WWE NXT: All 26 Champions in Brand’s History, Ranked

Rob Wolkenbrod

WWE NXT, WWE.com

All 26 champions in WWE NXT’s history have been ranked. Who topped the list at No. 1?

WWE NXT has been around for nearly five years, being the brand for WWE’s developmental system. This hasn’t just played the role of building up talents, though, as it became a nationally-acclaimed show, one that sold out venues across the world, just to see who’s the next Face of NXT.

During these five years, NXT has seen 26 champions go through the ranks — three of which are ongoing in their title reigns. They have all stood tall, main eventing shows and turning into established names with the championship in hands. Some did better than others, of course, which leads to the development of this ranking of every champion in WWE NXT history.

Note: All but two of these champions are still with WWE — Oliver Grey and Simon Gotch.

26. Adrian Neville and Oliver Grey

The first-ever NXT Tag Team Champions were Adrian Neville and Oliver Grey. It’s one of the many honors Neville had in WWE NXT, but if you’ve never heard of Oliver Grey, it’s difficult to blame you, since he was only in the title scene for a hot second.

Neville and Grey didn’t last as a tag team for long, due to the latter’s injury that led to him being replaced by Bo Dallas in a title match. It didn’t help that the Man Who Forgot His First Name stood out among the two, leaving Grey as the guy who would likely fall after their split. That indeed happened, with Neville going on to become NXT Champion in 2014.

Neville and Grey’s run as champions, albeit being the inaugural ones, isn’t a standout moment in NXT history. It wasn’t the last time Neville dabbled in the tag title scene, though, which only came two months later.

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25. The Wyatt Family

Before tearing their way through the main roster in 2013, the Wyatt Family was a force in WWE NXT. Led by Bray Wyatt, they overwhelmed the brand with their swampy, cult-like gimmick for nearly one year before moving up.

Wyatt had two members accompany him — Erick Rowan and Luke Harper. They turned out to be the only Superstars of the Family to win gold, until Harper won the Intercontinental Championship in 2014.

Unfortunately, for Rowan and Harper, their NXT Tag Team Championship reign goes down as forgettable. It lasted 70 days, making for one of the shortest title runs in NXT history. They also got upended by Adrian Neville and Corey Graves in their loss, along with Sheamus making a surprise run-in to give the babyfaces the win.

Rowan and Harper are talented Superstars, but their names won’t be brought up when discussing the greatest champions in developmental’s history. They’ve done better for themselves on the main roster, with a bright future for both.

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24. The Vaudevillains

The Vaudevillains were always on shaky ground in WWE NXT. They constantly teetered between face and heel, sometimes having fans confused which side Aiden English and Simon Gotch were on. One period of time had them as good guys, which was established and helped lead to their NXT Tag Team Championship win at TakeOver: Brooklyn.

The moment for English and Gotch was beloved by the fans, who celebrated as Blue Pants helped even the odds, taking out Alexa Bliss. This let them get a raucous crowd reaction, and seemingly sent them into elite territory, right?

Wrong.

For the next two months, the Vaudevillains’ reign stayed quiet. They defended against Blke and Murphy in an uneventful rematch, and proceeded to sporadically appear on NXT TV. That lasted until the Revival thwarted any holding power that remained with the fans, as they dropped the NXT Tag Team Championship on an episode of the weekly show. Ouch.

It made the reign a forgettable one for Gotch and English, despite the moment that came with it. Their old-school gimmick never fully got over either, which may have led to the quick title change.

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23. The Lucha Dragons

Kalisto had been rising as a masked Superstar in WWE NXT, but hadn’t found his footing. That didn’t come until Sin Cara was brought to Full Sail University, being paired with Kalisto to become the Lucha Dragons.

The similarity in attire and in-ring style made these two a perfect match, as a tag team. It eventually resulted in a NXT Tag Team Championship reign in Sep. 2014 at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way.

Surprisingly, the Lucha Dragons became the team to dethrone the Ascension of their record title reign. They hadn’t received much of a build toward this match, but with Konnor and Viktor being prepped for the main roster, it seemed like the belts got hot-shotted off them.

Well, after Kalisto and Cara won, they were barely heard from with the tag titles. They fended off the Vaudevillains at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution in a short match, only to drop them on a random episode of WWE NXT to Blake and Murphy. Not the ideal way to end a title reign, even if it was one that felt nonexistent at times.

It’s difficult to remember a highlight from the Lucha Dragons’ reign other than their title win. They’ve had steady careers on the main roster, if it means anything.

