Grading The First 10 NXT Champions

#9 Shinsuke Nakamura

The King of Strong Style was also the King of NXT

Shinsuke Nakamura is another two-time NXT Champion, but he was also a very efficient champion. He held the belt for the generation just after NXT's peak and therefore was instantly panned. His reign, however, holds just as well with all other title reigns, despite a loss of interest in NXT by then. He had a good feud with Samoa Joe and a battle with Bobby Roode. Even though Nakamura triumphed over Joe, he wouldn't be so lucky with Roode, as Roode beat him for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Orlando.

Nakamura debuted on SmackDown Live on the post Wrestlemania edition of the show. He had middling and underwhelming feuds with Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, and Jinder Mahal, facing Mahal in a WWE Championship match at Summerslam 2017. Nakamura became the biggest star on SmackDown after winning the 2018 Men's Royal Rumble Match eliminating John Cena and Roman Reigns at the end. He faced AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 34, where he lost and turned heel on Styles by low-blowing the champion.

Shinsuke has had a mixed stay with WWE till now. he wasn't really allowed to grow into the NXT Championship like ones before he had. Maybe it was his talent which just made it obvious that he wasn't going to be one of the cornerstones of the NXT roster. His main roster booking in 2017 was average at best, and 2018 seems to be turning out really well for him. He is going to be a world champion sooner or later, as his new character has revitalized interest in him beyond a catchy entrance.

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