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The Chicago Bears appear to have one foot over the Illinois state line when they made a big move to move to Indiana earlier this month — much to the consternation of the team’s fan base.
WWE NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo, an Oak Park, Illinois, native and big Bears fan, was still a bit peeved about the potential of the team moving to Hammond, Indiana.
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Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Tony D’Angelo and Luca Crusifino compete during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. on July 15, 2025. (Matt Pendleton/WWE)
“I don’t know what to say other than what the hell?” D’Angelo told Pakinomist Digital when asked about his thoughts on the possible move. “I mean, I don’t get it. I get it, but I don’t. It’s literally one of the oldest, historic franchises in the NFL. They’re ‘The Chicago Bears.’ ‘Chicago Bears.’
“And I get it, don’t go and move to Arlington Heights, which isn’t that far from the city, money, taxes, I get it. You gotta do what’s best for whatever. But to move out of Illinois completely? That’s just crazy to me. Indiana Bears? That’s just awful. It doesn’t sound right. I still think I’m coming to Florida now, so I still don’t like so many games now. They don’t have to figure it out because there’s something about go to the city and it’s right on Lake Michigan, it all makes sense and it seems like such an easy decision to make.
Bears executives said the potential of having a “world-class stadium” in Hammond would transform the region, connecting “Northwest Indiana and the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs that stretch north of the city,”
Tony D’Angelo makes an in-ring appearance during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida on February 10, 2026. (Conor Kvatek/WWE)
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Even through the frustration, D’Angelo still had some hope for the team this season. He said he thought the 2026 season would “say a lot” about where the team is under quarterback Caleb Williams and head coach Ben Johnson.
“I mean, I think it’s always Super Bowl or bust. I think the Bears and Caleb Williams have shown what they’re capable of and I think they surprised everybody,” he said. “We were kind of misfits in the NFL last year. I’d say, ‘Bad News Bears.’ We did things that we shouldn’t be doing. We played a little bit of backyard football. But it was effective and along the way on that journey, showed a lot of resilience, showed a lot of heart.
“What did they win, seven or eight games down with two minutes left in the fourth quarter? That takes a lot of cajónes. And I think for Caleb Williams to be as young as he is, do the kind of things he does, do veteran things in the game, I think that showed a lot of character. Especially Ben Johnson as their coach. I think some little fans will say this season is very skeptical. We’ve had random good seasons and then we just go down again, I think this season is a test and if we do well we can breathe a little bit and we might be that it is set in stone, I had full faith in the lads as well as the coach.
Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears throws a pass against the Green Bay Packers during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on January 10, 2026. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
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D’Angelo will defend the NXT Championship against Naraku at The Great American Bash next weekend. The event will take place on the CW Network.
