The First 10 NXT Champions: Where are they now?

It's incredible to have witnessed how far WWE NXT has come. What started off as a talent hunt show was soon turned into a developmental brand, where WWE's future stars would be crafted and veterans would provide tips and insights to the Superstars of tomorrow.

Soon after NXT became a legit brand, WWE introduced the NXT title, the top belt on the show. It was introduced way back in 2012, and we have seen 18 different NXT Champions so far. The current NXT Champion is Finn Balor, who won the belt after defeating Adam Cole for the vacant title. In the following list, we will be taking a look at the first 10 NXT Champions in the brand's rich and storied history.

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#1 Seth Rollins (July 26, 2012)

Seth Rollins stormed through Drew McIntyre, Curtis Axel, and Jinder Mahal to become the first-ever NXT Champion by winning the inaugural tournament. Rollins has been one of the biggest Superstars in WWE's modern era and is a multiple-time World Champion.

He is currently a heel on WWE SmackDown and was recently drafted to the blue brand after a long and successful stint on WWE RAW. Rollins has stated that he has his eyes set on SmackDown's Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.

#2 Big E (December 6, 2012)

The match aired on tape delay on an episode of WWE NXT, with Seth Rollins defending the belt against Big E. Rollins lost the NXT title to Big E in this match, which was a No DQ affair.

Big E has been one of the most successful acts on WWE TV for a long time, courtesy of his stint as a member of The New Day. Currently, he is a singles Superstar on SmackDown, days after being separated from The New Day due to the WWE Draft.

#3 Bo Dallas (May 23, 2013)

Big E lost the NXT title to Bo Dallas, back when the latter was doing quite well for himself in WWE. This was the only time Bo Dallas won the NXT title. He would go on to become a Tag Team Champion with Curtis Axel on WWE RAW.

Dallas also won the 24/7 title on one occasion. He has been out of action since last November, when he asked WWE for some time off. His partner Curtis Axel was released by WWE earlier this year, thus putting an end to The B-Team.

#4 Adrian Neville/Pac (February 27, 2014)

Adrian Neville won the NXT title in a Ladder match that headlined NXT Arrival. The 16-minute encounter ended when Neville grabbed the belt and celebrated as the show went off the air. Unfortunately, he couldn't reach the same heights after he left NXT.

In early 2019, Neville was announced as one of the first wrestlers to sign with All Elite Wrestling. He soon became one of the promotion's mainstays and had a critically acclaimed match with Orange Cassidy at AEW Revolution earlier this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Neville hasn't been able to wrestle for AEW for a while due to issues related to international travel.

#5 Sami Zayn (December 11, 2014)

At NXT TakeOver: R Evolution, Adrian Neville took on Sami Zayn for the NXT title. Zayn had quickly become one of the most beloved Superstars among the NXT fans at the time. This was a title vs career match, with Zayn set to leave NXT if he lost the bout.

Zayn ended up winning the belt after a classic bout that lasted over 20 minutes. He is still a mainstay on WWE TV and is the current Intercontinental Champion on WWE SmackDown. This is Zayn's second reign with the coveted belt.

#6 Kevin Owens (February 11, 2015)

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have been friends as well as rivals for a long time, going back to the time when they were active wrestlers on the indies. Following Zayn's NXT title victory, he was attacked by Owens, thus kicking off a heated feud.

At NXT TakeOver: Rival, the two Superstars battled in a singles match for the NXT title. In the end, Owens had beaten up Zayn to such an extent that he couldn't continue with the match, and the title was awarded to Owens following a stoppage by the referee.

Owens also managed to secure a place for himself on the WWE roster and was recently drafted to WWE SmackDown during the draft. Owens seemed quite happy at the idea of reuniting with his friend, Sami Zayn on the blue brand.

#7 Finn Balor (July 4, 2015)

Finn Balor was a major star even before he made his way to WWE. In NXT, Balor quickly became the No. 1 contender for the NXT Championship and kicked off a feud with Kevin Owens for the title. At The Beast In The East event in Tokyo, Japan, Balor faced Owens and won the belt.

Finn Balor was also the inaugural Universal Champion, defeating Seth Rollins for the title before a shoulder injury forced him to vacate it. Balor's WWE career has come full circle, as he's the current NXT Champion in his second reign with the belt.

#8 Samoa Joe (April 21, 2016)

Samoa Joe was one of the most dangerous entities in all of NXT, back in 2016. Fans knew that it was only a matter of time before he captured the top belt on the brand. At an NXT live event, Joe defeated Finn Balor to win the NXT title. He would go on to have another reign with the belt as well.

His NXT success didn't lead to a fruitful main roster career though, as his injuries kept hampering his run on RAW/SmackDown. Samoa Joe is currently doing commentary on WWE RAW, after replacing WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler behind the desk.

#9 Shinsuke Nakamura (August 20, 2016)

Shinsuke Nakamura had become a big name in pro-wrestling, way before he arrived in WWE, courtesy of his time in Japan. Nakamura won the NXT title after defeating Samoa Joe at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II. He would soon lose the belt to Joe, and win it back the next year in Japan.

Currently, Nakamura is a SmackDown-exclusive Superstar and is usually seen teaming up with Cesaro on the blue brand. Nakamura had a months-long feud with AJ Styles for the WWE title back in 2018, but failed to win the belt. He is yet to win a World title in WWE.

#10 Robert Roode (January 28, 2017)

Robert Roode won the hearts of the NXT audience with his 'Glorious' gimmick. They collectively cheered for him when he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to win the NXT title at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, becoming the oldest NXT Champion to date with his victory.

This was his only NXT title win, and his glorious run didn't continue when he made his way out of NXT. He currently wrestles on the SmackDown brand, alongside Dolph Ziggler. Roode is a former US Champion, as well as a 2-time Tag Team Champion.

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