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Since the introduction of the NXT Women’s Championship, there have been ten different champions, the most recent holder of the title being Io Shirai. Some of the best female performers in current-day wrestling have competed on the Black and Gold brand, with some coming close to winning the title, but not quite getting there.
There are some wrestlers that were part of huge NXT matches and storylines that were unsuccessful in becoming the champion, but still made a big impact with their in-ring talent. Some stars made bigger names for themselves later in their careers on RAW and SmackDown, and some left WWE altogether without ever winning a title.
Here are five Superstars who should have won the NXT Women’s Championship, but missed out.
#5 Nikki Cross was never NXT Champion
In her NXT days, Nikki Cross made a name for herself as the sole female member of the faction SaNiTY. Cross was involved in the title picture for some time on the Black and Gold brand, but never quite managed to become the NXT Women’s Champion.
Then dubbed the Twisted Sister, Cross stood out to fans as a unique and intense character, which has altered slightly since her move to SmackDown in 2019. During 2017, Cross developed a rivalry with Asuka, who was the NXT Women’s Champion at the time. Asuka and Cross were involved in a great set of matches, including the first-ever WWE Last Woman Standing match, which is still the only of its kind to take place on NXT.
After Asuka vacated the NXT Women’s Championship, Cross took on Ember Moon, Peyton Royce, and Billie Kay in a Fatal 4-Way match at NXT TakeOver: War Games for the title. The match was ultimately won by Moon, who pinned Cross. Before Cross departed NXT, she unsuccessfully challenged Shayna Baszler for the title and had a brief rivalry with Bianca Belair.
Since moving to RAW (and later, SmackDown), Cross has enjoyed success paired up with Alexa Bliss and the duo became the first team to become two-time Women’s Tag Team Champions. Cross has also been a part of the title scene, having shots at the SmackDown Women’s title. More recently a breakup between Bliss and Cross has been implied, so it will certainly be interesting to see her next move.
#4 Emma was never NXT Women's Champion
Like Nikki Cross, Emma was another Superstar who came close to becoming NXT Women’s Champion. Emma was the first-ever Australian women's wrestler to be signed to WWE back in 2012. In 2013, a tournament took place to crown the inaugural NXT Women’s Champion. The eventual winner was Paige, but Emma came close, defeating Aksana and Summer Rae to reach the finale.
Emma racked up some big wins during her NXT days and spent a lot of her WWE career moving between the RAW and NXT rosters. With her early gimmick as a goofy dancer, Emma was often put into more comedic storylines, such as a dance-off against Summer Rae and partnering with Fandango.
It was clear that Emma was a talented member of the roster, and she racked up wins against talents such as Bayley and Becky Lynch. However, it was also clear that WWE creative wasn’t quite sure of what direction to take her in. When Emma moved back to NXT from RAW, she changed her persona to become a heel, coming across as edgier and aligning with Dana Brooke.
Due to injury, Emma had to take some time away. Leading up to her return, WWE showed vignettes hyping up her new persona, Emmalina. But upon her return, the Emmalina character was dropped and she ended up keeping with the villain character. Emma was later released from her contract.
It was a shame that Emma suffered from poor booking and an inconsistent creative direction as she is a clearly talented performer. Perhaps a reign as the NXT Women’s Champion may have been the right direction for her, as Emma left WWE not winning a single title.
#3 Alexa Bliss was never NXT Women's Champion
Alexa Bliss made her NXT in-ring debut in 2014. Her initial persona was very different from the current day, with Bliss portraying a glittery fairy. Bliss was involved in a tournament to crown a new NXT Women’s Championship after the title was vacated by Paige. She won her first-round match against Alicia Fox but was defeated in the semi-finals by eventual winner Charlotte Flair.
Bliss then aligned herself with the then-NXT Tag Team Champions, Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake after they caused a distraction to help Little Miss Bliss beat Carmella. Following this, Bliss began to develop a villainous persona. Bliss then began feuding with champion Bayley, and after losing a No. 1 contenders match, began to distance herself from Murphy and Blake.
Shortly after losing a triple threat match to determine the next contender for the championship belt, Bliss made the move to SmackDown. After seeing the success of Bliss on the SmackDown and RAW rosters, it’s strange to think that she never won a title in her NXT days.
#2 Bianca Belair has never been NXT Women's Champion
Before joining WWE, Bianca Belair was a big name on the CrossFit circuit, but that stage of her career ended prematurely due to Belair discovering that she had shifting-rib syndrome. Not long after her 2017 NXT debut, Belair embarked on a lengthy undefeated streak.
Following this, Belair began a rivalry with SaniTY member Nikki Cross. Belair and Cross were involved in a strong sequence of matches, including one that ended in a double count-out. After Cross moved to RAW, Belair began to set her sights on the NXT Women’s Championship. The EST of NXT managed to come out on top in a Fatal 4-Way match to determine the next No. 1 contender, but she was defeated by then-reigning champion Shayna Baszler.
This win ended Belair’s undefeated streak at 367 days. Around this time, The EST of NXT was a standout part of the winning women’s Survivor Series team. The star would also have another title shot against Rhea Ripley after winning a battle royal on NXT, and ended up involved in a three-way feud against Ripley and future champion Charlotte Flair. Again, Belair came close but didn’t quite manage to become champion.
During her last few months in NXT, Belair also put in a standout performance in the 2020 Royal Rumble. She entered the ring at No. 2 and set a record by eliminating eight women, which was later matched by runner-up Shayna Baszler. Although Belair didn’t win, she was one of the most talked-about performers that night.
Bianca Belair is now a member of the RAW roster, after appearing with her husband’s tag team The Street Profits at WrestleMania 36. With the level of ability in-ring and on the mic, as well as a distinctive look, it’s hard to believe that Bianca Belair has yet to win a title in WWE.
#1 Becky Lynch was never NXT Women's Champion
Up until her recent hiatus to become a mother for the first time, Becky Lynch was the face of WWE. It’s surprising to think that the longest-reigning RAW Women’s Champion and the inaugural SmackDown Women’s Champion never won the NXT Women’s Championship.
Becky Lynch made her debut on the Black and Gold brand in 2014 with a comedic Irish dancer gimmick, which was quickly changed. During her time in NXT, Lynch was also member of the Four Horsewomen. Her alliances in the group often changed, with The Man initially teaming up with Bayley before turning heel and aligning herself with Sasha Banks.
Lynch came close to the title a few times. She was a part of the Fatal 4-Way against Bayley, Charlotte and Sasha Banks which was ultimately won by Banks, and also earned a shot at the title further down the line.
Lynch made the move to RAW in 2015, debuting as part of PCB with fellow Horsewoman Flair. Despite being dubbed by Paige as “the least relevant" of the group, Lynch went from strength to strength, reinventing herself as The Man and being a part of many firsts for women in WWE, including being a part of the first women’s match to headline WrestleMania.
With all of the achievements that Lynch has to her name, it’s hard to believe that she was the only one of the Four Horsewomen not to hold the NXT title. Retrospectively, it established Lynch as the underdog of the group, making fans root harder for her.
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