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NXT continued on with both Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournaments tonight. Between the men's tournament and the first-ever Women's Dusty Cup, not to mention the NXT Tag Champs taking on Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly, the black and gold brand was full of tag team action.
Balor handpicked O'Reilly as his tag partner, hoping to rid himself of Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch before colliding with Pete Dunne down the line. However, Balor has made no friends since returning to NXT in 2019, and tonight he'll be surrounded by three enemies, not counting anyone that may be ringside.
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Our opener for the night featured the new NXT hotshots MSK against black and gold's odd couple, Drake Maverick and Killian Dain. Maverick was again excited to share his new theme with Dain. The Hound of Ulster? Not so much.
NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Drake Maverick and Killian Dain vs MSK
Wes Lee started the first NXT Dusty Cup match of the night off with Drake Maverick. The former 205 Live GM took Lee right to the mat, taking over in the early moments. Lee managed to take Maverick to his corner, though, leading to a series of kicks from MSK ending with a bronco buster from Nash Carter.
Killian Dain stared on as his partner was hit with a quick in-and-out offense from Carter and Lee. Maverick struggled to get to his corner and barely tagged in Dain, who responded by launching his tag team partner into Carter. Dain used Maverick as a weapon, again, tripping Carter with him before slamming him on top of their opponent for the two-count.
A pump kick/enziguri combo would've gotten the win had Lee not broken up the pin. Carter escaped a Samoan Drop, and MSK chopped NXT's Beast of Belfast down. However, it didn't keep Dain down for long, and he sent Lee spiraling to the floor, seemingly injuring his elbow.
Throughout the break, Wes Lee was demolished by Dain and Maverick. The NXT newcomer was left gasping for air, barely able to crawl when Dain crushed him with a running senton. Lee finally broke away when Maverick got the tag, bringing in Nash Carter.
Maverick was pelted with a series of strikes, setting up for the Hot Fire Flame. Had Dain not broken up the pin, it definitely would've gotten the three. Carter took Dain out on the floor, leaving Lee and Maverick in the ring.
Lee escaped a schoolboy and received an uppercut for his trouble. The spinebuster/blockbuster combination put Maverick away.
Results: MSK defeated Drake Maverick and Killian Dain via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: B+
MSK was the first team to advance to the semi-finals of the NXT Dusty Cup. They'll face the winners of Legado Del Fantasma and Lucha House Party.
NXT's McKenzie interviewed Curt Stallion backstage. The Lone Star and NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar were set to face off at the end of 2020, but an attack from Legado Del Fantasma delayed that match. Stallion came back recently, with his eyes on the gold. He'd face Escobar for the title later on tonight.
WWE NXT Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Opening Round: Aliyah and Jessi Kamea w/Robert Stone vs Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai
Aliyah and Jessi Kamea were not too excited about facing Raquel Gonzalez. The dominant NXT Superstar easily overpowered both competitors. Dakota Kai lost control rather quickly, though, and Kamea planted her for a slingshot elbow drop.
Aliyah and Kamea disoriented Kai before Aliyah rocked Kai with a strong right. A running boot nearly took Kai's head off. Gonzalez saved Kai from a baseball slide, however, and Kai followed up with a pump kick.
After that, it was Gonzalez's game again. Aliyah was torn apart by her opponents, and Robert Stone was incredibly nervous, knowing that this was a huge opportunity for the brand.
After a few minutes of punishment, Aliyah caught Kai with a tornado DDT. However, though she tagged out to Kamea, Raquel Gonzalez tagged in as well.
Gonzalex hit a Clothesline and followed it up with her signature one-handed powerbomb to get the win for her team.
Results: Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai defeated Jessi Kamea and Aliyah via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: B
Gonzalez and Kai will take on Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter next week in the semi-finals of the NXT Women's Dusty Cup.
Backstage, NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano vehemently refused to give Kushida a title shot and demanded that nobody say his name while in his presence. Austin Theory couldn't help himself and decided to say the Japanese Superstar's name out loud. As they left, Dexter Lumis appeared.
Scarlet revealed a new premonition for the locker room regarding the former NXT Champion, Karrion Kross. As always, it led to three simple words; Fall and Pray.