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22. Adrian Neville and Corey Graves

Neville and Corey Graves is about as unlikely of a tag team as it gets, as their contrasting styles and personalities made them seem on opposite ends of the spectrum. That didn’t prevent them from being the third NXT Tag Team Champions, however.

Neville and Graves took down Harper and Rowan, along with the help of Sheamus. It kept the Wyatt Family’s momentum in place, as they were moving to WWE’s main roster and didn’t need the titles anymore. Having a main roster Superstar interfere added to the moment, too, making it grander for Neville and Graves.

However, the reign of these two unlikely partners lasted just two-and-a-half months. They fell to the Ascension in the fall of 2013, and proceeded to break up soon after. That seemed inevitable anyway, given their differences and the push of Neville to the forefront of WWE NXT.

Neville and Graves’ run was short and hardly monumental. It got the job done in putting over the future NXT Champion, and brought us into the live special era of the brand.

21. Blake and Murphy

In early 2015, a duo named Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy steadily broke into the NXT Tag Team Division. Their booking was mostly pretty quiet, with them steadily working their way into more even matches than playing the role of enhancement talent. This was until they shockingly won the NXT Tag Team Championship on an episode of WWE NXT in January 2015, defeating the Lucha Dragons.

This pushed Blake and Murphy to the top of the ladder within an instant, a somewhat surprising move with Enzo Amore and Big Cass sitting there as arguably the most over talents on the brand. However, if the plan had been to hand the belts to the team that needed them more, then it was the correct call.

Unfortunately, the reign of Blake and Murphy did little for the NXT Tag Team Division. They went through a lengthy feud with Amore and Cass, which should have helped, but they never broke through as the next exciting tag team that needed to be called up. It wasn’t any particular thing, it’s just neither Blake or Murphy had a shining characteristic that made them stick out as an alpha team.

Being managed by Alexa Bliss helped get the Texan and Aussie onto the map, as her newfound heel work was a breath of fresh air and led to a pushed singles run at the end of the year. The Blissful One overshadowed these two, though, from the time she aligned with them to the time they broke up.

Blake and Murphy have been off TV for the majority of the time since losing the titles at TakeOver: Brooklyn. Both remain signed with WWE, but on the outside, the future doesn’t seem bright.

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20. American Alpha

2015 and the first few months of 2016 were American Alpha’s in WWE NXT. They were the most over tag team and maybe a top-five popular act on the brand. Those “Jordan-Gable” chants from the United Kingdom tour are hard to forget, including the in-ring showings they had that made them a red-hot babyface act.

So, at NXT TakeOver: Dallas, the triggered got pulled on Jason Jordan and Chad Gable, as they defeated the Revival to become NXT Tag Team Champions. It made for a crowning moment for the former amateur wrestlers, capping off their rise to the top. However, this was the brightest moment of their title run.

For the next two months, Gable and Jordan were difficult to find on TV. They had one televised match, despite defending the titles in dark bouts before the tapings began, and it was a squash. Promo time came few and far between for them, too, making their title reign feel quiet and uneventful.

Two months later, at NXT TakeOver: The End, the Revival got their rematch, and took the belts off Jordan and Gable. This made for one of the rare times a rematch resulted in a title change, but it’s one that didn’t come as a huge surprise. Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder were terrific in their first run, and with a call-up not on the horizon for them, why not take a shot at doing a second championship reign? They were more interesting than Gable and Jordan, who went out with a whimper.

It turned out that just six weeks later, American Alpha got called up to WWE, going to SmackDown Live. They even received a SmackDown Tag Team Championship run, but like with the NXT belts, this didn’t have flare. That could be due to WWE’s lack of attention to SmackDown’s tag teams, but a finger has to somewhat be pointed at the performers.

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19. The Authors of Pain

We’re still in the infancy of the Authors of Pain as NXT Tag Team Champions. They only won the belt at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, so the book is far from done on what these two monsters will do as champions.

Akam and Rezar have that intimidating look about them, similar to but larger than the Ascension. They can barrel through opponents with ease, or take out the stronger competition, most of whom are smaller in stature. That has been the case in matches against DIY and the Revival, which have turned out to be phenomenal.

An argument can be made that this was more about the combined three-time NXT Tag Team Champions, as they are dynamic tag team performers and have shown the ability to put on something special every time. It takes two (in this case, three) to tango, however. The Author’s played their role as the brute forces and the heels you’re supposed to jeer at, taking down the fan-favorites (DIY) and the in-betweeners that the crowd is ready to go wild for (the Revival).

