Ladies and Gentlemen, we usually get just one or two amazing nights out of the year for The Grandest Stage of Them All but this year, is the Grandest Week of Them All. This is WrestleMania week and I’m going to go full Pat McAfee, get the suit and the cargo shorts out for this because it’s all AJ for the rest of the week. Stand and Deliver… let’s just hope it leads up to the second part of its name and delivers. Three title matches, five matches all together.

Let’s get it started with the first WWE event with fans in over a year!!!

Results:

• Pete Dunn vs KUSHIDA – Pete Dunn wins via Bitter End – ***
• Six Man Gauntlet Eliminator: Isaiah Scott, Cameron Grimes, Bronson Reed, Dexter Lumis, Leon Ruff and LA Knight – Bronson Reed wins via Splash – ** ¾
• Tommaso Ciampa vs WALTER(c) for the NXT UK Championship: WALTER wins via Knife-Edged Chop – ***** – TITLE DEFENSE!
• MSK vs GYV vs Legado Del Phantasma for the NXT Tag Team Championships- MSK wins via Spinebuster/Blockbuster Combination – *** ½   – TITLE CHANGE!!
• Raquel Gonzalez (w/ Dakota Kai) vs Io Shirai(c) for the NXT Women’s Championship – Gonzalez wins via One Armed Powerbomb – *** ¼ – TITLE CHANGE!!!

Review:

Pete Dunn vs KUSHIDA-

Both men go for very rapid and quick holds to try to out do the other in technical wrestling until Dunn gets the advantage after an exchange and X-Plexs KUSHIDA into the apron and starts the malicious assault to KUSHIDA’s arm to weaken the Hoverboard Lock. Dunn gets into a striking match with KUSHIDA and KUSHIDA gets the upperhand now, using his quickness and turning the momentum back to an even ground. After another quick exchange with holds, KUSHIDA reverses the Bitter End into a Small Package Driver, only to get a two count. Dunn comes back to get strikes in, even going for a pinfall as after an exchange from either man, the other counters and nobody can get the upperhand. Both men goes for suplex/armbreaker variants and after both of them slide out quickly, it goes back to another striking match where KUSHIDA makes Dunn drop with the Softball Punch.

KUSHIDA gets the advantage now with a quick flurry of strikes and holds as he does the Hoverboard Lock off the top rope but Dunn breaks it. KUSHIDA grabs Pete’s other arm and twists it, putting him in a Rings of Saturn variant but another rope break happens. KUSHIDA goes for a third Hoverboard until Dunn gets a pinfall in during the hold. KUSHIDA kicks out of the pin attempt but in doing so, makes Dunn reach the ropes for the rope break. Dunn now focuses on the fingers of KUSHIDA and after KUSHIDA does another Softball Punch, he hurts his hand and writhes in pain from it as Dunn finishes the match with a Bitter End.

Six Man Gauntlet-

Leon Ruff and Swerve Scott start the gauntlet off before the bell rings as Scott tosses Ruff out from the entrance as they go all around the arena. The match finally starts after the two have a fight out of the ring and Swerve gets the upper hand for a good amount of time until Ruff slips out of a table spot into a spinning cutter from off the announce table. They get back into the ring and they get to an even ground again after an Avalanche Powerbomb attempt from Swerve and Ruff reverses into a Frankensteiner. The time ticks down for the third man to come in…

Bronson Reed comes in and Ruff wastes no time to try to attack but, Reed catches him and attempts to throw him at Scott but, Scott ducks and gets beaten down by the big man when he enters the ring. Reed now puts his sights on Ruff and pancakes him twice. Both men now try to get a German Suplex on the big man but Reed moves away and goes to suplex them both as the timer hits for the fourth man…

AND WE ARE GOING TO THE MOON!! Cameron Grimes comes out and Reed and Grimes have and exchange with each other before Swerve takes the big man down and Grimes comes in to get a small partnership with Swerve for a little bit of green persuasion (not the RVD kind, the DiBiase kind). The new duo try to take care of the other two handily, making sure Reed stays on the outside and Ruff gets beat down as we get to number five…

