Women’s Dusty Classic to begin on WWE NXT next week

The first-ever women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will kick off on next week’s NXT.

WWE has announced that the women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will begin with Toni Storm & Mercedes Martinez vs. Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter taking place on NXT next Wednesday.

Storm & Martinez, Catanzaro & Carter, Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell, and Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon are the first four teams to be announced for the women’s Dusty Classic.

Martinez made her return to NXT by attacking NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai three weeks ago. After being challenged by Storm, Shirai went to the ring and called Storm out. But Martinez instead ambushed Shirai. A promo aired on NXT New Year’s Evil last week where Martinez said she’s coming for Shirai’s NXT Women’s Championship.

This year’s men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic began on NXT tonight with Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole & Roderick Strong defeating Breezango, MSK (formerly known as The Rascalz’s Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) defeating Isaiah “Swerve” Scott & Jake Atlas, and The Grizzled Young Veterans defeating Ever-Rise.

Two men’s Dusty Classic first round matches have been announced for next week’s NXT: Kushida & Leon Ruff vs. NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory and Imperium’s Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner vs. Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado. Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher will also face off in a Fight Pit match on NXT next Wednesday.

WWE NXT to hold first-ever women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

The first-ever women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is coming to NXT.

On tonight’s New Year’s Evil episode of NXT, general manager William Regal announced that NXT will soon hold its first women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Regal said the decision was made after looking at the strength and depth of NXT’s women’s roster.

Further details — including when the tournament will begin — haven’t been revealed.

The men’s 2021 Dusty Classic will kick off with Undisputed Era (Adam Cole & Roderick Strong) vs. Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango) and The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) vs. Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel) taking place on NXT next Wednesday (January 13). Curt Stallion & August Grey, Killian Dain & Drake Maverick, Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner), Legado Del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde), and Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory have also been announced for the tournament.

With the exception of 2017, the men’s Dusty Classic has been held annually since 2015. The tournament has been won by Finn Balor & Samoa Joe, The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar), Undisputed Era’s Cole & Kyle O’Reilly, Aleister Black & Ricochet, and Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne.