Ranking all former NXT Champions' main roster careers

In an era of professional wrestling defined mainly by a decline in interest levels and audience numbers, NXT has, on more than one occasion, offered fans some hope that a brighter future is on its way.

Whether it is the smaller platform or the freedom to be a little different, the WWE Universe has taken to NXT in a big way. When scanning the current WWE main roster you soon realise how much of a debt is owed to the efforts of Triple H in issuing in the 'New Era'.

The problems have often stemmed from the inability of RAW and Smackdown's writing team to convert the initial promise into something permanent on the big stage. Many an NXT superstar has seen their career take a nosedive since their promotion, which in some cases has been a real shame.

Of all the NXT graduates, there exists a select few who were trusted with representing the Wednesday night show as its champion. And like those that exist around them, not all of the former champs have impressed following their departure.

Here, we analyse the main roster success of all 10 former NXT Champions:

#10 Bo Dallas

Propping up this list is the current Miztourage member Bo Dallas. There was definitely a time, early on in Bo's main roster career, where things were looking fairly positive for NXT's third champion. He initially debuted as part of the 2013 Royal Rumble match, eliminating then Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett, leading to a mini-feud between the two.

After a period of time back on the NXT roster, Dallas was finally given a more permanent call-up, but was given a gimmick not best suited to main event longevity. Bo portrayed a kind of motivational speaker, asking people to 'bo-lieve' in themselves but using every heel tactic in the book to win matches.

Despite the gimmick not being too favourable, Dallas almost slipped into an accidental push after going on a streak of wins against seemingly better opponents than himself. However, in typical WWE fashion, the rug was pulled from under him just as the crowd really were starting to 'bo-lieve'. His unexpected and unnecessary loss to R-Truth marked the last time anyone took the guy seriously.

After a long time on the backbenches, Bo has now found himself with a supporting role that at least requires him to be on television on a regular basis. Despite having the chance to work with The Miz -- somebody the company actually treats as an important part of their roster -- nobody seriously expects either Dallas or Curtis Axel to go anywhere from here.

More likely, just as the writers decide they have had enough of the Miztourage, Dallas will fall back into irrelevance again.

This is a sorry state for a former NXT Champion to be in after a good few years on the main roster, which is why he sadly must come in last place.

#9 Shinsuke Nakamura

It might seem strange to place Nakamura so low on this list considering he has competed for the WWE Championship since being promoted to Smackdown Live. Perhaps the problem with measuring his success so far on the main roster is that given the amount of promise and intrigue surrounding the King of Strong Style, we haven't really had anything but a disappointment.

Shinsuke wasn't supposed to be just another NXT call-up, he was ideally going to be the trendsetter for how high-profile Japanese stars would be handled by the WWE. With a very noticeable rise in the levels of attention given to the New Japan product from the US audience these days, it seems likely that more and more Eastern stars will be tempted by a career in the States.

However, if the company's handling of Shinsuke is anything to go by so far, one would assume guys like Okada and Naito will be thinking twice about making the move.

The problems seemed to originate from his very first Smackdown Live feud. Instead of giving him to a heel that could assist with his lack of spoken English in promos, they sent him at Dolph Ziggler, a man who might be known for selling others moves but not somebody who typically puts together memorable talking segments.

Ziggler even did a poor job of selling Nakamura's 'Strong Style'. The Showoff seemed all too prepared for it when he should really have been treated as more of an enigma. While the former IWGP Champ might still have time to redeem himself, quite a lot of damage has already been done.

#8 Bobby Roode

Not so glorious. — Not so glorious so far.

There was something instantly likeable about Bobby Roode's NXT career, despite him playing a heel for the majority of it. Much like AJ Styles, Roode was somebody who had the talent to stand out on his own, even without the help of Vince McMahon.

It wouldn't take long for the WWE Universe to realise what all the fuss was about. Roode slotted into the Wednesday night show with ease, becoming NXT's 'Glorious' champion. Everything from his entrance music to his Ric Flair-like robe and dazzling move set just caught the attention of the fans. When he finally made his debut on Smackdown Live earlier this year, hopes were very high indeed.

It is probably too early to judge the WWE's handling of Roode on the main roster fairly, which is why he appears so low down on this list. There is still plenty of time for him to enter one or two meaningful feuds over the WWE or United States Championship.

That being said, his beginnings have not been that promising. Just like Nakamura, Roode's first opponent on Smackdown was Dolph Ziggler. The matches between the two were forgettable and showed Roode to be far too vulnerable early on.

Of course, there is some logic to not having an NXT graduate charge through the main roster ranks straight away, but with the man's history in TNA and beyond, you'd have thought Roode wouldn't have needed to necessarily climb the same ladder as somebody like Bo Dallas or Big E.

Hopefully, this is all just a blip and the Glorious One can soon get back to doing what he does best.

