WWE NXT: Update On Dusty Rhodes Classic & New Contender’s Battle Royal

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The 2024 edition of WWE NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is back starting from the latest weekly episode of NXT where half of the eight confirmed teams battled in two separate matches to advance to the semi-finals.

On the January 9 episode of WWE NXT, the fresh heel pair of Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin overcame their initial differences and defeated former NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus to advance.

Breakker and Corbin have their history since the latter returned to NXT in the 2023 summer. The pair previously competed at NXT No Mercy in September but as of last night, they've now defeated the longest-reigning WWE NXT UK Tag Team Champions in the history.

In the other first-round matchup from the Dusty Classic, the high-flying tandem of Axiom and Nathan Frazer defeated Tank Ledger and Hank Walker to advance to the semi-finals, and they'll face Breakker and Corbin.

Two more Dusty Cup Tournament Match have been announced for next week where Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams will square off against Edris Enofe and Malik Blade while LWO will battle NXT residents Chase U.

In more news from the latest episode of NXT, the reigning Women's Champion Lyra Valkyria was in attendance for a promo session where she claimed to be ending 2024 with the gold shining bright around her shoulder.

Valkyria also announced that there will be a 20-woman Battle Royal, next week. The final four in that match will then be inserted into a Fatal-4-Way encounter with the winner facing her for the Title at NXT Vengeance Day in February.

Lola Vice and Elektra Lopez interrupted Valkyria to remind her that Vice still has her Women's Breakout Tournament Contract in possession to cash in. Valkyria reminded Vice of her MMA career and that she wants to fight her like a real woman.

Valkyria eventually challenged Vice to a title match and a referee showed up on the ramp, but Lopez took a cheap shot at her. Vice and Lopez pounced on Valkyria, but Tatum Paxley ran down to even the odds.

Soon after this segment was over, it was announced that the babyface team of Valkyria and Paxley would team up against Vice and Lopez in a tag team action. With that, the January 16 episode of the NXT match card stands as follows:

• Women's Number-One Contender Battle Royal Match featuring 20 participants
• Dusty Cup Tournament Match: Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams vs. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade
• Dusty Cup Tournament Match: LWO vs. Chase U
• Lyra Valkyria & Tatum Paxley vs. Lola Vice & Elektra Lopez