WWE NXT Roadblock is set to have major implications for Stand & Deliver, including the vaunted NXT Championship. Ilja Dragunov is looking to retain his Title, and was set to face Carmelo Hayes for the Championship at Stand & Deliver, but then The Don of NXT Tony D’Angelo shook things up and took his seat at the table. Hayes and D’Angelo will now battle for the chance to face Dragunov at Stand & Deliver, and it all goes down tonight at NXT Roadblock. ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to D’Angelo about stepping into the Title picture and what prompted the change in The Family’s mission in NXT, and we also just had to talk about that Thanos snap that had the crowd reeling.
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D’Angelo and Stacks are two-time NXT Tag Team Champions, so they are no strangers to gold, but the most recent loss of those Titles caused a shift in direction for D’Angelo and the Family as a whole. “Right. Well, you know what? After we lost the Titles, I wasn’t, by any means, down, but it just felt like it was time for something different. You know what I mean? I had a great time doing it with Stacks, the two-time Tag Team Champions, but now I feel like we were playing small ball,” D’Angelo said.
“We were doing this stuff with Chase U and then OTM, and it just felt like the Family needed something bigger, so I took it upon myself, no more opinions, no more group therapy sessions, it was just like, this is what we’re going to do,” D’Angelo said, “I’m going for the title, and now Melo’s in my way, again.”
Longtime fans will remember that there’s already history between D’Angelo and Hayes, and it would seem the bill on that history is finally due. “See, two years ago I faced him, he was in my way for the North American Championship, now he’s in my way for the big one, and I still owe him one for those brass knuckles he hit me with, so he’s got something coming. But we’ll see. Excited for tomorrow, it’s going to be a barn burner. Melo, you’ve got some coming, that’s all I’ve got to say,” D’Angelo said. “There’s some receipts that are coming.”
D’Angelo delivered an unforgettable moment during last week’s NXT, as not only did he sit at the table to take his place in the Title mix, but D’Angelo also made a massive statement about who runs NXT. That came in the form of snapping his fingers and sending all of Hayes’ security away, showing just how much power he wields behind the scenes, and Thanos would certainly be impressed by the power of that snap.
“I appreciate you putting me in that category with Thanos, it’s a hard act to follow. But yeah, I don’t think anybody had a clue I was coming out, nobody knew that stuff was about to get real, especially when I snapped. I’m not playing games anymore, so The Don is ready to take what he’s deserved and what is rightfully his, so just got to earn it,” D’Angelo said. “Unlike Melo who’s just demanding everything, because he thinks he’s him, or whatever he thinks. So we’re going to do it the right way.”
From D’Angelo’s debut vignettes, he’s been a fan favorite in NXT, and that’s only grown over the past two years. While he’s always been a major player in NXT, this is a shot on a different level, and D’Angelo feels that the fans are more than ready to see The Don of NXT era get underway.
“Right, I think it’d be great. I think the fans are ready for a Don era. Like I said in the sit-down, they’ve been doing that whole Ilja-Melo-Trick saga for eight or nine months now, I think it’s time I punch through the ceiling. Like you said, I’ve been a fan favorite since I first stepped foot in that ring, and I think everybody’s ready. I’m ready, the fans are ready, NXT is ready. A lot of good things are coming, so I can’t wait for Stand and Deliver. Once I put Melo in his place, I’ve got respect for Ilja, he’s a tough SOB, but he’s not the Don,” D’Angelo said.
Those who watched that moment will also note how delighted Dragunov was at the whole ordeal, as there’s no love lost for Carmelo on his side either. “He was over there, he was loving it,” D’Angelo said. “Well, somebody’s got to put Melo in his place, right? He’s been talking crazy.”
You can watch the clash between D’Angelo and Hayes for the Title shot at Stand & Deliver on tonight’s NXT, which airs at 8 PM EST on USA Network.
Who will walk away with the shot at the NXT Championship? Let us know in the comments and you can also talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!
