Joe Hendry Retains NXT Title In Underhanded Fashion During Vengeance Day

NXT Vengeance Day was a big show on March 7. The NXT brand has been heating up on the road to Stand & Deliver, and tonight provided a lot of opportunities.

Joe Hendry put the NXT Title on the line tonight at Vengeance Day against Ricky Saints. Of course, the former Ricky Starks wanted the title back, and he’s been in the frame of mind that he’s the only option for the job.

The main event match finally went down as Joe Hendry took on Ricky Saints. The crowd was on fire for this match, as they clearly believed in Joe Hendry. Saints did not let up on the former TNA World Champion, either. That being said, Joe Hendry didn’t go easy on Saints, and he was able to keep the challenger on defense for a bit.

The two traded positions in this back-and-forth match, especially as they continued into the thick of the match. Ricky Saints had Joe Hendry on the mat for a bit, but then the NXT Champion was able to bounce back, and fans popped with “We Believe!” chants.

Ricky Saints was able to come back, nail an Air Raid Crash, among other moves, for a near fall. Then Joe Hendry had to fight out of a submission hold, but he did with a suplex to create separation. Hendry returned fire with an AA for a two-count.

This match went back into Saints’ side as he hit a DDT for a near fall. Then Ethan Page entered the picture. He walked to ringside, where he picked up the NXT Title and just looked at it. This distracted Ricky Saints and then Joe rolled him up for a two count. They had another exchange, and then Ethan Page slid the title in the ring, and they both grabbed it. The referee took the belt, and Ricky nailed a low blow as he was distracted. Then Ricky hit his finisher for a near fall, and everyone was shocked.

The referee nearly avoided taking a bump twice, and then Joe Hendry nailed a low blow in return before hitting a Standing Ovation to win the match. Turnabout is fair play, so Hendry used a low blow too. Hendry retained the NXT Title, even though it wasn’t in the cleanest fashion.

We will have to see what NXT does to set up Stand & Deliver. That will be a big night in the Factory in Saint Louis. Tonight’s premium live event is in the books as Vengeance Day brought a lot of action for fans.

What’s your take on Joe Hendry’s reign as NXT Champion? Do you think that they should have waited to get the title on him? Let us know what you think in the comments section!