Two Dusty Classic matches announced for WWE 205 Live
This week’s 205 Live will feature first round action in both the men’s and women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classics.
The first round of the men’s Dusty Classic will conclude with Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher facing Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari on Friday’s 205 Live episode. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell will also face Gigi Dolin (Priscilla Kelly) & Cora Jade (Elayna Black) in a women’s Dusty Classic first round match on the show.
Ciampa & Thatcher teaming together in the men’s Dusty Classic was set up after Thatcher defeated Ciampa in their Fight Pit match in the main event of this week’s NXT. Ciampa & Thatcher are replacing Ashante “Thee” Adonis & Desmond Troy in the tournament. There was an angle where Adonis & Troy were taken out of the Dusty Classic after Adonis lost to Karrion Kross on NXT. Kross also put Troy in the Kross Jacket after the match.
The Ciampa & Thatcher vs Nese & Daivari match will decide who advances to face Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole & Roderick Strong in the men’s Dusty Classic quarterfinals.
Cole & Strong, Kushida & Leon Ruff, and The Grizzled Young Veterans have advanced to the quarterfinals from the left side of the men’s Dusty Classic bracket. MSK, Drake Maverick & Killian Dain, Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado, and Legado Del Fantasma’s Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde have advanced from the right side of the bracket.
Along with Zoey Stark (Lacey Ryan), Dolin & Jade are both new WWE signees. Stark is teaming with Marina Shafir against Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in the first round of the women’s Dusty Classic. The team that wins that match will advance to face either LeRae & Hartwell or Dolin & Jade in the semifinals of the tournament.
The women’s Dusty Classic kicked off with Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter upsetting Toni Storm & Mercedes Martinez on this week’s NXT. Catanzaro & Carter will face either Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez or Aliyah & Jessi Kamea in the semifinals.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.