Tyler Rust w/Malcom Bivens vs Local Competitor on NXT
Tyler Rust overpowered Biven's "handpicked" opponent with ease and battered him with a few strong right hands. Lifting him up for a spinning armbreaker, Rust was quite pleased with himself.
His confidence was misplaced, though, as a series of pinfall attempts nearly put Rust away. Rust countered a tornado DDT, rocking his opponent with a pump kick and hitting the flipping snapmare driver. A sickening Rings of Saturn earned the tap out victory.
Results: Tyler Rust won via submission on NXT.
Grade: C
The NXT Dusty Cup continued next as Kushida and Leon Ruff looked to take on the favorites of the tournament, former NXT UK Champs Grizzled Young Veterans.
NXT Champion Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly met backstage but shared few words. Neither man trusted one another but needed to put their differences aside if they were going to get through Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan.
The NXT Tag Team Champions have taken the best of the best to their limits over the years. They couldn't afford to give One-Two an inch tonight.
NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Leon Ruff and Kushida vs Grizzled Young Veterans
The former NXT UK Tag Team Champions were set up against Kushida and Leon Ruff, an impressive yet inexperienced tag team, as they'd only just started working together. Zack Gibson and James Drake took the fight to Kushida at the start, hitting a series of tag team maneuvers and leaving him dazed in the middle of the mat.
When Drake took over by himself, though, he quickly lost the upper hand. Kushida and Leon Ruff hit him with a series of over the shoulder arm breakers, and the duo continued to work over Drake's left arm. Ruff had clearly learned a lot from Kushida as far as the technical game was concerned.
Drake eventually shook Ruff's grip, slamming him off an attempted arm breaker. Zack Gibson rushed in off a tag but was nearly pinned after an exquisite springboard cutter from Ruff.
During the break, Ruff was taken apart by GYV. When we came back to NXT, Drake nearly decapitated him with a lariat. Some trash talk to Kushida nearly allowed Ruff to tag out. The former NXT North American Champion rocked Drake with a back elbow and finally tagged out.
The Time Splitter lit up Drake and hit the hip toss/cartwheel dropkick. A dropkick to the arm left Drake writhing in the ring. Kushida's wrist clutching northern lights suplex was blocked, but Kushida was right back in it with a fresh Gibson. An Octopus Stretch was nearly locked in, with Gibson barely escaping.
A double chop to the throat broke it up, and GYV dropped Kushida with the Doomsday Device. Somehow Kushida tagged out and made it to Ruff who was still recovering.
Though Ruff put up a great fight, it wasn't enough. Drake saved Gibson from the Swanton Bomb, and GYV struck Ruff down with the Ticket To Mayhem.
Results: Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Leon Ruff and Kushida via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: B+
GYV will face the winners of Undisputed Era and Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher. Either way, the semi-finals are absolutely stacked with top talent and former champions. The smart money for GYV would be to face Ciampa and Thatcher of course, as they're still not on the same page.
The Way rushed the ring, attacking Leon Ruff and Kushida. The NXT NA Champion Johnny Gargano spiked Kushida with One Final beat while Austin Theory forced Ruff to watch at ringside. However, Dexter Lumis arrived to scare Theory. The Way put a stop to their assault when Lumis stared a hole through their souls.
Backstage, Curt Stallion was laid out once again. Several WWE officials and trainers were working on him when NXT GM William Regal came in.
Stallion simply had two words for Regal. "It's Legado."
NXT cruiserweight Champion, Santos Escobar, and Legado Del Fantasma were accused by NXT GM William Regal of attacking Curt Stallion. Their match has was pushed to next week. Regal said if Stallion is attacked again by the trio, they'll suffer serious consequences.
Escobar found a tarot card near his belt, signifying that he was now targeted by Karrion Kross. He and Legado Del Fantasma played it off, which probably wasn't smart.
Toni Storm calls out the NXT Women's Champion
Toni Storm went right to the ring to demand a shot from Io Shirai. Storm had already beaten her before, knocking off the Genius of the Sky at the Mae Young Classic in 2018. With Shirai ruining her shot at winning the first-ever Women's Dusty Cup, Storm was looking for revenge.
