2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic brackets revised after WWE NXT announcement for October 13, 2026

On the October 6 edition of WWE NXT, the 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic resumed as BirthRight (Lexis King & Charlie Dempsey) and Hank & Tank (Hank Walker & Tank Ledger) won the final two first-round matches.

BirthRight defeated Tokyo Bad Boys (Kento & Takuma), and Hank & Tank beat Shido Ash and Viktor Zanov to secure the last available spots in the tournament’s second round; the October 6 show completed the opening round.

Two teams received first-round byes: NXT Tag Team Champions the Vanity Project (Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes) and AAA World Tag Team Champions the Wagner Brothers (El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. & Galeno).

WWE has confirmed quarter-final pairings and other matches for the October 13 edition of NXT, with the Vanity Project set to face Mini Vikingo & Chazz ‘Starboy’ Hall and Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno scheduled to meet Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer & Axiom). The promotion posted: "Announced for #WWENXT next week!• Tony D'Angelo vs. Myles Borne – #1 Contenders match for the NXT Title• Dusty Classic quarter-final – Vanity Project vs Chazz 'Starboy' Hall & Mini Vikingo– Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno vs Fraxiom • Saquon Shugars vs Tristan Angels pic.twitter.com/nn4svGc3Bv"

The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic was established in 2015 as a tribute to Dusty Rhodes and returns in 2026 after a one-year gap since 2024. The 2024 men's tournament was won by Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker (known as The Wolf Dogs), who defeated Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams in the final, and the Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) won the seventh edition in 2022; a total of 14 tag teams will compete, drawn from WWE’s Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and Evolve brands and from AAA.

The tournament’s second round will begin on the October 13 edition of WWE NXT and will include the quarter-final matches listed above.