WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will be facing the winner of the NXT Championship match coming out of this weekend’s Deadline at Saturday Night’s Main Event.Â
Oba Femi will be challenging Ricky Saints for the title he lost at Halloween Havoc at Deadline, with Saints having dethroned Femi after a 263-day reign with the belt since January. It will be both Saints’ first defense and Femi’s first bout since losing the title.Â
They were both present during Friday’s “WWE SmackDown” in a backstage segment in General Manager Nick Aldis’ office, along with Rhodes. Femi and Saints both inquired as to why they were there, and not preparing for this weekend’s title bout. To which Rhodes told them that, in the spirit of John Cena’s words ahead of his retirement at SNME, he wants to face the winner of the Deadline bout next weekend. Neither the NXT Championship nor the WWE Championship are slated to be the on the line.Â
If Saints was to win the title match this weekend, that would set up a renewal of acquaintance in-ring with Rhodes for the first time since they were both in AEW. Rhodes defeated Saints in the only singles match between them in 2020, retaining the TNT Championship over the man known as Ricky Starks. And Rhodes would later team with Darby Allin to beat the pair of Powerhouse Hobbs and Starks that year. Rhodes has never faced Femi, singles or otherwise.Â
