10 top Superstars to have graduated from NXT

Nakamura thrived in NXT and has continued to impress since joining Smackdown Live

#10 Big E

Big E Langston as the NXT Champion

When Big E burst onto the scene in WWE, nobody could have ever envisaged that he'd morph into the crazy, fun-loving, babyface star that he's become today. It's been a long and winding road for the former NXT Champion, who was referred to as Big E Langston earlier in his WWE career.

After becoming the man to defeat the inaugural NXT Champion, Seth Rollins, and claim his belt, there was nothing more for Big E to achieve on the yellow brand. He debuted in WWE as a quiet, dominant monster, fresh from a highly successful period in NXT, during which he would routinely ask the referee to count to five as he made the cover to finish his matches. By the side of Dolph Ziggler, he was the muscle in a short-lived stable also involving AJ Lee.

After inevitably splitting from Ziggler, he went on to have a forgettable run as Intercontinental Champion which nearly killed his momentum. Luckily, fate decided to intervene and the formation of The New Day arguably saved the career of not just Big E, but Kofi and Xavier too.

Regardless, The New Day kicked on in a big way and went on to become the longest reigning WWE World Tag Team Champions of all time, cementing Big E's status as one of NXT's most notable success stories.

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