So far, WWE NXT’s Tag Team Division has seen a strong reign out of the Author of Pain. Once their time on top ends, we’ll be able to judge them better.

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18. DIY

Remember the days of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa being the “hottest free agents” to come into WWE NXT? Well, they parlayed those unsigned-newcomer roles into the No. 1 face of the tag teams in the summer of 2016. There was never an issue taking over for American Alpha, and if anything, Gargano and Ciampa have been better than Chad Gable and Jason Jordan.

At NXT TakeOver: Toronto, NXT gave Gargano and Ciampa — now known as DIY — the NXT Tag Team Championship in arguably the best match of 2016. They went to war with Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder, putting on an unforgettable showing that only made the win feel more special.

The question would be, how WWE books the duo? In NXT, there have been issues handling most babyface champions, while an incredible job is done getting them to their pinnacle. Gargano and Ciampa really didn’t have a bad fallout, holding off the Revival in a fun rematch and cutting decent promos. However, once they were paired with the Authors of Pain for TakeOver: San Antonio, you could tell the end was near.

The title reign wrapped up after two months, somewhat predictably. If they had a longer run, their spot would have been pushed up considerably. Maybe that will come with a second championship win.

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17. Big E Langston

Well before he was part of the New Day, Big E had a last name: Langston. He used this into the early part of his main roster stay, as well, but had it dropped during his singles run.

However, even before this, Big E was the top star in WWE NXT, as the NXT Champion. He became the second Superstar to hold the belt, actually defeating Seth Rollins (who had already joined the Shield on the main roster) for it.

The time on top for Big E in NXT lasted 154 days, topping Rollins’ run by 19. He could have gone longer, but also moved up to the main roster before his televised NXT Championship reign began. This put a limit on his time on top, and somewhat made it forgettable.

Langston, despite being on the main roster for the majority of his reign, lasted as champion just over five months. He defeated Conor O’Brien (Konnor), a Brad Maddox and Damien Sandow to remain on top, before falling to Bo Dallas.

16. Bo Dallas

Bo Dallas isn’t exactly the person who screams “WWE Champion,” if you’ve followed along with his three-year stay on the main roster. However, he was once called “NXT Champion” for two-thirds of a year.

Dallas got repackaged with the “Bo-lieve” gimmick, an inspirational personality that saw him say heel-ish things with a grin going from cheek to cheek. It put him in the WWE NXT main event scene, winning the NXT Championship from Big E Langston.

Dallas went on to hold the title for a then-record 261 days, a mark he held for most of 2013 and into 2014. He topped everyone from Sami Zayn to Adrian Neville on TV, and a handful of others at live events. It didn’t see him have a top-notch feud with anyone, until Neville’s early 2014 run at gold came about.

The member of the Rotunda family never quite became a dominant force in NXT, or a face of the brand, but he still holds true as one of the longest reigning champions in the brand’s history. His time on the main roster hasn’t come close to this, but he’s still managed to be a useful member.

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15. Bobby Roode

Bobby Roode had a bit of a slow burn toward the NXT Championship. He had to defeat Andrade “Cien” Almas at TakeOver: Brooklyn II and Tye Dillinger at TakeOver: Toronto, before moving into the title hunt.

The Glorious One received an opportunity against Shinsuke Nakamura at TakeOver: San Antonio, looking to end the second two-time NXT Champion’s reign. He actually did so, completing his ascension to the main event scene in an entertaining match.

Roode’s run at the top has seen him main event one live special as champion, and have two successful defenses. It’s kept him undefeated, too, which has been a quiet accomplishment for the NXT Champion.

Like the Authors of Pain, we’re still early in Roode’s title run. However, he’s held things down at the top of the card. This includes some terrific promos and two main event-worthy matches at TakeOver events. He’s owning up to the task of being the top heel of the show, which moves him into the middle of the pack for this ranking. Depending on what happens toward the end of the Canadian star’s run, he could move up.

14. Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins is WWE NXT’s inaugural champion, having claimed the NXT Championship in a tournament over Jinder Mahal. Unexpectedly, both are main eventers in today’s WWE landscape.

Rollins became the Face of NXT upon the brand’s debut. He was featured in the main segments, pushed against the primary heels and built up through vignettes. It was everything being put in his lap to lead the Show of the Future into the future, which he did, for a time.

Unfortunately, for Rollins’ NXT Championship reign, it took place during his call-up to the WWE main roster. That made what would happen next somewhat predictable, similar to others before and after him on this list. It led to Big E Langston getting put over as the new champion, which is a positive, but led to the first-ever NXT Champion’s reign somewhat falling at the end.

