This week’s episode of NXT was hosted by Charli Carruso from the WWE Performance Center and she informed that every 2nd Round match from the Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic would take place tonight. Without further ado, let’s move on to the action.
Austin Aries and Roderick Strong vs TM61
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This one started off strangely with Aries not coming out in his ring gear, instead going for jeans and a jacket. When both teams came out, Aries revealed that WWE doctors had declared him unfit to compete because of his eye injury. He said that even though he wanted to compete, NXT officials knew how valuable a commodity he was and couldn’t risk permanent damage.
Aries then demanded that TM61 forfeit the match but he was interrupted by William Regal who converted the match into a singles match between one member of each team, the team with the winning member would progress. Shane Thorne then stepped up from TM61 to wrestle Roderick Strong.
Strong and Thorne started off by trading headlocks before Thorne took Strong down with a flying heel kick. He followed it up with a standing moonsault for the nearfall. Thorne then went to the top rope but Roderick Strong met him there and delivered a devastating backbreaker to him on the top turnbuckle as we went into a commercial.
We can back from the break with Roderick Strong all over Shane Thorne. Strong drove Thorne spine first into the corner but was hit by a dropkick following another attempted backbreaker. The two then traded blows before Thorne grounded Strong with repeated uppercuts. Thorne then went for another running heel kick into the corner but Roddy caught Thorne in midair and hit a backbreaker.
Roddy then hit Thorne with a running knee to the jaw followed by a running face slam before getting a nearfall on the cover. Thorne hit back after this with a reverse Falcon Arrow followed by a Sitout Powerbomb before going for the cover as Aries distracted the referee.
Nick Miller then went to threaten Aries as Strong hit him with a basement dropkick to the outside. Unfortunately for Roderick Strong, Shane Thorne took this opportunity to roll up Strong for the win. A huge upset.
Shane Thorne def. Roderick Strong (TM61 progress to the next round)
DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa) vs The Revival
The much-awaited rematch from NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II finally takes place in the 2nd Round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic.
The Revival came out after DIY with Dawson coming out in crutches, claiming that he’d suffered a serious knee injury. Dawson claimed that on the advice of his doctor, The Revival would have to pull out of the tournament.
DIY def. The Revival (by forfeit)
Rich Swann and No Way Jose vs The Authors of Pain
Swann and Jose were super-over with the crowd as they made their way to the ring. They danced all the way to the ring before being followed out by The Authors of Pain who were accompanied by manager Paul Ellering.
Achum and Jose started us off with Achum immediately overpowering his smaller opponent. Jose looked to use his speed to his advantage but Achum took him down with a shoulder before Jose cornered him and tagged in Rich Swann who delivered a Hurracanrana.
Achum tagged in Rayzar and Rich Swann immediately slapped Rayzar right in the face before getting caught in a bear-hug. Swann maneuvered out of it and slapped Rayzar again, followed by a dropkick which saw Rayzar roll out of the ring. Swann then dived on both members of the Authors of Pain but they caught him in midair which led to No Way Jose going to the top rope and taking everyone out.
With everyone back in the ring, Rich Swann got planted by a double team move which left him grounded before Achum sent him sternum first into the turnbuckle. He tagged in Rayzar who hooked Swann into a modified Razor’s Edge submission but he powered out and hit Rayzar with a Rich Kick which led Rayzar to stumble and tag in his partner. Achum tried to prevent the tag but two superkicks later, No Way Jose was tagged in and pounding Achum with everything he had.
Jose hit Achum with a Spinning Stunner for the nearfall while Rayzar destroyed Rich Swann against the steel steps. The Authors Of Pain then outnumbered No Way Jose and took him out with their clothesline/Russian Leg Sweep double-team for the win.
The Authors of Pain def. Rich Swann and No Way Jose
Kota Ibushi and TJ Perkins vs SANITY (Alexander Wolfe and Sawyer Fulton)
Wolfe and Ibushi start the match by locking up with Wolfe overpowering the Japanese sensation. Ibushi tried to twist out of it but got hit in the face for his troubles. The ‘Golderstar’ hit back with palm strikes followed by a dropkick before tagging in TJ Perkins whose speed initially caught Wolfe off-guard.
Wolfe got caught in a kneebar and tagged in Fulton who also got caught in a kneebar before having to tag Wolfe back in as Perkins tagged Ibushi back in. The duo hit Wolfe with a succession of kicks followed up by a dropkick from TJP as we went into a commercial.
We came back from the break to see Perkins taking the fight to Sawyer Fulton. Perkins and Ibushi had Fulton trapped in the corner before hitting him with stereo dropkicks to send him rolling out of the ring. Ibushi followed it up with a Triangle Moonsault on Wolfe to the outside. TJP tried to follow It up with a splash on Wolfe who caught him in midair and slammed him against the apron before re-entering the ring and bodyslamming him onto Wolfe’s knees.
Wolfe had Perkins in a modified headlock as the NXT Universe tried to rally behind TJP as the diminutive dynamo tried to power out. He tried to reach for a tag but got hammered by a sping-shattering backbreaker.
Fulton got tagged back in and went after TJP’s back almost immediately as the crowd reached a fever pitch. Fulton tried to bodyslam TJP into Wolfe’s knees once again but TJP reversed it and sent Fulton face first into Wolfe’s knees before tagging Ibushi in.
Ibushi came in and hit Wolfe with repeated kicks followed by a standing Moonsault as Perkins took out Fulton with a dropkick. Ibushi hit Wolfe with the Goldenstar Powerbomb but Eric Young and Nikki Cross distracted the referee. Fulton and Wolfe took advantage and hit them with a modified double team spinebuster/vertical suplex for the pinfall on Ibushi.
SANITY def. Kota Ibushi and TJ Perkins
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