With Austin Aries not being medically cleared to compete, this Dusty Classic Second Round Match turns into a singles showdown to see whether TM61 or Aries & Roderick Strong move on to the next round. Video courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
TM61 was supposed to face Austin Aries & Roderick Strong in their Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Second Round Match, but The Greatest Man that Ever Lived suffered a freak injury he described as a “broken eye hole,” preventing him from competing.
General Manager William Regal corroborated Aries’ injury and subsequently proposed that either Nick Miller or Shane Thorne battle Strong in a singles match to decide which team moves on to the next round. Amid Thorne and Strong’s hard-hitting slugfest, Aries got up on the ring apron to distract the referee after his partner seemed down for the count. While this paid immediate dividends, the move ultimately backfired. Miller confronted Aries outside the ring, prompting Strong to dropkick him. However, the distraction also allowed Thorne to roll up the distracted Strong for the win.