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NXT New Year's Evil was a huge success last week, with some quality early contenders for the match of the year. Tonight, NXT began their build to find the new contenders for Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan. That's right, it's time for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic!
We had three opening-round bouts tonight, including the debut of a mystery team known only as "MSK." There were sixteen teams in the tournament overall, with six facing off on this week's NXT.
NXT Champion Finn Balor appeared as well, looking for his next challenger. There were quite a few Superstars who felt they were ready for a shot at the throne, and a few of them sent a strong message tonight.
We kicked things off with a fantastic bout between Shotzi Blackheart and Candice LeRae. Would Blackheart be able to stop The Way?
Shotzi Blackheart vs Candice LeRae w/Indi Hartwell on NXT
Candice LeRae attempted to jaw jack with Shotzi Blackheart, but the Tank Girl of NXT came here to fight. After a double leg takedown, Blackheart avoided a neck breaker in the ropes and hit a cross body off the top for a two-count. Blackheart kept up the pressure, rolling LeRae around the ring with her arm in a modified armbar.
LeRae managed to get to the ropes just before Blackheart trapped her in a cross arm breaker. Blackheart yanked her off the second rope, driving LeRae's head into the top turnbuckle in the process. LeRae escaped a bridging headlock and finally took the fight to Blackheart in the corner. At least, momentarily. Blackheart was knocked from the top to the apron, but yanked LeRae's arm through the ring post.
Sending LeRae to the floor, Blackheart rocked her with a flying knee across the face. Indi Hartwell finally served her purpose, distracting Blackheart so that the Poison Pixie of NXT could hit a baseball slide and a dive. Back inside the ring, Blackheart was battered with kicks and chops. Kicking out of a roll-up, she was rocked by a nasty big boot, leaving her struggling to stand up in the corner.
LeRae was rocked with a superkick, though, and the running senton in the ropes crushed her for a near fall. A DDT spiked LeRae on the apron, sending her to the floor and Hartwell running to her aid. Shotzi followed up, sending them both into the barricade with a suicide dive. Inside, LeRae kicked out just in time.
Blackheart responded after Blackheart ran into the second turnbuckle, stunning her with a superkick. However, Blackheart countered a springboard maneuver, yanking her off the middle rope and hanging her up as well. LeRae was quick to change the game plan and tried to lock in the Gargano Escape.
LeRae couldn't hold onto it, and Blackheart drove her into her knee with a spin-out facebuster. A running knee/DDT combo off the corner spiked LeRae again. As Shotzi moved up for her Senton Bomb, Indi Hartwell again tried to distract her. Taking a hit for the team, she allowed Candice to climb up for Ms. LeRae's Wild Ride.
Results: Candice LeRae defeated Shotzi Blackheart via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: A
Pete Dunne and the NXT Tag Team Champions pulled up to the building and moved on to the ring. What message were they trying to send tonight?
Finn Balor addresses NXT following his hellacious match with Kyle O'Reilly at New Year's Evil
NXT Champion Finn Balor came out next, praising his latest contender after their incredible match at NXT New Year's Evil. However, this is twice now that Kyle O'Reilly has been put down by Finn Balor, and this time he's the one eating out of a straw.
"They quit making the cloth I'm made out of," said Balor, before asking who was next. Pete Dunne's music hit, and the Bruiserweight wasn't alone. Balor soon found himself flanked by the former NXT UK Champion and the NXT Tag Team Champions. They rushed him, but Finn Balor was ready. For a while, he was able to fight off all three men, though it seemed that Pete Dunne was one too many.
Kyle O'Reilly injured Balor's arm last week, and Dunne knew that was where the bullseye was. Luckily for Balor, The Undisputed Era, O'Reilly included, saved him. Balor didn't know what to make of the situation, especially once he came face-to-face with O'Reilly. There's still some animosity between the two.
Backstage, the NXT North American Champion was beaming after his wife beat Shotzi Blackheart. Johnny Gargano had a match that would face Dexter Lumis later tonight, and after that, The Way would go on to win both Men's and Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classics.
Austin Theory came in with an envelope that Lumis had left them, showing caricatures of Gargano crying like a baby and Theory doubled over.
NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Opener: Grizzled Young Veterans vs Ever-Rise
Matt Martel and Chase Parker tried to throw the former NXT UK Tag Team Champions off their game with their horribly ineffective trash talk, which led to Zack Gibson and James Drake getting the best of Chase Parker.
Drake hit an arm drag, kneeing Parker in the face mid-toss. Parker responded by pulling Drake down by his hair and stomping him out. Gibson pulled him to the floor, and Drake was infuriated as Parker continued to dish out some verbal barbs. Gibson calmed him down, and the Grizzled Young Vets regained composure. Some incredible tandem offense dropped Parker, and Drake launched himself off of Gibson for a dropkick to Matt Martel.
