WWE NXT September 22, 2026 Results & Recap: Dar & Moreno Stun Los Americanos, Mason Rook Fires Back at Grayson Waller

Last night’s WWE NXT did not need a championship change or a forced Halloween Havoc announcement to move the brand forward. It needed direction, and most of the show found it. The 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic finally began with Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno pulling off the first major bracket shakeup by eliminating Los Americanos, while former Dusty Cup winners The Creed Brothers powered into the next round. Thea Hail found another way to beat NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria, Reina Volcan returned and wrecked both Kali Armstrong and Skylar Raye, BirthRight escaped with a much-needed six-man tag victory, and Cruz Montana’s growing problem with Dion Lennox became intensely personal. Then Grayson Waller and Mason Rook closed the night by doing exactly what next week’s NXT Championship match needed: giving Rook a chance to prove he could stand across from one of WWE’s best talkers without disappearing. With WWE/AAA/NXT Worlds Collide coming first this Saturday and Halloween Havoc waiting on October 31, last night was less about rushing toward one event and more about giving NXT several stories worth carrying deeper into the fall.

Here are the full results

• Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno defeated Los Americanos (Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round)
• Skylar Raye defeated Kali Armstrong after interference from Reina Volcan
• AAA Reina de Reinas Champion La Catalina & Thea Hail defeated NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan & NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria
• The Creed Brothers defeated Harley Riggins & Jax Presley (Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round)
• BirthRight defeated Zilla Fatu, Sean Legacy & EK Prosper

Breakdowns & Reactions

Cody Rhodes Opens the 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

WWE treated the return of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic like it actually mattered.

Cody Rhodes narrated the opening video package, tying the tournament directly to Dusty Rhodes, the history of tag team wrestling and what the Dusty Cup was designed to represent. More importantly, Cody announced that he will be there in person to present the winning team with the trophy.

That last part was important.

The Dusty Classic has been gone since 2024. Bringing it back without acknowledging its history would have made it feel like another television tournament. Putting Dusty’s son at the center of the opening and establishing Cody as part of the eventual conclusion immediately restored some weight to it.

WWE’s social coverage also treated Cody’s announcement as one of the show’s first major moments rather than background information.

Grade: A-

What worked

• Cody Rhodes immediately gave the tournament credibility.
• The focus stayed on Dusty Rhodes and tag team wrestling rather than Cody himself.
• Cody presenting the eventual winners with the Cup gives the tournament final another important hook.
• The package made the tournament feel separate from ordinary NXT tag matches.

What didn’t work

• Very little. It was short, direct and accomplished exactly what it needed to accomplish.

Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno vs. Los Americanos — Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round

The tournament could not have started much better.

Dar and Moreno against Rayo and Bravo Americano was easily the strongest wrestling match on last night’s show because it had something several of the later matches lacked: enough time and structure for the result to feel uncertain.

Los Americanos wrestled like the more established team early. Rayo and Bravo repeatedly used quick tags, tandem offense and their size advantage to keep Dar and Moreno from settling into a rhythm.

Dar became the technical anchor for his side. He continually attacked limbs and looked for submissions while Moreno supplied the speed and explosiveness.

The match kept escalating.

Los Americanos connected with stereo diving headbutts. Dar repeatedly went after the ankle. Moreno used his aerial offense to create openings. A late hurricanrana-and-splash combination nearly finished Dar, but he survived.

That survival changed the match.

Moreno eventually brought Bravo down from the top rope with a superplex, Dar returned to the action, and Dar and Moreno connected with their high-low combination on Bravo for the pin.

No interference.

No distraction.

No protection.

Los Americanos simply lost.

That is what made the upset work.

The live crowd became increasingly invested as the match progressed, and post-show reaction consistently treated the opener as one of the strongest parts of the episode.

Dar and Moreno now advance to face the winner of Fraxiom against DarkState.

That makes the bracket immediately more interesting. If every recognizable favorite walked through the first round, the Dusty Classic would become predictable before it really started.

