Vanity Project Upset Darkstate For WWE NXT Tag Titles

Vanity Project dethroned Dark State, albeit with the help of Tony D'Angelo, to become NXT Tag Team Champions during "WWE NXT."

The champions looked well on their way to retaining the titles, with Saquon Shugars taking an early advantage over both Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes before getting stifled by the challengers' bait-and-maneuver style. Osiris Griffin pulled the tide back in Dark State's favor, dominating in the ring and chokeslamming Baylor, doubling up with a chokeslam to Smokes onto Baylor. 

He tagged back out to Shugars, who looked to be taking things home after a Doomsday Device Dropkick. Only for Jackson Drake to put Baylor's foot on the rope and break the fall from ringside. That prompted Cutler James and Dion Lennox, also stood at ringside, to get into things with Drake and distract officials. 

With that distraction, D'Angelo appeared in the ring and dropped Shugars onto the apron, rolling Baylor back into the ring. Baylor then made the cover on Shugars, winning the match and the titles, his and Smokes' first since joining "NXT" from "WWE Evolve."

Dark State were making the third defense of their titles after 123 days, having previously defeated Je'Von Evans and Leon Slater and OTM in November and January respectively. Vanity Project had earned their opportunity by beating OTM, Hank and Tank, and Shawn Spears and Niko Vance during last week's show.