On the April 27 edition of WWE Raw, Joe Hendry made his official main roster debut and announced that he had signed with the red brand.
Now that the former TNA World Champion has made the jump to Monday nights, it remains to be seen who will replace his presence on WWE NXT moving forward.
From talent currently signed to the brand or those closely associated with NXT, there are several intriguing possible candidates who can come in to take the place of Hendry in the near future.
Here are six potential WWE NXT replacements for Joe Hendry.
7. Myles Borne
On the February 24 episode of WWE NXT, Myles Borne defeated Ethan Page to win the NXT North American Championship.
Since then, Borne has been presented as a rising star who feels like he will one day become NXT Champion.
Feuding with Ricky Saints and Ethan Page for several months, Borne aligned himself with Joe Hendry when he was NXT Champion.
With Hendry now on the WWE main roster, it would make sense for Borne to come to replace the former NXT Champion and continue his climb up the ladder.
6. Cappuccino Jones
In November 2024, Cappuccino Jones was one of the first independent stars to sign with the WWE ID program.
The Tulsa, Oklahoma native made his name across the indies, most notably with Core Professional Wrestling.
Then in 2025, Jones made history by defeating his tag team partner Jack Cartwheel to become the inaugural WWE ID Champion.
Cappuccino is someone who is an impressive in-ring competitor and has some untapped charisma that could make him someone for WWE to develop further as a new replacement for Joe Hendry on the NXT roster moving forward.
5. EK Prosper
Another WWE ID talent who most recently signed a full-time deal with the NXT brand is EK Prosper.
Over a seven year run on the independent scene, Prosper, formerly known as Eli Knight, turned a lot of heads with his awe inspiring high flying ability inside the squared circle.
Across multiple promotions like GCW, Reality of Wrestling and Limitless Wrestling, EK has shown a great deal of potential that could make him a breakout star on WWE NXT.
With the void left behind by Joe Hendry, it would make sense for the 24 year old EK Prosper to step up to the plate to become a top star on NXT for years to come.
4. Leon Slater
While he has been signed to TNA Wrestling, Leon Slater is no stranger to the WWE NXT audience.
In 2025, Slater started appearing on NXT first as a tag team partner to Je’Von Evans and then as a singles star.
‘The Youngest In Charge’ is on his way to making history as not just the youngest, but also the longest reigning TNA X-Division Champion in the company.
Considering his contract is set to expire later this year, WWE would be wise to bring in Slater full-time as a replacement to Joe Hendry and see how fast he ascends to the top of NXT.
3. Shiloh Hill
After falling short in Season One, Shiloh Hill won the second season of WWE LFG to earn himself an NXT contract.
Under the tutelage of The Undertaker, Hill gained the experience necessary to excel and make it to the next level of his career.
Since becoming part of the WWE NXT roster, Hill has been consistently featured across the brand’s television all over the show.
Having an eccentric personality and underrated in-ring skills, Shiloh is someone WWE would be smart to utilize as a natural replacement for Joe Hendry in NXT long-term.
2. Tony D’Angelo
At WWE NXT Stand & Deliver 2026, Tony D’Angelo defeated Joe Hendry, Ethan Page and Ricky Saints to win the NXT Championship.
The former ‘Don of NXT’ came back to the brand with a mission and it was to finally win the top prize.
Now that he stands on the mountaintop of WWE NXT, D’Angelo has to fill the void left behind by all the main roster callups.
Tony D replacing Joe Hendry has already started following his capturing of the NXT Championship and the brand could do more to solidify it moving forward.
1. Mike Santana
In 2024 and 2025, Joe Hendry started to make his presence on the WWE NXT brand as a TNA Wrestling star and world champion.
With Hendry leaving the company in November 2025, Mike Santana has filled the void in the company and is now the current two-time TNA World Champion.
Seamlessly taking Hendry’s place in TNA Wrestling, it feels like a no-brainer that WWE might call upon Santana to do the same in NXT.
Considering his TNA contract expires in 2026, Santana could follow in the footsteps of Hendry yet again, taking over his spot on WWE NXT sooner rather than later.
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