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Tuesday on NXT, Finn Balor defeated Adam Cole for the vacant NXT Championship. The title has been vacant since Karrion Kross relinquished the belt due to injury. With this win, Balor became just the third two-time NXT Champion in history, alongside Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura.
The new champion creates the potential for several new exciting match-ups at the top of the NXT card. WWE has been selective when choosing the next Superstars NXT Champion in the past, so one can presume that it may be a while before NXT sees its next champion. However, we could only be one match away. Here are five members of the NXT roster who seem like the best fit to win the NXT Championship at the conclusion of Finn Balor's reign.
#5. Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa has already won gold with NXT and so some may argue that there are other superstars on the NXT roster who deserve a run with the title instead. However, few would begrudge Ciampa reuniting with "Goldie" after all he's gone through injury-wise.
Ciampa has consistently been one of the top performers on NXT and he has really helped build the brand up to the point where it is today. While many have called for him to appear on the main roster for some time, Ciampa doesn't seem to be leaving NXT anytime soon.
He could be a perfect foil for the ever-popular Balor. Ciampa's loyalty to NXT could even become part of the build to this match as he could criticize Balor for jumping to the main roster as quickly as possible before coming crawling back.
In any case, giving Ciampa another run with the belt as a jaded veteran seeking to teach up-and-comers a lesson has the potential to be great.
#4. Velveteen Dream
At the time of writing this, WWE has cleared Velveteen Dream of any wrongdoing although #FireVelveteenDream continues to trend regularly on Twitter amongst claims of sexual misconduct. While NXT is unlikely to push the young star at the moment given the current uproar regarding the allegations made against him, WWE clearly believes there is no substance to them.
If this is the case, WWE will likely continue to feature Velveteen Dream prominently on NXT programming. They may even choose to finally pull the trigger and give him an NXT Championship win, a feat he's been close to on a number of occasions. Velveteen Dream may still have a bright future within the company as he has displayed immense in-ring talent and charisma during his time in WWE.
Dream burst on the scene with impressive performances in feuds against the likes of Aleister Black, Ricochet, and Tommaso Ciampa and it seemed like he was destined to become a top star in the company. However, this will likely have to wait until he clears his name in the eyes of the public and he is no longer associated with the very serious allegations that have been made against him.
#3. Austin Theory
It is unclear just why Austin Theory has seemingly been moved from Monday Night Raw back down to NXT. However, it does seem that this move could breathe new life into Theory's character as he did seem rejuvenated in his most recent performance against Bronson Reed.
Theory is another young star who has enormous potential should he stays out of trouble. While he was lost in the shuffle on RAW, Theory seemed like he was back to his arrogant self on Tuesday night. He showed glimpses of why he became the youngest ever EVOLVE Champion at just 21 years old.
A feud between Theory and Balor has serious potential as the two superstars have a number of similarities. Theory is clearly the younger, less polished version but Balor could undoubtedly bring the best out of the young man and produce a great NXT match between the two. If a young arrogant Theory fully dedicates himself to finally win the title, this has the potential to be a great feud later.
#2. Roderick Strong
While this may appear to come somewhat out of the left-field, Roderick Strong has the potential to be an interesting NXT Champion. Adam Cole has consistently been the star of The Undisputed Era. After his recent 396-day reign as NXT Champion, he has essentially achieved all he can with the black and gold brand.
Giving Strong, a former NXT North American Champion, a push to the top of the card would create a really interesting dynamic among The Undisputed Era. This has the potential to create a new, interesting storyline on the brand with a jealous Adam Cole.
Strong could qualify for a championship opportunity at the expense of Cole, creating intrigue in how the former champion will respond. Regardless of whether or not Strong goes on to win the title, the implosion of The Undisputed Era could provide a number of great NXT moments for months to come. It could also be an effective way to make a real star out of Strong and facilitate Cole's exit from NXT for either RAW or SmackDown.
#1. Karrion Kross
If Karrion Kross didn't get injured, he would still be NXT Champion. One has to think WWE already had plans for Kross's title reign or at least the start of it. Those plans are surely still in consideration.
When Kross returns to the title picture and reclaims the gold that he never lost, NXT can get back to whatever they had in mind when they decided to crown him a champion.
Moreover, Kross's enormously successful run in NXT, where he wasted little time to climb his way up to the top, suggests his first legitimate loss will have to be particularly significant. As good as Balor is, he doesn't quite feel like the man to dish out that loss at the moment. Instead, Balor could have a shorter run with the belt with a few defenses before he drops the belt back to Kross. Then, Kross can have the run with the belt that was intended before another NXT star gains enough momentum to believably overcome Kross for the title.
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
