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MSK will meet the Grizzled Young Veterans at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day in the finals of the 2021 Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament. The duo of Nash Carter and Wes Lee only debuted in the first round of the tournament but have already made a big splash in the NXT Tag Team division.
The Grizzled Young Veterans are former NXT UK Tag Team Champions and also made it to the final round of last year's Dusty Classic. They fell to The BroserWeights - Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle - in the 2020 finals. Since they were the runner-ups last year, it would make sense for them to win the tournament this year.
Several cases can be made for each team to walk out of Vengeance Day as the victors of the 2021 Dusty Classic. Zack Gibson and James Drake are more established and have been a stalwart team of both NXT brands. But MSK should be the team to walk out of TakeOver as the winners of the 2021 tournament. Here are five reasons why MSK should win the 2021 Dusty Classic at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
#5 MSK is the brand new team on NXT with a lot of momentum behind them
A lot of times when a new star debuts in NXT or on the main roster, they are the "shiny new toy." That means that if those performers are new to the machine, they haven't been put through the blender of WWE's questionable booking decisions over time.
If that performer or team doesn't get over during their first few feuds, then their sudden success only turns out to be a flash in the pan. These new talents in WWE's landscape get lost in the shuffle, as a result.
MSK is the newest team to join NXT but as anyone that has watched IMPACT Wrestling or NXT knows, they are extremely exciting and innovative. While they are the new team on the block, the time is now to strike with a push. That push can obviously start by booking MSK as the winners of the 2021 Dusty Classic. It can continue with a feud with Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch over the NXT Tag Team titles.
The duo of Carter and Lee just has a different energy than any of the other teams in NXT. That same energy is infectious and it made The Rascalz one of the most beloved teams during their run in IMPACT Wrestling.
While MSK just debuted earlier this year, some debuts need to have a significant impact. By winning the Dusty Classic and the NXT Tag Team belts, MSK will achieve that despite being the brand new team on WWE's Black and Gold brand.
#4 The Current NXT Tag Team Champions have never faced MSK in NXT
The current NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch have been an NXT team for a while. They competed in the 2018 and 2019 Dusty Classics and have been a team for longer than that.
At the time, they were primarily a babyface tandem. They battled the Undisputed Era, Imperium, and many other duos that have come and gone through NXT. Once they turned heels late last year, they once again battled Undisputed Era and encountered Drake Maverick and Killian Dain.
Lorcan and Burch already faced the Grizzled Young Veterans back in NXT UK in 2019, even if the current NXT Tag Team Champions were a face duo at that time.
The winners of the Dusty Classic will receive a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championships. If MSK wins the Dusty Classic, it will be a fresh match-up for both teams. MSK has only faced a few pairings in NXT because those teams were associated with the Dusty Classic. That isn't to say that Drake and Gibson shouldn't face Lorcan and Burch again, but the dynamic has certainly changed between the two teams.
It's hard to keep some tag team showdowns fresh over time, and MSK would be a fresh feud/bout for Lorcan and Burch.
#3 A major victory for MSK would show how valued the new tag team is in NXT
NXT has already pushed MSK further than the group was pushed during its run in IMPACT Wrestling.
The team wrestled for the IMPACT Tag Team titles on a few occasions but they were never able to win the gold.
MSK has already made it all the way to the finals of the Dusty Classic and that certainly shows faith in the tandem from NXT management. How often in NXT history were new teams in the WWE landscape pushed this far? The Authors of Pain come to mind, but they were a different breed of Superstars.
An appearance in the finals of the 2021 Dusty Classic is one thing, as even the Grizzled Young Veterans made it to the finals last year. They continued to be a force in the Tag Team divisions across NXT.
If MSK is able to win the whole tournament, it means that they might win their first WWE Tag Team titles this year. The duo has already added new dimensions of excitement to the Tag Team division and they could be rewarded with a tournament win at TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
#2 MSK could take part in fresh feuds and matches if their tournament victory leads them to win the NXT Tag Team Championships
The first step for MSK in NXT is to win the 2021 Dusty Classic Tournament. By winning the whole thing, they earn a future shot at the NXT Tag Team titles.
The second step would be to cash-in on winning the tournament and then to win the belts from Lorcan and Burch. Burch and Lorcan are great in the ring, but they lack charisma when Pat McAfee isn't out in the ring spewing his insults.
If Carter and Lee do win the Dusty Classic, that puts a team of faces atop the NXT Tag Team division. For the better part of the last four years, The Undisputed Era has reigned supreme in NXT. Adam Cole and company are now babyfaces, but they've had more than their share of runs with belts. Giving MSK a run atop the tag teams in NXT means that they will have fresh matches and feuds with everyone.
Their only bouts in NXT have been as a part of the tournament. On their way to the finals, Carter and Lee have defeated Jake Atlas and Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Killian Dain and Drake Maverick, and Legado Del Fantasma.
The Grizzled Young Veterans will provide MSK with their toughest test to date. If they get by Drake and Gibson, the doors will open to many new feuds in NXT. While they could have a longer angle with Legado Del Fantasma, MSK may also eventually feud with Imperium, Undisputed Era, and The Way.
#1 MSK would be the perfect babyface match against the current heel NXT Tag Team Champions
The most basic point to make here is that the current NXT Tag Team Champions are heels. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch spent most of their time in NXT as hard-fighting good guys. Once they met up with Pat McAfee last year, however, things changed drastically.
While the heel turn finally led to some titles for Lorcan and Burch, they've lacked the legitimacy that McAfee brings to the group on the mic. They've struggled to get over on the microphone without McAfee's presence, and have relied heavily on their work in between the ropes.
Since the current Tag Team Champions are heels, it makes sense to have a team of faces win the Dusty Classic. This means that MSK should be victorious at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day. The Grizzled Young Veterans could eventually enter into a prolonged feud over the titles if MSK wins the belts.
However, as far as the current dynamics and the next NXT Tag Team titles match are concerned, the babyface team needs to walk out of Vengeance Day as the winners. Matches between heel talents are strange to book because fans need to know why they should root for one team and not root for the other option. That wouldn't exist if Lorcan and Burch were to battle MSK in the future.
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