WWE NXT Stand & Deliver predictions

WWE NXT is putting on their latest live special this weekend, and leaving the friendly confines of the WWE Performance Center for the first time in more than two years. Stand & Deliver is part of WrestleMania weekend, and comes our way from Dallas’ American Airlines Center on Sat., April 2 at 1PM Eastern. It’ll stream domestically on Peacock, and internationally on WWE Network.

If you’re new or just checking back in on NXT 2.0 for this event, we’ve also got a full preview. Right now, we’ve assembled a motley crew of NXT-following Cagesiders to give you their thoughts & predictions on all the matches.

Let’s get to it.

WWE NXT STAND & DELIVER PREDICTIONS

Bron Breakker vs. Dolph Ziggler

Geno Mrosko: With not as much to do on the main roster and Breakker clearly a star in waiting who shouldn’t spend too much more time in NXT, I could easily see Ziggler winning here and Breakker showing up on Raw days later. You know what, though? Maybe he wins anyway and still gets the call up as champ. We’ve seen that before. Pick: Bron Breakker

Sean Rueter: Neither outcome would surprise me, and I don’t think either man is leaving NXT for good win or loss. But my hunch from the jump was that this story was set-up to give Bron a win on a stage-near-the-grandest-stage-of-them-all, and I just can’t see them having him take a loss at his first WrestleMania weekend one night after honoring his father & uncle. Pick: Bron Breakker

Claire Elizabeth: I kind of think Dolph is in it for the long haul, actually. An NXT Championship reign is exactly the kind of thing a dude like him wants to sink his teeth into and try to make a real tour-de-force classic and not just a holding pattern, plus with Bron’s dad and uncle going in the Hall of Fame this weekend, his time to shine on the main roster might just be sooner than later. Pick: Dolph Ziggler

Stella Cheeks: You know how there are some wrestlers that you just don’t like? Like you know they’re a great wrestler but you just don’t like them? Dolph Ziggler is that wrestler for me. Except I LOVE him in NXT. He is the perfect foil a young wrestler like Bron Breakker. I’m actually with Claire on this one. They keep saying they want to make NXT the third show and not just developmental and keeping an established talent like Ziggler as the champ for a while would do that. More “main roster” superstars should show up in NXT. It worked for Mandy and it’s working for Dolph. Pick: Dolph Ziggler

Marcus Benjamin: Dolph Ziggler’s NXT run is a thing of beauty. If this is it, and I believe it is, then props to that man. I can see him winning though, simply because everything my colleagues Claire and Stella said is true. Dolph holding that championship for a while elevates NXT. And Bron? Well, as weird as it sounds, he might already be outgrowing the rainbow brand, and WWE clearly sees him as the next big thing. What better way to announce his arrival than the Raw after WrestleMania? I just talked myself into a completely different position than I had going into this thing. Pick: Dolph Ziggler

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Mandy Rose vs. Io Shirai vs. Kay Lee Ray vs. Cora Jade

Geno Mrosko: Genuinely unsure here, but it doesn’t feel like the right time to take the title off Mandy just yet. The build to this doesn’t make sense to do it. Pick: Mandy Rose

Sean Rueter: Don’t think Cora’s quite ready, really hope we get at least a year of Io working PPV matches with the stars of the main roster, really really hope I’m wrong about Kay Lee getting a “budget cuts” text this summer, and pretty pretty pretty sure Mandy’s not going to be the first person in her crew to drop a belt. Pick: Mandy Rose

Claire Elizabeth: The odds are stacked against Mandy and that’s always good cause to pick for a champion in WWE, but given that her girls are busy with a stiff threat in the reunited Kai and Gonzalez, I’m thinking she can’t hang and the title goes to KLR, with Io as her obvious first dance partner. Pick: Kay Lee Ray

Stella Cheeks: It’s time for Mandy to drop the belt. Toxic Attraction takes up too much time on NXT. Plus, they’ve put off the inevitable for as long as they can KLR came to NXT to f*$% sh*t up. Give her the belt and let her GO! Pick: Kay Lee Ray

Marcus Benjamin: Mandy’s reign of terror isn’t over yet. While Toxic Attraction definitely needs another gear, but like Sean said, Mandy won’t be the first one to lose a title from her crew. Pick: Mandy Rose

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Carmelo Hayes vs. Solo Sikoa vs. Grayson Waller vs. Santos Escobar vs. Cameron Grimes

Geno Mrosko: It seems pretty clear this is set up for a big win from Grimes but Waller is a dark horse who would probably be one hell of a heat magnet as champion. Pick: Grayson Waller

Sean Rueter: Hayes vs. Breakker for the main title needs to headline whatever the next not-TakeOver is, and Grimey’s babyface cred can go to the moon if he’s screwed out of the belt here. Possibly by... let’s say a guy with two henchmen and one bad mamacita? Pick: Santos Escobar

Claire Elizabeth: Grimes is gonna do it for his daddy and I’ll probably cry. Pick: Cameron Grimes

