Last week on NXT, the second annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic kicked off. The tournament features 16 teams, and there will be matches weekly until the tournament finals at NXT TakeOver: Toronto. The Authors of Pain eliminated the Bollywood Boys (Harv and Gurv Sihra), and The Revival eliminated Andrade “Cien” Almas and Cedric Alexander. Tonight features two more matches in the Dusty Classic, as well as women’s division match between Liv Morgan and Billie Kay.
Glorious 10 (Bobby Roode & Tye Dillinger) vs. SAnitY – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Match (Round One)
Ever since NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, there have been matches promoting the debut of SAnitY, who seem to be far from their team name. Wrestling for the four person stable (three men and one woman, Nikki Cross) are Alexander Wolfe and Sawyer Fulton.
Bobby Roode sees Tye Dillinger getting double teamed by Wolfe and Fulton, and just takes a walk to the back. After a suplex/powerslam double team move, SAnitY puts Tye Dillinger away. They move on second round of the tournament. Winners: SAnitY | Eliminated: Glorious 10
After the match, the assault continues on Dillinger, and the leader of the new dominant group is revealed: Eric Young. Young wrestled a couple NXT matches, then seemingly disappeared for good. Now that he is back, it is interesting to see how EY and SAnitY will affect NXT.
Billie Kay (w/Peyton Royce) vs. Liv Morgan
A few weeks ago, Liv Morgan overestimated herself and challenge the NXT Women’s Champion, Asuka, to a non-title match. Ever since then, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce have been mocking Morgan about her loss. Last week, Peyton Royce picked up a victory over the debuting Daniella Kamela, and now her new ally looks to do the same.
After Peyton Royce trips up Liv Morgan at the ropes, Billie Kay hits a big boot on Morgan for a tainted victory. Winner: Billie Kay
TM61 vs. Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Match (Round One)
Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss are both making their NXT debuts tonight, and they decided to pair up because they believe that they are on another level. However, they are facing TM61, who is a very solid Australian team known for tag team wrestling.
Sabbatelli shows a great combination of power and speed, but it isn’t enough to take out TM61. Shane Thorne and Nick Miller hit Thunder Valley on Sabbatelli to advance to Round Two. Winners: TM61 | Eliminated: Tino Sabatelli & Riddick Moss
Wesley Blake vs. Buddy Murphy
Two competitors that were former NXT Tag Team Champions together now square off in this match. After several weeks of consecutive losses, Alexa Bliss left the group known as BAMF (Blake, Alexa, Murphy Factor) and has focused on her solo career ever since. While this worked out for Bliss (she is in line for a SmackDown Women’s Championship opportunity), it didn’t work out so much for Blake and Murphy. The two would split, and while both wanted to see who was better, they both ended up losing all of their matches.
After a great dive over the ropes from Buddy Murphy, Samoa Joe interrupts and attacks both Blake and Murphy. First the Ealy Brothers, then Dan Matha, and now Blake and Murphy. Samoa Joe has threatened to destroy the entire NXT roster until he gets the NXT Championship, and he says “time is up.” Result: No Contest
After several weeks of destruction, Shinsuke Nakamura answers the call. The King of Strong Style rushes the ring, and the two instantly start brawling. Security tries to separate both men, but Nakamura keep knocking out the men holding him back. After several attempts at this, Samoa Joe walks away.
Then Joe changes his mind and tries to attack Nakamura from a different angle. They fight into the ring, and the NXT Champion hits Kinshasa on Samoa Joe to stand tall at the end of his return. It is pretty certain that these two will headline NXT TakeOver: Toronto for the NXT Championship.
