'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
NXT is the developmental brand for WWE. Just for that reason, you would expect the champion of the brand to be one of the next big stars. Many NXT Champions have gone on to achieve incredible things on the main roster and their reign with the big belt on NXT primed them for this. We will be looking at the first 10 NXT Champions, and grade their reigns from A to F.
This assessment is being made on only two factors, how good the reign was and what was the impact of the superstar on the main roster. So, we will be giving them three grades as a result. Two for the aforementioned factor and a combined grade.
NOTE: It is just the first 10 because they have had at least a year on WWE's main roster and can be given a more holistic grade, as compared to former NXT Champions, but recent debutantes, Andrade 'Cien' Almas and Drew McIntyre
#1 Seth Rollins
Rollins was the inaugural NXT Champion, winning a Gold Rush tournament to be crowned champion. He beat Jinder Mahal in the finals for this honor. Rollins was a great competitor on NXT and had a more than decent run. Due to him being the first champion, his full potential with the strap could not be unlocked. The man formerly known as Tyler Black defended the belt against Michael McGillicutty (Curtis Axel), Jinder Mahal and Corey Graves. In the interest of a feud with Corey Graves, Rollins dropped the championship to Big E Langston in a no-disqualification match on the 9th of January 2013.
Rollins has been a massive star in WWE thereafter and is a grand-slam champion today. He debuted while still NXT Champion, but he never showed the belt on WWE TV. He debuted as part of The Shield, and their story needs no retelling. After a 2 year romp over WWE, Rollins betrayed his shield brothers Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns to turn heel and align himself with Triple H. He won the Money in the Bank 2014, which he cashed in at WrestleMania 31 to become WWE Champion. He has been a main event player ever since and is the current Intercontinental Champion.
For all his success on the main roster, Rollins didn't really excel as an NXT Champion. This is due in large part because the brand was still finding its footing and couldn't use Rollins to his full capabilities. However, his main roster run truly showcased his potential and he has been an indispensable member of the roster since his debut in 2012.
Grades: C as NXT Champion, A+ on the main roster, B+ overall.
#2 Big E Langston
Big E Langston or just Big E was easily one of the most promising stars on the NXT brand. He was a powerful heel who knew that no one was stronger than him. He used to have referees pin to 5, instead of 3 during his pinfall attempts. He was so dominant that he had bounties set on him. While feuding with The Shield, Big E beat member Seth Rollins in a No Disqualification match for the title. He continued his dominance but was stopped by Bo Dallas on the June 12, 2013, episode of NXT, where he also lost the championship.
Big E debuted on the main roster as Dolph Ziggler's enforcer in December 2012, when he attacked John Cena who was Ziggler's rival at the time. He eventually aligned himself with AJ Lee and Dolph Ziggler. After this alliance was over, Big E went on a singles run which didn't set the world on fire. He did win the Intercontinental Championship by defeating Curtis Axel but didn't have a memorable run with the strap. He eventually got into a tag team with Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston called the New Day, and the rest is history. They became the longest reigning tag champs in history, were the hosts of Wrestlemania 33 and are easily the biggest acts of WWE in the past few years.
Big E, like Rollins, didn't have a great run as NXT Champion, but that is because the brand was still establishing itself. He did have a decent run, however, as he was an unbeatable strong man who did a good job down there. His main roster run has seen him become one of the biggest stars in WWE, and he is now primed to be the breakout star from the New Day, whenever they do split up.
Grades: C as NXT Champion, B+ on the main roster, B overall.
#3 Bo Dallas
Bo Dallas was the cornerstone of NXT while they made their transition into a brand that tours and holds major events. He was easily one of the most despicable figures on the NXT roster, which was all the more reason for his brilliance. Everyone Dallas faced would be cheered, the crowd would literally turn their backs on him and Dallas lived in delusion for all of it. His run with the title was extremely entertaining and his antics were what made NXT become more prominent. He lost the strap to Adrian Neville in a ladder match at NXT Arrival: 2014.
His main roster run, however, has been a nightmare. It started out well, as he debuted in the 2013 Royal Rumble and eliminated Wade Barrett. He was put in a feud with him and even got a shot at the Intercontinental Championship. His run as Bo-Lieve was where everything went south. Incredibly over with the fans, WWE had his winning streak bizarrely end against jobber R-Truth. He has been a jobber ever since, being part of the Social Outcasts and Braun Strowman's punching bag, The Miztourage.
His run with the NXT Championship is uber memorable, and his main roster run can't even hold a candle to that. He is still just 27 and has room for recovery, so he probably will not stay a jobber forever. Up until now, however, its an F for his main roster run.
