The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic field got a little smaller during WWE NXT for September 22, 2026, as the second team officially punched its ticket to the next round. The Creed Brothers defeated Harley Riggins and Jax Presley, joining Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno as the first two teams to advance in this year’s tournament.
Julius and Brutus Creed weren’t interested in easing into this one. Julius jumped Presley from behind as the match got underway, while Brutus quickly sent Riggins flying with a back body drop. Presley and Riggins weren’t going down without a fight. Presley rocked Brutus with a big boot and clothesline before tossing both Creed Brothers around, while Riggins eventually got the tag and came in hot with a big boot, double dropkick and a flying attack on Julius.
Things nearly went sideways for the Creeds when Brutus accidentally nailed Julius with a Brutus Bomb after Riggins moved out of the way. That mistake gave Riggins and Presley a chance to steal the match, but the Creeds recovered before it could cost them their spot in the tournament. Brutus knocked Presley off the top rope, and Julius followed by launching Riggins with a German Suplex. From there, The Creed Brothers hit their finishing combination on Riggins and scored the three-count.
The victory makes Julius and Brutus Creed the second team to officially advance in the 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno became the first earlier in the night after eliminating Los Americanos.
The Creed Brothers came into the Dusty Classic with plenty of expectations, and they’ve now cleared their first hurdle. One win is in the books, but they’ll need to keep surviving if they want to make it all the way through the tournament and claim the trophy.
Do you think The Creed Brothers have what it takes to go all the way in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
