WWE NXT: The finals for the Dusty Classic are set

Both the men’s and women’s Dusty Classic finals are set heading into NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day. 

NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day is coming on Sunday, from the WWE Network. But before that action occurs, there is still a lot to fight for on Wednesday’s edition on WWE NXT. The final slots for the men’s and women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic are up for grabs with some of the best teams on the brand fighting it out for the slot. Plus, NXT champion Finn Balor and Pete Dunne are going to come face-to-face before their battle at the network special.

MSK and Legado del Fantasma were up first, in the first semi-final matchup of the night. The two teams started off exchanging grappling holds between Wes Lee and Joaquin Wilde, with neither man ending in a dominant position. Carter and Raul Mendoza were in the same situation until some tag team action from MSK gave them the advantage.

All four men picked up the pace, trying to one-up each other but neither team found a way to pick up an early victory. Legado del Fantasma had the most success early, until Lee tagged back into the match to swing things in their direction. Legado del Fantasma continued to pour it on, but MSK would not go away, hitting the assisted blockbuster for the finish and the win.

Xia Li was out next to continue her conquest of the NXT women’s division. Li needed only 45 seconds to destroy yet another competitor on the roster.

Moon and Blackheart Advance

Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart were out next to face Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell to make their way into the finals of the tourney. Blackheart and Moon were off to a positive start, but Hartwell’s presence quickly changed all of that. With Blackheart isolated, LeRae and Hartwell started picking her apart.

Once Moon got back into the ring, her offense and hot tags with Blackheart changed things in their favor. A tag team maneuver from LeRae and Hartwell sent Moon outside onto Blackheart, putting Moon on the defensive. Things broke down in the ring, but Hartwell and LeRae remained in control, picking up the pace of their offense. Hartwell sacrificed herself, taking the Senton Bomb from LeRae but it cost the team as she was the legal woman and pinned for her trouble.

Kushida and Austin Theory were out next, and they did not waste any time to start brawling. Kushida and Theory tried to batter each other, but Kushida was the better man all the way through as he heads for a title shot at the North American belt on Sunday.

Theory was finally able to slow Kushida down, grinding the pace to a slow crawl. Theory was rolling, but there was nothing he could do to stop Kushida’s momentum late in the match. Kushida looked like he was about to break Theory’s arm before Gargano stepped in, causing the disqualification.

The main event of the evening featured the Grizzled Young Veterans against Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher.

The four men erupt into a brawl before the match even starts, but things finally get into the ring to start the actual match. GYV were off to the early advantage in this match as Thatcher was isolated on the wrong side of the ring. They would even punish Ciampa on the outside of the ring, setting the tone for the rest of the match. That left Thatcher to fight by himself against two men and it was not going his way.

Ciampa was finally back to his feet and got the hottest of hot tags. Ciampa went on a one-man rampage, swinging the momentum in their favor for as long as he could. However, he still ate the Ticket to Mayhem, allowed the Grizzled Young Veterans to make it to the finals of the Dusty Classic for the second year in a row.

WWE NXT Results

• MSK defeated Legado del Fantasma via pinfall.
• Xia Li wins in another squash match.
• Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon defeated Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae via pinfall
• Kushida defeated Austin Theory via disqualification
• Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Ciampa and Thatcher via pinfall