Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake vs. Lucha Dragons: NXT TakeOver Winner, Reaction

Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake proved Wednesday night that they aren't a flash in the pan, as they successfully retained the NXT Tag Team Championships against The Lucha Dragons at NXT TakeOver: Rival.

After a back-and-forth match, Blake landed a frog splash to retain the titles:

Murphy and Blake shocked the WWE Universe a couple of weeks ago when they defeated Kalisto and Sin Cara for the straps on an episode of NXT. Aside from a victory over The Vaudevillains one week earlier, the unheralded duo hadn't accomplished much on NXT programming prior to their surprising win.

The talented pairing has long been viewed as a potential factor in the tag division, but Murphy and Blake were largely used as enhancement talent to put over other teams. That has suddenly changed, though, as evidenced by what happened at Rival.

While Murphy and Blake retaining Wednesday was somewhat expected, their initial win over The Lucha Dragons wasn't by most. At the same time, the underdog pairing always believed they could reach the top spot in NXT's tag ranks, as seen in this video courtesy of WWE NXT on Twitter:

In fact, Murphy's tweet following their championship triumph suggests that the Aussie and his Texan teammate knew all along they were destined for greatness:

Even back when Murphy and Blake weren't being utilized to their potential, the NXT announce team was always quite complimentary of them. Perhaps that was a sign of bigger and better things to come for them.

In addition to that, much of the other NXT talent has supported them as well. That was apparent after their title win when many, including former WWE Tag Team champion Tyson Kidd, tweeted congratulatory messages:

Perhaps the most shocking aspect of Murphy and Blake beating The Lucha Dragons initially was the fact that WWE had so much confidence in Kalisto and Sin Cara that they allowed them to be the team that ended The Ascension's record-breaking reign as NXT Tag Team champs.

The Lucha Dragons are quite popular due to their gimmick and high-flying offense, but it is clear those in charge of NXT are investing heavily in the ability of Murphy and Blake.

With The Lucha Dragons losing yet again, it stands to reason they could be going their separate ways. Sin Cara has been used often on WWE programming as of late, while Kalisto has plenty to offer as a singles competitor as well.

The focus for Murphy and Blake now shifts toward their next opponents. The NXT tag division is somewhat of a work in progress, but teams like The Vaudevillains and the pairing of Enzo Amore and Big Cass seem like definite possibilities. 

Whatever the case, it is blatantly obvious after their victory at Rival that the future of NXT tag team wrestling rests on the shoulders of Murphy and Blake.

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