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NXT made some big moves this year. The black and gold brand continued to sign top talent from around the globe, moved to the USA Network for live TV, and even switched to two-hour programming.
The growth that we've seen from WWE NXT has been phenomenal. Between all of that, the brand has been able to give the WWE Universe dozens upon dozens of highly entertaining Superstars, giving everyone personalities to grab onto no matter what division they were focusing on at the time.
Throughout the year, we saw the brand set up talent to be moved in and out of circulation should any unfortunate events take place, keeping the show running as smoothly as possible regardless of the situation. Because of that, we've seen the rise of some talents that were wading through the mid-card, while some outside performers were able to show up and take charge in a hurry.
2019 was the year that saw NXT step their game up, turning the volume up from 10 to 15. As if the past few years weren't good enough, the addition of some competition on Wednesday nights has brought out the best in their roster. And that's made for some jaw-dropping moments throughout the year. Today, we'll look at the 5 of the best moments and highlights from NXT.
#5 Former Champions return to NXT
Throughout 2019, we saw several former NXT Superstars return to the black and gold brand for one reason or another. Breezango has completely revitalized their careers since moving to Wednesday nights, picking up some great wins and becoming a formidable force in the tag team title scene.
Lio Rush was another talent that shot straight to the top after rejoining NXT. Following a brief hiatus from the WWE, he returned and immediately captured the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Not only that, but the Man of the Hour became a highlight reel on Wednesday nights, repeatedly earning "Match of the Week" honors from various sites.
However, the two Superstars that made the biggest impact in NXT were two of the most dominant NXT Champions in the company's history.
Finn Balor showed up on the October 2nd edition of NXT, seemingly challenging Adam Cole for the title after a successful defense against Matt RIddle. A few weeks later, he'd shock the world by turning heel and laying out Johnny Gargano while the Undisputed Era tore Tommaso Ciampa apart.
According to Balor, this was the return of the "Prinxe." Since then, Balor has picked up some strong victories against Matt Riddle, Keith Lee and Tommaso Ciampa. His title bout last week was interrupted by a returning Johnny Gargano, who after costing him the match battered Balor with a steel chair. Balor/Gargaon is a dream feud for the WWE Universe, so continuing this war as we head into the new year was a genius move by creative.
The other star that shocked the WWE Universe this year was Kevin Owens. The Prize Fighter recently turned face earlier this year, picking up the Stunner as a finisher and taking on Shane McMahon in a great new anti-authority angle.
During the NXT Invasion, another authority member, Triple H, attempted to bring Owens into the fold, hoping that he'd join NXT at Survivor Series. Though Owens didn't take that turn, he would surprise the fans by appearing as the fourth man of Team Ciampa at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
It was an incredible moment, with the entire arena exploding in a sea of roars, cheers, and "Fight Owens Fight" chants. Owens, along with Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, and Dominik Dijakovic, defeated the Undisputed Era in the group's third WarGames match, putting their record there at 1-2.
#4 Johnny Gargano captures the NXT Championship
It may have been obvious, but sometimes the most obvious story is the best one to tell. At NXT TakeOver: New York, Johnny Gargano defeated Adam Cole to become the NXT Champion. Johnny Wrestling was in the middle of the greatest feud in the brand's history, battling his former best friend Tommaso Ciampa.
Following their breakup a few years ago, Gargano was haunted by the Psycho Killer's presence for nearly a year. Following Ciampa's return from injury, he was able to dethrone Aleister Black, picking up the NXT Championship and ruining Gargano's dream in 2018.
It was a five-year build in the making, dating all the way to their work with NXT before they'd even officially signed. Sadly, we never got a proper end to their rivalry, as another serious injury would put Ciampa's career in jeopardy. Forced to drop the NXT Title, he would have to step away while Gargano moved on to TakeOver: New York.
Adam Cole, the leader of the Undisputed Era, was quickly placed into the match. A few months prior, he'd declared the "Undisputed Prophecy" stating that the entire group would hold all the gold NXT had to offer in 2019. And though fans were expecting that to take place, everyone knew that TakeOver: New York was Gargano's time.
And even though fans saw it coming, it was one of the most emotional moments, not just in NXT, but in the entire WWE from 2019. Seeing someone scratch and claw for years, facing heartbreak after heartbreak and setback after setback, and finally make it to the top of the mountain? That's the kind of story that makes a legend. And it was that story that made Johnny Gargano, Johnny TakeOver, and Johnny Wrestling household names.