Grades: A as NXT Champion, F on the main roster, C overall.
#4 Adrian Neville
Adrian Neville or just Neville had one of the most memorable NXT title reigns in the history of the promotion and will probably go down as one of the best ever. His mammoth 287-day reign anchored the brand while it was evolving into a more widely accepted brand. He was the definition of a babyface and took on heels like Brodus Clay, Tyson Kidd, and Tyler Breeze. He lost his belt at the end of it all to Sami Zayn in a title vs. career match at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution on the 11th of December, 2014.
Unlike the previous champs, Neville stayed at NXT for more than a year after losing the belt. He debuted on the main roster in 2015 on the post-WrestleMania Raw defeating Curtis Axel. He faced the stars of the roster, going up against WWE Champion Seth Rollins and the United States Champion John Cena. He was in the mid-card for most of his run, until he got injured before WrestleMania 32. Neville's return flopped and he eventually vanished from TV, returning as a heel in the Cruiserweight Division. He became the only relevant star in the poorly-booked 205 Live and had a good run with the belt until he lost to Akira Tozawa for no reason. After he won the belt back and dropped it to Enzo Amore, Neville walked out of the promotion in October 2017 citing creative frustration and hasn't returned since.
Neville's run on NXT will always be considered as one of the best title reigns in the company's history, and so can be said for his stint as the Cruiserweight Champion. He was an engaging character, both as a heel or a face. The mismanagement of his talent will be a missed opportunity and hence effects his grade on the main roster tremendously.
Grades: A as NXT Champion, C- on the main roster, B overall.
#5 Sami Zayn
A very small reign, but Sami Zayn's story was mainly that of someone pursuing the belt, but always failing. However, we are rating only the reign with the title, so Zayn falls short here. His win over Neville was a very feel-good match which WWE booked as validation for Zayn's talents. The underdog from the underground finally did it and celebrated with his best friend Kevin Owens in the ring. Owens turned on him, and soon enough snatched the title for himself winning via referee stoppage at NXT TakeOver: Rival.
Zayn debuted against John Cena on Raw in May 2015, answering Cena's open challenge while being introduced by Bret Hart. Zayn, however, picked up a shoulder injury and stayed in NXT. He returned to the main roster in the Royal Rumble, eliminating Kevin Owens. He became a full-time main roster member and fought for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 31, losing to Zack Ryder. He has been a featured member of the roster since, feuding with Kevin Owens for the majority of his run, and now teaming with him.
Zayn promises to be a bonafide star if WWE don't drop the ball with him. He has done well on the main roster so far, but can't seem to be independent of Kevin Owens just yet. He hasn't set the world alight yet, but he surely will soon enough.
Grades: C as NXT Champion, B on the main roster, C+ overall.
#6 Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens excelled in NXT as the champion. He was a ruthless prize-fighter who would be ready to kill just so that he could win. He was cool and ruthless. His wins over Sami Zayn both saw him win because he beat Zayn to a pulp. He feuded with Finn Balor and Samoa Joe too, as the NXT roster was packed to the brim at the time. He appeared with the championship on Main Event, Raw, and SmackDown. He was defeated by Finn Balor in Japan at the Beast in the East show on the 4th of July.
Owens debuted on the main roster as NXT Champion and truly put over the brand, his belt and himself over. He entered a feud with Cena, where he beat the US Champion clean in his first outing on the main roster at Elimination Chamber 2015. He eventually lost the feud. Since then, Owens has won the Intercontinental and the United States Championship. His main honor is the Universal Championship, which he held for almost 200 days. He has been in the spotlight since his debut and is essential to WWE television now.
Owens is one of the few champions that has been successful on the main roster, as well as on the developmental brand. He is one of two to have won a world championship and has been successful for most of his run. His alliances with Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn have been entertaining and he has been a compelling character throughout his run.
Grades: B+ as NXT Champion, B+ on the main roster, B+ overall.
#7 Finn Balor
Finn Balor is the longest reigning NXT Champion in history with a reign that lasted for 293 days. He beat Kevin Ownens for the strap, and embarked on an epic run as champion which was highlighted with one epic feud against Samoa Joe. His run saw him go from being a tag team with Joe to mortal enemies. Balor always seemed to get one over Joe, but that stopped after Joe beat him for the NXT Championship at a live event in Lowell, Massachusetts on the 21st of April, 2016.
Balor was called up to the main roster during the WWE Draft as the 5th overall pick, ahead of the likes of John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns. He became the number 1 contender for the new Universal Championship on his first night, last beating Roman Reigns clean. He won the belt at Summerslam 2016 defeating Seth Rollins, however, he got injured and had to abdicate the belt. His return hasn't gone too well, as he hasn't gotten a sniff around the belt since coming back. He is currently feuding with Seth Rollins over the Intercontinental Championship.