13. Sami Zayn

For a while, Sami Zayn had the shortest NXT Championship reign by far at 63 days. This carried from February 2015 to December 2016, when Samoa Joe lost the belt.

Given how this list has transpired, Zayn’s reign would have probably gone near of the end of the line, only because of his lack of title defenses and how short he held the NXT Championship. However, the match and buildup to this were arguably the best in NXT history.

Zayn went through the ultimate underdog story to get to the NXT Championship, losing for months along the way. He failed in every title opportunity, including losing to Adrian Neville after being so close to getting his moment under the sun at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way.

Well, everything came to fruition for the former ROH star at TakeOver: R Evolution, as he mustered up the ability to overcome his championship-less demons and defeat Neville. It made for an all-time great celebration, and legendary turn by Kevin Owens, who beat down his former best friend on the entrance ramp.

Just two months later, Zayn lost the NXT Championship to Owens at TakeOver: Rival. It fit the storyline well, but still felt like an abrupt end to what had been an incredible climb to the top.

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12. The Ascension

After mostly disappointing reigns from the Wyatt Family, Grey and Neville, and Graves and Neville, the Ascension rose in its latest incarnation. It had featured Kenneth “Bram” Cameron and Conor O’Brien, who later became Konnor and Rick Viktor became Viktor for the new Ascension.

Konnor and Viktor took out Graves and Neville to become the NXT Tag Team Champions, a reign that lasted 344 days. It had been the longest title run for any singles star or tag team in NXT history, until Asuka came along with the NXT Women’s Championship.

With this lengthy reign, the Ascension should warrant a higher spot, but this mostly saw them defeat an underdeveloped Jason Jordan and Tye Dillinger, Hunico and Camacho, Too Cool, and a handful of enhancement talents. Not exactly an A-plus list, although if this was in 2017 and Jordan and Dillinger stayed as a tag team, they would be a solid add to the résumé.

A disappointing end to the title reign came when the Lucha Dragons defeated Konnor and Viktor within minutes. It seemed abrupt, and maybe a sign for what was to come on the main roster.

Negatives to their reign aside, the Ascension still ran over the NXT Tag Team Division for a year. They managed to get over with the fans, even as heels, and had the faith of the booking team to stand strong during the early age of NXT.

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11. Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe walked into WWE NXT in May 2015 as arguably the leader of this age of outside-the-company signings. While Kevin Owens, Finn Balor and Sami Zayn had been part of this, all took on different identities and had to reestablish themselves in front of a new audience. This wasn’t the case for Joe, who walked in with his name and as a recognizable figure.

It took the Samoan Submission Machine seven months to get a chance at the NXT Championship, and another five months to actually claim the title. He did so at an NXT live event, defeating Finn Balor.

Joe’s reign took off afterward, taking down Balor in a Steel Cage match and entering a grueling feud with Shinsuke Nakamura for the next six months. Fantastic microphone work was done here, and he put on a few good matches with Nakamura. None of them were standout classics, but quality one-on-ones that eventually put the King of Strong Style over.

The problem with Joe’s reign was he won the NXT Championship twice, becoming the first Superstar to do so. That’s a great accomplishment to have on his résumé, but it lasted 14 days. NXT only set it up to have Nakamura go over at a live event in Osaka, Japan. It was an inevitable but disappointing thud.

Joe still goes down as one of the strongest NXT Champions, but had a useless second run. If not for that, it may have moved him up.

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10. Shinsuke Nakamura

When Shinsuke Nakamura joined WWE NXT in April 2016, he had a direct path to the top. It took a few months, along with defeating Sami Zayn, Austin Aries and Finn Balor to get there, but it was inevitable that he’d get the top babyface role in NXT. The crowd ate him up as the Guy, and he took over the brand for a handful of months.

At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, Nakamura got his crowning moment, defeating Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship. It wasn’t the instant classic everyone came to expect out of him, but still a great spotlight for someone who the fans loved.

Nakamura reached the mountain top that was expected for his time in NXT, but actually lasted shorter than expected, at just 92 days. He lost the belt to Joe at TakeOver: Toronto, which came as a surprise. While he only won it back 14 days later, it came in a predictable setting. This could have been used as a title defense instead of breaking things up, taking some of the oomph out of what he had accomplished in August.