A sidewalk slam/elbow drop on the apron left Parker completely out of it. Gibson planted Parker with a release back suplex before locking in a modified single leg Boston Crab. Parker broke away but found himself in GYV's corner. Two splashes in the corner connected, and Gibson sent Parker into a rolling heel kick by Drake.
Martel finally tagged in and took the fight to the 2020 NXT Dusty Classic finalists. After rocking Gibson on the apron, Martel launched Drake with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. However, as Ever-Rise set up for their double flapjack on the top turnbuckle, Gibson saved his partner. Ever-Rise managed to hit a pop-up/spear combination on Drake, and the step-up elbow drop on Gibson.
Again, Gibson saved Drake from Ever-Rise's finish, this time by pulling Parker to the floor and chopping the throat. Matt Martel couldn't escape NXT UK's first tag champs, and Ticket To Mayhem knocked them out of the tournament.
Results: Grizzled Young Vets defeated Ever-Rise via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: A-
Backstage, Shotzi Blackheart wasn't thrilled about her loss tonight. However, she's looking ahead to the Women's NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Her partner? Former NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon. That's right, it's time to join the Shenom in enforcing Ember's Rule.
Johnny Gargano w/Austin Theory vs Dexter Lumis on NXT
NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano tore Dexter Lumis's drawing, infuriating him and sending him into a rage. Gargano struggled to get out of the gate, partly due to Lumis's unorthodox offense.
The Tortured Artist of NXT crawled forward, putting a stop to Johnny Gargano's rolling heel kick by purely putting fear into Gargano's heart. Gargano found Lumis at the top rope, but Lumis escaped a superplex spot and sent Johnny Wrestling to the mat with some headbutts. The Swanton Bomb missed, as Gargano rolled to the corner to catch his breath.
A distraction from Austin Theory allowed Gargano to hit the slingshot spear, cutting the big man down. However, all it took was a Double A Spinebuster for Lumis to get back in the match. A series of strong rights dazed Gargano, and a clothesline/bulldog combo off the corner drove Gargano to the mat.
The self-proclaimed Mr. NXT was dropped with a rebound suplex and a nip-up leg drop. Gargano escaped The Silence twice, catching Lumis with a crucifix pin the second go-round for a near fall. A pair of superkicks rocked Lumis, but it wasn't enough. Another distraction from Theory set Lumis up for One Final Beat, but he caught Gargano leaping with a big right hand.
A second attempt left Gargano caught, and Lumis locked in Silence. Theory again tried to get involved, this time getting trapped in Silence. Theory was quickly out, but Gargano took advantage and pulled im down with a schoolboy.
Results: Johnny Gargano defeated Austin Theory via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: B
Lumis locked in Silence again on the former EVOLVE Champion, but it was broken up by Gargano. As Gargano grabbed a chair, he was stopped by Kushida. The Time Splitter trapped Gargano with The Hoverboard Lock while Lumis choked out Theory with Silence.
Backstage, McKenzie checked in with Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch. Dunne said that Kyle O'Reilly and The Undisputed Era put themselves in their business with Finn Balor, so it's time to send a message.
Wade Barrett speaks to Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa
Last week, Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher were supposed to face off in the Fight Pit, however, Thatcher was injured prior to the bout. Thatcher said that he wasn't cleared last week, but he's cleared now. Thatcher is undefeated in this match, holding a victory in the only match with the stipulation so far.
Tommaso Ciampa said that as a wrestler Thatcher is tough as nails, but is a garbage coach, something that's angered Ciampa since the Thatch-as-Thatch classes began on NXT. Thatcher said that he's a different man in the Fight Pit than he is anywhere else, and Ciampa is just wondering at this point if he's still got it or not.
Next week this hellacious brawl between two of NXT's toughest competitors will finally take place.
McKenzie interviewed NXT's golden boys, The Undisputed Era. Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, and Roderick Strong weren't worried about the threats from Pete Dunne and the NXT Tag Team Champions. Tonight, they'll advance in the Dusty Cup as well.
NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Opener: Jake Atlas and Isaiah "Swerve" Scott vs MSK (Nash Carter and Wes Lee)
Nash Carter of MSK started things off with Jake Atlas. Atlas and Isaiah "Swerve" Scott put their NXT Cruiserweight Championship hopes on hold in order to take part in this tournament, and if they got far enough would take on Santos Escobar's Legado Del Fantasma.
Carter escaped once Swerve tagged in and hit a springboard corkscrew press for a two-count. Wes Lee tagged in but couldn't keep Swerve on the mat. Swerve launched Lee into the corner, stomping him out. Swerve and Atlas were way more aggressive tonight than usual.
Atlas was back in, battering Lee with chops. An elbow stunned Atlas, but Scott took him to the floor when the ref's back was turned. Lee responded with a big right, only to be rocked by a suicide dive.
