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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."
