Tag: dusty classic

The 2021 men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic kicks off on NXT tonight.

Three first round matches will take place on tonight’s show: Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole & Roderick Strong vs. Breezango, The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Ever-Rise, and a new team named MSK vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott & Jake Atlas.

The bracket for the Dusty Classic was revealed earlier today. It’s a 16-team tournament with first round matches taking place on NXT and 205 Live. The team that wins the tournament will get the Dusty Cup and a shot at Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch’s NXT Tag Team titles.

Candice LeRae vs. Shotzi Blackheart and NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano (w/ Austin Theory) vs. Dexter Lumis in a non-title match are also set for tonight.

At New Year’s Evil last week, Lumis was the host of the show and made a mixed tag team match where Kushida & Blackheart defeated Gargano & LeRae. The match was made after Blackheart and Kushida interrupted the celebration for Gargano breaking his title defense curse.

Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

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The show opened with Shotzi Blackheart’s entrance in her tank.

Candice LeRae (with Indi Hartwell) defeated Shotzi Blackheart

LeRae pinned Blackheart in a good match. Hartwell interfered to help LeRae win the match.

No collar and elbow, this started like a fight. Blackheart shined before she did a flying crossbody off the top rope for a near fall. Blackheart grounded LeRae with a submission hold, but LeRae reached a rope. Blackheart continued her attack.

They fought on the apron to set up Blackheart flying off the apron with a leaping knee strike. Hartwell caused a distraction, and LeRae springboarded into a flying crossbody on the floor. The show cut to a picture-in-picture commercial break, and LeRae got heat on Blackheart.

Blackheart was making a comeback when the show returned from the break. She followed with a senton for a two count. LeRae took a DDT on the apron, and that led into Blackheart sailing through the ropes with a tope suicida. However, LeRae soon countered Blackeart.

LeRae went for a lionsault, but Blackheart blocked it. LeRae was still able to counter applying The Gargano Escape. Blackheart broke the hold by swinging LeRae into a neckbreaker. Hartwell caused a distraction when Blackheart climbed the turnbuckles, and that allowed LeRae to strike with Mister Toad’s Wild Ride. LeRae then covered Blackheart for a pinfall. 

Shown arriving to the building was Pete Dunne, Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan. They arrived just as NXT Champion Finn Balor was heading to th ring for a promo.

You might not believe this, but an in-ring promo in WWE was interrupted by a foe. That leads to a match down the line. Balor was cutting a tough guy promo when Dunne confronted him in the ring. Dunne was flanked by the NXT Tag Team Champions, Burch & Lorcan. 

Dunne cut a promo on Balor as he entered the ring. A brawl erupted, and Balor tried to fight off three men. The odds soon got the better of him when Kyle O’Reilly ran in to make a save. Soon Adam Cole and Roderick Strong ran down as well. Undisputed Era cleared the ring. 

Balor had a staredown with Undisputed Era, but he then nodded at them. Balor rolled out of the ring and put the belt on his shoulder. Everybody then awkwardly stood around until the segment faded into a backstage interview.

Johnny Gargano was doing an interview when Austin Theory brought him a gift in an envelope. It was pictures drawn by Dexter Lumis. Gargano was not pleased. He meets Lumis in a match later on.

Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) defeated Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel) to advance in the Dusty Classic

Gibson pinned Martel to win the match, and Grizzled Young Veterans advance to the next round. Ever-Rise had their most serious match on NXT, but they still lost again in the end. 

The Vets cut the ring in half, and they worked over Parker. Martel cleaned house after a hot tag. Ever-Rise was on a roll with double-team moves. The Vets soon cut them off, and they gave Martel a Ticket To Mayhem. Gibson then covered Martel for a pinfall.

A vignette highlighted Raquel Gonzalez, and she has her sights set on NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai.

Shotzi Blackheart is teaming up with Ember Moon in the Women’s Dusty Classic.

NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano (with Austin Theory) defeated Dexter Lumis in a non-title match

Gargano pinned Lumis with a roll-up after interference by Theory.

