The February 8 SyFy edition of NXT 2.0 featured a surprise appearance from a former WWE World Heavyweight Champion as well as two awesome Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic semi-final matches. There's still a lot of room for improvement, particularly in terms of pacing, but the show continues to find its feet and refine its vibe.
Winners: The Creed Brothers
In a great opener, rookie tag team The Creed Brothers advanced to the final round of the 2022 men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic with a momentous victory over two-time Dusty Classic finalists The Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson). It was only the 12th match in the brief careers of Brutus and Julius Creed, but they performed like a team with much more experience. It helped that they were working with Gibson and Drake, who are just fantastic and really deserve a lot more than WWE has given them to date.
Later in the show, MSK defeated Malik Blade & Edris Enofe to advance to the final, where they will do battle with the hungry Creed Brothers.
Loser: Tiffany Stratton's Dad
On last week's NXT 2.0, Wendy Choo stole Tiffany Stratton's dad's credit card. This week, she arrived at the Performance Center with a bunch of new stuff. Clearly, Mr. Stratton didn't cancel it in time, but maybe he has had fraud insurance.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler Confronts Bron Breakker
In a really fun segment, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler made his NXT 2.0 debut and confronted Bron Breakker, who's been talking smack on social media. Read all about that segment here.
Ziggler's NXT 2.0 appearance comes just a few weeks after AJ Styles gave the rub to Grayson Waller and made the young Aussie look like a million bucks by beating him. Breakker is already over, and he doesn't necessarily need any shine from Dolph, but we're excited to see them go at it.
Loser: Dakota Kai
Sarray's push continued as the joshi dynamo defeated NXT stalwart, Dakota Kai, in an okay match.
Dakota Kai is a phenomenal in-ring performer with heaps of charisma and WWE did her dirty by saddling her with this "crazy chick" gimmick. She's doing the best with what she's been given, but the gimmick is holding her back.
Winners: Kay Lee Ray & Io Shirai Stand Tall
With Zoey Stark still recovering from a leg injury, Io Shirai needed a new partner for the Women's Dusty Classic, and it would appear that she has found the perfect candidate in Kay Lee Ray.
Kay Lee Ray lost to Mandy Rose in the main event thanks to interference from Jacy Jane and Gigi Dolin. The three Toxic Attraction members attacked KLR after the bell, but Io made the save. Io and KLR cleared the ring and stood tall as the show went off the air.
Full Results And Noteworthy Moments
- The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed & Julius Creed) (w/Malcolm Bivens, Ivy Nile, & Roderick Strong) def. The Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) via pinfall to advance to the finals of the Dusty Classic
- While being interviewed backstage, Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez were interrupted by
- Wendy Choo and Amari Miller were shown arriving at the PC after going on a shopping spree with Tiffany Stratton's dad's credit card. Wendy threw the credit card in the trash
- Tiffany Stratton def. Wendy Choo via pinfall with a twisting springboard splash
- Joe Gacy and Harland approached Draco Anthony in the locker room and attempted to recruit him
- While being interviewed backstage, Pete Dunne vowed to bring an end to his feud with Tony D'Angelo in a Cage Match at Vengeance Day next week. Draco Anthony approached Dunne and offered his hand as a sign of respect. Dunne rejected and walked out to the ring
- Pete Dunne def. Draco Anthony via pinfall with a Bitter End
- Tony D'Angelo tried to ambush Dunne after the bell, but Dunne snapped Tony D's fingers. Dunne then threw a bunch of weapons in the ring then got in the ring and challenged D'Angelo to a WEAPONIZED Steel Cage Match
- Backstage, Io Shirai & Zoey Stark discussed finding Io a new partner for the Dusty Cup
- Backstage, Wendy Choo caught Dakota Kai rummaging through the clothes Wendy had purchased with Tiffany Stratton's dad's credit card. Kai warned Choo that she wouldn't be able to buy victories in the ring
- LA Knight def. Sanga via pinfall with a neckbreaker after Sanga ran into the turnbuckle that Grayson Waller exposed
- Waller ambushed Knight after the bell, but Knight got the upper hand and laid Waller out. Sanga chased Knight away as the segment ended
- Wade Barrett moderated a contract signing between Santos Escobar and Bron Breakker, Dolph Ziggler arrived. Ziggler confronted Breakker regarding his Twitter trash talk. Tommaso Ciampa arrived and said he was next in line after Escobar. Ciampa and Ziggler started fighting, Escobar and Legado put Breakker through the table
- While angrily leaving the PC, Grayson Waller said that LA Knight violated the restraining order and would be arrested at Vengeance Day
- Sarray def. Dakota Kai via pinfall with a Saito Suplex
- In a barbershop, Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams discussed Cameron Grimes' lack of accolades
- Backstage, Josh Briggs was encouraged by Brooks Jensen to ask Kayden Carter out on a date, but it didn't go according to plan as Kayden and Kacy Catanzaro thought Briggs and Jensen wanted to hang out as friends
- MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) def. Malik Blade & Edris Enofe via pinfall with their double team finisher to advance to the Dusty Classic finals
- A Cameron Grimed hype vignette aired
- Mandy Rose def. Kay Lee Ray via pinfall with a running knee strike following interference from Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jane
- After the bell, Toxic Attraction beat down KLR but Io Shirai made the save. It seems that Io and KLR will be partners in the women's Dusty Classic