Why the Match Between Two Former Best Friends at Stand & Deliver 2026 Should Have a Stipulation
We have one more episode of NXT on Tuesday, March 31st, before Stand & Deliver 2026 on Saturday, April 4th. At this time, only three matches have been officially confirmed: the fatal four-way for the NXT Championship, Johnny Gargano trying to win his fourth NXT North American Championship against the current champ, Myles Borne, and the match between two former best friends, Sol Ruca and Zaria. While both Ruca and Zaria got plenty of what they had to say off their chest, it still feels like a regular singles match between the two of them isn’t going to be enough. As they prepare to announce the final matches for the card on April 4th, NXT broadcasting should certainly show and invoke the feud between these two former friends. So much so that general manager Robert Stone should announce a stipulation to the match.
A Last Women Standing Match, or a No Holds Barred Match, even a Two Out of Three Falls Match would certainly garner more attention than just a regular singles match. This is over a year's worth of storytelling being culminated into this match; there needs to be more that goes into the match between Ruca and Zaria than just one hitting a finisher on the other and calling it a day. We should be seeing chairs, kendo sticks, and tables being used, especially in a match that involves two individuals who once adored one another, and now it’s envy, jealousy, and hate, invoking Zaria and Ruca. This match should have some sort of stipulation, largely because this match isn’t for the NXT Women’s Championship. If one of these superstars had the title and squared off against the other, it should be a regular singles match, yet Jacy Jayne will be facing Lola Vice or Kendal Gray, so why not add a little spice to the ZaRuca match and let us see Zaria hit a spear on Ruca through the barricade or Ruca hitting a Sol Snatcher on Zaria through a table.
This match at Stand & Deliver 2026 should show us the love Ruca and Zaria once shared, while also sharing the hate these two possess for one another now. A Last Women Standing Match, No Holds Barred Match, or a Two Out of Three Falls Match could do just that and give the fans even more of a reason to pay attention. While it would be a solid singles match, this match should have a stipulation. While it has been a great buildup, hopefully, this feud will conclude at Stand & Deliver, and we can see Zaria interact more with other superstars as a heel while Ruca can continue to focus on being NXT Women’s Champion.
