WWE NXT: Ranking Every Performer to Hold the NXT Championship

Credit: WWE.com

2. Finn Balor

If there’s one placement on this list that’s guaranteed to cause some controversy it’s this one. Finn Balor was NXT’s longest reigning Champion, and served as the brand’s top star for most of his two year tenure on the roster. His “Demon” character (and its accompanying entrance) were massively over with the fans at Full Sail University, and boasts what is probably the best win/loss ratio in NXT history.

When Balor pinned Kevin Owens to win the NXT Championship in Tokyo, Japan, where he first made his name in New Japan Pro Wrestling, it truly signaled the dawning of a new era in NXT, which was solidified once the OG BC OG retained the belt in a ladder match with Owens at the inaugural TakeOver: Brooklyn event.

Gone were the NXT old guard of Owens, Zayn, Neville, and the others. In their place as NXT’s standard bearer was Finn Balor, and it is fair to say that he did justice to his forebears.

Indeed, if there was any one flaw to be found with Balor’s time at the top of the mountain, it would be its unceremonious, untelevised end at the hands of Samoa Joe. Balor’s reign was history making, and its end should have felt more important than it did. Balor deserved better… a fine segue into talking about the man who tops this list.