Is the NXT Championship a Blessing or a Curse?

Some see the NXT Championship as a beacon signifying that this wrestler is the future of WWE, with most of the roster going through the NXT development system this is Hunter's way of showing Vince Mcmahon how his pet projects would do if given a belt on a bigger stage, and with the success of NXT TakeOvers, there's no denying that people are paying attention.

We have seen the NXT Championship change hands a number of times now so let's take a minute to rewind and look at the wrestler's that have held the NXT Championship and what has happened to their wrestling careers since then.

#1 Seth Rollins - Blessing

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The first NXT Champion was Seth Rollins. He made his way to WWE after success in the indies and his success and reign was widely accepted. He represented the attitude that was starting to fill NXT.

Since moving up to the main roster, he has become a Grand Slam Champion, winning every WWE Title and the Money in the Bank. He held the WWE Title for a long period of time, and whatever belt you put on the table, people accept that Seth Rollins deserves it.

He has done exceptionally well in the ring with everyone from Finn Balor to Brock Lesnar. His ability to switch between heel and face is incredible and the fans accept him on either side.

#2 Big E Langston - Curse

Big E Langston was a dominating force on NXT. He would devastate his opponents before pinning them for a "5-count" instead of the usual 3. He was intimidating and the fans loved it.

With Seth Rollins being such a popular champion, it was interesting to see who they would pick to carry the belt next, but the audience supported Big E Langston just as much.

After moving up to the main roster, he spent some time as the Body Guard/Valet to Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee, but never got that singles push he deserved.

After being under-utilized, he joined the New Day and has remained in the Tag Team Comedy scene ever since. It's disappointing to think that though the New Day has brought him a good deal of money and popularity, we might never see him really live up to his full potential as a serious singles competitor.

#3 Bo Dallas - Curse

After his NXT Title reign, Bo Dallas made some people Bo-Lieve, though some people enjoyed the gimmick it didn't go anywhere and ended up relegating him to a glorified jobber position.

He didn't give up and teamed up with the Social Outcasts, which surprisingly got over. I think something about a team of guys that never really get any good shots or wins is really relatable to the general population that doesn't relate to champions.

After the group was broken up, he and Curtis Axel joined The Miz to form the Miztourage and has earned himself a supporting role on Raw. Will we ever see him in the Universal or WWE Title picture? I don't Bo-Lieve.

#4 Adrian Neville - Curse

The Man that Gravity Forgot, is quickly fading from the WWE fans' minds. He is an incredible performer, and though he has put on many clinics in the squared circle, his personality left much to be desired.

He was a fairly bland baby face for a while on the main roster before he moved to 205 Live and really began to create something good. He turned heel and became the King of the Cruiserweights.

No one would believe him taking on a wrestler like Brock Lesnar or Braun Strauman because of his size, but if you put a 205 lb weight limit on his competition, then you are suddenly looking at someone that is basically as fit as one can be within that limit.

He stepped away from the company last year and people have eagerly awaited a New Japan debut or a WWE return, but we haven't seen either.

#5 Sami Zayn - Probably a Curse

Sami Zayn was everyone's favorite Underdog on NXT. People loved his never give up attitude mixed with the fact that he looks like a normal guy and not a juiced up monster. He fought hard and put on some of the best matches NXT had seen with Nakamura vs Zayn being the origin of "Fight Forever."

His NXT Championship victory was exciting and connected to the story in such a great way, as it triggered Kevin Owens' heel run and split the pair up until their recent reunion.

Though the Kevin and Sami show is entertaining, he still feels more like Owens' snarky sidekick that you want to punch in the face. On Monday Night Raw is he a Main Eventer on the level with Lesnar, Rollins, Reigns, Strauman, The Miz, Kevin Owens, Lashley, Finn Balor, Elias and Jinder Mahal? I don't know.

The only way I see him getting a Universal Title Shot is if they get it back to Owens and break the pair up, but that seems like a lot of work to try and get this guy a belt. He probably belongs in the Tag Team division.

#6 Kevin Owens - Blessing

Kevin Owens had a great run as the NXT Champion, fresh off his turn against Sami Zayn he helped bring attention from the main roster back to NXT as he worked Raw against John Cena. This was a first for NXT and hasn't happened again since.

After making the transition to the main roster he has had quite a run. He fought Shane McMahon in a Hell in the Cell, was literally given the Universal Title by Triple H, had a great run with JeriKO before the festival of friendship, fought Goldberg, been the feature of WWE's first episode of WWE 365, and participated in Daniel Bryan's return match at WrestleMania.

He may not be on the cover of WWE 2K18, but he has gotten a lot of screen time and has been part of some of the best storylines in the last couple years. He is never afraid to reinvent himself and is a hard worker.

#7 Finn Balor - Curse

Fresh off his run with the Bullet Club, Finn Balor came to NXT with a lot of momentum and his Demon persona added mystery and artistry to the character. Every Pay Per View fan would gasp at his latest paint job, and he would move a hundred miles per hour in the ring.

His battle against Kevin Owens at the Beast in the East PPV felt like something outside of the WWE and told a great story.

Since making the move to the main roster we haven't really seen him get a lot of love. The fans love him, but his only real push happened when he first moved up and became the first Universal Title Champion, but he has stayed out of that picture for a while (Blame his Injury, but they could have brought him back with momentum).

They teased him reuniting with the Club recently, but it came across as less authentic than their run with AJ Styles on Smackdown as Balor kept being such a baby face.

