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Joe Hendry Wins 7-Man Ladder Match to Capture the NXT Championship

He may have been injured heading into the match, but Joe Hendry made believers of the WWE Universe Tuesday night when he captured the NXT Championship.
Rick Ucchino|
Feb 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Joe Hendry during the Men’s Royal Rumble match during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Feb 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Joe Hendry during the Men’s Royal Rumble match during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

He was nowhere close to 100 percent, but Joe Hendry believed in himself and overcame the odds Tuesday night to capture the NXT Championship for the first time in his career. 

Hendry outlasted six other men in a hard-hitting Ladder Match, outdueling former NXT Champion Ricky Saints in a high stakes game of tug of war to secure the gold.

The young guys in the match showed out with some innovative offense, including Shiloh Hill walking on two pieces of a broken ladder like they were a pair of stilts, but in the end it came down to the two more seasoned competitors.

After Saints booted Keanu Carver off the top of the ladder and through another one set up on the floor outside the ring, Hendry met Saints at the title belt and slugged it off of Ricky's face to knock him down to the ground. Hendry then pulled the coveted championship off the hook and held it high for everyone inside the WWE Performance Center to see.

Tuesday night's Ladder Match was booked after former NXT Champion Oba Femi relinquished the title back at New Year's Evil. He did so mere moments after he defeated TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater, which ended his second reign with the gold after just 31 days.

The Ruler made his main roster debut this past Saturday night during the Men's Royal Rumble Match. Femi entered from the No. 1 position and logged the first five eliminations of the match. He lasted nearly 40 minutes before he was tossed over the top rope by Brock Lesnar.

WWE NXT Title Tuesday Results (2/3/26):

Izzi Dame
Izzi Dame | The CW Network
  • Izzi Dame defeated Thea Hail and Lola Vice to retain the NXT Women's North American Championship after Kelani Jordan attacked Vice.
  • Tony D'Angelo said he came back to NXT for two reasons. The first was DarkState, and the second we'll have to wait to find out until after he's done with DarkState.
  • Elio Lefleur defeated Charlie Dempsey to advance in the Men's Speed Championship Tournament.
  • The Elegance Brand defeated Sol Ruca and Zaria to retain the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championship after Ruca accidentally hit Zaria with a Sol Snatcher.
  • Stacks and Lexis King defeated Chase U in a tag team match set up by new Interim NXT General Manager Robert Stone
  • Robert Stone booked Kendal Gray & Wren Sinclair vs. Sol Ruca & Zaria next Tuesday night. The woman who scores the decisive pinfall will receive an NXT Women's Championship Match against Jacy Jayne.
  • Joe Hendry defeated Ricky Saints, Shiloh Hill, Sean Legacy, Dion Lennox, Keanu Carver and Evolve Men’s Champion Jackson Drake in a Ladder Match to win the NXT Championship.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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