Dexter Lumis… well… um… Looms in the distance as we now have a pinfall from Swerve, getting Leon Ruff eliminated. Dexter Lumis takes it to the big boy with a DDT to the outside ramp. Lumis now takes it to Scott and Grimes, giving them slingshot reverse suplexes as Reed slides back in when the dust settles and the two bigger men take strikes to each other. Grimes comes in shortly to pull the rope down to take Reed out and Lumis does his best Cactus Jack impression with everyone on the outside as the time starts to countdown again for these dummies…

YEAAAAAH! Let’s get to the trash talking as LA Knight gets involved in the match. Reed takes it to Knight and knocks him down as Grimes and Swerve try to take it to Reed again but Reed is pissed off and takes it to all three. As Reed goes from corner to corner, LA Knight gets the advantage and takes it to every dummy in the ring that wants to step up. Lumis and Grimes go eye to eye… to eye… and Lumis gets a pinfall from LA Knight. The three men now take down Knight and eliminates him! Lumis is pissed off and makes an Impact on Knight and puts him to sleep on the outside. The action continues between Reed, Grimes and Scott as all of them get to even ground again as Swerve and Grimes go back to the two on one again. Grimes and Swerve get a little overzealous and try to screw the other over with a pinfall but Swerve gets the pinfall and eliminates Cameron Grimes (maybe being in IMPACT isn’t a good thing for this TakeOver).

Isaiah Scott and Bronson Reed are the only two in the ring now as Swerve actually starts a good offense to take it to the big man. Reed showing his endurance and defiance as Reed fires up and takes it to Swerve. One Powerbomb, one Reverse Tombstone and one Splash and Thicc Boi is going on to Night Two.

WALTER vs Tommaso Ciampa

Both men try to get an early advantage with collar and elbows and holds but neither can budge. Ciampa gets the first amount of offense with some anger but, Walter just chops Ciampa down and takes it to Tommaso to the outside. Walter attempts another chop and breaks the announce table as Ciampa dodges the strike. They both go back to the ring and still no advantage as both men strike faster and harder than before. Ciampa tries to outpower Walter but to no avail. He can counter the strikes from blocking a chop with an elbow but Walter begins to use his feet now and now gets the first pure advantage this match. Walter’s hand is just too damaged to go on with his assaults as Ciampa now gets momentum and strikes the champion with rapid and consecutive lariats against the ropes to weaken the champion about twenty times until Walter stops him with a chop… But Tommaso gets up and does one more Lariat to take Walter down and hits an Air Raid Crash for a two count though.

Ciampa not letting this momentum going to waste as he attempts a Fairy Tale Ending but gets coutner into a pin from Walter. Ciampa kicks out and actually lands the Fairy Tale Ending for another two count. Ciampa keeps going with the rapid offense but gets caught into a Sleeper Hold. Tommaso breaks it by manipulating Walter’s weakened hand and breaks out of the hold only to get a German Suplex and a heavy Lariat that Stan Hanson would love for a two. Walter tries to get strength back into his hand and goes for a powerbomb but Ciampa now counters it, biting Walter’s hand and putting him into a Fujiwara Armbar, pulling the fingers back of the champion until Walter goes to the ropes to break it. Walter LOOKS WEAK as Tommaso tries to go for Widow’s Bell but Walter backs up to break the attempt from the apron. More fighting continues on the apron as they get to the top rope. Ciampa finally gets an advantage as he uses and Air Raid Crash from the top rope for another near fall.

Both men begin to get up and start a chopping contest until Walter decides to use his weight advantage to get an upperhand, pinning Ciampa down in a knuckle lock but his hand gives out, breaking it. Walter going to any length to win and stomps on Ciampa head, going for back to back powerbombs to take Ciampa down only for another two count and frustration rising. Walter grabs Tommaso for another Sleeper but make sit a Sleeper Suplex and to make sure the match is sealed, he hits one last Chop to retain his United Kingdom Championship.

This is the damn match of the Year category right here.

