Ranking all former NXT Champions' main roster careers

#8 Bobby Roode

Not so glorious so far.

There was something instantly likeable about Bobby Roode's NXT career, despite him playing a heel for the majority of it. Much like AJ Styles, Roode was somebody who had the talent to stand out on his own, even without the help of Vince McMahon.

It wouldn't take long for the WWE Universe to realise what all the fuss was about. Roode slotted into the Wednesday night show with ease, becoming NXT's 'Glorious' champion. Everything from his entrance music to his Ric Flair-like robe and dazzling move set just caught the attention of the fans. When he finally made his debut on Smackdown Live earlier this year, hopes were very high indeed.

It is probably too early to judge the WWE's handling of Roode on the main roster fairly, which is why he appears so low down on this list. There is still plenty of time for him to enter one or two meaningful feuds over the WWE or United States Championship.

That being said, his beginnings have not been that promising. Just like Nakamura, Roode's first opponent on Smackdown was Dolph Ziggler. The matches between the two were forgettable and showed Roode to be far too vulnerable early on.

Of course, there is some logic to not having an NXT graduate charge through the main roster ranks straight away, but with the man's history in TNA and beyond, you'd have thought Roode wouldn't have needed to necessarily climb the same ladder as somebody like Bo Dallas or Big E.

Hopefully, this is all just a blip and the Glorious One can soon get back to doing what he does best.