Let me just say that if Night 1 of WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver was supposed to be the weaker of the two, then tonight is literally going to be incredible. Wednesday’s action had it all. From a surprise upset to a show-stopping match and even Io Shirai jumping off of a skull, Night 1 delivered in every way possible. One can only imagine what the black and gold brand has in store for Night 2 tonight.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to pony up for Peacock Premium in order to stream the action this evening. However, some winning WWE betting picks on tonight’s card are the perfect way to recoup some of that cash! Read on for a full preview and predictions for the second night of the NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver event.
WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver Info | Night 1
Date: Thursday, Apr. 8, 2021
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center – Orlando, FL
Coverage: WWE Network on Peacock
Main Event: Finn Balor (c) vs. Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship
WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver Odds and Predictions | Night 2
NXT Championship Match: Finn Balor (c) vs Karrion Kross
For as different as Finn Balor and Karrion Kross are, they do have one notable similarity. Both wrestlers have been forced to vacate championships in the past as a result of injuries. For Balor, this was the Universal Championship back when he was a part of the RAW roster. For Kross, it was the very NXT Championship that he will try to wrest back from The Prince tonight. Both can easily be considered the cream of the crop in NXT. Title belt aside, this match is going to be epic.
Honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Kross lose since he brought Doomsday upon NXT. He tore through the competition on his way to winning the championship and never lost the belt after winning it. Since making his return from injury, he has bludgeoned every superstar in his path on his quest to earn another title opportunity. He will have his hands full keeping up with the athletic and elusive Balor, but Kross certainly has the power advantage. I like his chances of reclaiming the NXT Championship tonight.
Prediction: Karrion Kross (-170)
Unsanctioned Match: Kyle O’Reilly vs Adam Cole
In the co-main event of Night 2, former Undisputed Era brothers in arms Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole might literally tear each other to pieces. NXT will not be held liable for anything that takes place as both wrestlers signed a contract to make it an unsanctioned match. That means literally anything goes. While many fans have taken the UE fallout hard, it’s pretty awesome to know that Pat McAfee was right all along!
Like seemingly the entire card for Night 2 of TakeOver Stand and Deliver, this match could go either way. Cole is the clear heel here given that he was the one to turn his back on O’Reilly and Undisputed Era. There are loud rumblings throughout the wrestling community that Cole is on his way to the main roster in the very near future. With this in mind, O’Reilly is rightfully the WWE betting favorite. I’ve got a feeling he gets the job done in what should be a BRUTAL match.
Prediction: Kyle O’Reilly (-160)
North American Championship Match: Johnny Gargano (c) vs Bronson Reed
In a rather shocking outcome, Bronson Reed won the six-man gauntlet match on Night 1 of NXT TakeOver to earn this North American title opportunity. Johnny Gargano may have evaded a date with Dexter Lumis, but he’ll have his hands plenty full with “The Colossal” Reed. The tale of the tape for this match lists the champion at 5’10” and 199 pounds. Compare that to the challenger who is listed and 5’1” and 330 pounds and at least one pancake seems inevitable.
While Gargano has been claiming that not knowing his TakeOver Stand and Deliver opponent until 24 hours before his defense is a disadvantage to him, any rational fan should see that the truth is the exact opposite. Reed had to get through five other game superstars last night and undoubtedly had something taken out of him. While he will be at a severe disadvantage in terms of size and power, they don’t call Gargano “Johnny TakeOver” for nothing. Whether it’s simply a match in which he outlasts Reed over the long haul or one in which he gets a boost from “The Way”, the champion should be able to retain.
Prediction: Johnny Gargano
NXT Cruiserweight Championship Unification Ladder Match: Jordan Devlin (c) vs Santos Escobar (c)
Both Jordan Devlin and Santos Escobar believe that they are the rightful NXT Cruiserweight Champion. The score will be settled once and for all at NXT TakeOver tonight. Thanks to Shawn Michaels, the ante on this toss-up match was upped even further. Rather than a traditional one-on-one affair, Devlin and Escobar will duke it out in a ladder match to determine the one true king of the cruiserweights.
Escobar has been a far more common occurrence on NXT shows for the past several months thanks to Devlin being stuck outside of the country due to travel restrictions. In fact, the only reason Escobar has a cruiserweight title is that general manager William Regal decided to create an interim champion in Devlin’s absence. While Escobar has a whole lot more credibility to his name and just recently went blow for blow with Karrion Kross in a brutal match, I’m not convinced he comes out on top tonight. After all, Devlin never really got to have his time in the spotlight as the champion. I could see that time coming after TakeOver with Escobar set to move on to bigger and better opponents.
Prediction: Jordan Devlin (-120)
NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon vs Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell
The NXT Women’s Tag Team titles are but several weeks old. After Women’s Dusty Cup winners Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai got absolutely screwed in their match against Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, William Regal wasted little time in getting the black and gold women their own tag team belts. Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon quickly claimed them. They’ve been riding a revamped tank down to the ring as champions ever since. The contrast in personality between them and Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell is striking. Members of “The Way”, LeRae and Hartwell will aim to add to the group’s championship collection.
I guess you could call this match my upset special for Night 2 of NXT TakeOver. The odds favor Blackheart and Hartwell heavily, but I really like LeRae and Hartwell to emerge victoriously. As obvious heels, having the belts around their waists going forward would at least appear to do far more for building up the credibility of the new championships. Blackheart and Moon are a pairing that I have a hard time believing will last long. Blackheart especially is poised for stardom as a singles competitor while Moon is a former NXT Women’s Champion in her own right. Unless “The Way” is going to fizzle out, LeRae and Hartwell will be able to have a solid reign together. It wouldn’t be surprising to see either Johnny Gargano and/or Austin Theory interfere on their behalf either.
Prediction: Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell (+150)
