NXT Male of the Year
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Nominees:
Samoa JoeFinn BalorShinsuke NakamuraBobby Roode
All four of these men had tremendous years in different ways.
Samoa Joe spent most of the year chasing the NXT Championship. He won the title from Finn Balor at an NXT Live Event in Lowell, Massachusetts. He defended the title successfully until he ran up against Shinsuke Nakamura at Takeover: Back 2 Brooklyn.
He would win the championship back at Takeover: Toronto, then lose the title back to Nakamura a few weeks later in Osaka, Japan. His character work in 2016 as a vicious, dominant heel was some of the best work of his career.
Finn Balor came into the year as NXT Champion and held the title until losing it to Samoa Joe. He was drafted to Monday Night Raw as the fifth overall pick in the brand extension draft on July 19th.
Shinsuke Nakamura debuted in NXT with a five-star match against Sami Zayn at Takeover: Dallas, and has been on a roll ever since. He quickly became the most popular Superstar in NXT and one of the most popular Superstars in all of the WWE Universe.
Bobby Roode made his in-ring debut at NXT Takeover: Back 2 Brooklyn, and has already had two Hall of Fame entrances in his two Takeover appearances. He has brought his career to an entirely new level with the “Glorious” gimmick.
While each man had a great year, Shinsuke Nakamura has been what people think of when they think of NXT since his arrival. It’s almost like the match against Sami Zayn really was a passing of the torch moment. The King of Strong Style should win this award, and I think he will.
Who Should Win: Shinsuke NakamuraWho Will Win: Shinsuke Nakamura
NXT Competitor of the Year
Nominees:
Samoa JoeBayleyFinn BalorAsukaShinsuke NakamuraNia JaxBobby Roode
Considering the previous two award categories, this ultimately comes down to Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka. While both had tremendous years, I feel like Shinsuke Nakamura is a much more popular Superstar and will take this award as well.
Who Should Win: Shinsuke NakamuraWho Will Win: Shinsuke Nakamura
