Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic returning, will begin at NXT tapings

Image: FLWrestlingFan

After taking a year off in 2017, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is set to return to NXT.

The tournament will begin at tonight’s television tapings in Atlanta. Mike Rome officially announced that at the end of last night’s tapings, which came after Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler (who have new gear and are going by the name “The Forgotten Sons”) announced earlier in the night that they would be entering the tournament.

Finn Balor & Samoa Joe won the inaugural Dusty Classic in 2015, with them defeating Baron Corbin & Rhyno in the finals at TakeOver: Respect. The Authors of Pain won the tournament in 2016 by beating TM61 in the finals at TakeOver: Toronto.

The Dusty Classic was created to honor Rhodes after his death and to celebrate his life and the work he did in NXT. Both the 2015 and 2016 tournaments were single-elimination and had a 16-team field.

Following tonight’s show at Center Stage, NXT will return to Full Sail University for tapings on March 7th. Those will be the final tapings before WrestleMania weekend, and TakeOver: New Orleans on April 7th would appear to be a possibility for when the Dusty Classic finals will take place.