#7 Sami Zayn

In theory, booking Sami Zayn's main roster gimmick should have been fairly straightforward. The man is clearly a loveable babyface underdog who gains just as much fan support from losing matches as he does winning them. This basic approach did very well for him down on NXT.

His eventual victory over Adrian Neville, for example, was one of the best-booked matches in the faction's history because it was something the fans wanted, but were not sure they were going to get.

For some reason, this has not translated well onto the main roster, either on RAW or Smackdown Live. The problem seems to be that in terms of the evolution of the Sami Zayn character, not much has happened since his days on the Indies as 'El Generico'.

Rather than properly test Sami out against the best the WWE has to offer, his time on both main roster shows has mainly revolved around his rivalry/friendship with Kevin Owens. And while this is a compelling story, fans grew tired of seeing it play out long before the writers did.

Now that Zayn has turned heel and aligned himself with his former nemesis, it seems his career will again be determined by his proximity to Owens, meaning even a heel turn has done little to allow the man to grow on his own.

Even the strongest Zayn defenders are now starting to admit that there is very little hope of him ever holding one of the main championship belts. His career has definitely reached a plateau, but we will hopefully get to see him in the mid card for quite a few years to come.

#6 Samoa Joe

The fact that Samoa Joe fails to make the top 5 in this list is more a commentary on the success of the men above him than any particular indictment on Joe himself.

That being said, while Samoa Joe's overall persona has been very effective on RAW since his call-up from NXT, one assumes that in terms of long-term vision, the former TNA and ROH star probably doesn't feature too highly on Vince McMahon's priorities.

Whether it is an age thing or the fact that Vince still resents guys who have been able to make it without his help, Samoa Joe feels like he has already missed his opportunity to be a star for the WWE, despite only being on RAW less than a year.

Things really should have happened straight away considering his debut was so explosive. After literally injuring Seth Rollins in the run-up to Wrestlemania 33, fans were becoming excited at the prospect of a really powerful team forming between Joe and Triple H. Instead, following Rollin's victory over the Game, the whole enforcer gimmick was dropped.

Joe then gained a somewhat unexpected opportunity against Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title. Again, much promise was raised from this, but ultimately nothing happened. Joe would have made an excellent Universal Champion in Brock's absence and it would have cemented the idea of him being an unstoppable heel monster.

No doubt Joe will continue to play a key role on RAW for a fair few years to come, but it just doesn't feel like he is destined for a considerable push anytime soon. The WWE's handling of him has been pretty good, but there was definitely more than one missed opportunity along the way.

#5 Big E

Big E has been on a real rollercoaster ride since graduating from NXT. After becoming the company's second champion, he was given a main roster role alongside Dolph Ziggler, who at the time was still a highly popular star with the WWE Universe.

Big E clearly has some instantly noticeable attributes. He is a mountain of a man with an athleticism that almost contradicts his size. His mic skills aren't all that bad either and there is something about him that gives the guy that slight advantage over other wrestlers on his level.

And while Big E has not yet enjoyed the kind of success that fans probably felt he deserved, one would struggle to make the case that the man has not had a significant impact on the product in recent years.

Following a few dark months where it seemed Big E might even have been earmarked for a termination, he found himself as part of an unlikely trio alongside Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston.

The New Day faction deserves some of the highest credit any WWE fan can give a group of superstars in 2017. In an environment where gimmicks are seemingly thrown together without much forethought, the three of them managed to make the best out of a very poor situation.

Initially coming in as annoying babyfaces who the crowd instantly rejected, The New Day transitioned themselves into one of the best heel groups the company had seen in years, before moving back into babyfaces, but this time with near universal acceptance from the fans.

Big E has been a significant part of that, showing a side of himself that not many were aware of after seeing him run over people down on NXT. E's career really could go down as one of the WWE's best if his transition away from New Day is done correctly. He has the raw talent, he just needs some careful steering, and who knows where he could end up?

#4 Neville

The man formally known as Adrian Neville on NXT (and as Pac down on the indies) belongs to a very rare group of Superstars whose popularity on the main roster has probably surpassed the level he enjoyed on NXT.

Usually, a Superstar who has the full backing of the WWE Universe will ascend up the ranks to RAW or Smackdown and see their stock plummet due to bad booking. It's refreshing to have seen somebody go in the opposite direction.

While still a fairly popular NXT Champion, Neville was around during a boom period that saw him compete against the likes of Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor and Hideo Itami. All of these men were arguably more interesting to fans than the semi-vanilla babyface, Neville.

Initially, his time on the main roster looked to be going the same way. People were highly impressed with his athleticism but couldn't fully connect with him as a character. That all changed when he was turned heel and sent down to 205 Live.

By WWE's usual standards, this should really have been a demotion. The Cruiserweight Division wasn't exactly setting the world on fire following the conclusion of the Cruiserweight Classic, and the idea of a high flying sensation playing a heel didn't sound like it would work one bit.

