Duke Hanson, the former WWE NXT star known as Duke Hudson, is using his platform to champion his former Chase U teammate, Thea Hail, arguing that she deserves a bigger opportunity than WWE has given her.
Hail is now the only member of the beloved Chase U faction still with WWE, following the departures of Hanson, Andre Chase, Riley Osborne, and Ridge Holland. She has been used sparingly on television since the group disbanded in late 2024, her most notable moment being a surprise NXT Women’s North American Championship win last December that came as the result of a botched, unplanned finish.
On the latest episode of the Between Two Jobs podcast, Hanson spoke glowingly about the 22-year-old. “She’s very talented. She’s very enthusiastic. She’s very passionate. She has some flaws, we all do,” he said. “But I think she deserves some flowers and deserves an opportunity. I hope she gets it.” Joking about the age gap, Hanson added that “speaking to Thea made me feel older than I was.”
Hanson took issue with the idea that Hail’s youth justifies WWE holding her back, especially when other young stars are being elevated. “They have used that with her so many times, ‘You’re young, you’ll get your opportunity,'” he said. “What about Roxanne? What about these other young people that you are giving the opportunities to? You choose who to give it to and not to. Thea does deserve an opportunity.”
He recalled how, even within Chase U, Hail was often the focal point. “Think about the amount of times we went into the NXT Arena. Thea was always the one. She was special. We were there being a part of the Thea Hail Show,” Hanson said.
Hanson also shared a story that illustrated just how highly he regards her. “I remember when Zaria just started at the PC, and she was doing a PC Live against Thea, and she dropped her a little awkwardly, and I yelled out, ‘Don’t hurt my money!'” he recalled. “Because we need Thea and I was scared of her getting hurt.”
