The finals of this year’s women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic has been set.
The team of Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray will take on Wendy Choo and Dakota Kai in the finals. This is after Shrai and Ray defeated Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter, while Choo and Kai defeated Raquel Gonzalez and Cora Jade. It was not said when the finals would take place.
During the Choo & Kai vs. Gonzalez & Jade match, Gigi Dolan struck Gonzalez in the knee from behind with a foreign object. Gonzalez’s knee buckled towards the finish, allowing Kai to pick up the victory with a foot stomp off the top rope. Later in the night, Jade attacked Mandy Rose, who was in her own personal lounge watching the second semifinal match.
Shirai & Ray defeated Catanzaro & Carter after Ray connected with the KLR bomb on Carter, with Shirai getting the pinfall following the moonsault.
The teams of Kay Lee Ray & Io Shiral and Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter have advanced in the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament.
Ray & Shirai defeated Lash Legend and Amari Miller on tonight’s NXT after a moonsault press from Shirai on Legend. Later in the show, Catanzaro and Carter defeated Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley, with Paxley taking the fall after a 450 splash/neckbreaker combination from Catanzaro and Carter. As a result, the two teams will face each other in the semifinals of the tournament.
The two other remaining opening round matches will have the team of Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta face Wendy Choo and Dakota Kai, while Cora Jade & Raquel Gonzalez will face Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz.
The first women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic took place last year. In the finals, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez defeated Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart. Kai and Gonzalez were later named the first NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions.
WWE has revealed the bracket and full list of teams for this year’s women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
The eight-team tournament will kick off on NXT this Tuesday night. Here are the first-round matchups:
Left side of the bracket —
Io Shirai & Kay Lee Ray vs. Lash Legend & Amari Miller
Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley vs. Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro
Right side of the bracket —
Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta vs. Wendy Choo & Dakota Kai
Cora Jade & Raquel Gonzalez vs. Yulisa Leon & Valentina Feroz
Shirai & KLR vs. Legend & Miller and Nile & Paxley vs. Carter & Catanzaro are set to take place on NXT this Tuesday.
Paxley made her WWE debut on the premiere episode of NXT Level Up last Friday, teaming with Nile to defeat Fallon Henley & Kayla Inlay.
This is the second-ever women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Gonzalez & Kai were the winners of last year’s tournament.
The team that wins the tournament will receive a shot at Toxic Attraction’s NXT Women’s Tag Team titles. Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne retained the titles against Hartwell & Pirotta at NXT Vengeance Day last week.
Also at Vengeance Day, The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed) defeated MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) to win the 2022 men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. The Creed Brothers will be getting a shot at NXT Tag Team Champions Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner).
WWE has revealed when this year’s women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will be kicking off.
On last night’s episode of NXT, it was announced that the 2022 women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will begin on NXT in two weeks (Tuesday, February 22). NXT will be back on USA Network that night after two straight weeks of airing on Syfy.
The list of teams that will be taking part in the women’s Dusty Classic has yet to be announced. Raquel Gonzalez & Cora Jade, Io Shirai & Kay Lee Ray, and Yulisa Leon & Valentina Feroz have been set up as three of the teams that will be taking part in the tournament.
With Zoey Stark out of action after undergoing knee surgery, she’s been urging Shirai to find a new partner to team with in the Dusty Classic. Last night’s NXT ended with Shirai saving KLR from Toxic Attraction. Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne had interfered to help Mandy Rose retain her NXT Women’s Championship against KLR in last night’s main event.
This will be the second-ever women’s Dusty Classic. Gonzalez & Dakota Kai were the winners of last year’s tournament.
The team that wins the women’s Dusty Classic will get a shot at the NXT Women’s Tag Team titles. Dolin & Jayne currently hold the titles and are defending them against Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta at NXT Vengeance Day next Tuesday.
The finals of the 2022 men’s Dusty Classic are taking place at Vengeance Day. It will be MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) vs. The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed).
Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai are the winners of the first ever women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
Gonzalez and Kai defeated Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart in the opener of tonight’s NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day event. In what was a vicious back-and-forth match, Gonzalez scored the win for her team, pinning Blackheart with a one-armed powerbomb.
The two exited the ring and celebrated with the trophy near the entrance as confetti filled the air. As a result of their tournament win, they will now face WWE Women’s Tag Team champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler at a later date. Lana and Naomi recently won a triple threat match on Raw that earned them a future title match.
During the tournament, Gonzalez and Kai defeated Aliyah and Jessi Kamea as well as the team of Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter to advance to the finals. Moon and Blackheart defeated Marina Shafir and Zoey Stark and The Way (Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell) to also advance to tonight’s finals.
A three-way staredown eventually broke down into a fight that momentarily favored Daivari. After Daivari established a lead, both Grey and Atlas targeted him, leaving Daivari to retreat to the outside. Grey then landed a tope to keep him there.
Back inside, Grey and Atlas had a typical wrestling exchange. Daivari tried to make a splash by diving on his competitors, but he missed both. Grey and Atlas continued their grappling. Daivari interrupted Atlas on the top rope. A superkick left Daivari back in control.
Daivari controlled both of his opponents before a belly to back suplex from Grey left him laying. Atlas tried to steal a pin, rekindling a prolonged three-way fracas. All three men had significant offense, followed by near falls.
Daivari tried for and failed a hammerlock lariat before being ejected to the outside. A stunner followed by a cartwheel DDT left Atlas in a winning position. Daivari pulled Atlas to the outside and blindsided him with chain-wrapped knuckles. Daivari then crawled into the ring and hit Grey with the hammerlock lariat for the pinfall victory.
This was a good match with decent structure and plentiful action.
Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart defeated Marina Shafir and Zoey Stark
Stark got the best of Blackheart in the opening moments. Moon hit the ring but also lost an exchange to Stark. Shafir and Stark began trading tags, picking apart Moon. Moon finally escaped, hitting a kick alongside Blackheart before tagging out.
Blackheart connected with a barrage of strikes before an illegal kick from Stark stopped the momentum. Stark and Shafir began trading tags again to chip away at Blackheart. A knee strike forced Moon to save Blackheart from a pin.
Blackheart connected with a boot prompting a hot tag. Moon followed the tag with a double underhook suplex to establish match advantage for the first time. A top rope double knee facebuster forced Shafir to break up a pin attempt, triggering a Blackheart/Shafir brawl. Moon then locked in a modified stepover sleeper, causing Stark to tap out.
This match was a little awkward at times. Not saying the match was horrible or anything close to that, but it did lack polish. Also worth noting, Stark had a few shining moments in her performance. In the end, the last of round one played out exactly how one would expect.
