When Tony D’Angelo won the NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver, it was an exciting moment for both his fans and himself. For five years, he delivered great matches and storylines, but was never able to capture the NXT Championship. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why he returned to NXT last December. Unfortunately, right after he won, the landscape of NXT changed greatly as many wrestlers got called up to the main roster.
All three of his opponents in the match, Ethan Page, Joe Hendry, and Ricky Saints, are on either Friday Night SmackDown or Monday Night Raw. But people leaving means that new people are coming in.
There has been no shortage of wrestlers wanting D’Angelo and his title. Kam Hendrix, Mason Rook, and Naraku have all approached Tony D’Angelo in recent weeks in order to declare their intent to fight him. With so many challengers, which one will have the easiest path to the NXT Championship?
Kam Hendrix Could Make a Huge Statement
Many WWE fans have known Hendrix for a long time, but under a different name. He competed in seasons 1 and 2 of WWE LFG under his real name, Anthony Luke. Booker T was his coach in season 1, and Michelle McCool was his coach in season 2. Making his debut on Evolve last year, he quickly impressed everyone in the company. He later made his NXT debut on the April 28, 2026 episode, attacking NXT North American Champion Myles Borne.
However, he later attacked Tony D’Angelo, showing his willingness to attack any male champion on the brand. Hendrix and Rook defeated Borne and D’Angelo on May 19 NXT. However, his celebration was cut short due to Rook attacking him after taking the pinfall for himself. He may have to deal with Rook first, but there’s no question he still has his eyes on D’Angelo. If WWE LFG wants to make stars, Hendrix as NXT Champion would be a great decision.
Mason Rook Can Back Up His Tony D’Angelo Attacks
D’Angelo’s first match in the new era of NXT wasn’t against Hendrix, Naraku, or Rook. Tavion Heights was attacked on April 28 after the mysterious Naraku confronted him. However, Rook arrived directly after and delivered a moonsault to him. That led to a match between him and Heights, in which he retained his championship.
But that was when Rook made his presence known, attacking him once again. In between the two weeks, he went viral online, with the fans learning who he was before WWE.
He was Will Kroos, a wrestler on the English independent circuit who delivered feats of athleticism and strength despite being a big guy. They had a face-to-face on May 12 NXT when he signed his NXT contract before Hendrix attacked Tony D’Angelo from behind. The tag match was the fourth week in a row that those two met. It’s clear that they have a huge amount of bad blood, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if D’Angelo’s next title defense is against Rook.
Naraku Can Join a Familiar Group of Wrestlers
Looking at the established wrestlers who’ve joined NXT from places like AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling over the past couple of years, they all have something in common. Blake Monroe, Ethan Page, Joe Hendry, and Ricky Saints won championships soon after their NXT debuts. It may have taken them several matches to win their first titles, but they captured them within months.
They immediately debuted as important wrestlers, being inserted into high-profile feuds to signal that they are a big deal. Now they are all on the main roster.
Naraku looks to join that list of recent success stories after more than a decade with New Japan. His first appearance was confronting Tony D’Angelo about the NXT Championship. His first match was a squash match where he easily defeated Lince Dorado, showcasing his skills to the NXT audience.
His character tells everyone that he’ll strike when D’Angelo least expects it, giving him a huge advantage. If Tony D’Angelo doesn’t figure him out, Naraku will be NXT Champion sooner rather than later.
