Top Three Greatest NXT Champions of All Time : For over ten years, NXT has been an important part of WWE. It’s where new WWE stars get to improve their skills before joining the main WWE shows like RAW and SmackDown. Though NXT is often seen as WWE’s third brand, it started as a training ground for future wrestling stars. In 2019, NXT gained more attention when it faced stars from the main roster at Survivor Series. Since then, it has returned to its role of preparing future WWE superstars.
Even though it’s a developmental brand, NXT has had some of WWE’s greatest wrestlers, characters, and performers. Around the late 2010s, WWE began recruiting top talent from other wrestling companies and the independent scene, bringing them to NXT to train for the main stage. Big names like Shinsuke Nakamura, Adam Cole, and Bobby Roode were already popular before joining WWE, yet they still became legends in NXT.
Top Three Greatest NXT Champions of All Time
1) Tommaso Ciampa
Many fans today know Tommaso Ciampa as part of the tag team DIY with Johnny Gargano, which is how his NXT career started. But over time, Ciampa became one of the best characters in NXT history and a true legend of the brand.
In 2017, Ciampa shocked fans by betraying Gargano at Takeover: Chicago, sparking a long, heated rivalry between the former partners. This rivalry is one of the best WWE has ever seen, even though injuries affected it. Ciampa’s character became one of the most hated (in a good way) in WWE.
During his feud with Gargano, Ciampa won the NXT Championship from Aleister Black. His first reign lasted 237 days, from July 2018 to March 2019, until an injury forced him to give up the title. He defended it in memorable matches, including one against Gargano in a Last Man Standing match at Takeover: Brooklyn IV.
Ciampa’s second NXT title reign was brief, lasting about three months in 2021. He became the first champion of the short-lived NXT 2.0 era but lost the title to Bron Breakker, who became the next big star in NXT.
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2) Adam Cole
Many fans consider Adam Cole to be one of the greatest NXT Champions and possibly NXT’s biggest star. Cole made his WWE debut in 2017, and from the start, he was seen as a serious contender. He joined NXT with the group Undisputed Era, quickly winning the tag team titles and becoming the first-ever North American Champion. But in 2019, he went after the NXT Championship.
In an unforgettable match, Cole defeated Johnny Gargano at Takeover: New York to win the NXT title, beginning the longest reign in the title’s history. His reign lasted an impressive 403 days, and during this time, he defended the title in some of the best NXT matches ever.
Fans still remember his thrilling title defenses against stars like Finn Balor, Matt Riddle, Pete Dunne, Tommaso Ciampa, and even Daniel Bryan on SmackDown. Cole eventually lost his title to Keith Lee, who became both the NXT and North American Champion. Top Three Greatest NXT Champions of All Time
3) Finn Balor
While Adam Cole had more title defenses and a longer reign, Finn Balor set the standard for what it means to be an NXT Champion. Balor, another two-time champion, was already well-known outside WWE, especially in Japan, where he started the famous Bullet Club faction. Top Three Greatest NXT Champions of All Time
Balor became NXT Champion for the first time in July 2015, ending Kevin Owens’ reign. He had memorable matches with Owens and Samoa Joe (NXT’s only three-time champion). When WWE held its 2016 Draft, Balor was one of the first NXT stars to move up to the main roster, and he quickly won the WWE Universal Championship.
Balor returned to NXT in 2019 with a new attitude. In 2020, he won the NXT title again, this time defending it in fantastic matches against stars like Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Pete Dunne. His second reign was known for intense matches, but it was his first reign that defined him as an NXT Champion. Top Three Greatest NXT Champions of All Time
Balor also introduced fans to his “demon” character, which became one of the brand’s most interesting personas. He inspired other big names from outside WWE to join NXT, making him one of the most influential champions in the brand’s history.
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