The long-term storytelling of the NXT title scene
Ricky Saints is currently finding his footing on SmackDown, but his eyes are fixed firmly on the past. In recent commentary, Saints pointed toward his historical battles in NXT as the primary narrative thread that will inevitably surface on Friday nights. He specifically highlighted his encounter with Oba Femi as a pivot point that is far from concluded.
This isn't just standard locker room chatter. When a performer like Saints singles out a specific developmental result, it signals a long-term booking strategy. Femi’s dominance as North American champion redefined the mid-card aesthetic of that brand. His reliance on raw power against Saints’ technical agility provided a blueprint for how main roster agents will likely structure their future house show and PLE encounters.
Tactical friction and the main roster transition
The transition from NXT to the main roster is rarely smooth. We often see talented workers stripped of their signature maneuvers or forced into generic personas that lack the bite of their developmental spikes. Saints is attempting to subvert this by forcing the creative office to acknowledge his pedigree.
By linking his current trajectory to the loss against Femi, Saints is asserting that his main roster development is a continuation of that narrative arc. He is essentially telling the writing team that he has unfinished business that requires a stiff, physical opponent to resolve. If you look at his recent performance against mid-tier opponents, he is already incorporating more high-impact transitions to mimic the intensity he faced during his NXT days.
Analyzing the booking risk
There is a glaring flaw in this approach, however. The main roster audience is not monolithic and many viewers have zero context for the NXT North American landscape of 2024. If the promotion relies too heavily on legacy callbacks without proper video packages, the intensity of the Saints-Femi narrative will deflate. It turns into an inside joke instead of a compelling rivalry.
Saints must prove he can carry a feud without the NXT crutch. His match pacing has been solid, usually peaking around the 12-minute mark, but his promo work needs to bridge the gap for a general audience. If he fails to generate heat on his own, the reliance on a throwback feud will be viewed as a desperate act of creative bankruptcy rather than a callback to previous NXT successes.
The prediction for the coming cycle
I anticipate WWE will pull the trigger on an Oba Femi call-up before the end of the year to capitalize on this specific sentiment. The booking office has a track record of rewarding performers who build their own connective tissue. Expect a brief, explosive reunion between the two that sets the pace for a secondary title hunt.
My prediction is that we will see a condensed version of their NXT chemistry featured on a premium live event card in late 2026. Given the current roster density, the match will likely land as a bridge feud rather than a main event focus, with a total runtime under 15 minutes. Staking a claim on that narrative continuity is a smart move for Saints, but it puts the burden of proof squarely on his shoulders to show he hasn't peaked in developmental.
