Grading The First 10 NXT Champions

#8 Samoa Joe

A man who has

slayed

The Demon, The Kingslayer

and

The Big Dog.

Samoa Joe is the first, and only one of two wrestlers to have won the NXT Championship twice. This happened in his feud with Shinsuke Nakamura. Joe's run with the belt saw him defeat Finn Balor in a steel cage in his first title defense, making him the first (and yet only) person to defeat Balor while he is in his demon attire. He has a great feud with Nakamura, which saw him first lose the belt at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, win it back at NXT TakeOver: Toronto just to lose it back in two weeks. This is the shortest reign in the title's history.

Joe debuted on the main roster as Triple H's henchman, assaulting and injuring Seth Rollins in the buildup to HHH's WrestleMania 33 encounter with Rollins. Joe feuded with people like Seth Rollins post-WrestleMania 33, and eventually became Number 1 contender to Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship. He lost the match at Great Balls of Fire and lost again at Summerslam in a fatal 4-way match which also saw Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns (who took the pinfall). He would eventually get injured, and be off TV until the post-Wrestlemania 34 Raw. He got drafted to SmackDown in the 2018 Superstar Shakeup.

Joe had a brief, yet strong reign with the NXT Championship. However, his work on the main roster could be argued as superior. He has been a threat since he debuted and is treated like a top star. He has been put over by Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar and holds wins over Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. He is a sure-shot future WWE Champion on SmackDown and is promising to truly be the next big thing on WWE TV.

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