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NXT moved to the USA Network last week and it was seen as a beginning of a new era. The Yellow Brand was created nine years ago as the third brand of WWE. Initially, it played out in a game show format, but over the years, NXT has become one of WWE's best creations. It has been home to some of the best storylines and in-ring action seen in the company.
A majority of the wrestlers that are on the main roster today have gone through NXT. Therefore, it is not hard to see why it has such an influence on WWE's product. Hopefully, the move to the USA Network can help bring more eyes to the brand.
With that said, it's time to take a look at the most influential performers in NXT history. Despite only being around for nine years, it was hard to restrict this list to just seven performers as there have been so many memorable wrestlers.
#7. Finn Balor
Finn Balor is the longest-reigning NXT Champion of all time. When he made his debut in 2014, his Demon persona was unique and unlike most things the NXT Universe had seen. He became a champion within a year when he defeated Kevin Owens to win the NXT title at "Beast in the East" in 2015. He probably knew that he would increase their popularity but little did he know that there were big things in store for the yellow brand.
When he was the champion, NXT developed as a brand. They did their first shows away from Full Sail University and also did International shows. The scope of the brand grew, and it brought a lot of eyes to the product.
Balor was popular among the fans and spearheaded the company. These accomplishments put him on this list.
#6 Tommaso Ciampa
In this day and age where many heel wrestlers try to appear cool and get cheap pops, it is rare to see someone who gets booed often. Tommaso Ciampa was one of the few wrestlers who was hated by fans.
His achievements in DIY attributed to his status as an NXT great, but his singles work catapulted him over most other wrestlers.
He turned heel on his best friend Johnny Gargano and immediately felt the wrath of the NXT Universe. That lead to Gargano's chase of the NXT Championship, which was the hottest storyline of 2018.
In terms of accomplishments, he won tag team gold as part of DIY and also won the NXT Championship. Outside of that, he's had incredible matches against the likes of Velveteen Dream, Johnny Gargano, and Aleister Black.
Overall, his body of accomplishments has been incredible and he deserves to be on this list.
#5 Asuka
When Asuka made her NXT debut, The Four Horsewomen had started to transition to the main roster which left a huge void in NXT. She had big shoes to fill but she managed to do so in style.
From her entrance to her matches, she maintained a mysterious aura around her. She defeated Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Dallas to win the Women's Championship and had a very dominating title reign.
During the title reign, she had great matches against the likes of Ember Moon and Nikki Cross. She held on to the title for 522 days and had to vacate it after moving up to the main roster. It's safe to say that, at NXT, no one was ready for Asuka!
#4 Sasha Banks
During a time when female wrestlers struggled to get attention on the main roster, the Four Horsewomen of NXT were breaking barriers. Over the last few years, women have gotten more opportunities to shine on bigger stages and Sasha Banks deserves a lot of credit for her role in it.
As a performer, she stood out. She adopted the "Boss" persona in NXT and became one of the best heel characters of the decade. Her two TakeOver matches against Bayley are considered by fans as two of the greatest women's matches ever.
She led her division from the front and held the NXT Women's Championship for a long time. Therefore, the women's division would be much different if it weren't for Sasha Banks.
#3 Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano is the longest-serving wrestler in NXT history and has been the heart and soul of the company for the last few years.
He made his debut in 2015 as a member of DIY who were one of the most talented tag teams. Their series of matches against The Revival and The Authors of Pain caught the attention of fans.
Moving onto 2017, Tomasso Ciampa shockingly turned heel on Johnny Gargano. Their feud lasted two years and went down as the best storyline in the brand's history. As time passed, Gargano started to gain a reputation for putting on classic matches at PPV's. He proved that there was a reason he was called Johnny Wrestling.
Besides that, he became the first triple crown champion in NXT when he beat Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver: New York. All these accomplishments put him on this list.
#2 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn was one of the most beloved wrestlers in NXT history. He was an integral part of the company when it was on the rise.
The main roster had become very stale at that time, and fans were looking for an alternative. NXT provided that alternative for fans through exciting, and relatable characters, and storylines. Sami Zayn was one such relatable character. He was the guy who was termed a failure but never gave up. Therefore, he became incredibly popular among fans.
His matches against the likes of Cesaro, Neville, and Tyson Kidd turned heads. In particular, Sami Zayn wrestled in one of the best matches ever when he won the NXT Championship at NXT Takeover: R-Evolution.
#1 Bayley
Bayley is the most important performer in NXT history. She had one of the best-written stories in recent memory.
Initially, she lost too many matches and was considered a loser. But she held on to the hope that someday she would become a champion. As time passed, she slowly started gaining a good reputation among fans. It grew big when her contemporaries were called up to the main roster, and she was left behind.
That lead to the historic match between Bayley and Sasha Banks at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn where the former won the NXT Women's Championship. It is perhaps the best moment in the brand's history.
Her impact extended beyond the ring as she was a family-friendly character who was beloved by fans of all ages. She especially made an impact by being marketed towards young girls. These achievements make her the most influential wrestler the brand has ever seen.