Once Nakamura became NXT Champion for a second time, it felt like it would be even shorter, especially when Bobby Roode stepped to the plate. He had been pushed as the next top heel of NXT, having not lost a televised match, and seemed to be the brand’s next big act. There was also main roster speculation around the former NJPW star, which didn’t help things. He ended up losing the title after 57 days.

Nakamura’s first reign was fine, and he added plenty of star power to the title. However, his second go-around was quiet, something that may be forgotten in the coming years.

9. Paige

All the way at No. 9, we have our first NXT Women’s Champion to appear. That doesn’t take away from what Paige did as the inaugural titleholder, putting the NXT Women’s Division on the map.

Known as the Anti-Diva, Paige became the face of this division for one calendar year. She defeated Emma, Natalya, Sasha Banks and Summer Rae, all of whom are now established main roster stars. It carried the British star to a recognized reign of 274 days, and made it seem like big plans were to come.

Unlike anyone else, Paige’s reign came to an end with the belt being vacated. It came with good reason, though, as she had just debuted on the main roster and won the WWE Divas Championship on her first night. There wasn’t much left for her to do in NXT anyway, so the forced relinquishing of the title didn’t hurt, and actually led to maybe the greatest women’s match in NXT history.

8. Sasha Banks

For a time, Sasha Banks had done the most for the NXT Women’s Championship. She had a few terrific showings with Charlotte in 2015, which made a bigger name for both women. Then came the Becky Lynch match at TakeOver: Unstoppable, which ranks as one of the top female matches in NXT history.

However, the moment everyone will remember is the match from NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn — the first live special in a standard WWE venue. They sold out the Barclays Center, surrounding the show around Banks vs. Bayley for the NXT Women’s Championship and Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor for the NXT Championship. The former clearly won things over, though.

While the result hadn’t really been in question, as the Boss already moved to the main roster, it didn’t stop this from maybe being the best match in NXT’s five years (three at the time). They put on an emotional rollercoaster of an in-ring showing, bringing everyone to their feet with moves not normally seen from female competitors. On top of it all, it gave Bayley the initiation as a top star.

Banks’ title run had plenty of fanfare, which was warranted from everything she did with the NXT Women’s Championship. It took the female stars to another level and helped orchestrate the Women’s Revolution.

7. Kevin Owens

From the moment Kevin Owens stepped into the NXT landscape, he made an impact. It started with a match against CJ Parker at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution and took off just two hours later, turning on Sami Zayn during his NXT Championship celebration.

Only two months later, Owens took home the title from Zayn in a storyline and emotionally-filled match at TakeOver: Rival. KO won after powerbombing his best friend so many times, that the action had to be called.

The wrath of Owens got off to a monumental start, as he tore through NXT on this wrecking-ball path. He cut vicious promos on Zayn, looking to destroy him at any cost for getting to WWE earlier. Feuds along the way with Alex Riley, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe established the former Kevin Steen, too, sending him on a warpath through the brand to prove why he’s the best.

Owens eventually lost the belt to Balor at Beast in the East on Jul. 4, 2015, almost two months after debuting on the main roster. It was a fun match, just like the others he had during this reign. This, nor did anything else, leave a sour taste about what he did as champion, but there were six others that made greater impacts.

6. Charlotte

After Paige relinquished the NXT Women’s Championship, Charlotte and Natalya were pitted head-to-head at NXT TakeOver. The Nature Girl had been a known commodity to fans since she’s Ric Flair’s daughter, but this event put her on the map as the top female competitor.

From there, Charlotte ran rampant with the NXT Women’s Championship for nine months. She went through Summer Rae, Bayley and Sasha Banks to keep the title, putting on a memorable matchup with the latter at TakeOver: R Evolution in December 2014. It wasn’t for another two months that the title changed hands, though.

While Paige had a great contribution for the NXT Women’s Division, Charlotte arguably put them on the map with her dominant reign and very good matches. She made the title feel important with her presence and Flair heritage, which got passed onto Banks, who moved to it Bayley, and then, Asuka. It created a lineage of terrific champions for the female stars, something that made its way to the main roster in 2015.

The one thing holding Charlotte back is she never became the face of the division, even after her face turn. That would be left to someone else on the list.

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5. Adrian Neville

Starting our top five is Adrian Neville, who had been the longest reigning NXT Championship. He didn’t get usurped until Finn Balor hit Day 288 in 2016, allowing the Man That Gravity Forgot to keep his place in history during NXT’s hottest period.

