9 NXT Champions who went on to become world champions in WWE

#8 Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre is only the second Superstar to win both the NXT title and the WWE title

By now, we all know about the prophecy that Drew McIntyre fulfilled by winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36. However, he had to rediscover himself following a disappointing initial run in the WWE and the path that he took led him through the independent circuit and then NXT.

McIntyre made his NXT re-debut back in April 2017 where he defeated Oney Lorcan. Four months later, McIntyre won the NXT Championship after beating Bobby Roode at TakeOver: Brooklyn III. He was attacked by the debuting Undisputed Era on the same night. McIntyre eventually lost the title to Andrade and was sidelined with a torn bicep.

He would return from injury on RAW in April 2018 as a heel, siding with Dolph Ziggler. He even won the RAW tag titles in the process. After various feuds that followed, The Scottish Psychopath's true day of reckoning would arrive on Royal Rumble 2020, where he eliminated Brock Lesnar to win over the crowd.

McIntyre eventually won the match and decided to challenge The Beast Incarnate for the WWE title at 'Mania which he won. He's already embroiled in a feud with Seth Rollins who he'll face at Money in the Bank.