Grading The First 10 NXT Champions

#4 Adrian Neville

The man that gravity forgot, but NXT never can.

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.