Neville was never known as a guy with personality — not until he turned heel almost two years after joining the main roster. His NXT promos were flat and the crowd stayed quiet for him, even as the NXT Champion. The in-ring work the British star put on wasn’t subpar, though, as his Red Arrow-highlighted bouts created some special title matches.

It also helped how good of a storyline wrestler Neville was as a face in WWE NXT. This went on full display during his feud with Sami Zayn, especially their match at TakeOver: R Evolution. Neville walked a thin line between face and heel in this, but stayed on the good side after winning Zayn’s respect. This flashed the personality he had in him, which didn’t get seen until December 2016.

Neville never quite became the Face of NXT during this reign, but he looked like a credible champion all the way through. He brought the singles stars into the red-hot era of NXT TV, and gave us Zayn’s historic victory. Not too much we can fault him for on that.

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4. The Revival

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder started as nobodies in WWE NXT, debuting as the Mechanics. This didn’t last long, as the steadily got a push in the NXT Tag Team Division in 2015. Little did anyone know they’d become the top tag team in NXT history.

Now known as the Revival, they slowly made their way up the rankings of the division in the middle of 2015. This began to turn some heads during the first Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, which they lost in the semifinals of. That stall in momentum didn’t last long, though, as Dawson and Wilder surprisingly upset the Vaudevillains on an episode of WWE NXT, winning the NXT Tag Team Championship.

From there, we had the beginning of the Top Guys era, which established the NXT Tag Team Division. It had seen the likes of the Ascension, the Lucha Dragons and Blake and Murphy hold strong, but none of them ever became household wrestling names, or acts that had the ability to headline a live special. The Revival proved to be both of these things during their first time on top.

Two months putting over American Alpha at TakeOver: Dallas, Dash and Dawson reclaimed the titles, becoming the first-ever two-time champions of any belt in NXT. It put them in a place in history of their own, and only upped their legacy with matches put on during the summer and fall of 2016 with DIY, both of which were Match of the Year candidates.

It’s difficult to argue with what the Revival accomplished in WWE NXT. Now, they’re on the main roster and will look to capture more gold.

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3. Asuka

We’re 19 months into Asuka’s time in WWE NXT, and she still hasn’t been pinned or submitted. This nearly happened against Ember Moon at TakeOver: Orlando, but the Japanese Sensation slid by with dirty tactics.

For the majority of this time, Asuka has held the NXT Women’s Championship. He defeated fan-favorite Bayley for it at TakeOver: Dallas, taking over the throne that had been claimed for the past eight months. It marked a new beginning, something no one could picture without Bayley, but things went forward anyway.

Over one year later, the Empress of Tomorrow is still NXT Women’s Champion. She’s mowed down everyone in her way, most of which have been the top female competitors in NXT. That may change soon, but for now, she stands tall with a reign closing in on 400 days.

The title reign length and dominance pushes Asuka to the top. The only thing is unlike Bayley, she never became the face of the women’s division. While there is a connection with the fans, it’s not like what the Hugster did. Then again, can anyone replicate that?

There’s still more story to be told in Asuka’s reign, which has at least another month to it. Could her time be up at TakeOver: Chicago?

2. Bayley

Coming in at No. 2 is the former Darling of WWE NXT, Bayley. She is perhaps the brand’s most popular star to step foot inside Full Sail University — more than Sami Zayn, Sasha Banks and maybe event Shinsuke Nakamura.

BayleyMania took over NXT, following her instant classic with Banks at TakeOver: Brooklyn. She received a coronation that no other female talent had received in developmental, with the final minute of that match being what made her into a star.

To only cement her place in history, NXT put on an Ironman match between her and Banks at TakeOver: Respect, allowing them to main event the show. They turned in yet anothet spectacular bout, which made Bayley look like an even bigger star, after she won to retain the NXT Women’s Championship. It was glorious to watch her continued rise to the top, which got catapulted with what was done on that night.

From there, we had Bayley looking unstoppable. She defeated Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss and Eva Marie to keep her title, until Asuka came along and spoiled the party in Dallas. It didn’t take away from what was done, though, which made the Huggable One an NXT icon for a full year.

1. Finn Balor

To close out the list, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this man is on top. He led WWE NXT through its biggest era and became its first, true long-running face of the brand. That person is Finn Balor.

Balor showed up to NXT in the fall of 2014 with all the hype in the world. He came over from New Japan Pro Wrestling as the leader of the popular Bullet Club stable, transforming from Prince Devitt the persona we now know him as. It saw him develop a following with the “Demon” warpaint, as everyone glued their eyes to the TV screen with his mystical entrance at TakeOver: R Evolution.