WWE NXT Review - March 22, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Solo Sikoa def. Roderick Strong to Qualify for the NXT North American Championship Ladder match at NXT Stand & Deliver

I really enjoyed this opener as it featured a cool clash of styles and they had quality chemistry together. I still don't understand why Sikoa had to suffer his first singles loss to Gunther a few weeks ago, but otherwise, he's been rising to the occasion against everyone he's been put in the ring with and this was no exception. As for Strong, he never ceases to deliver, but he needs a notable win or two in order to be taken seriously again. I can't remember the last time he won anything of importance on this show, which is why I'm more in favor of him staying exclusive to NXT UK for the foreseeable future.

Tony D'Angelo def. Dexter Lumis

I was wondering why this match was made when I realized that they actually had beef a few months ago, though I don't remember if it was ever resolved. This was a decent television match despite the focus being on Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta at ringside, which ultimately led to Lumis' loss. Tommaso Ciampa surfaced afterward to attack D'Angelo and build toward their bout at Stand & Deliver, which will be a solid sendoff for Ciampa.

Elektra Lopez def. Fallon Henley

Lopez is still very much a work in progress in the ring. She has a nice presence about her and her association with Legado del Fantasma will help, but she should be working with women more experienced than she is. Thankfully, Henley is one of the more competent enhancement talents NXT has, so this was passable. I really don't have much interest in a Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen vs. Legado del Fantasma feud.

Bron Breakker def. Robert Roode

This is nothing new, but Roode does not get the credit he deserves for being as talented as he is. He's been relegated to the tag team ranks for so long that it's easy to forget he was once a long-running NXT Champion and an awesome one at that. The first half or so of this match may not have been the most exciting, but they told a terrific story and the action was above-average. Breakker can hang with the best of them and Roode had his best performance in ages. This was the perfect momentum boost for Breakker ahead of his one-on-one outing with Dolph Ziggler for the NXT Championship.

Grayson Waller def. A-Kid to Qualify for the NXT North American Championship Ladder match at NXT Stand & Deliver

A-Kid just made his NXT debut a week ago, so it's weird that he was booked to lose his second week in. Waller is obviously the hotter prospect at the moment, but I'm not sure I would've even put him in a qualifier. They had a fun little match, but this was way too short to be anything special. I could absolutely see Waller walking out of Stand & Deliver the new NXT North American Championship. The last spot in the Ladder match will go to the winner of next week's "last chance" Triple Threat with A-Kid, Strong and Cameron Grimes.

The Creed Brothers def. Grizzled Young Veterans

This match was set up last week following a backstage altercation between these teams. I almost thought Grizzled Young Veterans might win when the commentators mentioned they've lost their edge lately, but no such luck. Don't get me wrong, I'm very high on Creed Brothers and their potential, but Grizzled Young Veterans deserve better. This was good stuff for as long as it lasted but nowhere near the barn burner they had during the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. I have no idea who could be targeting Diamond Mine, and I'm not confident the payoff will be worth it.

Gunther def. Duke Hudson

Persia told Hartwell in a backstage segment earlier in the evening that Hudson could beat Gunther with ease, so apparently she had a death wish for her new boyfriend. This was complete destruction from Gunther as it should have been. I like Hudson, but he never stood a chance. Post-match, LA Knight confronted Gunther and made their match official for Stand & Deliver. It's definitely random, but I'm glad they're on the card at all and I'm sure it will be great.

Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray def. Dakota Kai and Wendy Choo to Win the 2022 Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

The whole women's Dusty Classic felt rushed this year, and throwing in so many makeshift teams didn't help, either. Much like last year, I'm happy they have a women's tag tourney and the matches have mostly been solid, but if you can't fill out the bracket with actual teams, then it's probably not worth it, especially if the winners are going to somehow cash in their guaranteed opportunity on the NXT Women's Championship instead. How is that even possible? On the bright side, this was an entertaining main event and I appreciated that Choo kept the gimmicky crap to a minimum. If Kai and Choo get the tag title shot anyway, then this year's women's Dusty Cup was pointless.

Overall Show

As I've said before about NXT 2.0, it's wild how certain parts of the show are excellent from an in-ring standpoint whereas other parts are straight up awful, specifically some of the storylines. The brand's recent obsession with romance angles has been especially bad, but that hasn't stopped them from putting together a compelling card on paper for Stand & Deliver. I don't know how it will measure up to WrestleMania weekend TakeOver specials in the past, but I'm looking forward to it, nonetheless. This was another mixed bag of an episode.

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