NXT Stand & Deliver Breaks Away from WrestleMania Weekend

WWE's developmental brand showcases its top talent in a standalone event for the first time.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 3:54pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a wrestling match or competition, with sharp, overlapping planes of color in blues, reds, and silvers, conceptually representing NXT's effort to establish itself as a distinct brand.NXT's Stand & Deliver event breaks away from the WrestleMania schedule, allowing the developmental brand to shine on its own.St. Louis Today

For the first time in its history, WWE's NXT Stand & Deliver premium live event will take place separately from WrestleMania weekend. The show will be held at The Factory in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday night and streamed on YouTube, allowing NXT to draw a bigger crowd without forcing fans to juggle multiple events. NXT stars like Tony D'Angelo, Sol Ruca, Ricky Saints, and Jacy Jayne discussed the benefits of having Stand & Deliver as a standalone show, including the opportunity to spotlight NXT as a third brand and not just a developmental program.

Why it matters

Historically, NXT Stand & Deliver has served as an appetizer for WrestleMania, taking place the morning before WWE's biggest annual event. Breaking away from that schedule allows NXT to shine on its own and potentially attract a larger audience of fans who may not want to attend multiple shows over WrestleMania weekend. It also underscores WWE's efforts to establish NXT as a third major brand alongside Raw and SmackDown.

The details

Stand & Deliver will take place at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday night and be broadcast on YouTube, rather than being held the morning of WrestleMania as in previous years. NXT stars like Tony D'Angelo, Sol Ruca, Ricky Saints, and Jacy Jayne expressed optimism about the change, noting it will allow more fans to focus on the NXT event without the added demands of WrestleMania weekend. They also suggested it could help draw a bigger crowd, as some fans may have been reluctant to attend an early morning show before the main WrestleMania events.

  • NXT Stand & Deliver will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2026 at 7 p.m. ET.
  • In previous years, Stand & Deliver was held the morning of WrestleMania.

The players

Tony D'Angelo

An NXT Championship contender who believes the standalone event will allow more fans to focus on and attend the NXT show.

Sol Ruca

An NXT star who is optimistic about the potential to draw a larger crowd for the standalone Stand & Deliver event.

Ricky Saints

An NXT Championship challenger who sees the standalone event as an opportunity for fans who may not be able to attend WrestleMania weekend to still experience NXT.

Jacy Jayne

The current NXT Women's Champion who has mixed feelings about the event being separate from WrestleMania, but sees it as a chance to prove NXT is a third major brand, not just a developmental show.

WWE NXT

WWE's developmental brand that showcases up-and-coming talent, which is hosting the Stand & Deliver premium live event.

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What they’re saying

“I think it's good. I mean, it has its pros and cons, but I think this one specifically, it's not on the same weekend so we can get more eyes on the event.”

— Tony D'Angelo, NXT Championship Contender

“I think a lot of us would love to be involved in the whole WrestleMania weekend but I do think this gives us an opportunity to potentially draw a bigger crowd now that we're separate because having to go to multiple shows in the same weekend – it can be a lot for the fans.”

— Sol Ruca, NXT Star

“I think it's a good opportunity for people who may not have the time, the money, or whatever the case may be, to go see it during 'Mania weekend. So, to have it on a standalone, you don't have to wake up early. You can go to another place and just get to chill out and not feel so overwhelmed with things that you have to do or want to do.”

— Ricky Saints, NXT Championship Challenger

“Yeah, 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. It's not just a developmental brand. We can stand on our own. We can sell tickets. We're not just the future, we're the now.”

— Jacy Jayne, NXT Women's Champion

What’s next

The NXT Stand & Deliver event will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2026 at 7 p.m. ET in St. Louis, Missouri and will be streamed live on YouTube.

The takeaway

Separating NXT Stand & Deliver from the WrestleMania weekend schedule allows WWE's developmental brand to shine on its own, potentially drawing a larger audience of fans who may not want to attend multiple shows over that busy weekend. It also underscores NXT's efforts to establish itself as a third major brand alongside Raw and SmackDown, rather than just a feeder system for the main roster.