NXT’s Grizzled Young Veterans Move On To Men’s Dusty Cup Semi-Finals

The next matchup in the Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarter-Finals featured Kushida and Leon Ruff taking on the Grizzled Young Veterans, and both sides felt it was their time to shine heading into the battle. The Vets taunted the relatively new team before even getting into the ring, calling them out for their lack of experience, and they seemed quite high on the fact that they had eliminated Kushida last time around. Kushida wasn’t having it though and went to work on Zack, though Drake slyly got in the mix and broke up that momentum.

Eventually, Drake got into the match and was doing quite well, but Ruff would change all that with a series of amazing evasions and hopping across the ropes that left Drake reeling. Kushida and Ruff then teamed up and did even more damage to Drake’s arm, and Ruff continued the assault with a big hurricanrana after another tap-dancing all over the top rope.

Ruff tried to lock in Drake and get the tag to Kushida, but Drake blocked it and bought him some space, and used it to hit Kushida off the side of the ring. The Vets lifted up Ruff for a slam but he flipped over them and got to Kushida who came in and hit the Vets with punches while Ruff perched on the top rope, following it up with a huge dropkick and a pin that almost got the win but just fell short.

When we came back from commercial break Ruff and Drake were going at it, and Ruff looked like he was in control but he was knocked to the outside and Gibson capitalized. Gibson got Ruff back into the center of the ring and lifted Ruff but Ruff evaded again and sent Gibson hard to the mat. Ruff reached for Kushida but Drake got ahold of Ruff and kept him away, and with an elbow, to Drake’s face he managed to get the tag.

Kushida went on a flurry of offense, including a cartwheel and a slick dropkick, but Drake got Kushida back into their corner and Gibson locked Kushida into a hold, though Kushida went for a submission and almost locked it in. Gibson broke out before it was all locked in and hit Kushida in the neck with double chops. He was then hit with a Doomsday Device but somehow kicked out of the pin.

The Vets attempted to hit Kushida with another move but Kushida bounced off the ropes and knocked both down, giving him the room to tag Ruff. Ruff went diving into Drake and then smacked Gibson down, but before Gibson could be hit with Ruff’s top rope dive Drake pulled him out. Drake then dropkicked Kushida and Gibson hit Ruff right in the center of the ring, and that was enough for the pin.

They will now take on the winners of the match between Undisputed Era and Ciampa and Thatcher.

Ruff and Kushida were then attacked by Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory of The Way, though their attack was also interrupted by Dexter Lumis, and we’ll have to wait and see what materializes from his presence.

You can find the official description for tonight’s NXT below.

NXT Champion Finn Bálor will team up with rival Kyle O’Reilly to battle NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch. Elsewhere, the Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic continues with two more bouts, while Raquel González & Dakota Kai battle Aliyah & Jessi Kamea in Women’s Dusty Cup action. Catch it all tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network!

Here is what’s on deck for tonight’s NXT.

Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez vs Aliyah and Jessi Kamea (Women’s Dusty Rhodes Classic)

Wes Lee and Nash Carter (MSK) vs Drake Maverick and Killian Dain (Men’s Dusty Rhodes Classic)

Leon Ruff and Kushida vs Zack Gibson and James Drake (Grizzled Young Veterans) (Men’s Dusty Rhodes Classic)

NXT Champion Finn Balor and Undisputed ERA’s Kyle O’Reilly vs NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch

What did you think of tonight’s NXT? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things NXT with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!