Ilja Dragunov Retains WWE NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver 2024

WWE NXT World Championship
Ilja Dragunov (C) vs. Tony D'Angelo

After the WWE NXT Women's World Championship bout wraps up, we head into another quick commercial break. When we return, we see a live shot of the reigning WWE NXT World Champion Ilja Dragunov getting ready backstage for his latest title defense here on WWE NXT's biggest stage of the year. We shoot to the pre-match video package to tell the story leading up to this co-main event of the show.

The pre-match video package wraps up and then we return inside Wells Fargo Center for our second-to-last bout of WWE NXT Stand & Deliver 2024. The theme for Tony D'Angelo hits and out comes The Family leader accompanied by Luca Crusafino, Stacks and Adrianna Rizzo.

Now the entrance tune for the reigning, defending WWE NXT World Champion hits and out comes Ilja Dragunov. The fans give "The Mad Dragon" a big pop coming out and he settles into the ring leading his symphony of violence with the jam-packed sold out crowd inside the Wells Fargo Center.

The bell sounds and we're officially off-and-running with this one. Immediately we see Dragunov connect with a big chop, but instantly grab his own hand in pain. The commentators tell the story about D'Angelo targeting and injuring Dragunov's H-Bomb hand heading into today's show, to purposely take away his biggest weapon.

After some more back-and-forth action, we see things build up to a huge spot on the floor at ringside, where Dragunov and D'Angelo both start clearing off the commentary table together. Once it's cleared they start hockey-brawling back-and-forth. D'Angelo gets the better of it and goes to power bomb the champ through the table, but Dragunov fights back.

Dragunov ends up flattening D'Angelo with a powerful H-bomb on the floor. He yells out that it's not over. He picks up D'Angelo and lays him across the cleared off commentary desk. He hops on the ringside barricade and leaps off, connecting with a huge H-Bomb that puts D'Angelo through the desk.

Back in the ring, Dragunov hits another massive H-Bomb off the top-rope for the pin fall victory. With the win, Ilja Dragunov retains the WWE NXT World Championship. As he celebrates his victory, we see Tony D'Angelo get back to his feet. He shows Dragunov respect. The two shake hands without incident to wrap up the post-match scene.

Winner and STILL WWE NXT World Champion: Ilja Dragunov

#AndStill, NXT Champion... Ilja Dragunov! What a match! #StandAndDeliver pic.twitter.com/UHNWP6KCLy

— CubsFan16 (@Fan16Cubs) April 6, 2024