NXT's Indi Hartwell Has Suffered Greatly Without Husband Dexter Lumis
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With Triple H now in charge of WWE’s creative direction, fans have had an exciting time watching the once stale product begin to change. Part of those changes has involved Triple H bringing back those he mentored and cared about so much in NXT with the returns of released talents like Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, and Hit Row.
Another one of those surprise comebacks was the odd but interesting return to Raw of one Dexter Lumis. It’s great to see him again, but what does it mean for NXT’s Indi Hartwell, who played Lumis’ wife in NXT, and whose character has been lost in the shuffle since Lumis was released?
Dexter Lumis And Indi Hartwell Were The Best Part Of The NXT Transition
One of the best parts of the NXT transition that saw the black and gold era replaced by the flashiness and new characters of NXT 2.0 was the faction known as The Way. Consisting of NXT legend Johnny Gargano, his wife Candice LeRae, future Money in the Bank winner Austin Theory, and newcomer Indi Hartwell, The Way was the perfect blend of what fans knew in Gargano and LeRae, along with stars of the future in Theory and Hartwell. The heel faction was great entertainment. They were bad guys, sure, but without being too serious. There was a lot of fun in comedy to be found in their actions.
Hartwell received a big push from being in The Way. She had been on NXT for months, picking up a few wins, but not accomplishing a lot. The Way gave her a way (pun intended) to success. In no time, she and LeRae were the NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions. Then there was Dexter Lumis.
Dexter Lumis is one of the most interesting characters of recent memory. His entrance music reminded fans of the theme from the serial killer series Dexter, and the wrestling character didn’t seem too far off either. Lumis was crazed and creepy, and scariest of all, he never spoke a word. That didn’t stop him from forming a romance with Hartwell. The pair took a strange liking to each other, with the rest of The Way not approving of the bizarre new relationship that was forming. The angle played out all the way to an on-screen wedding between the two during the debut episode of NXT 2.0. The Way came around, accepting Lumis for who he was. It only heightened the intrigue and the possibilities. And then, Lumis was gone, released mere weeks later.
RELATED: Indi Hartwell Proposes To Dexter Lumis On NXT
Indi Hartwell Hasn’t Been Given A Lot To Do In NXT Lately
With Lumis no longer being part of WWE, Indi Hartwell lost her storyline. She now had absolutely nothing to do. WWE hinted at Lumis’ absence at the beginning, showing her looking lost and alone while other wrestlers mentioned what had happened in a roundabout way, but after a few weeks, Lumis’ absence was old news.
Hartwell is still part of NXT TV, but nowhere near where she used to be. She wrestles, has tag team matches, and competes for championships, but she doesn’t win. Hartwell has become part of other wrestlers’ narratives instead of having the story be about her. Hopefully, Triple H sees this and fixes it as soon as possible. Indi Hartwell is too talented, as a wrestler and as a charismatic character, to be disregarded because a storyline ended beyond her control.
RELATED: Indi Hartwell Says Candice LeRae Makes The Wrestling World A Better Place
Where Does Indi Hartwell Go From Here?
Now that Dexter Lumis is back, however, what does that mean for Indi Hartwell? In the Vince McMahon era, it probably would have meant nothing. Lumis would go to Raw, Hartwell would stay in NXT, and WWE would just pretend that the two never had a past. Things might be different with Triple H. He likes the intricacies of storytelling and ignoring the NXT he was such a huge part of doesn’t seem like an option.
Lumis’ debut on Raw was interesting for how it could possibly affect Hartwell. Earlier on Raw, before his debut, there was a strange scene backstage with Doudrop and Nikki A.S.H.’s car being involved in an accident. Some fans have theorized that this could be the beginning of an attempt on Lumis’ part to knock the pair out of the upcoming Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament so he can find a way to get his wife, Indi Hartwell, in the tournament. It could have nothing to do with Hartwell at all. Still, it’s hard to believe that the story between Lumis and Hartwell is over.
Fans can’t be expected to wait for Dexter Lumis to be reinserted into Hartwell’s life, however. Neither can she. It would be great to see them together, but with or without him, Hartwell’s character needs to evolve and be given a chance to succeed on her own without a romantic subplot. Hartwell is an excellent actor, but more so, she’s a professional wrestler. She's a former champion. Put her in the ring and let her shine. Everything else will sort itself out.