Grade: A-

What worked

• Excellent escalation.
• Convincing near falls.
• Dar and Moreno looked like an actual tag team instead of two singles wrestlers sharing a corner.
• Los Americanos were protected by simply having an excellent match rather than through outside interference.
• The clean upset immediately made the bracket less predictable.
• The crowd treated the match like it mattered.

What didn’t work

• Los Americanos going out in the first round still feels early for a team with enough credibility to make a deeper run.
• This was strong enough that it easily could have worked as a quarterfinal.

Mason Rook’s No. 1 Contender Win Is Revisited

Before moving deeper into the show, NXT revisited Mason Rook winning last week’s Triple Threat Match against Tony D’Angelo and Saquon Shugars to become Grayson Waller’s next challenger.

It was basic recap material, but necessary.

The closing segment would not work nearly as well without reminding viewers that Rook did not simply ask for the title match. He earned it.

Grade: B-

What worked

• Re-established why Rook is challenging Grayson Waller.
• Helped connect last week’s main event directly to last night’s closing segment.

What didn’t work

• It was recap material rather than new development.

Kendal Grey Faces the Question She Cannot Answer

Kendal Grey’s therapy segment was one of the more unusual pieces of last night’s show, but there was a real character idea underneath it.

Grey discussed the vertigo that continues to keep her medically sidelined after losing the NXT Women’s Championship.

At first, she insisted she was fine.

The therapist pushed past that answer.

Grey admitted she feels lost and restless because she cannot fight for what she lost and has no concrete timetable telling her when she can return.

She compared the situation to the Lisfranc injury she suffered during her freshman year of college. That injury forced her to sit out, but she understood what had happened and knew there was eventually a path back.

This time is different.

She cannot see vertigo. She does not know whether her return will take weeks, months or longer. More importantly, she does not know whether she will still be the same Kendal Grey when she comes back.

The therapist eventually gave her the question that actually mattered: who is Kendal Grey when she is not competing?

Grey did not have an answer.

That is much more interesting than another wrestler sitting backstage saying she will come back stronger.

Grade: B+

What worked

• Gave Grey vulnerability without making her look weak.
• Explained the psychological difference between this setback and previous injuries.
• Built the segment around identity rather than another generic comeback speech.
• Grey sounded more natural once the conversation moved beyond the physical injury.

What didn’t work

• The presentation occasionally blurred the line between a wrestling interview and an actual therapy session.
• The story eventually needs progression beyond repeated discussions of the injury.

Skylar Raye vs. Kali Armstrong — Reina Volcan Returns

The wrestling here was considerably rougher than the opener.

Skylar Raye tried to neutralize Kali Armstrong’s power with speed, headscissors, quick strikes and aerial offense. Armstrong responded by repeatedly catching her and throwing her around.

Raye eventually built momentum with a backstabber, a satellite DDT and a frog splash.

Armstrong survived.

The match then reached the moment it had actually been designed around.

Armstrong charged toward Raye, missed and collided with referee Dallas Irvin.

Reina Volcan appeared.

Volcan attacked Raye, attacked Armstrong and left Raye positioned over Armstrong as the referee recovered and counted the fall.

Raye technically won.

Nobody watching came away thinking she had definitively beaten Kali Armstrong.

That was intentional.

The bigger story was Volcan returning and immediately inserting herself between two women who already had their own issue.

WWE’s social coverage pushed Volcan’s return heavily after the match, which was appropriate because that was clearly the actual story.

Grade: C+

What worked

• Reina Volcan immediately re-entered the women’s division with purpose.
• Volcan attacking both women keeps her motivations from being too simple.
• Raye officially scored a significant televised victory.
• Armstrong remained heavily protected.

What didn’t work

• Raye and Armstrong had several uneven exchanges.
• The match exposed some of Raye’s inexperience.
• The interference completely overshadowed the wrestling.
• Raye won without really proving she could beat Armstrong.

