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The NXT Championship has grown to be one of the most coveted titles in all of professional wrestling. The seed was planted back in 2012 when FCW was rebranded into NXT. It was known almost immediately that NXT would be a huge success.
It's a new era for what was once referred to as "the yellow brand." NXT fans have gotten their first taste of a newly revamped NXT. With new colors, camera angles, and fresh new superstars, we also witnessed the crowning of a new NXT Champion in Tommaso Ciampa.
But it is important to remember the former champions who paved the way for this new crop of hungry stars who are eager for their shot at superstardom. This article will look back at the best-of-the-best as we countdown the top 5 NXT Champions of all time.
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#5. Former WWE NXT Champion Adrian Neville
Adrian Neville is one of those former WWE Superstars who was extremely talented. While his main roster run was nothing to write home about, his time in NXT was stellar, to say the least.
After defeating Bo Dallas to become the new NXT Champion, Adrian would defeat Dallas once again in a rematch on a televised episode of NXT. He would then go on to successfully defend his championship against the likes of Tyson Kidd, Brodus Clay, and Tyler Breeze, just to name a few.
Adrian only enjoyed one reign as NXT Champion, but it was a great run. He was able to hold the championship for 287 days, losing to Sami Zayn in a "title vs. career" match at NXT Takeover: R Evolution.
#4. Former WWE NXT Champion Bo Dallas
Bo Dallas is one of those guys you either despise, or you genuinely like. Regardless, it is hard to deny that Dallas had a great deal of charisma and he worked his gimmick flawlessly during the "BoLieve" storyline.
Dallas was the ultimate bad guy, using his ego to make all the fans absolutely loathe the very thought of him. Unfortunately for those who were not fans of Dallas, he would go on to carry the NXT Championship for 280 days.
It was certainly a good run for Dallas, but it would eventually come to an end at NXT Arrival in February of 2014. Bo would lose his championship to Adrian Neville in the main event of that show.
Bo was quite the entertainer throughout his lengthy reign as NXT Champion. His ego, combined with the entrance theatrics, made him an attraction, regardless of whether you loved or hated the third-generation superstar. I suppose growing up in a family with such a rich wrestling history of villains, it was only natural that Bo would go on to carry on the Windham family legacy.
#3. Former WWE NXT Champion Adam Cole
As we now know, Adam Cole has moved onto greener pastures as he is now reunited with his Elite family in AEW. However, Cole left his mark on the NXT brand, especially during his run as NXT Champion, where he would eventually become one of the very best to ever hold the championship.
Adam would officially sign with WWE in the summer of 2017 and make his debut at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III. This was when Cole made the run-in attack on Drew McIntyre, who was fresh off of his victory over Bobby Roode, to become the new NXT Champion. This was also the night where The Undisputed Era was officially formed, with Cole leading the way.
The Undisputed Era would wreak havoc all over the NXT roster, leading up to Adam Cole's fatal 5-way victory, which earned him a shot at the NXT Championship at NXT Takeover: New York. Unfortunately for Cole, he was unsuccessful in his title bout against Johnny Gargano.
But he would soon get revenge as he defeated Gargano at NXT Takeover: XXV, where he won the rematch to claim the NXT Championship, enroute to becoming the longest reigning NXT Champion in history. Cole would hold the title for an amazing 403 days before finally losing the championship to Keith Lee at the Great American Bash PPV.
#2. WWE NXT Champions Seth Rollins
When the history book is written for Seth Rollins, he will likely be best known for his highly successful run with The Shield. Needless to say, Rollins has enjoyed much more success than just being a part of The Shield.
When Seth first started his WWE career, he was assigned to the FCW developmental brand. While on the FCW roster, Rollins became a household name rather quickly and became the first-ever FCW Grand Slam Champion.
He didn't slow down once FCW was rebranded to NXT as he would become the inaugural NXT Champion, defeating Jinder Mahal for the title. Seth held the title an impressive 133 days before finally losing his championship to Big E, which was a catalyst for his main roster debut.
As we now know, Rollins was destined for greatness and his main roster career has been just that, great. Seth has held way more main roster championships than we can even begin to mention and he has consistently kept his spot at, or near the top, his entire career.
#1. WWE NXT Champions Finn Balor
Balor has held major championships all over the world, from Tokyo to Mexico and everywhere in-between. Signing Finn Balor was a tremendous win for WWE officials, as he brought his unique style as well as an established global fan base.
Balor signed with the company in mid-2014. His first NXT Championship opportunity presented itself after Balor defeated Adrian Neville at NXT Takeover: Rival in February of 2015, to become the number 1 contender for the title. Unfortunately for Balor, his first attempt at the championship was unsuccessful as he was defeated by then-champion Kevin Owens.
Balor would get his rematch at the Beast in the East PPV, where he would finally defeat Owens enroute to claiming his first NXT Championship reign. Balor held onto the title for nearly 300 days before finally dropping the championship to Samoa Joe at an NXT live event.
After a brief hiatus, Finn would return to NXT to claim the NXT Championship once again after winning a grueling Fatal 4-Way Iron Man match at NXT Super Tuesday II. This was Balors' second and final NXT Championship reign, but it would cement him as one of the absolute best to ever wear the title.
With his two title runs combined, Finn would hold the championship for a total of over 500 days combined.