MSK vs Grizzled Young Veterans vs Legado Del Phantasma

One member from each team get things started, Legado Del Fantasma get things done against Gibson and Wes Lee first and then MSK get things going as Wes gets a tag into Carter to fight them off and finally, Drake comes in and takes it to everyone so all teams showed off how they do. James Drake and Nash Carter are the ones in the ring to take it to each other as Legado Del Fantasma stay on the outside. Carter finally gets a form of separation and Wes gets into the match and has the speed come into play, taking the Vets out. Legado Del Phantasma comes back in and takes everyone out shortly after with some flight of their own and takes Wes Lee back into the ring, hits dual Coasts to Coasts but Gibson breaks the pin attempt up as Wilde and Mendosa take it to Gibson and Nash Carter for this advantage. They keep up this assault both double teaming and high flying as the Vets comes back in and cause a form of momentum to change but for MSK’s favor as Wes Lee gets tagged in and takes everyone out like a house of fire as MSK does their signature assisted moonsault spot for a pinfall. GYV breaks the momentum momentarily as all teams get involved in the match until GYV takes it to Wes Lee’s hand again and nearly breaks it as they go for submissions on both MSK members before Mendosa comes in and breaks the submission attempts and go for the pinfall against Wes Lee for another near fall. The vets get another rush of momentum, taking out Legado Del Phantasma as the finalist to the Dusty Cup are staring at each other again.

GYV goes for a Ticket to Mayhem on to Nash Carter before Carter does a double rainbow cutter, tagging in Wes Lee for a Spinebuster/Blockbuster Combination to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions.

(How exactly is Tre Miguel doing in IMPACT again?)

Raquel Gonzalez vs Io Shirai-

The two take it to each other early but Raquel outpowers Io and takes her down early with a big boot and most agile attempts Io uses is not enough to take Gonzalez down until she distracts and misdirects the powerhouse of Raquel and takes her to the outside to get some form of offense. Dakota tries to to interfere and gets in Shirai’s face before getting ejected early in the match-up. Gonzales finally catches the champion and tosses her into the post and brings her back into the ring to continue the onslaught. With a good amount of pinfall attempts, she puts the champion into a Gory Special, pulling on the arms of the champion until she can get separation.  Io gets momentum going, doing a Tiger Faint to arm drag Raquel into the Tiger Feint Kick, staggering the stronger of the two and hitting a Yoshi Tonic and getting a near fall against the challenger. Io tries to take it to the sky but Raquel grabs Io for a One Armed Powerbomb attempt but the Champion slides it into a crossface. Raquel barely gets to the ropes as Io goes to the top and lands the moonsault to the outside onto a standing Raquel on the ramp. Io not done on the outside as she hits a Meteora. To add emphasis to how much Io wants to take out Raquel to retain, he dives off of the skull prop to land on Gonzalez. Io Shirai gets Raquel back into the rign and lands her picture perfect Moonsault but Raquel kicks out. Raquel rolls out of the ring and takes it to Io and lands a One Armed Powerbomb on the outside of the ring before they make their way back in.

Raquel starts to trash talk but Io hits her with a Shotai, pissing off Raquel so she lands a stiff lariat and hits one more One Armed Powerbomb to get the…. Wait… Raquel got the win. Wow. There is the surprise of the week so far. Good for her.

Overall Score: 8/10

With the match that seems like it flopped only because it was a clusterf… Ahem. Yeah. Great start with the technicality of KUSHIDA and Dunne, the Tag match had it’s moment of that cluster but it’s supposed to when you have 6 competitors in the ring. Raquel winning was a major shock that I can get behind 100 percent. That told a great story going back to Raquel being the reason why Io lost the past WarGames match. Now that I touched on the other matches, I need to address something that I saw numerous times on Social Media and I need to get it off my chest because this is delayed and I kept hearing this finish get boo’d.

That match between Walter and Ciampa… was beautifully delivered, beginning to end. For everyone that had a problem with Walter winning after hitting Tommaso with a chop, go back to the beginning of the match where they emphasized that Walter broke the wooden covering of the announce desk with a chop alone. That right there gave the viewers of the match foreshadowing of what was to come. It told a story. It wasn’t fast paced to have a trillion spots for a roll up, it wasn’t a weak finish like a random roll up or a count-out. They made sure from the start that Walter’s chop was something to be feared this entire match and that’s what put Tommaso away. Even the end when Imperium was bowing, Walter doubled over in pain, gripping his arm. That’s what made that match a five star story driven match, beginning to end.

Now that I tapped into my inner WarChief like I tend to do when I substitute for my brother, that was Night One of NXT, on to Night Two of Stand & Deliver!!