DarkState burst onto the NXT scene at NXT Vengeance Day in February 2025. The faction consisted of Cutler James, Dion Lennox, Osiris Griffin, and Saquon Shugars. Griffin, James, and Lennox were trained at the WWE Performance Center. The only one that came from the independent circuit was Shugars.
When he was signed to WWE, fans were excited to see the former Lucky Ali wrestle in a WWE ring. Over the next year, they dominated NXT, winning the NXT Tag Team Championships twice.
But a few months ago, tension started happening between Lennox and Shugars. Lennox went off on a solo run, with Shugars taking exception to that. After failing to regain the titles against the Vanity Project, Griffin, James, and Lennox all took turns beating down Shugars.
Officially out of the faction, it wasn’t long before he started planning his revenge. A couple of weeks after he was betrayed, he began attacking the remaining members of DarkState, showing why kicking him out was the right decision.
Saquon Shugars is Showcasing a Side of Him Not Seen in DarkState
As Lucky Ali, Shugars was exceptional in the ring. But what was also impressive was his fashion sense. He wasn’t afraid to step out in various colors of ring attire, showing off his charisma. In DarkState, he wore all black to fit in with the group, as they were all menacing and made to look tough. However, since he’s now out of the group, he’s free to bring a little bit of Lucky Ali into WWE.
On the June 2, 2026, episode of NXT, he attacked Cutler James wearing a blue and white durag, an undershirt, and blue jeans. The next week, on June 9, NXT, he appeared with a dark blue durag, a white shirt, and blue jeans with lots of color on them. It’s an extremely different look for Shugars, but the look is familiar to fans of his on the independent circuit. With him not a part of DarkState anymore, he is able to be his own man for the NXT audience.
He Can Fight His Own Battles in the Ring
The downside of being in a faction can also be the upside in a lot of different scenarios. Other members of the faction will constantly be by your side, defending you in matches and interfering to help you win. With Shugars kicked out of DarkState, he no longer has any of that protection. He has to do things on his own. But he has no problem doing that, as evidenced by his independent career.
He came up in North Carolina and wrestled around their indie scene at the same time as Je’Von Evans, then known as Jay Malachi. Wrestling for Deadlock Pro Wrestling, he actually lost the DPW Championship to the former Malachi after holding it for 309 days. He was also the final ACW Heavyweight Champion for 469 days. There’s no question that he can get and retain a major championship. Now that he’s out of a faction, he can finally start a proper singles run without anyone by his side.
Getting Ejected Could Kickstart His Career
Shugars came into DarkState with a lot of hype due to his days on the North Carolina indie circuit. But after coming back from a knee injury, he was immediately placed into DarkState. He was on television, but he was part of a faction, unable to be himself. When fans sensed tension between him and Lennox, they were divided. He had a successful solo career, while Lennox had a great showing in the Iron Survivor Challenge, proving he can stand on his own.
When Shugars was the one kicked out, fans who knew who he was before WWE were definitely ecstatic. Since that time, he hasn’t disappointed. Even though he hasn’t competed in a match, he showed off his great fashion sense and innovative offense by attacking Griffin and Lennox with a baseball bat. It was a large contrast from the man fans are used to. If WWE gets the Lucky Ali version of Shugars, no question that getting him out of DarkState was a great decision.
