The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic was a bracket-style tournament contested on NXT for many years. It was held in 2015 and 2016, then annually from 2018 until 2022, and then again in 2024. No tournament was held in 2017, 2023, or 2025. There have been many great winners, including the Undisputed Era, Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez (now Rodriguez), the Creed Brothers, and, most recently, Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker.
On January 27, 2026, the episode of NXT featured an NXT Tag Team Championship match between DarkState and OTM. The match was good, but it broke down at the end. Interference from the Vanity Project led to a sneaky victory for DarkState and the emptying of the locker room. A brawl erupted, leading to more chaos outside the ring. The best way to resolve this tension is to hold another Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
The Chaos is Too Much for a Simple Match
NXT General Manager Ava could make her job simple by declaring a match for the NXT Tag Team titles. She could suggest a gauntlet match, which will allow each team a fair fight. A ladder match could work as well, as it would make for a great battle. But one thing was noticeable during the brawl. The only team that even touched DarkState was Niko Vance and Shawn Spears.
OTM is rocking and rolling against the champs! 😮💨@Lucien_wwe @BRONCO_WWE pic.twitter.com/DrtwRnWYy0
— WWE (@WWE) January 28, 2026
It’s clear that most of the teams don’t care about the titles. They just care about hurting the other teams in the division. Bringing back the Dusty Cup is a must to resolve their problems. No title will be involved in the tournament, just the cup at the end. The teams will have an outlet to freely beat each other up. Since brawling is the first thing on their mind, a Dusty Cup return would ease the tension.
It Would Allow Main Roster Tag Teams to Receive TV Time
Many main roster wrestlers have been sent down to NXT, particularly in the last couple of years. Instead of it being viewed as a demotion, it allows them to get a fresh character and a restart. Apollo Crews, Baron Corbin, Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose, Mustafa Ali, and many others had great NXT runs after their initial main roster tenures. They also helped out majorly with young wrestlers, getting them ready for the main roster.
With only so much space on television, some people won’t get time to showcase their skills. Bringing them down to NXT for the Dusty Cup would help them immensely. Legado Del Fantasma, the Creed Brothers, and the Motor City Machine Guns haven’t been featured prominently on Raw and SmackDown as of late. Giving them a run in the Dusty Cup would reintroduce them to the viewing audience while potentially revitalizing their WWE careers.
Bringing Back the Dusty Cup is a Great Idea
The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic was an annual highlight in NXT for many years. Different tag teams got to showcase their skills while competing for a cup, showcasing one of NXT’s biggest supporters. The NXT men’s tag team division is the deepest that it’s been in years. There’s also a lot of bad blood between all of the teams.
Tuesday’s brawl showed that Ava will have to get creative to clean up their mess. Since they’re not focused on the tag titles, NXT should bring back the Dusty Cup. It will allow the teams to get their anger out while also benefiting the main roster tag teams that rarely appear on Raw and SmackDown. That way, tag team wrestling will be in the spotlight once again in NXT. Bringing back the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is the best way to stop the constant fighting.
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