7 Ups And 3 Downs From NXT Stand And Deliver 2023

6. Duke Makes His Choice

NXT is never going to win awards for subtle storytelling, but Duke Hudson’s disillusionment with Chase U in recent weeks has been an interesting – and valid – angle. The group kept losing every week, frustrating the university man, and making him susceptible to the Schism’s entreaties.

The peak came with Hudson finally deciding to throw down alongside his Chase U teammates before realizing he was alone against Joe Gacy’s goons. Gacy offered him a shirt, so Duke took off the Chase U red and donned the Schism black. But then he backed up as fans chanted, “You sold out!” and ripped the shirt off, rejoining Andre Chase’s team and helping them capture the win and retain control of the university.

It was a fun little story with completely made-up stakes (a wrestler runs a nonexistent university in his spare time?), but it just worked, and Hudson, who has been a revelation as a hot tag guy, provided a great little moment to open the action.