Welcome back to another edition of eWrestlingNews Thought of the Day!
In the wake of last night’s WWE NXT main event, Ridge Holland secured a victory over Andre Chase, thus earning himself a shot at the NXT Championship against Trick Williams at NXT Deadline. Part of the conditions for the match was that a loss for Chase would result in the disintegration of Chase University. The squad will now be compelled to dissolve, seemingly with immediate effect, although some form of segment illustrating this break-up is likely to take place in the next episode of NXT.
The matter I put forward to you today is “What are your predictions for Andre Chase, Thea Hail, Duke Hudson, Riley Osborne, and the concept of Chase U? Where do you see this narrative proceeding?”
Please make sure to leave your answers in the comment section below.
As for my viewpoint…
While there’s always a chance that I may be misguided and neglecting the long-term vision, I get the sense that dissolving Chase U will soon mean the end of these four wrestling careers. Too frequently, when wrestlers are in this kind of predicament for long periods, WWE lacks a viable follow-up plan for a significant character transition. Tag teams are split up without proper planning for the aftermath, rendering them ineffective in the singles arena. Eventually, the faction members end up being released since WWE feels they are not making significant strides.
Maybe this was viewed as a last strand effort to revitalize a stale impression. If this is the case, I hope there are concrete plans in place for the direction these characters will take rather than the attitude of “we’ll figure that out later.” However, it seems odd that WWE Creative would invest so much into Chase U only to abruptly decide to abandon the act. Something about this doesn’t quite sit right.
One thing that puzzles me is a past tweet from Andre Chase hinting at his departure from WWE. There has been no clarity on what was happening at that time. I can’t help but wonder, was that a sign that his time in WWE was running out and now, we’re about to see the fallout from that?
Putting aside my concerns about potential job cuts, and instead focusing on the possibility of renewal, how would I handle their storylines moving forward?
For Andre Chase, we’ve done the ‘beaten down leader’ routine before. What might be a fresher direction is to have him turn heel; he’s shown signs of a certain edge about him. Let’s see how he performs when he allows his angry, competitive side to shine through. His outfit needs an upgrade, and any mentorship or partnership should be abandoned. Instead, seeing him as an assertive solo contender might be refreshing. A feud with Charlie Dempsey over the NXT Heritage Cup, rather than the NXT North American Championship, might be a more appropriate scenario for Chase.
Duke Hudson has gradually developed much more character depth than I previously gave him credit for. Dropping his poker player persona would be a good start. A comedic counterpoint could complement his character nicely. A few interesting partner names would be Javier Bernal (once he recovers from his injury), Lexis King (only for a short stint), or someone less prominent like Cutler James or Uriah Connors.
Riley Osborne presents the biggest challenge since he is the least developed character of the group. He would benefit most from a complete character reboot. Without a strong gimmick, he risks being stuck in the lower tiers of the roster. Likely, he will make appearances on Level Up and house show live events, but without a complete character overhaul, he might not see much rise in his career.
Finally, Thea Hail is the one I’m least concerned about. She’s shown continuous growth and potential. The key for her is to remain active and earn a steady stream of victories. Ideally, she should have a shot at the NXT Women’s North American Championship and possibly even overthrow Fallon Henley. Given her raw talent and potential, it would be a shame to see her not reach her full potential.
What are your thoughts? Share them below!