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For the first time in NXT Stand & Deliver history, the premium live event showcasing the best talent from WWE’s so-called developmental brand will be separate from WrestleMania.
Stand & Deliver will truly stand on its own as it takes place at The Factory in St. Louis, Missouri at 7pm ET on Saturday night. The program 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)
Typically, Stand & Deliver would be the appetizer to WrestleMania and would 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 fill an arena without forcing fans to get up early and run from venue to venue just to watch the show and WrestleMania at the same time.
“I think it’s good. I mean, it has its pros and cons, but I think this specifically isn’t the same weekend so we can have more eyes on the event,” NXT Championship contender Tony D’Angelo told Pak Gazette Digital earlier this week. “Every year before, it’s always the morning of Night 1 of WrestleMania, so some people don’t feel like getting up and going to a show and then going to WrestleMania. I think that’s a good thing. Everyone can watch, everyone can watch, all the wrestling fans are focused on NXT Stand & Deliver.”
Sol Ruca, who will likely end his feud with Zaria at the event, was optimistic about being able to draw a big crowd for the show.
Ruca also suggested that he was hoping for a quieter pace during WrestleMania weekend, as he is one of dozens of WWE Superstars who will be making appearances at WWE World in Las Vegas to meet and take photos with fans.
WWE NXT STARS DESCEND TO NEW YORK CITY BEFORE FINAL SHOW BEFORE STAND & DELIVER
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 great. I think a lot of us would love to be involved in the entire WrestleMania weekend, but I think this gives us the opportunity to potentially draw a bigger crowd now that we’re apart because having to go to multiple shows in the same weekend can be a lot for the fans,” he said. “I think having it a little separate from everything else and still having our own moment can also be beneficial. I know a lot of us will be at WWE World anyway, so it’ll be like having the two little WrestleMania moments. I think some of us are a little bummed about that, but I think it’ll 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 a chance for fans who might not have extra money to spend on a trip to Las Vegas to come and see what NXT has to offer.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for people who don’t have the time, the money or whatever the case may be, to go see it during ‘Mania weekend,” he said. “So to have it independently, you don’t have to get up early. You can go somewhere else and just relax and not feel so overwhelmed with the things you have to do or want to do. I think it’s a very good move for everyone involved, to be honest with you. That’s from the production people to the fighter.”
WWE NXT STAR JACY JAYNE READY FOR STAND & DELIVER CHALLENGE SAYS SHE LOVES TO PROVE PEOPLE WRONG
Jacy Jayne, the NXT Women’s Champion, admitted she had “mixed feelings” about holding the event outside of WrestleMania, but hoped to keep NXT as the third brand in WWE and not just a developmental program.
“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,” he told Pak Gazette Digital. “It’s not just a developing brand. We can stand on our own two feet. We can sell tickets. We’re not just the future, we’re the now.”
Stand & Deliver is truly a glimpse into the future of WWE, and that’s underlined by who’s 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 those four competitors received their WWE call-up over the last year and will compete at WrestleMania 42.
Sol Ruca wins the Women’s North American Championship in a ladder match during NXT Stand and Deliver at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 19, 2025. (Heather McLaughlin/WWE)
Roxanne Perez, Nathan Frazer and Axiom were also on the Stand & Deliver card and have become major stars on the main roster.
From the looks of this year’s Stand & Deliver card, there could be a few more calls around this time next year. Jayne and Ruca already tested the main roster. Jayne appeared at the Royal Rumble, as did Ruca. The latter also participated in Saturday night’s main event for John Cena’s final 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 (aka Birthright) in a 10-person mixed tag team match
- The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) vs. The Americans (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
