The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic final is set for the Wednesday edition of WWE NXT, with Romeo Moreno and Noam Dar scheduled to face Hank Walker and Tank Ledger after both teams survived difficult semifinal matches.
Moreno and Dar earned their place in the championship match by defeating NXT Tag Team Champions The Vanity Project, Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes. In the other semifinal, Hank Walker and Tank Ledger defeated AAA World Tag Team Champions El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno. The two winning teams now move one step away from claiming one of NXT's most established tournament honors.
The final presents an especially intriguing contrast. Moreno and Dar enter after taking down the NXT tag champions in a chaotic contest that tested their resilience and ability to stay connected despite an extended effort to isolate Dar. Walker and Ledger, meanwhile, had to overcome a decorated international tandem whose explosiveness and size created a major challenge throughout their semifinal.
Moreno and Dar upset The Vanity Project
The first semifinal carried additional tension before the match had even properly unfolded. The Vanity Project had previously attempted to injure Dar at an NXT live event, creating a clear point of vulnerability for the champions to target when the bell rang.
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Baylor and Smokes worked to prevent Moreno and Dar from building momentum together. Their strategy centered on keeping Dar away from his partner, and they found success early by taking Dar down on the outside near the ring steps. The attack gave the champions control and reinforced the concern surrounding Dar after the earlier incident.
Dar eventually reached Moreno, and the change in pace was immediate. The veteran responded with a burst of offense and looked to catch Smokes quickly with a rollup. The Vanity Project, however, remained dangerous even when momentum appeared to be shifting. Baylor dropped Dar across the back of his knee, driving Dar's neck into a painful position and again attempting to neutralize him.
Rather than being finished, Dar continued fighting through the punishment. The semifinal increasingly broke down as both teams scrambled for an opening, with the action becoming disorganized enough that partners were knocked down in the confusion. That instability ultimately proved costly for The Vanity Project.
Baylor and Smokes connected with their Hit It and Quit It combination and appeared close to advancing, but Moreno interrupted the pinfall. He then avoided the same move when it was aimed in his direction, keeping his team alive at the decisive moment.
Moreno and Dar capitalized on the opening with a pair of spinning backfists to Smokes. Dar made the cover and secured the three-count, ending the champions' run in the tournament and sending his team to the final.
The result is significant on multiple levels. Moreno and Dar did not simply advance over an established NXT team; they defeated the reigning NXT Tag Team Champions. While the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic has its own prize and prestige, a tournament victory over the division's titleholders provides a major statement about the contenders' potential within the tag team landscape.
Hank and Tank outlast AAA champions
Walker and Ledger faced a completely different kind of obstacle in El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno. The Wagner Brothers arrived in the semifinal as AAA World Tag Team Champions, bringing championship credentials and a highly physical approach that put Hank and Tank under pressure from the outset.
Galeno set the tone early, overpowering both Walker and Ledger. The brothers also displayed the kind of synchronized offense that has helped them reach championship status, with Galeno aiding Wagner Jr. as he launched himself over the top rope to take down their opponents on the floor.
The early advantage continued when Galeno delivered standing splashes to both members of Hank and Tank. Walker and Ledger rallied, though, and landed a double-team move on Wagner Jr. that nearly ended the match. Galeno had to break up the cover, showing just how narrow the margin had become.
The AAA champions answered with an impressive sequence of their own. Wagner Jr. connected with a moonsault onto Walker, and Galeno followed with a frog splash. It looked like the combination could secure their spot in the final, but Ledger made the save before the pinfall could be completed.
That intervention became the turning point. Walker and Ledger regrouped and targeted Galeno with shoulder tackles before both men climbed to the ropes. They hit double splashes on Galeno, and Ledger covered him for the victory.
For Hank and Tank, the win represents a major tournament breakthrough. Beating a team carrying the AAA World Tag Team Championship is a notable accomplishment regardless of the setting, and doing so under the pressure of a Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic semifinal adds further weight to the result. Their ability to absorb the Wagner Brothers' attacks, recover from near falls, and execute their finishing sequence at the right time allowed them to advance.
A final built on momentum and survival
The tournament's final will bring together two teams that reached this stage through very different matches but with similar traits: persistence, timely teamwork, and the ability to capitalize when their opponents were vulnerable.
Moreno and Dar will carry the confidence of defeating the NXT Tag Team Champions. Their semifinal showed that they can withstand sustained targeting of Dar and still find a way to create an opening late in a match. Moreno's save after Hit It and Quit It, followed by the team's backfist combination, illustrated how quickly they can turn a match around once they are operating in sync.
Walker and Ledger enter with momentum of their own after overcoming the Wagner Brothers' size, power, and aerial offense. They were repeatedly pushed to the edge by the AAA champions, particularly during the moonsault-and-frog-splash sequence, but their refusal to stay down led directly to their successful comeback.
There is also a clear question of which semifinal victory carries the greater psychological advantage. Moreno and Dar defeated the reigning NXT titleholders, an outcome that naturally puts attention on their standing in the division. Walker and Ledger, however, knocked out a pair of reigning champions from another major promotion, proving they can handle a team with a strong championship pedigree and a powerful physical style.
Neither team will be able to rely solely on the approach that got them through the semifinals. Dar and Moreno must be prepared for the force of Walker and Ledger, who used repeated shoulder tackles and double splashes to finish their previous match. Hank and Tank, in turn, will need to account for the speed and opportunism shown by Moreno and Dar, especially if the final becomes the kind of free-flowing, unpredictable fight that benefited Dar and Moreno against The Vanity Project.
The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic reaches its decisive match
The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic has long provided a spotlight for NXT tag teams looking to establish themselves, and this year's final has been shaped by victories over champions. The Vanity Project and the Wagner Brothers were both eliminated at the semifinal stage, leaving Moreno and Dar and Hank and Tank to determine who completes the tournament run.
For Moreno and Dar, a win would build directly on their upset over Baylor and Smokes and cement their status as a formidable pairing. For Walker and Ledger, the final is an opportunity to turn a hard-fought victory over the Wagner Brothers into a defining achievement.
Wednesday's match will settle which team can take the final step. Moreno and Dar have already shown they can survive adversity and strike with precision when the opening arrives. Hank and Tank have demonstrated that they can endure a physical battle and finish strong against championship-level opposition. With the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic on the line, both teams enter the final with a compelling case to leave NXT with the tournament victory.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.