Joe Hendry Set For First NXT Championship Defense Tonight
WWE NXT kicked off tonight with the newly crowned NXT Champion addressing the crowd as he spoke about his past achievements. For the first time since 2015, a ladder match decided the fate of the title.
The match featured seven talented superstars, including Ricky Saints and Joe Hendry. These two came closest to winning the match last week before Hendry snatched it from Saints’ grasp.
Joe Hendry came out to the ring to open the show as he addressed the crowd following his championship win. However, his moment was subsequently hijacked by The Vanity Project.
Joe Hendry to defend his NXT Championship
The group came out and started to chastise Hendry before revealing that they were the ones who attacked Hendry, before his qualification match for the NXT Championship, almost taking him out of the bout.
Jackson Drake then stated that he wishes to challenge Hendry for the NXT Championship, to which the current champion agreed, before a brawl breaks out between the four of them.
OH NO 😩@JacksonDrake03 and The Vanity Project are taking their shot at @joehendry! pic.twitter.com/ojT6yrWTGc
— WWE (@WWE) February 11, 2026
Despite being outnumbered, Hendry took all of them out before being met by a chop to the knee which handed the group the control and the segment ended with Drake posing with the championship.
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