At New Year’s Evil last Tuesday, NXT Champion Oba Femi took on TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater for the NXT Championship. Femi retained the title after a hard-hitting match. Afterwards, he walked out of the building, laying the title in the center of the mat.
The confirmation that he was no longer champion was made known on NXT’s X account the next day. For weeks now, numerous vignettes have been popping up for him on both Raw and SmackDown.
With him, Je’Von Evans, and Trick Williams on the main roster, a giant hole is now left in the NXT men’s division. That hole will have to be filled by top guys still around, lower card guys looking to rise the ranks, and Evolve call-ups ready to make a name for themselves. What would become of the NXT Championship, and who would battle for it?
A Six-Man Ladder Match Will Determine the Next NXT Champion
A plan would have to be set in motion very soon by General Manager Ava, with Femi vacating the NXT Championship. On January 13, 2026, in an episode of NXT, she appeared in person instead of making a video announcement.
The entire men’s division, including guys like Joe Hendry, Josh Briggs, and the Vanity Project, was eagerly waiting to hear her message. But before she could really say anything, a surprise was waiting for her in the form of Ricky Saints. Making his way to the center of the ring, he began bragging about his accomplishments.
Telling her that by beating Evans, Femi, and Williams, he should become the NXT Champion by default. Ava then had an interesting comeback to his statement. She said a new NXT Champion would be crowned in a six-man ladder match on February 3. Qualifying matches will begin next week to determine the participants. As she hung the title on the ladder and left the ring, Hendry immediately entered, going face-to-face with Saints.
An all-out brawl began between all the men on the roster. Amidst the chaos, one man made his presence known in a huge way. Keanu Carver came out and started throwing guys around. Brooks Jensen was sent through the announce table, sending him and Vic Joseph’s candy stash crashing to the ground. In the end, he was the only guy left standing in the ring.
Could this be a sign of a big push for him? The next few weeks could transform the men’s division in a huge way. Whatever happens in the next three weeks, it’s clear that the NXT Championship will be in good hands.
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