Ricky Saints is the new NXT Champion after defeating Oba Femi in the main event of No Mercy on Saturday, September 27. The premium live event was held at the FTL War Memorial in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and ended with Saints scoring a clean pinfall. It was the only title change of the night.
This triumph marks Saints’ second championship run since joining WWE in February. Earlier this year, he captured the NXT North American Championship, holding it for 56 days between April and May.
The victory drew immediate reactions across the industry. “Champ Rick”, wrote Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, who shares a past with Saints from their AEW days, when Rhodes introduced him during the TNT Championship open challenge series. Jade Cargill responded with “Love to see it! 💪🏽”.
Inside the ring, Saints sealed the win with a series of four consecutive DDTs. The final blow, a tornado DDT from the ropes, secured the three-count. Earlier in the bout, he had countered an offensive move from Femi with a DDT onto the announcers’ table, shifting momentum in his favor.
For Femi, the defeat is a milestone. It marked only the second time he has been pinned in his WWE career, with Tony D’Angelo being the first to hand him such a loss.