Robert Stone Tries to Control Shiloh Hill and Saquon Shugars

Shiloh Hill and Saquon Shugars found themselves in Robert Stone’s office discussing Hill’s mist experiments, Tristan Angels and Naraku.

Hill even offered Shugars some of his mist.

Stone had heard enough.

He said he would see what he could do about getting Hill and Shugars the matches they wanted rather than allowing the situation to become even more ridiculous.

This was mostly comedy, but at least the comedy was attached to ongoing stories.

Grade: B-

What worked

• Robert Stone behaved like an actual general manager.
• Hill and Shugars both showed personality.
• The scene kept Hill/Naraku and Shugars/Angels alive.

What didn’t work

• The mist comedy can easily overwhelm the wrestling stories if NXT pushes it too far.
• Neither requested match was officially announced.

Wren Sinclair Is Still Suspended

NXT also showed footage from earlier in the day of Wren Sinclair being removed from the Performance Center because she remains suspended.

That was enough.

The point was continuity, not another ten-minute angle.

Grade: B-

What worked

• NXT did not forget Sinclair’s suspension.
• Wren remained visible without undoing the punishment.
• The segment was quick.

What didn’t work

• Nothing actually changed.

La Catalina & Thea Hail vs. Kelani Jordan & Zaria

The women’s tag match was built around a very simple question: could Thea Hail beat Zaria again?

Yes.

Earlier this month, Hail had already made the NXT Women’s North American Champion submit. Last night, she found another way to beat her.

Hail immediately went after Zaria before Kelani Jordan tagged herself into the match. That early moment helped establish the larger weakness on the champions’ side: Jordan and Zaria were two excellent singles wrestlers sharing a corner, not a polished team.

Hail spent much of the middle portion taking punishment.

Jordan worked her over.

Zaria used her power.

Every attempt to reach La Catalina was delayed.

Then Hail finally created the opening.

Catalina entered hot, hit a missile dropkick and used her speed to throw both champions off balance. The match broke down until Zaria attempted the F-5 on Hail.

Hail countered.

Roll-up.

Three-count.

Thea Hail had beaten Zaria again, this time by pinfall.

That result directly led to Robert Stone making Zaria versus Hail for the NXT Women’s North American Championship official for next week.

That is basic wrestling logic.

Beat the champion.

Get the championship match.

NXT does not need to make everything harder than that.

Grade: B+

What worked

• Hail beating Zaria again gives next week’s title match actual history.
• Catalina looked completely comfortable working alongside NXT’s champions.
• Kelani Jordan remained protected because she did not take the fall.
• Jordan and Zaria’s uneven teamwork gave the loss additional logic.
• The result directly created next week’s championship match.

What didn’t work

• Kelani Jordan remained strangely secondary despite being the NXT Women’s Champion.
• NXT continues relying heavily on champions losing non-title matches to create challengers.

Dorian Van Dux Cannot Compete — EK Prosper Steps In

The six-man tag changed before it happened.

Sean Legacy told Zilla Fatu that Dorian Van Dux had not been medically cleared because of the lung injury.

Van Dux still appeared and insisted he could wrestle.

Legacy shut that down.

His reasoning mattered.

Legacy and Van Dux are entered together in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. One six-man tag was not worth risking his partner being unavailable for the tournament.

EK Prosper then arrived as the replacement.

Simple.

Logical.

No fake mystery.

Grade: B

What worked

• Explained why the advertised lineup changed.
• Legacy came across like a real tag-team partner rather than somebody desperate to fill a television spot.
• Van Dux’s medical status now matters directly to the tournament.
• Prosper entered naturally.

What didn’t work

• Van Dux remaining in the bracket while not medically cleared creates uncertainty that NXT will eventually need to address.

Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox Make It Personal

This was one of the strongest talking segments of the entire show.

Cruz Montana came out and acknowledged reality.

He has not been stacking up victories.

