typically billed as their biggest show of the year. The event takes place tonight in St. Louis, Missouri, at The Factory at the District and streams on YouTube. For those interested in checking out NXT for the first time, or revisiting after being away from the product, this is a good entry point. From my point of view, the magical “black and gold” days are long gone. There are some talents with potential, but overall, I’ve actually enjoyed Evolve more than I have NXT as of late. That said, some Evolve talents have just moved over to NXT, so perhaps they can provide a needed spark. Let’s run down the card!

Joe Hendry vs. Ricky Saints vs. Ethan Page vs. Tony D’Angelo in a four-way for the NXT Championship. If you’ve followed me in the past, you know how I feel about multi-person title matches. They can work in some cases, but more often than not, it’s the result of lazy booking. The journey of Joe Hendry worked well in TNA hasn’t clicked in NXT. Saints and Page as bickering heels are fine, but there’s very little chance that either will regain the title. In fact, Page belongs on the main roster, so let’s keep him away from the NXT title. He had his run, and I wouldn’t even mind if he takes the fall here. D’Angelo, as the vigilante out for revenge, was a needed refresh for the character. I don’t see him as a guy to hold the title, though I could be wrong. Hendry likely retains, but I don’t see any contenders built up strong enough to challenge him, so it will be interesting to see how things progress in the coming months.

Don Predicts: Joe Hendry defeats Ricky Saints, Ethan Page, and Tony D’Angelo in a four-way to retain the NXT Championship.

Jacy Jayne vs. Lola Vice vs. Kendal Grey in a Triple Threat for the NXT Women’s Championship. See my comment above about multi-person title matches. I suspect they did this because both Vice and Grey have had individual title opportunities. I’ve really liked Jayne since her time in Toxic Attraction and am pleased she’s had a credible title run. I think she’s ready for the main roster, but I’ve thought that for a while now, so who knows what the plan is. Vice is fine, but the company seems to be higher on her than I am. I’m more in the camp of pushing Jaida Parker, but that seems not to be the plan. We know they’re high on Grey, and I’m thinking we see her crowned champion here. That’s fine, though I’m not a fan of putting the title on her immediately upon joining the brand. I’d much rather see her go on a journey and develop her character a bit more before she assumes the role of champion.

Don Predicts: Kendal Grey defeats Jacy Jayne and Lola Vice in a Triple Threat to win the NXT Women’s Championship.

Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes vs. Bravo and Rayo for the NXT Tag Team Titles. I’m a big fan of Baylor and Smokes from their time in Evolve. Earlier, I said that putting the title on Grey would be too soon. In this case, I’m OK with this for Baylor and Smokes. The NXT tag division needed a shot in the arm, and I believe these are the guys to help in that effort. My biggest concern with them is the long-term plan. The days of Vince McMahon basing talent on size are gone, but from a cosmetic standpoint, these guys are really small, so I’m concerned they would struggle on the main roster. That said, the main roster tag divisions are in shambles as well, so every little bit helps. This particular match doesn’t do much for me because I’m over the Americanos. If you had told me that it would be Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate challenging for the title, I’d be all in.

Don Predicts: Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes defeat Bravo and Rayo to retain the NXT Tag Team Titles.

Tatum Paxley vs. Blake Monroe for the NXT Women’s North American Championship. The fact that they rushed right into this match with very little build is a good indicator that Paxley is designed to be a transitional champion and a way to get the belt back on Monroe after her botch a few months back that cost her the title in the first place. This being the case, Monroe really has so much more to offer, as seen in AEW. I don’t know if it’s her or if it’s the booking, or both, but she can be a star if given the opportunity.

Don Predicts: Blake Monroe defeats Tatum Paxley to win the NXT Women’s North American Championship.

Myles Borne vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Championship. This one is a pick-em for me. On the one hand, I’d love to see Gargano re-commit himself to NXT. The down and out act on SmackDown is cute, but he could be the face of NXT as either a heel or a babyface, and I’d sign up for a journey where he comes back to eventually challenge for the NXT Championship. On the other hand, the company is high on Borne. They told a decent story around his journey to win the title, and I have a hard time believing they’d take it off him so quickly, especially since Tatum Paxley will likely drop her title. I just can’t see two transitional champions drop their titles on the same show. A win over Gargano would help Borne, but like Joe Hendry, I don’t see many credible challengers in the wing. Since this is the secondary title, they can make use of the entire mid-card, so it’s less of a concern.

Don Predicts: Myles Borne defeats Johnny Gargano to retain the North American Championship.

Sol Ruca vs. Zaria. Finally, the long-awaited payoff to the breakup we’ve seen coming for months. OK, maybe not long-awaited, but you get my point. Ruca is main roster ready, and I’d love for this to be her NXT finale where she does the honors for Zaria and the latter becomes the top heel challenger for the NXT Championship, particularly if my prediction of Grey winning the title pans out. Zaria needs to have a breakout performance in the ring beyond just making the boo-boo face.

Don Predicts: Zaria defeats Sol Ruca.

(Pre-Show) “Birthright” Charlie Dempsey, Lexis King, Uriah Connors, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, and Arianna Grace vs. Hank Walker, Tank Ledger, Eli Knight, Shiloh Hill, and Wren Sinclair in a ten-person tag match. Do I hear “All Star?” OK, not quite, but cool to get the up-and-comers and lower-card talent on the show. I’m not completely sold on the Birthright concept yet, but it may have potential.

Don Predicts: “Birthright” Charlie Dempsey, Lexis King, Uriah Connors, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, and Arianna Grace defeat Hank Walker, Tank Ledger, Eli Knight, Shiloh Hill, and Wren Sinclair in a ten-person tag match.

Join John Moore for his live review as the show streams on YouTube, starting with the pre-show at 5CT/6ET, or the main card at 6CT/7ET. Jason Powell will host a same-night audio review, which will be available as this week’s free Pro Wrestling Boom podcast. Enjoy the show and enjoy wrestling!