The First 10 NXT Champions: Where are they now?

#5 Sami Zayn (December 11, 2014)

At NXT TakeOver: R Evolution, Adrian Neville took on Sami Zayn for the NXT title. Zayn had quickly become one of the most beloved Superstars among the NXT fans at the time. This was a title vs career match, with Zayn set to leave NXT if he lost the bout.

Zayn ended up winning the belt after a classic bout that lasted over 20 minutes. He is still a mainstay on WWE TV and is the current Intercontinental Champion on WWE SmackDown. This is Zayn's second reign with the coveted belt.

#6 Kevin Owens (February 11, 2015)

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have been friends as well as rivals for a long time, going back to the time when they were active wrestlers on the indies. Following Zayn's NXT title victory, he was attacked by Owens, thus kicking off a heated feud.

At NXT TakeOver: Rival, the two Superstars battled in a singles match for the NXT title. In the end, Owens had beaten up Zayn to such an extent that he couldn't continue with the match, and the title was awarded to Owens following a stoppage by the referee.

Owens also managed to secure a place for himself on the WWE roster and was recently drafted to WWE SmackDown during the draft. Owens seemed quite happy at the idea of reuniting with his friend, Sami Zayn on the blue brand.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Atharva Papnoi