Instead of pretending otherwise, Montana argued that losses have become lessons and made it clear that his NXT Championship ambitions have not disappeared.

He wants whoever survives Grayson Waller versus Mason Rook.

DarkState interrupted.

Dion Lennox started mocking Montana’s position and Montana immediately challenged him to stop hiding behind Cutler James and Osiris Griffin and come deal with him personally.

Then the argument became about more than wrestling.

Montana talked about paying his dues, working for everything he has and building his path through professional wrestling.

He accused Lennox of walking into wrestling only after other opportunities did not work out.

Lennox fired back by attacking Montana’s history.

He dragged Montana’s mother and past mistakes into the discussion, questioned whether Montana deserved the admiration he receives and contrasted Montana’s struggles with Lennox’s belief that he had done everything the right way from the beginning.

That was the line.

Montana started swinging.

The fight spilled away from the ring as officials tried to restore order.

The segment worked because the argument had structure.

Montana believes struggle made him.

Lennox believes Montana gets celebrated for overcoming mistakes Lennox says he never needed to make.

Neither man was simply screaming that he was better.

There was an actual philosophical reason for the hostility.

Grade: A-

What worked

• Montana acknowledged his recent lack of wins instead of ignoring them.
• Lennox showed substantially more personality.
• The conflict was based on two very different paths into wrestling.
• The personal escalation gave the eventual fight a reason to happen.
• The performances felt more natural than a standard turn-taking wrestling promo.

What didn’t work

• Lennox took the material so personally that the eventual payoff now has to justify it.
• A routine television match would feel underwhelming after going that far.

Mason Rook Gets His Open Mic — Hank & Tank Shift Their Focus

Robert Stone told Mason Rook he would have an open microphone later in the show to address Grayson Waller.

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger then joined the conversation, offered Rook encouragement and shifted their attention toward the Dusty Classic.

Hank & Tank made it clear that the tournament is not the time for them to be everybody’s friends.

That is probably the correct direction.

Being likable only takes a tag team so far when the entire division is suddenly competing for one trophy.

Grade: B-

What worked

• Continued building toward the closing Waller/Rook segment.
• Gave Hank & Tank television time before their Dusty Classic match.
• Suggested a slightly more serious edge for the team.

What didn’t work

• Hank & Tank now have to show the change rather than just talk about it.

The Creed Brothers vs. Harley Riggins & Jax Presley — Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round

There was almost no mystery surrounding the winner.

That was not necessarily a problem.

Julius and Brutus Creed are former Dusty Classic winners. Harley Riggins and Jax Presley are still establishing themselves.

The Creeds should have been favored heavily.

Riggins and Presley were at least allowed enough offense to make the match competitive in spots. Riggins brought surprising explosiveness for his size, while Presley helped create an opening when the Creeds briefly collided with one another.

Then Julius and Brutus stopped playing around.

They regained control and finished Presley with their double-team sit-out chokeslam.

The right team advanced.

Now the real work begins.

The Creed Brothers being dangerous in the first round tells us nothing new. If this return to the Dusty Classic is supposed to matter, they eventually need opposition that makes another tournament run feel uncertain.

Grade: C+

What worked

• Correct team advanced.
• The Creeds finished decisively.
• Riggins and Presley were given enough offense to show something.
• The Creeds’ history as former tournament winners gives this run immediate credibility.

What didn’t work

• Almost no suspense around the result.
• The match was more functional than memorable.
• The Creeds will need stronger competition to make their tournament run interesting.

Myles Borne’s Betrayal of Tavion Heights Remains in Focus

NXT replayed Myles Borne turning on Tavion Heights again and targeting Heights’ leg with the steel chair last week.

The important information came afterward.

Myles Borne returns next week.

That gives the recap package an actual purpose rather than simply filling time.

Grade: B-

What worked

• Reminded viewers why Borne’s return matters.
• Re-established the brutality of what he did to Heights.
• Added another hook to next week’s episode.

