Rey Mysterio's next move, veterans on their way to the white and gold brand? 4 challengers for Chase U following surprise title change on WWE NXT
Tag team wrestling has hot and cold periods in WWE. Earlier this year, it seemed as if the tag team scene on each brand was on fire. RAW and SmackDown took a hit, however, once they began pushing comedic or character-based acts.
NXT, on the other hand, continues to thrive. The likes of MSK, Chase U, Fraxiom, The Wolfdogs, and others have managed to light up the tag team scene on the brand throughout 2024. This theme continued on NXT last night.
The reigning champions heading into last night's episode were Axiom and Nathan Frazer. The duo defended their title against Chase U's Andre Chase and Ridge Holland. In a shocking move, Chase University won the match and brought gold home to the stable for a second time.
With new champions comes the need for challengers. This article will take a look at a handful of teams who could step up and take on the new title holders, including a team yet to debut for the company, a stable from the main roster, and beyond.
Below are four challengers for Chase U following the surprise title change on WWE NXT:
#4. Axiom and Nathan Frazer likely want a rematch
The duo, best known as Fraxiom, lost their NXT Tag Team Championship to Chase U's Andre Chase and Ridge Holland last night. The loss was devastating, but it doesn't necessarily spell the end for the pair as a team.
Frazer and Axiom could make sure they are the first to challenge the new champions. They could prove that Ridge and Andre's defeat over the pair was a fluke by pinning the new champions and regaining their prized belts.
#3. The Latino World Order from RAW could step up
The Latino World Order is a popular faction on WWE television. While it has undergone a few changes since debuting last year, the current crew includes the likes of Rey Mysterio, Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde, Dragon Lee, and Cruz Del Toro.
Most of those stars are familiar with NXT. Zelina, Wilde, Del Toro, and Lee all had extensive stays on the developmental brand. Rey has also appeared on NXT, although only as a special guest. Still, any two of these Latino World Order members could potentially challenge the new champions.
The two stars who face off against Chase U could either be the standard team of the faction Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro, or the duo of Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee. The Master of 619 competing in NXT would be exciting, but Wilde and Del Toro arguably deserve the spot more after being underappreciated for so long.
#2. The Rascalz could chase gold
The Rascalz are a stable from TNA Wrestling. The stable's Zachary Wentz and Trey Miguel are currently involved in a storyline on WWE NXT despite being signed to a deal with TNA.
Trey and Zachary briefly reunited with Wes Lee. However, the former North American Champion shockingly turned heel and attacked both men last week.
Supposing that Wentz and Miguel intend to stick around on NXT, the pair could be the perfect challengers for Chase U. They would no doubt put on a fantastic match together and could be the first TNA stars to hold WWE gold without being signed to the Sports Entertainment juggernaut.
#1. The Motor City Machine Guns may be WWE-bound
The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) are one of the best tag teams in the world and have been for years now. They were best known for their stint in TNA Wrestling, but they've competed together in numerous promotions over the past decade and a half or so.
Many fans expected the TNA Wrestling veterans to head to All Elite Wrestling once news broke that they were leaving the Nashville-based promotion earlier this year. Instead, it appears the two stars turned down the chance to join Tony Khan's promotion and are instead WWE-bound.
If Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin are indeed joining the Sports Entertainment juggernaut, they could start on NXT. The pair would be perfect challengers for Chase U and could even be the ones to dethrone the newly crowned champions.