Joe Hendry Survives Chaotic NXT Championship Defense At Vengeance Day 2026

The first NXT Premium Live Event of the Year, Vengeance Day 2026, is now officially in the history books as the show featured multiple hard-hitting and brutal matches on the card.

The final match of the night featured Joe Hendry’s defense of the NXT Championship against two-time former champion, Ricky Saints, who is looking to get his hands back on the championship after losing it in December last year.

Ricky Saints got into a feud with Hendry after the latter won the Ladder Match to become the new NXT Champion last month, and the two have been at it with each other since then.

Joe Hendry took on Ricky Saints for the NXT Championship

Hendry and Saints wrestled an evenly contested fight, which saw the challenger remain in control for most parts of the match. Just as it looked like Saints might be heading to a loss, Ethan Page made his way out to the ring.

After their conversation earlier in the night, Page came out to help Saints, but ended up inadvertenly costing him the match. He slid the title towards the champion instead of the challenger.

After they wrestled for the belt, the referee took it away and turned to give it back. In this while, Saints hit a low blow on Page and followed it with a Revolutionary DDT to Hendry, who kicked out at just before three.

Following this spot, both wrestlers stumbled into the match referee, and Hendry took advantage of the referee’s obstructed vision. He hit a low blow on Saints that the referee missed and followed it up with a Standing O to retain the championship.

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