What didn’t work

• No new development happened last night.

BirthRight vs. Zilla Fatu, Sean Legacy & EK Prosper

This was chaotic almost immediately.

Sean Legacy and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo opened with speed before EK Prosper and Uriah Connors pushed the pace even further.

Then Zilla Fatu entered.

Everything changed.

Fatu ran through BirthRight with raw power, repeatedly throwing bodies around the ring and making Lexis King regret almost every interaction with him.

The match eventually became the kind of six-man sprint NXT uses regularly: dives, rapid tags, combination offense and very little downtime.

Prosper produced some of the cleaner high-speed offense.

Legacy brought the aerial threat.

Fatu was the wrecking ball.

BirthRight had one advantage the other side did not.

Arianna Grace.

Grace eventually distracted the referee during the decisive sequence. The confusion left Sean Legacy vulnerable, and BirthRight stole the pin.

The important point is not which move received the three-count.

The important point is that BirthRight needed Grace’s distraction to survive.

For a group that has spent plenty of time talking, the victory mattered.

So did protecting Zilla Fatu.

Grade: B-

What worked

• BirthRight finally got a meaningful result.
• Fatu remained the most physically imposing person in the match.
• Prosper made sense as the late replacement.
• The pace gave the match energy.
• Legacy’s athleticism continued to stand out.

What didn’t work

• The pace became excessive in places.
• Another distraction finish added to a show already containing heavily protected losses.
• The replacement babyface team naturally lacked established chemistry.
• Some exchanges needed more time to breathe.

Lexis King Still Has Not Learned His Lesson With Zilla Fatu

Lexis King confronted Zilla Fatu after the bell.

Fatu responded exactly how everyone should have expected.

King took an uppercut, Fatu prepared to do further damage, and BirthRight had to pull King away.

That was all the segment needed.

Fatu did not need another speech explaining why he wants nothing to do with BirthRight.

His answer was physical.

Grade: B

What worked

• Fatu immediately regained momentum after his team lost.
• King and Fatu still have an obvious singles issue.
• The segment was short.

What didn’t work

• King continuing to provoke someone who repeatedly destroys him is beginning to make him look more reckless than manipulative.

Zaria Gets Thea Hail Next Week — Izzi Dame Keeps Digging

Emily Agard informed Zaria that Robert Stone had made the championship match official.

Next week, Zaria defends the NXT Women’s North American Championship against Thea Hail.

Zaria argued that beating her in a tag match is not the same as beating her when the championship is on the line.

Fair.

Then Izzi Dame appeared.

Footage began playing of Zaria performing in a school production when she was younger.

Zaria was embarrassed and left.

Dame then continued mocking her.

The concept is strange, but there is at least something different happening here.

Dame is not simply jumping Zaria from behind every week.

She is trying to embarrass her.

The question is where it goes.

If the only progression is another increasingly embarrassing video every Tuesday, the story will run out of road quickly.

Grade: B

What worked

• Zaria versus Hail was officially confirmed.
• Zaria gave a logical response to the tag-team loss.
• Dame is attacking Zaria psychologically instead of repeating the same physical angle.
• Zaria now has pressure coming from two different directions.

What didn’t work

• The school footage was intentionally goofy.
• Dame’s ultimate objective still needs greater clarity.
• The story could become comedy if NXT keeps escalating the embarrassing footage without a payoff.

Grayson Waller and Mason Rook Go Face-to-Face

This was the most consequential segment of last night.

Grayson Waller entered wearing a hoodie designed specifically to mock Mason Rook.

Rook came out.

A stagehand tried to give him a microphone.

Waller stopped it.

That immediately established the dynamic.

Waller wanted control.

The champion started by saying he returned to NXT to restore prestige to the championship and defend it against the best competition available.

For the moment, Waller admitted that meant Mason Rook.

Then he went to work.

Waller acknowledged Rook’s athletic ability. He admitted that a man Rook’s size should not be able to move the way he does. He even addressed John Cena’s interest in Rook.

