Qualifying for Vacant WWE Title Match Revealed; Ricky Saints jumps the line

WWE’s Oba Femi left a void to fill last week. The Ruler successfully defended, then left the NXT Championship to start a new era on the third brand. GM Ava revealed the plans for the title tonight, and now we know some of the possible contenders set for the six-man championship match.

The NXT Final Boss kicked off the night by revealing that we would be crowning a new champion on February 3rd. With a whole new group of encores from Evolve and LFG on the mat, WWE fans will see some new faces battling for gold. In fact, a former NXT champion confirmed this.

Ricky Saints revealed backstage that three newcomers will take part in two qualifying matches next week. LFG winner Shiloh Hill, who nearly won the TNA International Title tonight, will face NXT veteran Josh Briggs. The other match pits beloved Evolve star Sean Legacy, who impressed multiple times Tuesday night previously, against Eli Knight.

Plus, as the Absolute confirmed, he’s in the ranking match! No qualifier for Pretty Ricky, the former NXT Champion, has a guaranteed spot.

Why was the WWE NXT Championship canceled?

On NXT New Year’s Evil last week, then-champion Oba Femi successfully defended against TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater. The Bringer of War was pushed to the limit by The Youngest In Charge, but ultimately, Oba Femi was too much for TNA’s youngest champion.

After the match, Femi left the championship in the ring and walked away. Several NXT stars have been called up to the WWE main roster in recent months, including Femi’s longtime rivals Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans. And now Femi is ready to join them. According to a report from Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select, the former Alabama shot putter is on his way to Monday Night RAW.

Not just that. The two-time NXT Champion and longest reigning NXT North American Champion is seemingly on his way to becoming a major player on the brand. RAW is already full of powerful heavy hitters like Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, who both held NXT gold, as well as Gunther. It won’t be an easy time on Monday night, but Oba Femi has the potential to reach the top the fastest since Brock Lesnar.