It’s time to throw the tag team rule book out the window. Two of the top tag teams in NXT today want to move past their rivalry and get into the mix for the NXT Tag Team Championships. On one side we have the terrifying duo of Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher, and on the other we have the first ever NXT UK Tag Team Champions in Grizzled Young Veterans. This one is tornado rules, meaning that no tags are needed or rules besides finish in the ring. Whoever wins here will have won this rivalry, and likely earns a shot at MSK.
Grizzled Young Veterans Get No Time To Talk Trash
Before GYV could talk some trash, Thatcher & Ciampa were on them like rabid dogs. They’d drag them to the ring and beat them with clubbing blows before applying some short arm scissors. Drake wanted a rope break, but those don’t count here. GYV would gain the high ground, before Ciampa nailed a double lariat on GYV before being cut down with some quick teamwork.
Thatcher was taken down with a Super Dropkick from Drake, before this one turned into a brawl on the outside. Drake took Thatcher into the ring and ended up in a sleeper hold over the ropes, but Gibson made the save until Ciampa tried to choke him out. GYV were able to fight off this attack, and gain control.
Gibson & Thatcher matched up in the ring before Drake threw Ciampa into the barricade and hit the backdrop/neckbreaker in the ring. Ciampa fired back up and nailed some quick lariats, before throwing Drake into the timekeeper’s area. Gibson joined his partner, and Ciampa nailed a running knee strike to both men.
Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher Continue To Improve As A Team
Throughout a picture in picture break, both teams would trade control as they brawled around ringside. Back to full screen, Thatcher would fight off GYV in the ring, until a dropkick from Gibson set up a Complete Shot from Drake. Drake moved into a Koji Clutch, and Ciampa made the save for his partner.
Ciampa would take a thumb to the eye, and while he recovered: Thatcher went wild with suplexes. A visually impaired Ciampa would accidentally get Thatcher with a big boot, but there were no hard feelings as Thatcher helped him out of a Doomsday Device. Ciampa hit a top rope Air Raid Crash on Drake for a two count.
A brawl on the apron set up another Doomsday Device from GYV, with Drake wiping out Ciampa with a suicide dive. Thatcher might be alone, but he’d fight Gibson in the ring as they trade uppercuts. Gibson countered a single leg crab with an attempt at Shankly Gates, but Thatcher went for a hammerlock.
Drake came back and nailed the dropkick in the corner, and they’d nail a powerbomb into a backstabber, but Ciampa was still alive! He’d save the match, but Ciampa was taken outside and thrown onto the top part of the announce table.
Thatcher fought to his feet as Ciampa was set up on the announce table. Ciampa nailed the Air Raid Crash on the table, taking Gibson out. Drake was chopped in the face by both men, before Fairytale Ending dropped him. Thatcher grabbed an ankle lock, and Ciampa a Fujiwaru Armbar, and this was over.
We all knew this was going to be an insanely physical match, and these teams delivered in a big way. Ciampa & Thatcher took the best GYV had to offer, but were able to pick them off in the end. A dual submission finisher is rare but effective, and suited this chaotic match well. Match Rating: 3.75/5 (*** 3/4)
Can MSK outlast Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get TheOvertimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
Remember to stay up to date with the latest news on TheOvertimer. Don’t forget to visit Gamestingr for great videos, news, and gameplay!
