On the February 3 episode of WWE NXT, Joe Hendry defeated Ricky Saints, Dion Lennox, Shiloh Hill, Sean Legacy, Jackson Drake and Keanu Carver in a Ladder Match to win the NXT Championship.
After finally capturing the top prize on the brand, Hendry stands atop of WWE NXT, but there will be many challengers trying to take him off of that perch.
Looking ahead to the future, there could be any number of stars on the roster who could step to the plate to become the next NXT Champion after Hendry drops the gold.
Here are seven potentially next WWE NXT Champions after Joe Hendry.
7. Tony D’Angelo
Back at WWE NXT Deadline 2025, Tony D’Angelo made his return to the NXT brand by attacking and laying out Je’Von Evans before staring down with Oba Femi.
Since then, D’Angelo has been attacking various members of the NXT roster without reason or stating anything whatsoever.
This all changed when D’Angelo spoke for the first time on the February 3 episode of WWE NXT where he revealed he is focused on revenge on Darkstate and a more mysterious reason that he would let the fans know later on.
Tony D has had his eyes on the NXT Championship for quite some time, so fans could see the former “Don of NXT” go for the gold now that Joe Hendry holds it following the seven-way ladder match.
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6. Sean Legacy
During the aforementioned seven-way ladder match, Sean Legacy came close to walking away with his first title in WWE.
Becoming the first male star to a WWE ID contract, Legacy feels like someone who the company sees big things in.
With his experience and agility, Legacy is someone who has what it takes to win championship gold sooner rather than later.
Legacy going on to beat Joe Hendry for the NXT Championship could be the big break that might take the Evolve star to another level.
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5. Dion Lennox
After winning championship gold alongside Darkstate, Dion Lennox has been focused on getting his first singles title on NXT.
Before starting the Darkstate faction, Lennox tried his hand on capturing the NXT Championship on his own, but he came up short.
With the other members of Darkstate by his side, Lennox feels like someone who could be the one to bring the top prize on WWE NXT back to the group.
Considering their past battles against one another, Lennox could be the challenger who eventually takes down Joe Hendry for the NXT Championship down the line.
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4. Leon Slater
On the January 6 New Year’s Evil special of WWE NXT, Leon Slater came up short in his bid to challenge Oba Femi for the NXT Championship.
The current TNA X-Division Champion has been one of the breakout stars from that promotion and has been actively featured on WWE television.
Slater came so close from capturing the NXT Championship in the past, so he might just need one more shot to become the youngest champion in the history of the brand.
With their history with one another from TNA Wrestling and both men being from the United Kingdom, it would make sense if Slater had the experience to dethrone Joe Hendry to become the new NXT Champion.
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3. Keanu Carver
Heading into the seven-way ladder match on the February 3 edition of WWE NXT, many fans were pegging Keanu Carver as the favorite to win the gold.
Ever since making his debut on WWE NXT, Carver has been tearing through his competition and running roughshod over anyone in his path.
After dropping bodies in the seven-way ladder match, it feels like Carver feels like an even bigger candidate to potentially take down Joe Hendry.
With everything he brings to the table including his unbridled rage, Carver could be just the person who can destroy Hendry to win the NXT Championship very soon.
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2. Ethan Page
Just two months after his WWE debut, Ethan Page became the new NXT Champion by dethroning Trick Williams in a four-way match at Heatwave 2024.
While he would go on to lose the title a few months after, “All Ego” has been no stranger to championship gold.
Now holding the NXT North American and AAA Mixed Tag Team Championships, Page has proven himself as a top star in the making for the NXT brand.
Page adding the NXT Championship to his collection of gold would be an intriguing storyline and progress his rivalry with Joe Hendry that started back in 2024.
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1. Ricky Saints
Back at WWE NXT No Mercy 2025, Ricky Saints defeated Oba Femi to win the NXT Championship.
Since signing with WWE in February 2025, Saints has solidified his spot as one of the biggest stars the NXT brand has to offer.
Seemingly like the odds-on favorite to win the seven-way ladder match, Saints came up just short of becoming a two-time NXT Champion.
However, this should lead to a rivalry with Joe Hendry that could see Saints dethroning the popular star to sit at the mountaintop of the NXT brand one more time.
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