5 Superstars who debuted on the main roster while being Champion in NXT

#1 Seth Rollins (NXT Champion)

Seth Rollins defeated Jinder Mahal in the finals of an eight-man 'Gold Rush' tournament to become the inaugural NXT Champion in August 2012. Rollins would hold on to the championship for the next few months before dropping it to Big E. As far as one can tell, WWE never mentioned Rollins being the NXT Champion when he debuted on the main roster as part of 'The Shield' alongside Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose.

Rollins successfully defended his title against the likes of Corey Graves and Michael McGillicuty while still being a full-time member of the main roster. Rollins' was the NXT Champion at a time when the brand hardly had any buzz and was being aired on WWE.com. The company never mentioned Rollins' reign as the NXT Champion on the main roster. Rollins would drop the title to Big E in a No Disqualification Match on the January 9, 2013 episode of NXT TV.