ORLANDO, Fla. — The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic officially got underway on Tuesday night, while the NXT women’s championship picture became even more complicated and Zilla Fatu continued his confrontation with BirthRight. The show aired live from the WWE Performance Center.
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Begins
Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno def. Los Americanos
Rayo Americano and Bravo Americano brought their high-flying offense, but Dar and Moreno survived the opening-round battle. The decisive sequence saw Moreno and Dar combine for a high-low attack that produced the pinfall and sent them into the next round.
La Catalina & Thea Hail Score the Upset
La Catalina & Thea Hail def. Kelani Jordan & Zaria
The match centered on the growing tension around NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan and AAA Reina de Reinas Champion La Catalina.
Jordan and Zaria appeared to have the match under control, but Hail fought back and eventually stacked up Zaria for the three-count. Catalina and Hail left with a major victory over two champions.
The Creed Brothers Return to the Dusty Classic
Brutus Creed & Julius Creed def. Harley Riggins & Jax Presley
The former NXT Tag Team Champions made their presence felt immediately.
The Creeds dominated portions of the match before finishing Riggins and Presley with their double-team power offense.
The victory puts the 2022 Dusty Classic winners into the next round as they pursue another tournament championship.
Zilla Fatu Battles BirthRight
BirthRight def. Zilla Fatu, Sean Legacy & EK Prosper
Zilla Fatu teamed with Sean Legacy and EK Prosper against Lexis King, Uriah Connors and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo.
The match continued the storyline surrounding BirthRight’s attempts to recruit Fatu. BirthRight ultimately secured the victory via a roll-up.
Skylar Raye Defeats Kali Armstrong
Skylar Raye def. Kali Armstrong
Raye and Armstrong continued their developing rivalry following their confrontation the previous week. Raye picked up the singles victory by pinfall.
Other Major Developments
Kendal Grey’s future remained uncertain as a segment focused on her recovery and her struggles with vertigo. Grey discussed not knowing when she would be able to return to competition.
The show also continued the storyline between Myles Borne and Tavion Heights, following Borne’s attack on his former friend the previous week.
What’s Next
The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic now moves forward with Dar and Moreno and the Creed Brothers among the teams advancing. Meanwhile, the women’s championship picture has added another layer following Catalina and Hail’s victory over Jordan and Zaria.
NXT’s next major question: can the Creed Brothers repeat their 2022 Dusty Classic triumph, or will Dar and Moreno—or another team—take the tournament trophy?