Much to our surprise, Neville took what he had been given and actually became a very convincing heel, calling himself the 'King of the Cruiserweights'. Considering the Brit was the only person that casual fans didn't mind watching whenever the cruiserweights came to RAW, this was a pretty apt. nickname. Neville took a division from the brink of collapse to one that could legitimately showcase title matches on PPVs like Wrestlemania.

Neville is no longer with the company, of course, but his time representing the WWE Cruiserweights has opened doors for the man from Newcastle, and people should be excited about where he ends up next.

#3 Finn Balor

If fans ever needed proof that the WWE is no longer just a showcase for giants, Finn Balor is it. Unlike other smaller athletes like Daniel Bryan, who relied a lot on fan support, the WWE really seem to have a genuine interest in pushing Balor as a future top star.

Even during his reign as NXT Champion, a lot of effort was put into promoting both the Balor character and the man playing him. Documentaries and backstage interviews were plentiful, inviting fans to learn about his history of independent wrestling and his successful period over in Japan.

The writers also seemed to love playing around with the 'Demon' gimmick, an alter ego that Balor had developed as part of his time on NXT. He was involved in some of the most interesting and high profile matches that division had ever seen and his arrival on RAW was met with huge excitement and promise.

Much to the relief of the fans, this push did not slow down when he arrived on the main roster. Not only did he defeat Roman Reigns clean on his first night on RAW, but he also went on to become the first ever Universal Champion, a title that has only been held by four men since its creation over a year ago.

Who knows where this push would have gone had Finn not suffered an untimely injury during his match at Summerslam.

While Balor's career is by no means in trouble, some of the wind has been taken from his initial push recently. It hasn't helped that most of his recent feuds have been pretty meaningless. That being said, the prospect of him facing Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title in the near future is still a very real possibility, and fans fully expect the Demon King to be the Champion again. There is still enough about him to warrant calling Balor the third most popular former NXT Champion.

#2 Kevin Owens

Whatever becomes of Kevin Owens in the future, fans will always be able to look back on his career as one that surpassed expectations. While not seen as a 'smaller' guy, Owens doesn't exactly fit the bill in terms of the traditional WWE 'look'. He also has the problem that a lot of indie fans face once they arrive in WWE - the fact that Vince dislikes stars that have made a name for themselves without his help.

Despite all of this, Owen's natural talent for wrestling and talking have led him to become a genuine asset for the WWE. He was first entrusted with being the second holder of the Universal Championship, carrying the belt during his highly popular onscreen partnership with Chris Jericho.

After losing the belt to Goldberg, he almost immediately became Smackdown's United States Champion and did more for the product than most others, including its WWE Champion Jinder Mahal.

Even his time on NXT, he rewrote the rule book when it came to booking developmental talent. Owens did not need a lengthy period honing his craft and instead used the Wednesday night product more as a springboard than a stepping stone. He immediately went after John Cena, defeating the 16-time champ on his very first night on the main roster.

Owens is the kind of performer who is capable of keeping himself relevant, even when the writers haven't got anything specific for him to do. This means he will always be an integral part of the company's plans going forward. This is a genuinely impressive skill to have in 2017, and for that reason, KO deserves our highest praise.

#1 Seth Rollins

Out of all the former NXT Champions, the man who has probably succeeded more than any other on the main roster is the division's first champion, Seth Rollins. Compared with guys like Kevin Owens and Shinsuke Nakamura, Rollins did not have the luxury of representing NXT during its successful boom period.

This meant that he still had a lot of work to do when it was time for his call-up and couldn't simply rely on fans' desire to see the Wednesday night product succeed.

That being said, Rollins was handed probably the greatest opportunity anyone in his position could have hoped for when he was asked to be part of the Shield. For anyone who claims that WWE can no longer book factions effectively, the Hounds of Justice stand as an example to the contrary. Fans were instantly behind the idea of the three-man group coming in and taking out the best the company had to offer.

The key to The Shield's success early on was the fact that they were actually booked to look strong. People could believe that they had what it took to take on guys like Daniel Bryan and The Undertaker and hold various championship belts along the way. Even their first Wrestlemania match ended in an impressive victory.

As the group gained in popularity, fans assumed it would be Roman Reigns who would be given the first opportunity to branch out on his own, but due to some less than impressive crowd reactions, it would be Rollins who would get the first taste of world championship gold.

By all intents and purpose, Rollins was 'the man' for the WWE throughout most of 2014-2015. While his wins were not always convincing, he did still manage to retain his belt against the likes of John Cena and Brock Lesnar. Much like Balor before him, it would be injury that finally put an end to his monster push.

Rollins hasn't had the best time of it recently, but with the reformation of the Shield he is once again at the forefront of WWE programming and even if nothing much happens between now and his retirement, he already has quite the career to look back on.