Top 5 male NXT Superstars of 2019

This past year may have been the greatest year that NXT has ever produced. Not only have we seen some of the greatest matches being put on display, but the Black and Gold brand also made a huge jump from the WWE Network straight to the USA Network.

Operating in the prime time slot every Wednesday night since September 18th, NXT has yet to let up, bringing us unmissable TV week after week. And since that day, we've seen several Superstars rise through the ranks.

Today, we'll look at five of the best male NXT Superstars in 2019 and the trials and tribulations they went through to climb the mountain this year.

---

#5 Keith Lee

The most GIFable superstar of 2019

We're definitely basking in the glory of Keith Lee now. 2019 was a breakout year for the powerhouse, even though it started out a little rough for him.

While Lee certainly had some great matches in the first half of the year, he struggled to pick up many impressive victories. In fact, Kassius Ohno, Dominik Dijakovic, and Punishment Martinez all managed to drop the big man. Though he was putting on tremendous performances, he wasn't bringing in the results.

Now at the end of the year, many seem to have forgotten just how little Lee was used before the rocket was strapped to his back a few months back. He was struggling to find TV time back then.

That being said, when he finally got his opportunity, he took the ball and ran with it. And my God did he explode into superstardom!

Racking up huge wins against his old rival Dijakovic, Roderick Strong, and getting some great exposure on RAW and SmackDown throughout November, the Limitless One shot to the moon in popularity.

NXT's invasion of the 'main roster' helped elevate him to a top contender, as he managed to end nearly every RAW and SmackDown by driving Superstars through the mat with the Spirit Bomb. At NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Lee was on the winning team when Team Ciampa defeated the Undisputed Era in a WarGames match.

Then, representing the Black and Gold brand at Survivor Series, he pinned Seth Rollins in the middle of the ring, eliminating RAW from the match altogether. His final showdown with Roman Reigns may not have worked out in his favor, but it was an impressive showing that saw Lee prove himself to the entire WWE Universe. Even Roman Reigns had to give him props following the match.

Since then, Lee's been sitting on the edge of the title picture just waiting to tear the gold away from the Undisputed Era. Aside from that, he's become the most GIFable Superstar in all of NXT. From shooting Adam Cole into the stratosphere with a pounce to rising to the ring out of nowhere to scare his opponents, Lee's ending 2019 as one of the most popular performers on the Black and Gold brand (and maybe the entire WWE).

2020 is going to be a fantastic year for him. Expect to see him draped in gold in the near future.

#4 Roderick Strong

Roderick Strong helped NXT to a massive victory at Survivor Series

Roddy Strong stepped up big time in 2018, shocking the world by joining the Undisputed Era. Filling in for Bobby Fish, he and Kyle O'Reilly dominated the tag team division for nearly a year.

Now, Strong and O'Reilly may not have started 2019 off well, losing the NXT Tag Team Championship to the War Raiders, but the Undisputed Era rallied better than any group ever before them. Just before 2020 begins, we're sitting in an era of NXT dominated by one group: The Undisputed Era.

Kyle O'Reilly rejoined Bobby Fish to capture the tag titles this summer. Adam Cole pinned Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: XXV to win the NXT Championship. Roderick Strong was the final piece of the puzzle. All he had to do was defeat Velveteen Dream for the North American Championship.

It was easier said than done, however. Strong earned an opportunity at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, but was thrown off by the sudden addition of Pete Dunne. Eventually, on the September 18th edition of NXT, the first episode to air on the USA Network, Strong tore the title away from Velveteen Dream.

Since then, he's battled the titans of NXT, Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic, both for his title and for the NXT Tag Team Titles when Bobby Fish suffered an injury mid-match. Both times, Strong was able to pull out the upset victory against two of the most dominant athletes that NXT has to offer. Not to mention his incredible match at Survivor Series where he defeated both AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura in a Triple Threat Match.

Most recently, Strong put away another surprising contender, former EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory. The Unproven One showed up ready for a fight, and nearly ripped the North American Championship away from Strong. However, the Messiah of the Backbreaker held on, eventually forcing a submission victory with the Strong Hold.

Strong has been victorious against several of the best performers on the NXT roster. As we move into the next year, it's clear that the North American Champion doesn't plan on losing the title any time soon.

