 Pete Dunne def. Tony D'Angelo in a Weaponized Steel CageThis was similar to any of the Lethal Lockdown matches IMPACT has done over the years or even the Ambrose Asylum match WWE did once in 2016. D'Angelo is getting better and better every time I've seen in action while Dunne can do no wrong in the ring. Thus, this was an entertaining opener with strong work from both men and they made nice use of all the weapons they had available to them. Dunne winning to end the feud makes me think he'll be sticking around in NXT for the foreseeable future instead of imminently moving up to the main roster. NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jane) def. Indi Hartwell and Persia PirottaIt feels like we only two or three legitimate teams in NXT's women's tag team division, which is why I'm surprised we got this now and they didn't hold off on it. Then again, Toxic Attraction were overdue for a defense, so at least they didn't wait until the women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is over. This was a pretty decent match, though there wasn't anything out of the ordinary about it. It went about the appropriate time and Toxic Attraction retained as tension continues to be teased between Hartwell and Pirotta. LA Knight Attacked and Challenged Grayson WallerThe whole "restraining order" stuff along with Waller promising that Knight would be "arrested" on this show was silly, but it did manage to move their storyline forward. Knight has been shining as a babyface and the crowd was hot for him here. Waller has also been playing his role well, though he's definitely lost some steam since attacking Johnny Gargano a few months ago. They'll go one-on-one next week, and with it being rumored that Knight could be main roster bound soon, then it would stand to reason that Waller will win. NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes def. Cameron GrimesHayes and Grimes have been two of the best wrestlers in NXT 2.0 since the relaunch and I was excited to see what they could do against each other. Ultimately, they had strong chemistry and had the best bout of the night. I could've done without Trick Williams having a constant presence at ringside, but everything else about this was a blast. I wasn't expecting Hayes to win clean, but it adds to his credibility. I absolutely wouldn't mind a rematch between these two at some point. The Creed Brothers def. MSK to Win the Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team ClassicGiven it was the finals of the men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, this really should have lasted longer than 10 minutes. What we got in that time frame was enjoyable, but after what we saw from both teams earlier in the tournament (especially when Creed Brothers faced Grizzled Young Veterans last week), I know they're capable of better. Nonetheless, Creed Brothers taking the trophy was the right call. I'd put the NXT Tag Team Championship on them at Stand & Deliver. Solo Sikoa Interrupted ImperiumThe crowd chanting "WALTER" at Gunther was music to my ears. I hope they keep it up and remind WWE of how dumb it was to change his name in the first place. At any rate, Gunther acknowledged his championship aspirations and that he'd be paying close attention to the main event, which makes me think we'll be getting Bron Breakker vs. Gunther at Stand & Deliver. Before then, it looks like Gunther will have Sikoa to deal with and I'm very much on board with that. NXT Champion Bron Breakker def. Santos EscobarIt's well documented that Escobar is excellent, but I still don't think he gets the credit he deserves for being as talented as he is. The guy should have been in the NXT Championship picture a while ago, but better late than never. Granted, it was predictable he wasn't winning here, but he and Breakker worked wonderfully together and produced an above-average main event. Breakker just keeps delivering in these high-profile matches. Ziggler interfering likely indicates that Breakker will face/beat him before getting to Gunther over WrestleMania weekend. As for Escobar, Legado del Fantasma would be perfect for a main roster call-up, but time will tell as to whether that actually happens. Overall ShowThis was similar to last year's installment of Vengeance Day despite being a television special this time and not a TakeOver. Some of the matches were hurt by the commercial breaks, but I appreciated that the opening and closing matches were commercial-free. All in all, this was a very entertaining episode of NXT. Say what you will about the product, but when it matters most, these special shows have lived up to the hype. I'm not too thrilled about Stand & Deliver happening on the morning of WrestleMania 38 Night 1, but hopefully they put together a stacked card and kill it, regardless.
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