Grizzled Young Veterans

The Grizzled Young Veterans are a British professional wrestling tag team consisting of James Drake and Zack Gibson. They are currently signed to the WWE, working under their NXT brand. Drake and Gibson were the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions. They are also three-time Progress Tag Team Champions.

Grizzled Young Veterans
Zack Gibson (left) and James Drake
Tag team
MembersJames Drake
Zack Gibson
Name(s)James Drake and Zack Gibson
Grizzled Young Veterans
Billed heights5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) – Drake
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) – Gibson
Combined
billed weight		401 lb (182 kg)
Drake (181 lb)
Gibson (220 lb)
Billed fromEngland
DebutJuly 30, 2017
Years active2017–present

History

Progress Wrestling (2017–2019)

In 2017, Zack Gibson and James Drake formed a villainous tag team called Grizzled Young Veterans. Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos of CCK to become the Progress tag team champions.[1] They successfully defended the titles against Aussie Open at Progress Chapter 59.[2] At Chapter 61, Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Moustache Mountain to retain their championships.[3] In 2018, Gibson took part of the Super Strong Style 16 Tournament, defeating Joey Janela in the first round and Pete Dunne by disqualification in the quarter finals before he was eliminated by Kassius Ohno in the semi-finals.[4][5]

NXT UK (2018–2020)

In January 2017, Drake participated in the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament to crown the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion, losing to Joseph Conners in the first round.[6]

Gibson was announced for WWE's WrestleMania Axxess during Wrestlemania 34 weekend as part of a WWE United Kingdom Championship invitational where he lost to Mark Andrews in the first round. On day four of Axxess, Grizzled Young Veterans retained their Progress Tag Team championships by disqualification against Heavy Machinery. Around this time, it was revealed by Wrestling Observer that Gibson was signed to a WWE contract.[7][8] Both would participate in the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament with the winner facing Pete Dunne for the United Kingdom Championship. Drake lost to Flash Morgan Webster in the first round[9] but Gibson won the tournament after defeat Travis Banks in the finals and would go on to challenge Dunne, the next night in a losing effort.[10]

In 2019, they Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool in the finals of a tournament to become the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions.[11] After some defences, they would lost the titles to Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster at NXT Takeover: Cardiff in a triple-threat tag team also involving Gallus. On 11 September Drake and Gibson unsuccessfully challenged Andrews & Webster in a rematch. They would have another title match at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II against the new champions Gallus, Andrews & Webster and Imperium in a ladder match where the champions retained.[12]

In parallel to their NXT UK Tag Team Championship pursuit at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II, Drake and Gibson competed in the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. They defeated Kushida and Alex Shelley in the quarterfinals and NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly of The Undisputed Era in the semifinals, before losing to The BroserWeights (Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne) in the finals.[13][14]

NXT (2020–present)

On the February 19, 2020 episode of NXT, the Grizzled Young Veterans joined the NXT brand as tweeners, defeating Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde before announcing their intent to take over NXT's tag team division.[15] However the two would soon disappear from television as a result of travel issues from the COVID-19 pandemic. The two returned on the November 25 episode of NXT, attacking Ever-Rise. In early January 2021, the Grizzled Young Veterans took part in the 2021 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic defeating Ever-Rise in the first round and the team of Kushida and Leon Ruff in the second.

Championships and accomplishments
Drake as NXT UK Tag Team Champion

References
  1. "PROGRESS Chapter 58: Live Your Best Life « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  2. "PROGRESS Chapter 59: Whatever People Say We Are, That's What We're Not « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  3. "PROGRESS Chapter 61: Don't Touch Me ... Don't ... Don't Touch Me « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  4. "PROGRESS Chapter 68: Super Strong Style 16 Tournament Edition 2018 - Tag 3 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  5. "Matches « Super Strong Style 16 Tournament 2018 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  6. "SOUCEK'S WWE UK CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT REPORT 1/14: Ongoing coverage of night one of UK Championship tournament -". 2017-01-14. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  7. Docking, Neil (2018-03-24). "British wrestler Zack Gibson signs with WWE as plans for UK show gain momentum". mirror. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  8. "Report: WWE Signs Another Wrestler From The United Kingdom | Fightful Wrestling". www.fightful.com. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  9. "Full results from the WWE U.K. Championship Tournament First Round". WWE. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  10. "WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne def. Zack Gibson". WWE. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  11. Chiari, Mike. "Grizzled Young Veterans Beat Moustache Mountain to Win NXT UK Tag Titles". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  12. "NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II start time, card, matches, live stream, watch online, WWE Network". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  13. "Get the latest results for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic". WWE. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  14. Moore, John (January 29, 2020). "1/29 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne vs. Zack Gibson and James Drake in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament final, Tegan Nox vs. Dakota Kai, Adam Cole's challenger for the NXT Title at Takeover". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  15. Garretson, Jordan (February 19, 2020). "The Grizzled Young Veterans def. Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde". WWE. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  16. Richards, Alex (2019-07-29). "#AndNEW: Grizzled Young Veterans Win PROGRESS Tag Team Championships". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  17. "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2019". cagematch.net. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  18. "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2019". cagematch.net. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  19. "Grizzled Young Veterans Beat Moustache Mountain to Win NXT UK Tag Titles". WWE. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
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