#3 Johnny Gargano

Johnny Champion continued to shine throughout 2019

The tale of Johnny Gargano is without a doubt the greatest, and most tragic, story in the history of NXT. From the get-go, the Rebel Heart of Gargano has captivated the WWE Universe. From his debut with the company to #DIY to the heartbreaking friendship-ending attack from Ciampa, all the way to Gargano's rise to NXT Champion.

He kicked off 2019 by winning, and subsequently, losing the NXT North American Championship in less than a month. At that point,, Gargano had turned to the dark side, embracing what Ciampa had been preaching for months. Cut to the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and he's reunited with his frenemy, looking to regain the NXT Tag Team Titles.

They were eliminated by Aleister Black and Ricochet, and Ciampa looked to assault Gargano just like he'd done two years prior. This time, though, Gargano saw it coming.

Johnny Wrestling was back with a vengeance. We never got to see Ciampa and Gargano fight at TakeOver: New York, but the latter still managed to capture the NXT Championship by taking out the Undisputed Leader, Adam Cole.

Again, Gargano's reign was short, losing it to Cole at TakeOver: XXV. Still, he continued to pull out some of the best matches of the year, proving himself as Johnny Wrestling and Johnny TakeOver.

Cut to six months later, and Gargano is deeply involved in a heated feud with Finn Balor. So, if we're starting 2020 with Balor vs Gargano at the next event, then it's clear we're kicking things off right.

#2 Velveteen Dream

Velveteen Dream kicked off a strong year following a great win against Johnny Gargano

When it comes to everyone on this list, nobody had the long title reign that Velveteen Dream did. The Vainglorious One won the NXT North American Championship from Johnny Gargano. Following that, Dream did the unthinkable, handing Matt Riddle his first pinfall loss at NXT TakeOver: New York.

He continued to pick up wins against some of the greatest NXT performers that the brand has ever seen. Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Pete Dunne, and Tyler Breeze all fell to Dream. Even the juggernaut from 205 Live, Buddy Murphy, who had come off an incredible year of highly-rated matches, was no match for the young lad.

After 231 days as champion, Dream would finally lose his title to Roderick Strong, with some shenanigans of course. Sadly, before he could get his revenge, an injury would put him up on the shelf, ending his fantastic year prematurely.

He has been considered the next face of the company by many, including 16-time World Champion John Cena. It's pretty clear that when he returns next year, whenever that may be, he'll jump right back in where he left off, captivating the WWE Universe in his own Vainglorious way.

#1 Adam Cole

Who would've thought we'd see Adam Cole vs Seth Rollins on RAW this year?

There is nobody on the WWE roster that has had the kind of year that Adam Cole had in 2019. The NXT Champion led the Undisputed Era to the most dominant run that we'd ever seen from a faction on the Black and Gold brand. And considering the factions that were born in NXT, that's impressive.

Even the Wyatt Family was born on the former developmental brand, and they never had the kind of success that the Undisputed Era has had. While Harper and Rowan picked up the NXT Tag Team Titles, Bray Wyatt never captured a belt for himself. The Undisputed Era, though, ended 2019 with all four members of the group as champions.

Cole kickstarted 2019 with the all-important 'Undisputed Prophecy'. And though it had a rocky start, with the Era losing the NXT Tag Team Titles early on, by September, it had come to fruition. Cole had captured the NXT Championship from Johnny Gargano and put him in his rearview mirror with an epic 2-out-of-3 Falls match at NXT TakeOver: XXV.

Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish managed to wrestle the NXT Tag Titles away from the Street Profits, while Roderick Strong managed to steal the North American Championship from the Velveteen Dream in September.

Cole continued to have a successful run, not just on NXT, but on RAW and SmackDown as well during the NXT Invasion. When the Black and Gold brand went to war, Triple H and Shawn Michaels made sure to bring their Ace along to get the job done.

The Undisputed Era ruined many nights for the Red and the Blue brand heading into Survivor Series. The craziest part about that run, however, was the win over SmackDown's own Daniel Bryan.

The Planet's Champion was one of the few SmackDown superstars at the show. Following Crown Jewel, the majority of WWE's staff, crew, and roster were stuck in Saudi Arabia. NXT took this opportunity to run roughshod over the Blue brand leading to an incredible match between Cole and Bryan.

Putting away Daniel Bryan, arguably the most popular wrestler the WWE's had since CM Punk, was a huge moment for Cole. As we head into 2020, the Undisputed Era still hold all the gold. And leading them into the future is the Panama City Playboy. After all, who wouldn't follow Adam Cole, Bay-Bay?