Blake and Murphy

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{{SMfrom|Wesley Blake|discuss=Talk: Wesley Blake#Expand Wesley Blake's Article from Blake and Murphy|date=June 2024}}

In August 2014, Wesley Blake abandoned his previous cowboy character and formed a tag team with Buddy Murphy. On the August 14 episode of NXT, Blake and Murphy were defeated in the first round of a number one contender tag team tournament by Kalisto and Sin Cara,{{cite web|last1=James|first1=Justin|title=James's WWE NXT report 8/14 Week 111: Neville defends NXT Title vs. Breeze, tournament continues, #1 contender to Women's Title; Overall Reax|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wwenxtreport/article_80200.shtml|website=PWTorch.com|accessdate=January 16, 2015}} later known as The Lucha Dragons. For the rest of 2014, Blake and Murphy lost multiple matches to teams such as the Lucha Dragons and The Vaudevillains (Aiden English and Simon Gotch). Blake and Murphy were once referred to as "Team Thick" in October, but that name was dropped in later episodes.{{cite web|last1=Asher|first1=Matthew|title=NXT: Badda-Bing! Realist chick in the ring Carmella makes her debut|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/10/16/22011956.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141024093321/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/10/16/22011956.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 24, 2014|website=Canoe.ca|publisher=Slam Wrestling|access-date=January 19, 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Justin|first1=Justin|title=James's WWE NXT report 10/23: Neville defends NXT Title against Titus O'Neil, Tyler Breeze, Ascension, more; Overall Reax|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wwenxtreport/article_81430.shtml|website=PWTorch.com|accessdate=January 19, 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Howell|first1=Nolan|title=NXT: Neville gives Zayn another big loss|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/11/13/22070461.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141115033214/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/11/13/22070461.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=November 15, 2014|website=Canoe.ca|publisher=Slam Wrestling|accessdate=January 19, 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Howell|first1=Nolan|title=NXT: Zayn and Neville face-to-face|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/12/04/22113741.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150119080349/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/12/04/22113741.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 19, 2015|website=Canoe.ca|publisher=Slam Wrestling|accessdate=January 19, 2015}} Also in October 2014, Blake and Murphy were involved in a tag-team battle royal to determine the number one contenders to the NXT Tag Team Championship; they were eliminated from the match by The Ascension.{{cite web|last1=Namako|first1=Jason|title=WWE NXT Results - 10/30/14 (O'Neil VS. Zayn II)|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/wwe-news/51456|website=wrestleview.com|accessdate=January 19, 2015}}

On the January 21, 2015 episode of NXT, Blake and Murphy scored their first-ever televised victory by defeating The Vaudevillains.{{cite web|last1=Witner|first1=Emerson|title=WWE NXT TV Report: Adrian Neville vs. Tyson Kidd, Blake/Murphy vs. Lucha Dragons|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/96-wwe-news/40873|website=f4wonline.com|accessdate=January 30, 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Howell|first1=Nolan|title=NXT: NXT Championship contender tourney kicks off|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2015/01/22/22195341.html|website=Canoe.ca|publisher=Slam Wrestling|accessdate=January 30, 2015|archive-date=January 30, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150130082023/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2015/01/22/22195341.html|url-status=usurped}} This led to a title match on the January 28, 2015 episode of NXT (taped on January 15) where Blake and Murphy defeated The Lucha Dragons to win the NXT Tag Team Championship.{{cite web|title=NXT News: Next live special announced, full spoiler results from Thursday's NXT TV tapings|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_News_3/article_82772.shtml|website=PWTorch.com|accessdate=January 16, 2015}}{{cite web|last1=James|first1=Justin|title=WWE NXT Report 1/28 - Week 137: Zayn-Owens contract signing for "Takeover," #1 contender tourney continues, Emma returns, Charlotte in tag action; Overall Reax|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wwenxtreport/article_83016.shtml|website=PWTorch.com|accessdate= January 30, 2015}}

