Fandango talks Dusty Rhodes and Tag Team Classic which opens Wednesday on ‘NXT’ on USA

Talk about longevity, Fandango, 39, has been with WWE since 2006.

To last that long is some accomplishment, and he continues to improve, like a fine wine, getting better with age.

As part of Breezango, he and Tyler Breeze made the most of a challenging 2020 by winning NXT tag team gold and black.

Breezango beat Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) for those NXT tag team titles on an August episode of “NXT” on USA Network.

Perseverance to its core, it marked Fandango’s first title in WWE.

Fast forward to 2021, Breezango is former NXT tag champs, looking to make another mark. This time in the sixth version of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Named after the late, great American Dream Dusty Rhodes, who helped so many through the ranks of FCW and the Performance Center, the Classic will drop kickoff Wednesday during “NXT” on USA Network..

Fandango is one of those top stars branching from the Dusty Rhodes learning tree. What better way to pay homage to the American Dream than by participating in the tournament bearing his name.

Breezango faces Adam Cole and Roderick Strong of Undisputed Era to jump-start the tournament on Wednesday. Quite the matchup, this contest has the makings of an outstanding battle.

Ever-Rise (Chase Parker and Matt Martel) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake and Zack Gibson) is another Dusty Rhodes Classic bout on Wednesday’s show.

The Classic will also feature August Grey and Curt Stallion, The Bollywood Boyz (Samir and Sunil Singh), Drake Maverick and Killian Dain, Jake Atlas and Isiah “Swerve” Scott, Kushida and Leon Ruff, The Way (Austin Theory and Johnny Gargano), Legado del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde), and Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel).

Here is my audio interview with NXT’s Fandango as he discusses Dusty Rhodes, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, NXT, Breezango, Tyler Breeze, Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, dancing, video games, UpUpDownDown and more.

Debuting in 1999, Fandango is from Portland, Maine. He was trained by the late, great Killer Kowalski, who also trained many others including Tommaso Ciampa, Damien Sandow, Chyna, Chris Nowinski, Perry Saturn, Big John Studd, and Triple H.

Fandango (as Johnny Curtis) is a two-time FCW tag champ under the WWE banner with Tyler Reks and Derrick Bateman.

“NXT” is 8 p.m. Wednesdays on USA Network.

Fandango on Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wwefandango

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwefandango/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WWEFandango/

Bio: https://www.wwe.com/superstars/fandango

https://www.foxsports.com/articles/wwe/the-dusty-rhodes-tag-team-classic-returns-for-2021

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianmazique/2020/01/02/wwe-releases-potentially-epic-bracket-for-dusty-rhodes-tag-team-classic/?sh=352bd2513236

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Jim Varsallone

Miami Herald

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Jim Varsallone writes a high school sports column twice a week, featuring top performers in all varsity sports (boys and girls) in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. He also covers pro wrestling, something he’s done since his college days in the late 1980s. Now in his fifth decade of coverage, he currently follows WWE (Raw, SmackDown and NXT), AEW, Ring of Honor, TNA Impact Wrestling, MLW, WOW, NWA, and the South Florida indies, mainly CCW. He writes MMA, too -- mostly profile stories and video interviews with American Top Team and Sanford MMA fighters in South Florida. As for pro wrestling, he writes feature stories and profile pieces, updates upcoming show schedules in South Florida, photographs the action and interviews talent (audio and video) -- sharing the content here and via social media on his Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channel: jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel). Support my work with a digital subscription