Gargano had th picture that Lumis drew of him. After Gargano ripped up the picture, Lumis smacked him in the face. The fight was on, and it soon spilled outside.

Lumis stalked around and kept getting the better of Gargano. Lumis blocked a superplex, and Gargano took a flat back bump off the ropes. Lumis went for a swanton bomb, but no water in the pool. The show then cut to a commercial break.

Gargano was in control when the show returned from the break. Lumis turned the tide with an Arn Anderson spinebuster. He then gave Gargano a Tully Blanchard slingshot suplex. he followed with a Barry Windom running bulldog. The Horsemen spots led into a near fall.

Gargano fought back to counter Lumis. Crucifix by Gargano for a two count. More near falls followed as Gargano kicked Lumis in the side of the head. They exchanged strikes. Austin Theory grabbed Lumis’ leg, but he got kicked aside.

Lumis countered a Gargano rally. Theory interfered again after jumping on the apron. As Lumis was suplexing Theory into the ring, Gargano got behind Lumis for a schoolboy roll-up. Gargano scored a pinfall with an assist by Theory. 

Lumis went to attack Theory after the match, but Gargano cut him off. Gargano grabbed a chair, and he was going to hit Lumis with it when Kushida ran down to make a save. Lumis applied his submission finisher to Theory on the floor. Meanwhile, Kushida applied a Hoverboard Lock on Gargano. Kushida then grabbed the title belt. Looks like he wants a title shot.

Ciampa and Thatcher are face-to-face

Wade Barrett hosted a face-to-face sit down between Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher. This build to their Pit Fight on next week’s episode.

They argued and debated each other. They cut promos. The match next week should be great.

MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott & Jake Atlas to advance in the Dusty Classic

Carter pinned Scott, and MSK won their NXT debut. They move on to the next round of the Dusty Classic.

MSK were formely Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz of The Rascalz. They looked impressive here, but 

Lots of cool flying moves. The match went to a commercial break after a parade of dives.

More wild flying moves after the break. Lots of action all over the place. Atlas & Scott worked together with double team moves.

MSK with a comeback, and then they execute a double-team neckbreaker. Carter then covered Scott for the pinfall.

The Women’s Dusty Classic begins next week. First round matches announced for next Wednesday include Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter vs. Toni Storm & Mercedes Martinez.

Men’s Dusty Classic matches announced for next week include Lucha House Party vs. Imperium. Also, Kushida & Leon Ruff vs. Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory in another tournament match.

Xia Li defeated enhancement talent

Li’s elaborate entrance took longer than the match. Li with a spinning wheel kick, and she covered the enhancement talent for the pinfall. The name of the woman doing the job was never announced. Li looked like a killer.

A scuffle backstage between Isaiah Scott and Jake Atlas was broken up by Bronson Reed. This seems to set up a match with Reed against Scott as they had a staredown.

Undisputed Era (Adam Cole & Roderick Strong with Kyle O’Reilly) defeated Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango) to advance in the Dusty Classic 

Cole pinned Fandango, and Undisputed Era advances to the next round of the tournament.

The flow of the match was very back-and-forth. No established protagonist or antagonist roles in the bout, just a hard fought tag match.

The match went through a commercial break, and then there was a double down with Cole and Breeze. That led to a double hot tag. Strong and Fandango went at it, and more mayhem ensued. Strong ran wild for a near fall.

Cole tagged in to go to work on Fandango, but he countered a Last Shot. Breeze came in to catch Cole with a backstabber for a near fall. Fandango with another near fall moments later.

Lots of high spots in the closing minutes. Pete Dunne, Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan ran down, and they brawled at ringside with OReilly. They were going to injury O’Reilly when Finn Balor ran down for a save. He and O’Reilly were still outnumbered, and Dunne laid out O’Reilly with a shot to his injured jaw. 

Cole was distracted by the melee at ringside, and Cole walked into a superkick. Strong was backdropped outside. The Panama Sunrise was countered, and Fandango went to the top rope. He leapt off only to eat a superkick from Cole, and Cole covered him for a pinfall.

Cole & Strong immediately went to check on O’Reilly at ringside.