For only the third time in WWE history, the NXT Championship was decided in a ladder match. On Tuesday’s WWE NXT, seven competitors — Ricky Saints, Dion Lennox, Shiloh Hill, Keanu Carver, Jackson Drake, Sean Legacy, and Joe Hendry — battled fiercely for the title.
Prior to this match, only Saints and Hendry had previously contended for the NXT Championship, with Saints holding the belt for 70 days in 2025. With his victory tonight, Hendry officially joins the elite group of champions.
The match was intense and fast-paced, culminating in a chaotic scene where Carver was trapped under a pile of ladders. After breaking free, Carver launched a series of attacks against Hendry, Drake, Hill, and Legacy. The climax saw Carver and Saints battling on ladders near the announce desk, which ended with Carver falling off a desk. As Saints paused in celebration, Hendry appeared on the opposite side of the ladder and engaged in a tense tug-of-war over the championship. Ultimately, Hendry slammed Saints to the mat and climbed the ladder to claim the NXT Championship, marking a significant achievement for the former TNA star.
Last month, Oba Femi, who previously held the NXT Championship, successfully defended his title against TNA’s Leon Slater before vacating the belt at “NXT” New Year’s Evil. Following his departure, Femi defeated the War Raiders on WWE Raw and moved up to the main WWE roster.
Fan Take: Joe Hendry’s victory shakes up the NXT landscape, injecting fresh energy and unpredictability into the brand. For WWE fans, this win signals exciting new rivalries and storylines that could redefine the future of the sport’s developmental division.
