It was revealed at last night’s WWE NXT TV tapings from Center Stage in Atlanta that the 2018 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will feature 8 teams. 3 matches were taped on Friday, leaving 1 more first round match to be taped at an upcoming NXT live event or the TV tapings at Full Sail University on March 7th, which will be the final tapings before Takeover.
The confirmed teams that worked first round matches at Friday’s tapings were The Authors of Pain (Akam, Rezar), TM-61 (Shane Thorne, Nick Miller), The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins, Montez Ford), Heavy Machinery (Tucker Knight, Otis Dozovic), SAnitY (Alexander Wolfe, Eric Young), Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss. The final first round match should feature The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler, Wesley Blake) and one other team to be revealed.
The first tournament matches for the third annual Dusty Classic should begin airing with the March 7th NXT episode on the WWE Network.
It still looks like the finals will be held at “Takeover: New Orleans” on Saturday, April 7th from the Smoothie King Center during WrestleMania 34 Week. WWE could do the big trophy ceremony at Axxess on WrestleMania Sunday with members of the Rhodes family, including Goldust.
Below is a spoiler look at the brackets after this week’s tapings:
First Round
* The Authors of Pain defeated TM-61
* The Street Profits defeated Heavy Machinery
* SAnitY defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss
* The Forgotten Sons vs. TBA