Shirai moved to the ring and said that she was ready for Strom. They came to blows, with Shirai getting the best of Storm. The former NXT UK Women's Champion was taken to the floor, but Shirai was attacked by Mercedes Martinez, Storm's Dusty Cup partner.
Storm and Martinez fought over who would get their shot at the Joshi Judas, and the three-way brawl ended with Storm holding the NXT Women's Title above her head.
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott was asked about why he got into Bronson Reed's face last week. Swerve said that everyone in NXT was pointing a finger at him, and told McKenzie to literally do the same. When she did, Scott made sure she realized that there were three pointing back at her.
Imperium dominated NXT at Worlds Collide in 2020. Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner even captured the NXT Tag Team Titles last year. However, they've fallen on hard times since then. Last week, they were knocked out of the NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, leading to the return of the Axman, Alexander Wolfe. Imperium said that the unit was stronger now, and the NXT locker room needed to watch their backs.
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott vs Bronson Reed on NXT
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott once again wanted to prove that NXT was "Swerve's House." He had a tall task tonight, as he faced the Colossal Bronson Reed. Scott managed to stun Reed with a series of kicks, including a pump kick off the apron.
Still, Reed countered another one, tossing Scott head first on the apron. A clothesline set him up for a suicide dive that crushed Swerve. During the break, though, Scott took over by focusing on Reed's right arm.
Reed fought to get off the mat, only to get his face raked. Swerve battered him, but the rolling flatliner was denied by Reed who swatted him back to the mat. A running body attack and leaping senton crushed Scott.
Fireman's Carry Driver spiked Scott for a near fall. As Reed moved up for the Tsunami, Scott rushed him, hitting a roundhouse to daze the big man. An avalanche arm breaker dropped Reed, and a 450 Splash followed up. Reed just barely kicked out at two.
Reed rocked Swerve with a headbutt and short-arm clothesline before crashing into Scott with the Tsunami Splash.
Results: Bronson Reed defeated Isaiah "Swerve" Scott via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: B
Tommaso Ciampa was backstage, stating that he's done a lot in the past 16 years. There's the ones you win, the ones you lose, but then there are the ones you remember.
Timothy Thatcher pulled a seat up, stating that the Fight Pit changed them both for the better, and they earned each other's respect in the process. Next week, Undisputed Era are in for a war.
Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly vs One-Two on NXT
NXT Champion Finn Balor took Oney Lorcan down immediately, going after the left arm of the Boston Butcher. Next up were Kyle O'Reilly and Danny Burch, with the Guvnor of NXT struggling early against The Undisputed Era's top striker.
Burch went after O'Reilly's injured jaw, however, allowing him to take O'Reilly to the corner of the NXT Tag Champs. One-Two swapped in and out, rocking his jaw with uppercuts and synching in tight headlocks, putting as much pressure on that injury as possible.
O'Reilly was able to escape a slam and tag out to Balor, with the NXT Champion and his heated rival getting the best of Lorcan and Burch before the final break of the night.
Balor took on One-Two in a two-on-one brawl and was doing well until he was driven to the corner. Neither Lorcan nor Burch could handle The Prine of NXT by themselves, but he was unable to get back to his corner with both men tearing into him.
Burch and Lorcan pelted Balor with heavy chops and uppercuts, with any one of them looking like knockout blows. Balor refused to quit. After several minutes of punishment, Balor fought out of the corner of the NXT Tag Team Champions. A slingblade took Lorcan down, and O'Reilly finally made it back in.
Burch did as well, leading to O'Reilly decimating the champs with a series of kicks. Burch's arm was snapped, and though he rocked O'Reilly with a few jaw shots, O'Reilly shook it off. As Burch lept off Bret's Rope for the missile dropkick, O'Reilly caught him out of mid-air for a heel hook.
Burch quickly tapped out.
Results: Kyle O'Reilly and Finn Balor defeated One-Two via submission.
Grade: A+
After the match, Pete Dunne appeared, and he was joined by the NXT Tag Champions in attacking O'Reilly and Balor.The message was sent. The Undisputed Era ran in for the save, but they weren't in time to save Balor's hand from being broken by the Bruiserweight.
The Era, Kyle included, stared down Dunne and the champs as Balor moved to the floor.
