WWE announces new signings, gives them new names & adds them to bracket for Women’s Dusty Classic

Heading into the first match of the first ever Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament on the Jan. 20 edition of NXT, we only knew of four teams and that one match-up.

Questions about total number of teams and who else would be in the field remained. We also didn’t know who was facing off on 205 Live this Friday.

Most of those questions were answered on The Bump this morning when the bracket was revealed. But there was more news beyond just the possible paths to the Cup...

Priscilla Kelly, who competed in the second Mae Young Classic tournament, appeared on a 2020 episode of AEW Dynamite, and is the ex-wife of that company’s TNT champion Darby Allin, is probably the most well known name. But all three have been active in televised/streaming promotions, with Lacey Ryan wrestling on Impact & UWN Primetime Live in the past year, and Elayna Black on AEW Dark & various Gamechanger Wrestling shows.

The newly rechristened Cora Jade (Black) and Gigi Dolin (Kelly) will team in the Dusty. Zoey Stark (Ryan) will be paired with MMA Horsewoman Marina Shafir. Shafir’s regular partner Jessamyn Duke has been out of action since revealing she underwent two elbow surgeries in early 2020.

Here’s a look at the entire eight-team bracket:

WWE.com

Fill ‘em out and follow along with the action when it starts tonight with Mercedes Martinez & Toni Storm vs. Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter.

Share your picks in the comments below, too. I’m going with Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon/Raquel González & Dakota Kai final, but if you follow our PPV predictions posts, you know that’s probably wrong.

And welcome Dolin, Jade & Stark to the NXT family... while also weighing in on their WWE names, of course!