Story byJoe Hendry wearing a black t-shirt - Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesElla JayWed, February 11, 2026 at 2:41 AM UTC·2 min readJust a week removed from his NXT Championship win, Joe Hendry faced and conquered his first challenger, Jackson Drake, on "WWE NXT." Unfortunately for Hendry, the celebration didn't last too long. Kicking off this week's edition of "NXT," Hendry promised to take the brand to new heights in his reign as NXT Champion. He also looked back on last week's grueling ladder match, where Ricky Saints almost claimed the then-vacant title until the fans' chants fueled him to take Saints out just in time. Cue the arrival of Vanity Project's Ricky Smokes, Brad Baylor, and Jackson Drake, who then mocked Hendry for his comedic viral moments and "mid" appeal as champion. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to Drake, Vanity Project were also responsible for the recent attack on Hendry after they felt disrespected by him.