Finn Balor represents potential, but WWE doesn't get how to use him properly. Maybe when they finally move him to 205 Live and loosen the control on him we might see something better.

#8 Samoa Joe - Curse

Samoa Joe has had an interesting time in WWE. Though the fans clung on to him immediately thanks to his work in TNA/Impact Wrestling, his biggest rivalries in NXT were against Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura who are both insanely popular with the fans. Going up against these two automatically put him in a position against the fans, which he did well with.

This guy is a pro, I remember going to see an NXT taping in Full Sail and at the end, he was still in the ring as everyone left. I had stayed to watch him get up since I was in the front row, and as he was leaving the ring some of us booed. I wish I had a video of it because Samoa Joe just walked up to me and stared me down face to face, leading me to immediately stop booing and leave the place. This guy is intimidating.

Sadly he hasn't had much of a push on the main roster. His biggest claim to fame on Raw is that he came "this close" to making Brock Lesnar tap, and has spent much of his time in rivalries against fellow Samoan that can't seem to beat Lesnar...Roman Reigns.

Now could be a good time for him to go for one of the lesser belts to build up his stock so that Vince McMahon will believe him as a real champion. Brock Lesnar had nothing but praise for Joe after their fight (which is not very common), so maybe instead of seeing Lesnar pass the torch to Reigns, he could drop it to Samoa Joe for a more popular reaction, but until then I'm still marking this one as a curse.

#9 Shinsuke Nakamura - Blessing

Shinsuke Nakamura (9th and 11th NXT Champion

NXT felt the electricity of Shinsuke Nakamura immediately. As soon as he entered NXT, the fans knew he was special. He moved unlike anyone else in the WWE and has a cool confidence that makes everyone jealous.

He was billed as a Babyface for his entire NXT run and relied heavily on his entrance and ring performance as opposed to mic skills. The King of Strong Style brought a new attitude and intensity to NXT.

Since moving to the main roster we have seen him get more and more attention. He won the Royal Rumble and went on to main event Wrestlemania in a so-called "Dream Match" against AJ Styles which was followed by his heel turn.

I think that we are just starting to see Shinsuke having fun. It's easy to rely on the stuff that the fans cheer for every time, but he is expressing himself in new ways now that will keep people interested.

Ultimately his time as NXT champion did a lot to give him credibility with the American audience and prepare him for the main roster, he wouldn't be as good as he is right now if they had just shoved him on Smackdown immediately.

#10 Bobby Roode - Curse

I was there for his first appearance on NXT television. He entered and his music was Glorious, I immediately stood up and spread my arms wide like he was doing and was able to sing along with the song within the first listen.

Then he came down to the ring and made a speech about how he was going to make NXT glorious and bring a better class of people to the audience as opposed to the trash that we all were.

He did two things very well that night, sadly the audience focused on one of them too much. His character quickly lost priority to his entrance. He became a bland babyface that says "glorious" every time he's on screen.

The guy's name is Roode, but he doesn't get to act rude ever. He has had a little success and had a short run with the US Title, but hasn't done anything of particular note other than that. It's still early for him since his call-up but as it stands right now, he is trapped in a song that was meant for Nakamura.

#11 Drew Mcintyre - Too soon to say

Drew McIntyre left WWE as part of a novelty comedy act and returned as a Beast. He is in the best shape of his life and understands the crowd and the mic in ways he never had before. His title reign was short lived due to injury but showed us that he is a force to be reckoned with.

There was talk that he might return to NXT after healing, but the fans were surprised to see him return to Raw to help Dolph Ziggler. Both of them are great workers that have a similar story of dissatisfaction to share.

It's too early to say whether it was a blessing or a curse, but as of now I think it's safe to say that Drew McIntyre has more support from the WWE Universe than ever and he has the physical prowess to take him to the top.

#12 Andrade "Cien" Almas - Blessing?

Andrade debuted in NXT as a baby face in shiny white clothes with a nice hat. It's pretty funny to think about that when you compare what he was to what he has become. After showing him as lost and wild, Zelina Vega arrived and reinvented Almas. She became one of the best managers in the business and was integral to his rise. Her promos have been excellent, and she isn't afraid to jump into the match for a sneaky Hurricanranna.

They were just announced to join Smackdown Live, so it's too soon to tell how they are going to handle him, but I'd say that a person of his size should have more opportunities on Smackdown than on Raw where the "Big Boys" play.

I believe a fight between him and AJ Styles more than I believe him against Lesnar or Strowman. I don't want to see him in a tag team match or 6-man tag with any of the Mexican wrestlers though, because that will reduce him to being another racial caricature instead of allowing this character to continue evolving. If another Mexican wrestler joins him, he better be a Heel.

#13 Aleister Black

It's obviously way too early to tell how Aleister Black will be treated on the main roster, and I don't think they should move him up any time soon. I think that NXT has a lot of great talent right now, and its best to keep them all in that pot gaining flavor and momentum.

Black isn't needed on the main roster right now, so moving him up may result in him being pushed aside like most of the NXT Champions were.

When I started writing this article I wasn't sure if the NXT Championship was a blessing or a curse but now that I've gone through them all, I think that it has acted more like a curse. That is not to say that The Undertaker is up to some dark magic or anything, just that by putting too much attention and stock in a wrestler that early in their WWE run tends to set an expectation that the WWE isn't always able to live up to.

The main roster is loaded right now to the point where there aren't enough good spots for everyone to get a chance. Until more of the older talent move out of the way every division is full.

Edited by Kishan Prasad