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For the first time in the history of NXT Stand & Deliver, the premium live event showcasing the best talent in WWE’s so-called developmental brand will be detached from WrestleMania.
Stand & Deliver will really stand alone as it is set to take place at The Factory in St. Louis, Missouri at 19 ET Saturday night. The show will be broadcast on YouTube.
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Jacy Jayne competes against Sol Ruca during NXT at 713 Music Hall in Houston, Texas on March 17, 2026. (Meg Oliphant/WWE)
Normally, Stand & Deliver would be the appetizer for WrestleMania and take place the morning before Night 1 of WWE’s biggest premium live event of the year. The last time it wasn’t on the same day as WrestleMania was in its first iteration, when it took place in Tampa, Florida, days before the show.
Being alone has its advantages. NXT can pack an arena without forcing the fans to wake up early and run back and forth from venue to venue just to catch the show and WrestleMania at the same time.
“I think it’s good. I mean it has its pros and cons, but I think specifically this one is, it’s not on the same weekend so we can get more eyes on the event,” NXT Championship challenger Tony D’Angelo told Pakinomist Digital earlier this week. “Every year before, it’s always WrestleMania Night 1 in the morning, so some people don’t want to get up and go to a show and then go to WrestleMania on top of that. I think that’s a good thing. Everybody can see, everybody can see, every wrestling fan is focused on NXT Stand & Deliver.”
Sol Ruca, who is likely to end his feud with Zaria at the event, was optimistic about being able to draw a large crowd to the show.
Ruca also suggested that she was looking forward to a more relaxed pace during WrestleMania weekend, as she is one of dozens of WWE Superstars who will appear at WWE World in Las Vegas to meet and take photos with fans.
WWE NXT STARS COME TO NEW YORK CITY BEFORE FINAL SHOW BEFORE BOOTH AND DELIVERY
Tony D’Angelo competes in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida on February 10, 2026. (Conor Kvatek/WWE via Getty Images)
“I think it’s pretty cool. I think a lot of us would love to be involved with the whole WrestleMania weekend, but I think this gives us an opportunity to potentially draw a bigger crowd now that we’re separate because we’re going to multiple shows on the same weekend — it can be a lot for the fans,” she said. “I think us having it a little bit separate from everything else and still having our own moment can be beneficial as well. I know a lot of us are going to be at WWE World anyway, so it’s going to be kind of like having those two little WrestleMania moments. I think some of us are a little sad about that, but I think it’s going to be a good thing for us.”
Ricky Saints, who will face Tony D’Angelo, Ethan Page and Joe Hendry for the NXT Championship, said it was an opportunity for fans who might not have the extra cash to spend on a trip to Las Vegas to come see what NXT has to offer.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for people who maybe don’t have the time, the money, or whatever, to see it during ‘Mania weekend,'” he said. “So to have it on a standalone, you don’t have to wake up early. You can go somewhere else and just get to relax and not feel so overwhelmed with things that you have to do or want to do. I think that’s a really good move for everyone involved, to be honest with you. It’s from the production people to the wrestler.”
WWE NXT STAR JACY JAYNE READY TO STAND UP AND DELIVER CHALLENGE, SAYS SHE LOVES TO PROVE PEOPLE THANKS
Jacy Jayne, the NXT Women’s Champion, admitted she had “mixed feelings” about having the event outside of WrestleMania, but was looking forward to keeping NXT as the third brand in WWE and not just a developmental show.
“Yes, I have mixed feelings about it, but I feel like this is the perfect opportunity for us to show that we really are the third brand,” she told Pakinomist Digital. “It’s not just a development brand. We can stand on our own. We can sell tickets. We’re not just the future, we’re the present.”
Stand & Deliver is truly a glimpse into the future of WWE, and that is underscored by who is on the WrestleMania 42 card this year.
Last year, Stand & Deliver featured NXT stars Stephanie Vaquer, Lash Legend, Oba Femi and Trick Williams in action. Each of these four competitors received their WWE call-ups within the last year and will compete at WrestleMania 42.
Sol Ruca wins the North American Women’s Championship in a ladder match during NXT Stand and Deliver at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. on April 19, 2025. (Heather McLaughlin/WWE)
Roxanne Perez, Nathan Frazer and Axiom were also on the Stand & Deliver card and have become top stars on the main roster.
From the looks of this year’s Stand & Deliver card, there may be a few more calls for next year. Jayne and Ruca have already had a taste of the main roster. Jayne appeared at the Royal Rumble, as did Ruca. The latter was also involved in Saturday Night’s Main Event for John Cena’s last show.
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- This year’s Stand & Deliver card will look like this:
- Hank Walker, Tank Ledger, Shiloh Hill, EK Prosper and Wren Sinclar vs. Lexis King, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Charlie Dempsey, Uriah Connors and Arianna Grace (known as Birthright) in a 10-person mixed tag team match
- The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) vs. Los Americanos (Bravo Americano and Rayo Americano) in a tag team match for the NXT Tag Team Championship
- Myles Borne (c) vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Championship
- Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Kendal Gray vs. Lola Vice for the NXT Women’s Championship
- Sol Ruca vs. Zaria
- Tatum Paxley (c) vs. Blake Monroe for the NXT Women’s North American Championship
- Joe Hendry (c) vs. Ricky Saints vs. Ethan Page vs. Tony D’Angelo for the NXT Championship
