3 possible contenders for the NXT Championship

NXT Takeover: Toronto has come and gone, and it marked the final chapter in one of the most storied rivalries in NXT history. Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole put on a technical clinic in what seems to be the final chapter of their NXT rivalry.

Adam Cole won, cementing his place as one of the greatest NXT Champions and it seems like Johnny Gargano is headed to the main roster. Cole’s victory raises an important question: who is going to step up and challenge Adam Cole for the NXT Championship?

NXT has one of the deepest rosters in the WWE and in the coming weeks any of their superstars may challenge Adam Cole. In this article, we look at 3 superstars with the best hope of challenging for the NXT Championship.

#3 The winner of the NXT Breakout Tournament

Warning: This section contains spoilers for the NXT Breakout Tournament Final

Jordan Myles

At the time of writing this, Wrestlinginc reported that Jordan Myles defeated Cameron Grimes to win the NXT Breakout Tournament. As a result Jordan Myles will receive a title match of his choice.

While most people would assume that Jordan would challenge for the NXT North American title, he might surprise everyone by challenging for the NXT Championship.

While most casual fans may not be familiar with Jordan Myles, fans of independent wrestling know him as ACH. He has wrestled for some of the top promotions including Ring of Honor, Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, and Impact Wrestling. He has also wrestled in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah.

If Myles challenges for the NXT Championship, it will be his most high profile feud in the WWE. It will give him a lot of exposure and increase his ratings in the eyes of the fans regardless of the results. If he manages to pick up the victory, it will go down in the record books as one of the biggest upsets in NXT history.

#2 Keith Lee

Keith Lee

Keith Lee is one of the most popular superstars to ever set foot in the WWE, and with good reason. He is one of the most athletic big men in the industry and his matches are a joy to watch.

While Lee is a multi time champion outside the WWE, he hasn’t won any gold in the company. Challenging Adam Cole could be his ticket to winning his first ever championship in the company. In the run-up to NXT Takeover: Toronto, Keith Lee delivered several promos.

There have been several rumors that Keith Lee is Adam Cole’s next challenger as the two men have been facing each other on the house show circuit. In the WWE, matches on the house show are usually an indication of future feuds.

Apart from fighting during house shows, Keith Lee and Adam Cole fought during the Worlds Collide tournament. Adam Cole won that match, and it should be interesting to see if Keith Lee wants his revenge from that time.

#1 Tommaso Ciampa

Tommaso Ciampa

When the NXT Championship comes up in conversation, it’s almost automatic that Tommaso Ciampa is also mentioned. That’s how much influence the Sicilian Psychopath has had on the championship’s history despite only holding it once.

Ciampa held the championship for 237 days before a neck injury forced him to vacate it. Before the injury, fans assumed that Ciampa was going to break Finn Balor’s record of 292 days as champion. During his reign, he defeated some of the biggest names in NXT such as Aleister Black, the Velveteen Dream, and Johnny Gargano.

On Twitter, Ciampa has been chronicling his recovery journey and he might be back in the ring sooner than most people expect.

In July, Ciampa sent out a tweet warning Adam Cole that he wanted his NXT Championship.

I’m 4 months out of neck surgery... what an absolute freak. Send your prayers and well wishes to Adam Cole. Big Daddy Ciampa wants Goldie back...BayBay 🖤#EvolveMeetAndGreet pic.twitter.com/JEwGpkbo4G

— CIAMPA (@ProjectCiampa) July 14, 2019

Adam Cole and Tommaso Ciampa have met multiple times inside the WWE and away from it and they always have classic matches. You can be sure that if Adam Cole is champion when Ciampa comes back we are going to have an epic rivalry.