7 Ups And 3 Downs From NXT Stand And Deliver 2023

3. A Good, But Not Epic Main Event

Ever since Carmelo Hayes called his shot, it was obvious that NXT was going for the epic struggle between two evenly matches superstars who have been riding similar, parallel tracks since they were signed to the company. The video package for Melo and Bron Breakker made it clear.

But in reality and in practice, that just wasn’t the case. The match tried to accomplish this with Bron and Melo slowing down and grinding out holds, countering each other and aping the other’s mannerisms and moves. However, that didn’t really work, and it dragged down the middle third of the match.

Once Trick Williams got tossed for interfering, things picked up and really hit their stride, with Breakker’s insane athleticism and power proving to be too much for Hayes, who looked to be on the ropes a few times, even visually tapping out after a referee bump. In the end, it was Trick coming to Melo’s rescue once more to deliver him the NXT Championship and end Bron’s lengthy reign.

Had they excised that middle section and just gone with a sprint between two really athletic men, this would have been even better. Instead, it was solid, probably better than expected, but not the epic showcase we were told it would be over and over.