10 top Superstars to have graduated from NXT

#2 Roman Reigns

Despite never winning the NXT Title, Reigns won 100% of his matches on the yellow brand

KO may have only been in NXT for a short period, but Roman Reigns spent even less time on the developmental brand. Wrestling just three times on NXT, defeating CJ Parker, Chase Donovan and Gavin Reids, the bulk of Roman’s early WWE career was spent in FCW.

However, regardless of how long he spent in NXT, the fact remains that he spent some time there before heading to the bright lights of WWE television. He emerged from developmental alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, and the trio very quickly became the hottest commodity in the company. Roman always played the role of the silent muscle of the group, a role which he undoubtedly thrived in and allowed him to make a very genuine connection with the fans.

Certain sections of the WWE Universe have claimed to be sick of Reigns being constantly presented as a top guy, but it has not always been this way. When it came down to Reigns and Batista in the final two of the 2014 Royal Rumble, it cannot be denied that the arena was firmly behind The Big Dog. Since leaving NXT, Reigns has become a household name at the top of the card in WWE, winning both the US and Tag Team Titles once each, the 2015 Royal Rumble, and is a three-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

NXT may not have had a massive influence on the direction of Reigns’ career – from his early FCW days, he was primed to be a top superstar – however, this does not alter the fact that Roman Reigns is one of the biggest success stories ever to come through NXT.