That was the good part.

The actual argument was strong: Waller believes Rook has extraordinary physical gifts but lacks the commitment to maximize them.

He called Rook soft.

Lazy.

Complacent.

He said he could see quit in him.

Waller promised to take him into deep water next week until Rook begged for air and gave up.

That is a championship feud.

The problem was everything Waller kept putting around it.

Food jokes.

Weight jokes.

DoorDash jokes.

Another weight joke.

Waller is too good on the microphone to need the same joke six different ways.

Then he finally handed Rook the microphone.

That is when the segment changed.

Rook did not try to beat Waller by becoming another comedian.

He attacked Waller’s position in WWE.

Maybe, Rook suggested, there is a “Theory” behind why Waller is back in NXT.

Maybe Waller did not quite fit “The Vision” on the main roster.

That landed immediately.

WWE’s social coverage pushed the line heavily after the show.

Rook then went further.

He brought up the fact that John Cena knew who he was before he ever reached NXT.

Then he returned the argument to next week.

Waller might be better on the microphone.

Rook does not care.

Once the bell rings and Rook gets his hands around the champion, none of the jokes matter.

That was the promo Rook needed.

He did not have to prove he was a better talker than Grayson Waller.

He needed to prove Waller could not verbally erase him.

He did.

Post-show fan discussion tilted noticeably in Rook’s favor, with much of the conversation focused on how much more comfortable he looked in a major speaking role.

That is probably the biggest victory Rook could have scored one week before the actual championship match.

Grade: A-

What worked

• Mason Rook delivered the strongest major promo of his NXT run.
• The Theory/Vision line gave the segment its memorable moment.
• Waller’s central criticism about Rook’s commitment gave the feud substance.
• Waller acknowledged Rook’s legitimate strengths.
• Rook’s closing threat shifted the focus back toward the fight.
• WWE’s social clips gave the confrontation significant attention.
• Rook left the segment looking more credible than he entered it.

What didn’t work

• Waller leaned far too heavily on food and weight jokes.
• The jokes became repetitive enough to weaken otherwise strong material.
• Waller’s actual argument was much better than the cheap shots surrounding it.

Fan Reaction, WWE Social Media and Outside Coverage

The online conversation around last night generally centered around the right things.

WWE pushed Cody Rhodes launching the Dusty Classic, Dar and Moreno advancing, Reina Volcan’s return, Cruz Montana going after DarkState, BirthRight’s six-man victory and the major Waller/Rook lines.

The opening Dusty Classic match received some of the most consistent praise.

Mason Rook’s promo was another major talking point.

Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox also drew attention because their confrontation felt less like two wrestlers waiting for their turn to speak and more like two people who actually disliked what the other represented.

Outside coverage was more divided on the episode as a whole.

Some reviews praised the story progression and the tag-team wrestling. Others were much harder on the developmental roughness, protected finishes and uneven middle portion of the episode.

Both assessments have something behind them.

Last night was not a great show from beginning to end.

It had a very good opener, two strong talking segments and several stories that clearly progressed.

It also had sloppy exchanges, multiple distraction-based outcomes and stretches that felt like groundwork rather than destination television.

Road to NXT Halloween Havoc

Halloween Havoc takes place Saturday, October 31.

There is still plenty of television between now and then.

There is also WWE/AAA/NXT Worlds Collide this Saturday, meaning not every current NXT story is automatically being built directly to Halloween Havoc.

That distinction matters.

What last night did was establish several stories that could survive long enough to become part of the Halloween Havoc picture.

The NXT Championship situation changes next week when Grayson Waller defends against Mason Rook.

Cruz Montana has already made it clear that he wants whoever emerges from that match.

The NXT Women’s North American Championship also moves next week when Zaria defends against Thea Hail. Hail has already beaten Zaria twice in September, while Izzi Dame continues hovering around the champion.