Balor was tremendous on NXT and promised to be tremendous on Raw. His injury has really scuppered his main roster career as he has come back into an upper-midcarder role. He may eventually get his belt back, but after being squashed by Kane in December 2017, it seems WWE aren't too hot for him anymore. That doesn't take away the fact that he was electric when he debuted and became the quickest person on the main roster to win a world title.
Grades: A as NXT Champion, B+ on the main roster, B+ overall.
#8 Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is the first, and only one of two wrestlers to have won the NXT Championship twice. This happened in his feud with Shinsuke Nakamura. Joe's run with the belt saw him defeat Finn Balor in a steel cage in his first title defense, making him the first (and yet only) person to defeat Balor while he is in his demon attire. He has a great feud with Nakamura, which saw him first lose the belt at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, win it back at NXT TakeOver: Toronto just to lose it back in two weeks. This is the shortest reign in the title's history.
Joe debuted on the main roster as Triple H's henchman, assaulting and injuring Seth Rollins in the buildup to HHH's WrestleMania 33 encounter with Rollins. Joe feuded with people like Seth Rollins post-WrestleMania 33, and eventually became Number 1 contender to Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship. He lost the match at Great Balls of Fire and lost again at Summerslam in a fatal 4-way match which also saw Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns (who took the pinfall). He would eventually get injured, and be off TV until the post-Wrestlemania 34 Raw. He got drafted to SmackDown in the 2018 Superstar Shakeup.
Joe had a brief, yet strong reign with the NXT Championship. However, his work on the main roster could be argued as superior. He has been a threat since he debuted and is treated like a top star. He has been put over by Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar and holds wins over Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. He is a sure-shot future WWE Champion on SmackDown and is promising to truly be the next big thing on WWE TV.
Grades: B as NXT Champion, B+ on the main roster, B+ overall.
#9 Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura is another two-time NXT Champion, but he was also a very efficient champion. He held the belt for the generation just after NXT's peak and therefore was instantly panned. His reign, however, holds just as well with all other title reigns, despite a loss of interest in NXT by then. He had a good feud with Samoa Joe and a battle with Bobby Roode. Even though Nakamura triumphed over Joe, he wouldn't be so lucky with Roode, as Roode beat him for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Orlando.
Nakamura debuted on SmackDown Live on the post Wrestlemania edition of the show. He had middling and underwhelming feuds with Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, and Jinder Mahal, facing Mahal in a WWE Championship match at Summerslam 2017. Nakamura became the biggest star on SmackDown after winning the 2018 Men's Royal Rumble Match eliminating John Cena and Roman Reigns at the end. He faced AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 34, where he lost and turned heel on Styles by low-blowing the champion.
Shinsuke has had a mixed stay with WWE till now. he wasn't really allowed to grow into the NXT Championship like ones before he had. Maybe it was his talent which just made it obvious that he wasn't going to be one of the cornerstones of the NXT roster. His main roster booking in 2017 was average at best, and 2018 seems to be turning out really well for him. He is going to be a world champion sooner or later, as his new character has revitalized interest in him beyond a catchy entrance.
Grades: B+ as NXT Champion, B+ on the main roster, B+ overall.
#10 Bobby Roode
Speaking of a catch entrance, Bobby Roode held the NXT Title for a total of 203 days. Even though he held the belt after the roster had been weakened because of the brand split, he had a very memorable run as NXT Champion. Unlike his predecessors, Roode didn't have a single defining rivalry during his tenure as champion, but he had many. It started with Hideo Itami, went to Roderick Strong and ended with Drew McIntyre. NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III saw the end of his underrated and entertaining title reign.
Debuting on the 22 August 2017 edition of SmackDown Live, Bobby Roode would enter the roster as a babyface, shedding his heel narcisstic persona from NXT. He would feud with professional heat killer Dolph Ziggler for a large chunk of his main roster stay. He would capture the vacant US Title (vacated by the aforementioned Dolph Ziggler) and enter into a feud with Randy Orton and later Jinder Mahal. He failed to defend his title at WrestleMania 34, losing to Jinder Mahal who pinned Rusev in a fatal 4 way match, also including Randy Orton.
Roode had an enjoyable stint as NXT Champion, but has failed to impress on the main roster. His face turn has made him a one-dimensional character who is only over because of his entrance. His heel NXT character needs to be revived for Roode to have a fighting chance in WWE's extremely talented and over saturated roster.
Grades: B+ as NXT Champion, C- on the main roster, C+ overall.