Stella Cheeks: The only reason to take the North American Championship off Carmelo is if they are planning on giving him the main title real soon. As much as I want that, I don’t think it’s in the cards quite yet. But Melo never misses, and Melo deserves gold around his waist. Pick: Carmelo Hayes

Marcus Benjamin: This is my pick for match of the night...unless Nikkita Lyons shows up just because. The story points to a Cameron Grimes W, right? He’s got the heartfelt story, he got the huge win on the go home show, and he’s the sentimental favorite. But unless Carmelo Hayes is getting the NXT championship, there’s no reason to take the North American title from him. Melo normally doesn’t miss, and I don’t think his aim gets shaky under the bright lights of Texas. Pick: Carmelo Hayes

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Imperium vs. The Creeds vs. MSK

Geno Mrosko: I’m going to say they keep the titles where they are so Creed Bros can feud with whoever is coming in all cryptic like and MSK can move on to something new. Pick: Imperium

Sean Rueter: Keep forgetting Imperium are the champs, and also think they’re dark horse candidates for a call-up (where they’ll probably do the Hurt Business shuffle while Gunther gets a push, but kommt Zeit, kommt Rat). In the meantime, kind of thinking they won’t give either Dusty Cup winner the gold? Pick: MSK

Claire Elizabeth: The Creeds are the only team here with a spark of interest left to them, c’mon. Easy pickings, I wanna see Malcolm Bivens with two belts around his neck, let’s go! Pick: Creed Brothers

Stella Cheeks: Diamond Mine needs a big win, and what is a better big win than putting the tag titles on two big boys? I need more Malcolm Bivens on my TV! Pick: Creed Brothers

Marcus Benjamin: The Brothers Creed already have bigger fish to fry if they lose. Imperium will do what they normally do. MSK, on the other hand, need these titles to finally get back to the top of the mountain. Pick: MSK

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Gunther vs. LA Knight

Geno Mrosko: There’s zero reason to believe Knight wins here, but it’s hard to see where he fits in the WWE ecosystem overall. Is he sticking around in NXT or going up to get lost in the main roster shuffle? Neither seems appropriate. Pick: GUNTHER

Sean Rueter: How long can Knight stay over while taking Ls? Because that’s what he’s gonna keep doing, apparently. Pick: Gunther

Claire Elizabeth: I’m never gonna stop hating the rename, am I? Sigh. Anyway, with GUNTHER explicitly gunning for a title I think he’s fired up and he’ll steamroll Mr. Knight here. Pick: GUNTHER

Stella Cheeks: LA Knight is headed for the main roster. I’d be shocked if he was in NXT for more than a month after Mania. Pick: GUNTHER

Marcus Benjamin: As much as I love LA Knight—and it’s a lot of love—it’s time for him to move to the main roster because NXT isn’t a fit for him anymore. And there’s no way GUNTHER loses in a big spot on the biggest weekend of the year. Pick: GUNTHER

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Tony D’Angelo vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Geno Mrosko: This is the last ride for Ciampa, and you know how this pro wrestling thing goes. Pick: Tony D’Angelo

Sean Rueter: Tried to talk myself into a way to send the Blackheart out a winner, but I can’t get there. Maybe his buddy Bron (or even a name from the past?) shows up to help him fend off a post-loss beatdown and take a curtain call? Pick: Tony D’Angelo

Claire Elizabeth: Ciampa’s made it pretty clear that this is his last ride, and he’s an old-school dude that goes out on his shield. Wish it weren’t so, as Tony’s fake mafia gimmick does nothing for me, but there it is. Pick: Tony D’Angelo

Stella Cheeks: Normally I’m all about passing the torch, but Ciampa has done so much for NXT as a brand it would be a shame to not let him go out on a high note. Give the man a farewell win! Pick: Tommaso Ciampa

Marcus Benjamin: This is Tommaso’s NXT swan song. Do the favors on your way out is not only a wrestling thing, but it’s a tradition NXT adores. Pick: Tony D’Angelo

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Toxic Attraction vs. Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai

Geno Mrosko: This feels super rushed and the fact that it’s been relegated to the pre-show, which will come on super early in the day, makes me think it’s being used as a setup for later. Or maybe even just giving Gonzalez one more match in NXT before a call up a few days later. Pick: Toxic Attraction

Sean Rueter: This whole thing is disrespectful to all of us in the #ChooCrew. Pick: Toxic Attraction

Claire Elizabeth: I feel like after having a blood feud that involved repeated shovel shots you probably can’t just pick right back up where you left off, folks. Pick: Toxic Attraction

Stella Cheeks: I think Toxic Attraction keeps the tag belts and Mandy loses the main belt. Seeing Dakota and Raquel back together was fun, but it doesn’t feel long term. Pick: Toxic Attraction

Marcus Benjamin: Toxic Attraction wins here if only to keep this going. A feud between them and Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez has potential, while really digging into this out of the blue reunion between Kai and Gonzalez. Telling that story while they’re champs is less appealing to me than telling it while they’re chasing the gold. Pick: Toxic Attraction

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That's who we've got. Who are you taking, Cagesiders?