Joe Hendry Crowned New WWE NXT Champion

Joe Hendry has been crowned the new WWE NXT Champion, following Oba Femi's relinquishment of the title at New Year's Evil.

Championship Vacancy and Ladder Match

At New Year's Evil, Oba Femi had successfully defended the NXT Championship against TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater. However, following his victory, Femi vacated the title, leaving it in the ring.

This unexpected turn of events led to the scheduling of a Ladder match for the February 3 episode of NXT to determine the new champion. Ricky Saints was the first competitor announced for the bout, with five additional qualifiers set to take place.

Path to the Ladder Match: Qualifiers and Hendry's Return

A series of qualifying matches were held to fill the remaining spots in the high-stakes Ladder match.

Qualifying Results

The results of these crucial qualifying matches included:

• Shiloh Hill defeating Josh Briggs
• Sean Legacy defeating Eli Knight
• Keanu Carver defeating Andre Chase
• Dion Lennox defeating Myles Borne

Joe Hendry's Unique Road

Initially, the qualifier between Joe Hendry and Jackson Drake was called off due to an attack on Hendry, which granted Drake a bye into the championship match. However, Joe Hendry was later cleared to compete, expanding the contest into a seven-man clash.

Joe Hendry secured the victory in the Ladder match, becoming the new NXT Champion during tonight's show.

New Champion Crowned

Joe Hendry ultimately emerged victorious from the intense Ladder match, officially becoming the new NXT Champion during tonight's show.

Additional NXT News

The show also featured another significant announcement: a new interim NXT General Manager has been named, following Ava's departure from WWE.