WWE has confirmed that the NXT women’s champion Io Shirai will be defending her championship against Raquel González in the main event of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night 1.
The news was first broken by the Muscle and Fitness magazine and commenting on her upcoming opportunity, González claimed that her opponent isn’t ready for a competitor like her:
“Io, you’re brave girl, but, I don’t think you’re ready for a competitor like me. The last powerhouse she faced was Rhea Ripley — and that was months ago.
I know she is the best in the world, and to be the best you have to beat the best. So I’m coming in with the most excited and anticipated mindset that I can.”
Io Shirai, who has been a part of the NXT roster since 2018 has had a dominating reign as the women’s champion. She has held the title for almost 300 days since winning it at last June’s TakeOver: In Your House event.
Raquel González on the other hand, only joined the brand in 2020 after competing in the Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017 and 2018 but she has impressed everyone with her performance since then.
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Updated Card
The night 1 of NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver will air on the USA Network on April 7 and the show will continue on the next night, airing on the WWE Network. After the latest announcement, here is the updated card for the event:
- NXT Championship Match: Finn Balor (c) vs. Karrion Kross
- NXT Women’s Championship Match (Night 1): Io Shirai (c) vs. Raquel Gonzalez
- NXT Cruiserweight Championship Unification Match: Jordan Devlin vs. Santos Escobar