Carter followed up, diving onto both men. Swerve responded with the running apron boot, but Swerve and Atlas were caught again with a dive, this time from Lee. Back from the break, Carter brought Swerve into the middle of the ring for an armbar.
Swerve broke away and ducked an enziguri. Lee and Atlas tagged in, leading to Lee crushing Atlas in the corner with a rounding elbow smash. A striking combination left Atlas on the ground for a leaping dropkick.
Hot Fire Flame connected, but luckily for Atlas, Swerve broke it up. Swerve tagged back in, and Lee was rocked with an elbow/German suplex combo. Swerve slammed Lee as well, and the duo nearly ended MSK's debut with a spin-out pump handle slam/450 splash combo. Carter managed to break up the pin.
Atlas and Swerve took Lee up top, but whatever they were trying was thwarted by Carter, who brought Atlas to the ground. A leaping reverse Rana spiked Scott, and MSK planted him with a spinebuster/running blockbuster combination.
Results: MSK defeated Isaiah "Swerve" Scott and Jake Atlas via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: A+
MSK debuted in a huge way in the NXT Dusty Cup, knocking off two of the best cruiserweights in the company. From IMPACT Wrestling to WWE NXT, these Rascalz are here to play.
Scarlett appeared on NXT, with footage showing Damian Priest's destruction at the hands of former Champion Karrion Kross. With the Archer of Infamy out of the picture, Kross now has his sight set on the NXT Champion Finn Balor. Tick Tock.
Xia Li vs Local Competitor on NXT
Xia Li dropped her opponent with a lightning-fast right hand. A rolling heel kick nearly took her head off, giving Xia Li another dominating win.
Results: Xia Li won via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: C
Following the match, Li was told by her mysterious leader to crush her opponent. Leaving her in the ropes, she battered her repeatedly, finishing her off with a leaping knee to the jaw. Boa and Xia Li smirked as their leader looked on.
Next week, the Women's NXT Dusty Cup begins. Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter had a tough draw, as they'll have to face Mercedes Martinez and Toni Storm in the opening round. Still, they're used to being overlooked, and if the NXT Women's division continues to do that, they'll be looking at the first-ever Women's NXT Dusty Cup winners in Catanzaro and Carter.
NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Opener: Breezango vs The Undisputed Era w/Kyle O'Reilly
Former NXT Champion Adam Cole started things off with Tyler Breeze. After a short back and forth, both men set up for their superkicks, freezing as they saw one another load up. Roderick Strong and Fandango were next. The former NXT North American Champion brought Fandango down and worked over the arm.
Dango escaped, though, and caught The Messiah of the Backbreaker with a rolling heel kick. Breezango looked to take over during the break as NXT's Prince Pretty tagged back in. However, Strong caught him with a backbreaker and tagged in Adam Cole.
The Panama City Playboy took Breeze down with a neckbreaker for the two-count. Dango got back in, and took the fight to the NXT Triple Crown Champion, hanging him up on the top rope. Breezango hit a pair of big boots on the hanging Cole for a two-count. Breeze stopped Cole from tagging out, despite a nasty enziguri. He went for a suicide dive after sending Cole to the floor, but Cole caught him mid-dive with a superkick.
Cole and Breeze made it to their partners. Strong got the better of the hot tag, running through Fandango and catching him with a double underhook backbreaker. He slammed Breeze on top of Fandango before tagging in his partner.
Fireman's carry gutbuster/running boot combination nearly put Fandango away. Cole set up for The Last Shot but missed. Fandango made it to Breeze who was turned inside out with a pump kick. The Ushigoroshi was countered, and an inverted backstabber nearly put Cole away. WIth Strong knocked to the floor, Breezango broke Cole in half with the slingshot/elbow drop/backbreaker combination.
Strong broke it up, leading to a four-man brawl leaving all four men out in the ring. Kyle O'Reilly looked to the ramp and saw Pete Dunne, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan coming in. They set O'Reilly up on a truss, looking to kick his jaw through the steel. NXT Champion Finn Balor made the save, but the numbers game was too much. Dunne rocked O'Reilly with an elbow strike and crushed his jaw into the barricade with a running knee.
Cole noticed what happened, and was rocked with a superkick. Strong took Breeze to the floor, and Fandango set up for The Last Dance. Cole shot to his feet, striking Fandango with the superkick just as he lept off the top rope.
Results: The Undisputed Era defeated Breezango via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: A
They won the battle but may have lost the war. The Undisputed Era advanced to the next round of the NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, but Pete Dunne was able to reinjure Kyle O'Reilly's jaw. The Era and Finn Balor were left on the ground, Cole and Strong comforting O'Reilly, as Pete Dunne and the NXT Tag Team Champions taunted them from the stage.
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