Grading The First 10 NXT Champions

#6 Kevin Owens

The Prizefighter unleashed a reign of

terror..

Kevin Owens excelled in NXT as the champion. He was a ruthless prize-fighter who would be ready to kill just so that he could win. He was cool and ruthless. His wins over Sami Zayn both saw him win because he beat Zayn to a pulp. He feuded with Finn Balor and Samoa Joe too, as the NXT roster was packed to the brim at the time. He appeared with the championship on Main Event, Raw, and SmackDown. He was defeated by Finn Balor in Japan at the Beast in the East show on the 4th of July.

Owens debuted on the main roster as NXT Champion and truly put over the brand, his belt and himself over. He entered a feud with Cena, where he beat the US Champion clean in his first outing on the main roster at Elimination Chamber 2015. He eventually lost the feud. Since then, Owens has won the Intercontinental and the United States Championship. His main honor is the Universal Championship, which he held for almost 200 days. He has been in the spotlight since his debut and is essential to WWE television now.

Owens is one of the few champions that has been successful on the main roster, as well as on the developmental brand. He is one of two to have won a world championship and has been successful for most of his run. His alliances with Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn have been entertaining and he has been a compelling character throughout his run.

Grades: B+ as NXT Champion, B+ on the main roster, B+ overall.