#3 The Undisputed prophecy comes true
Speaking of Adam Cole and the Undisputed Prophecy, we did see it come to fruition in the second half of 2019. After dethroning Johnny Gargano just shy of a two-month reign at NXT TakeOver: XXV, the 'Panama City Playboy' kicked off what would be a monumental year for the group. Not only did Cole capture his first NXT Championship, but he became the second-ever NXT Triple Crown champion, preceded only by Gargano a few months before.
Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly were next to follow, taking the NXT Tag Team Titles from the Street Profits on the August 15th taping of the show, also making O'Reilly the first Superstar to ever hold the NXT Tag Team Championship on three separate occasions.
Finally, Roderick Strong collected the last piece of the puzzle. On the debut episode of NXT on the USA Network, Strong knocked off the Velveteen Dream to capture the NXT North American Championship. This would be Strong's first singles title win in the company and would finally solidify the Undisputed Era as the first group to hold every single piece of men's gold in NXT.
Of course, this was before the Cruiserweight Championship was added to the black and gold brand. Still, an impressive feat, and a heck of a call by Adam Cole. Babe Ruth-esque indeed.
#2 NXT invades the main roster
Picture it, you're running a wrestling promotion and over half of your talent is unable to make the show. In fact, the majority of your roster is stuck overseas. What do you do?
Well, WWE decided to shatter the "break in case of emergency" glass case and hit the NXT button.
Various NXT Superstars took a long flight to Buffalo, New York in order to invade SmackDown at the KeyBank Center. Keith Lee, Matt Riddle, Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley, and more representatives of the Wednesday night show ran roughshod over the blue brand.
The Psycho Killer himself, Tommaso Ciampa, who had recently returned from injury even made an appearance. The former NXT Champion crashed Miz TV and defeated the A-Lister in singles competition.
Later on that night, we got an NXT Championship match. Daniel Bryan was looking for a fight backstage when he came across Triple H and Shawn Michaels. They pointed to their champion, Adam Cole, who delighted in the thought of embarrassing the former WWE Champion on live TV.
What followed was one of the best main events to take place on RAW or SmackDown throughout the year. Adam Cole would end up defeating Daniel Bryan, solidifying himself as a force to be reckoned with. Throughout the month of November leading up to Survivor Series, NXT made themselves known, ruining RAW and SmackDown whenever the opportunity arose.
It was worth it, clearly, as what used to be known as the "developmental brand" emerged victorious from Survivor Series, absolutely crushing the other two brands in dominant fashion. The invasion was a success, and it could no longer be denied that NXT was truly the greatest show under the WWE umbrella.
#1 NXT debuts on the USA Network
2019 belonged to NXT. It was a year of mostly highs, with the weekly show delivering far more than RAW or SmackDown were able to, and their TakeOver events outshining the main roster in every way.
Their biggest moment of the year, without question, was their debut on live TV on the USA Network. With All Elite Wrestling setting their debut for Wednesday, October 2nd, WWE made the move to move the black and gold brand to the same channel that carried Monday Night RAW for over a decade now.
As mentioned earlier, we saw a phenomenal NXT North American Championship bout where Roderick Strong dethroned Velveteen Dream, finally bringing the Undisputed Prophecy to reality.
Along with that, we saw some hard hitting contests featuring Oney Lorcan, Lio Rush, Matt Riddle and Killian Dain. Lorcan and Rush battled for a shot at the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, where Rush would go on to solidify himself as a top member of the roster and the next champion. Riddle and Dain? Well, they tore each other apart in a barbaric street fight that devolved into a locker room clearing brawl to end the night.
That night also featured the NXT debut of Walter and the rest of Imperium, attacking the opponent of Kushida before the Time Splitter could even make it to the ring. This made for an incredible moment to be seen, as we got to check out Kushida take on all four members of Imperium, even rocking the NXT UK Champion.
This night was historic for NXT, as those who hadn't yet checked them out on the WWE Network finally ran out of excuses to see them on a weekly basis. Here we are, near the end of the year, and NXT has consistently been neck and neck with AEW in terms of ratings and been, as it's been for the past few years, one of the greatest wrestling shows on the planet.
It was a fantastic year for NXT, and 2020 can only be bigger.