At a January 31 NXT house show, Blake and Murphy were billed without their first names.{{cite web|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/96-wwe-news/41028|title=WWE NXT house show results 1-31-2015: Sami Zayn vs. Adrian Neville, Hideo Itami vs. Tyler Breeze|website=f4wonline.com|accessdate=February 2, 2015 |last1=Meltzer |first1=Dave }} This name change translated to television at NXT TakeOver: Rival, where Blake and Murphy defeated The Lucha Dragons in a rematch for the titles.{{cite web|last1=Meltzer|first1=Dave|title=WWE NXT Takeover Rival results & recap: Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens, Finn Balor vs. Adrian Neville|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/96-wwe-news/41161|website=f4wonline.com|accessdate=13 February 2015}} In March, Blake and Murphy began a rivalry with Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady,{{cite web|last1=Howell|first1=Nolan|title=NXT: Owens runs through Riley|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2015/03/18/22295651.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150406083145/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2015/03/18/22295651.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 6, 2015|website=Canoe.ca|access-date=21 March 2015}} while attempting to woo their valet Carmella on several occasions.{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wwenxtreport/article_84089.shtml#.VVEJSvlViko|title=JAMES' WWE NXT REPORT 3/25 - Week 145: Owens vs. Balor for NXT Title, Sasha Banks defends Women's Title; Overall Reax|author=James, Justin|website=Pro Wrestling Torch|date=March 25, 2015|accessdate=May 11, 2015}} On the May 13 episode of NXT, Blake and Murphy distracted Carmella during her match with Alexa Bliss, causing her to lose.{{cite web|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wwenxtreport/article_84980.shtml#.VVSjVPlViko|title=JAMES'S WWE NXT REPORT 5/13 - Week 161: Owens-Zayn final confrontation before Takeover, Itami & Balor vs. Breeze & Rose main event, Women's champ, more|author=James, Justin|website=Pro Wrestling Torch|date=May 13, 2015|accessdate=May 14, 2015}} At NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, Blake and Murphy defeated Amore and Cassady to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship after interference from Bliss.{{cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/article/93868/live-ongoing-wwe-nxt-takeover-unstoppable-report-finn-balor-versus-tyler-breeze.html?p=1|title=LIVE ONGOING WWE NXT TAKEOVER UNSTOPPABLE REPORT: BAYLEY AND CHARLOTTE VERSUS DANA BROOKE AND EMMA|author=Trionfo, Richard|website=PWInsider|date=May 20, 2015|accessdate=May 20, 2015}} Blake and Murphy lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to The Vaudevillains at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.

Following their championship loss, Blake and Murphy would go on a multi-month losing streak, losing their rematch with The Vaudevillians, while also suffering losses to American Alpha, The Hype Bros, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, and The Ascension. On the May 18 episode of NXT, after losing to Shinsuke Nakamura and Austin Aries, Alexa walked away from Blake and Murphy, leaving the duo and later being called up to WWE's main roster as part of the 2016 WWE Draft. On the June 1 episode of NXT, Murphy would revert to his "Buddy Murphy" ring name in a loss against Tye Dillinger. On the June 15 episode of NXT, Blake and Murphy reunited, but after a miscommunication between the two, they were defeated by TM-61. Again, the two attempted to battle The Hype Bros on the July 6, 2016 episode of NXT, but were interrupted by the returning Rhyno, leading to Murphy walking out on Blake. A scheduled match between Blake and Murphy on the October 12 episode of NXT did not take place as both men were defeated by Samoa Joe. The duo then both ceased to appear regularly on television, Furtherly throughout the beginning of 2018, Murphy made his main roster debut by signing with 205 Live, thus having no chance for the reformation of the team or duo. Blake was eventually released from WWE on April 15, 2021,{{Cite web|date=2021-04-15|title=Samoa Joe, Billie Kay, Mickie James and other Superstars released|url=https://www.wwe.com/article/billie-kay-mickie-james-samoa-joe-superstars-released|access-date=2021-04-15|website=wwe.com|language=en-US}} while Murphy was released on June 2, 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/article/braun-strowman-aleister-black-lana-ruby-riott-murphy-santana-garrett-released|title=Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Lana, and other Superstars released|publisher=WWE|accessdate=June 2, 2021}}

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{{SMfrom|Wesley Blake|discuss=Talk: Wesley Blake#Expand Wesley Blake's Article from Blake and Murphy|date=June 2024}}

File:Blake & Murphy May 2015.jpg in May 2015]]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
• PWI ranked Murphy #116 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2015
• PWI ranked Blake #121 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2015
• WWE
• NXT Tag Team Championship (1 time){{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/titlehistory/nxt-tag-team-championship|title=NXT Tag Team Championship|work=WWE|accessdate=16 February 2020}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Facebook|WWEMurphy}}

{{NXT Tag Team Championship}}

Category:WWE NXT teams and stables