The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic should control a major portion of the tag-team division throughout October.

BirthRight finally has momentum.

Zilla Fatu and Lexis King remain unfinished.

Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox have gone from philosophical disagreement to a deeply personal problem.

Myles Borne returns next week with Tavion Heights still hanging over everything he does.

NXT does not need a complete Halloween Havoc card on September 22.

It needs enough strong stories that the eventual card does not feel thrown together.

Last night helped.

Best Match & Segment of the Night

Best Match: Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno vs. Los Americanos — Grade: A-

Nothing else matched it.

The opener had stakes, structure, escalating near falls, strong tag-team psychology, a hot closing stretch and a clean upset that immediately changed the Dusty Classic bracket.

Best Segment: Grayson Waller and Mason Rook — Grade: A-

Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox produced the more personal confrontation, but Waller and Rook had the larger immediate consequence.

The biggest question entering the segment was whether Mason Rook could survive opposite Grayson Waller on the microphone.

He did more than survive.

For the first time, next week’s NXT Championship match feels like it has two personalities driving it instead of Waller doing all the talking.

What was announced for next week’s WWE NXT

• Grayson Waller (c) vs. Mason Rook (NXT Championship)
• Zaria (c) vs. Thea Hail (NXT Women’s North American Championship)
• Fraxiom vs. DarkState (Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round)
• BirthRight vs. Mini Vikingo & Chazz “Starboy” Hall (Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round)
• Myles Borne returns

Current Updated Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

Left Side

• BirthRight — Uriah Connors & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo vs. Mini Vikingo & Chazz “Starboy” Hall — First Round
• The winner advances to face NXT Tag Team Champions The Vanity Project
• Fraxiom vs. DarkState (First Round)
• Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno defeated Los Americanos (ADVANCED)
• Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno will face the winner of Fraxiom vs. DarkState
• NXT Tag Team Champions The Vanity Project received a first-round bye

Right Side

• Tokyo Bad Boys — Kento & Takuma vs. Sean Legacy & Dorian Van Dux (First Round)
• The winner advances to face AAA World Tag Team Champions El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. & Galeno
• The Creed Brothers defeated Harley Riggins & Jax Presley (ADVANCED)
• Shido Ash & Viktor Zanov vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger (First Round)
• The Creed Brothers will face the winner of Shido Ash & Viktor Zanov vs. Hank & Tank
• AAA World Tag Team Champions El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. & Galeno received a first-round bye

The unresolved issue is Dorian Van Dux.

Van Dux remains part of the official bracket with Sean Legacy against the Tokyo Bad Boys, but last night established that he is not currently medically cleared.

Until NXT changes the bracket, Legacy and Van Dux remain the scheduled team.

Final Thoughts

Last night’s WWE NXT was at its best when it stopped trying to complicate things.

Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno beat Los Americanos clean and immediately made the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic less predictable.

Thea Hail beat Zaria again, so she gets the championship match.

BirthRight found a way to win when the group badly needed one.

Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox finally found a reason to genuinely dislike each other.

Mason Rook stood across from one of WWE’s strongest talkers and did not get swallowed alive.

Those are straightforward developments.

They are also effective ones.

The biggest problem remains consistency.

Skylar Raye and Kali Armstrong were uneven.

The Creed Brothers’ match had almost no genuine suspense.

Several finishes relied on interference, distractions or other layers of protection.

Kelani Jordan continues to feel strangely secondary despite holding the NXT Women’s Championship.

And Grayson Waller’s strongest criticism of Mason Rook was almost buried underneath repetitive weight jokes.

But the important stories moved.

The Dusty Classic already has its first upset.

Next week has two championship matches.

Two more tournament matches will reshape the bracket.

Myles Borne returns.

Dorian Van Dux’s medical status leaves another section of the tournament uncertain.

And Mason Rook enters the biggest match of his NXT career with more credibility than he had when last night began.

That is a productive episode without pretending it was a perfect one.

Overall Show Grade: B

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