Joe Hendry Wins WWE NXT Title In Dramatic Ladder Match

For the third time in WWE history, the NXT Championship was up for grabs in a ladder match. In this case, the likes of Ricky Saints, Dion Lennox, Shiloh Hill, Keanu Carver, Jackson Drake, Sean Legacy, and Joe Hendry battled for the gold on Tuesday's edition of "WWE NXT."

Heading into "NXT," only Saints and Hendry had previous experience challenging for the NXT Championship, with Saints even enjoying a 70-day reign in 2025. With his win tonight, Hendry officially joined the same ranks.

In the closing moments of the fast-paced yet grueling ladder match, Carver found himself buried under a mountain of ladders, leaving the remaining six competitors to take turns climbing those in the ring. Eventually, Carver arose from the wreckage to seek his revenge, starting with a ladder strike to Hendry. Drake and Hill encountered Carver's anger next by getting launched into the crowd and shoulder tackled, respectively. Before returning to the ring to meet Saints, Carver also rammed Legacy through a wall.

Standing atop adjacent ladders, Carver and Saints began fighting each other next. Unfortunately for Carver, it resulted in him falling through another one positioned in front of the announce desk. Meanwhile, Saints struck his signature pose in a moment of celebration, only to turn around and see Hendry staring at him from the other side of the same ladder. Hendry and Saints engaged in a brief tug of war over the title, but it was Hendry who ultimately emerged victorious by hitting Saints with it and sending him crashing down. Finally alone, the former TNA star then unhooked the NXT Championship hanging above.

Last month, Oba Femi successfully defended the NXT Championship against TNA Wrestling's Leon Slater, then vacated it at "NXT" New Year's Evil. Following this, he made his way up to WWE's main roster by destroying The War Raiders on "WWE Raw."