We’re officially three months into the WWE-TNA partnership. It’s safe to say that the working relationship is going strong. Some might suggest otherwise, citing Joe Hendry’s WrestleMania debut. But if the TNA Champion has no issues working a three-minute match with Randy Orton, then why is anyone else upset?
Hendry specifically stated that his goal as TNA Champion was to get more eyeballs on the product. He most certainly knows what he’s doing. But why can’t, for once, fans (not all of them) sit back and enjoy? It’s sports entertainment for heaven’s sake. Now, who’s being a mark?
Apologies for the self-deprecating humor. Let’s get back to the topic at hand. The WWE-TNA partnership has already seen multiple superstars from NXT and the iMPACT Zone cross paths. From Cora Jade facing Masha Slamovich to Moose colliding with Oba Femi, the crossover seems to have lived up to its hype — unlike John Cena’s heel turn that’s been underwhelming so far.
But let’s not distract ourselves (again) and cut straight to the chase by analyzing the prospects of these five NXT stars benefiting from the ongoing WWE-TNA partnership.
Andre Chase
Chase U was dead until Andre Chase brought it back this past week on NXT. Andre has been playing the heel teacher gimmick since 2021. His most notable achievement with the character was winning the NXT Tag Team Championship with Duke Hudson. That was Chase U at their peak unless Shaw Michaels has some major plans for Andre Chase in 2025.
For someone who’s been wrestling since 2008, Chase seems to be stuck in the lower midcard for far too long. He had a blink-and-you-miss-it run in TNA back in 2016. NXT seems to have no intention of dropping the Chase U act. Assuming that’s the plan, why not send Andre, Uriah and Kale Dixon to the iMPACT Zone and let them challenge for the X Division or the tag titles?
NXT needs to utilize Josh Briggs in the WWE-TNA partnership
Josh Briggs’ solo run doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves. Briggs is severely underrated (and underutilized). He, Dijak and Oba Femi delivered NXT’s Match of the Year at Stand & Deliver 2024. That performance alone should’ve been enough to strap a rocket to Briggs. But it didn’t happen, perhaps due to the quality of competition NXT had at the time.
Briggs, at the time of this writing, is involved in a tag team angle with Yoshiki Inamura. The ideal payoff would be for the pair to win the NXT Tag Team Championship at some point. If not, Shawn Michaels and the TNA management could work out an arrangement for Briggs to challenge (and maybe win) a championship in Nashville.
Ridge Holland
Has anybody seen Ridge Holland? He hasn’t appeared on NXT TV since March. The last time this writer saw Holland compete on TV, he was challenging and losing to Ricky Saints. As for Saints, he’s done incredibly well for himself since stepping foot in a WWE ring. For those unaware, Ricky Saints is the reigning NXT North American Champion.
Back to Holland, this writer thinks he makes for a convincing heel. As for his mic work, he’s decent at best. TNA could give him a major program against top babyfaces like Joe Hendry. Ridge Holland could be what Alex Hammerstone thought he would be in TNA, except Hammerstone’s run turned out to be a head-scratcher.
Lola Vice
Lola Vice might be the unluckiest NXT women’s breakout star in the tournament’s short history. She cashed in and failed at winning the NXT Women’s Championship. Her most notable win since has been beating Shayna Baszler in a Women’s Underground match. Baszler herself hasn’t done anything of substance since squashing Ronda Rousey at WWE SummerSlam 2023.
Recent reports have alluded to a main roster call-up for Lola Vice and Trick Williams. With Williams already involved in a program with Joe Hendry, Lola Vice could possibly follow in her NXT colleague’s footsteps and show up at an iMPACT taping for a program with one of the Knockouts.
Nikkita Lyons could benefit from WWE-TNA partnership
Nikkita Lyons is the most followed NXT star on Instagram. She might lose her spot to Stephanie Vaquer, given the NXT Women’s Champion’s surging popularity. Nikkita’s NXT run has seen few hits and major misses. Her constant battles with injuries seem to have prevented NXT creative from factoring her into long-term plans.
That said, it’s better to be on TV in some fashion than not to be on TV at all. The Lioness may have been unable to pounce in NXT but she could definitely prowl in TNA, assuming Shawn Michaels wants her to work in the iMPACT Zone — and hoping she stays injury-free. A program with Fir$t Cla$$ sounds intriguing, to say the least.
Which WWE NXT superstar should show up in TNA next? Let us know in the comments!
