Best WWE NXT Champions

Since 2012, NXT has been the home to some of the best wrestling around the world, producing some of the biggest stars not only in WWE but in the entire industry. Wrestlers from organizations across the globe have come to WWE’s third brand to showcase their abilities on a national platform and in some instances, make an even bigger name for themselves.

In the now over 10 years of its existence, only a select few have been able to call themselves NXT Champion. Names like Shinsuke Nakamura, Johnny Gargano, Drew McIntyre, Big E, and Seth Rollins have held the brand’s top prize, but the following individuals stand out as being the best to ever be the NXT Champion.

UPDATE: 2024/04/27 14:30 EST BY ANDREW KELLY

A lot can change in just a few years, with the landscape of NXT constantly changing. There have been several strong top champions in the men’s division, though it must be said that most of these came back in the Black & Gold era of NXT. The odd strong champion here and there has emerged in more recent years, but when determining the best of the best, there is a gulf in quality between Adam Cole from the previous era and Dolph Ziggler who won the belt in the new era. Looking back at the best champions, this will also assess statistics from their reigns too, to add to the argument of who is the best.

10 Karrion Kross’ Reigns Were Better Than People Remember

He Was Booked Well In NXT

Karrion Kross’ first reign never got out of the starting gate, as he suffered an injury during the match where he won the title. However, his second reign earned him this position based on the dominance in which he exhibited. Not only did he end Finn Balor’s great second reign, but he went on to defeat four NXT greats in Adam Cole, Pete Dunne, Johnny Gargano & Kyle O’Reilly in the same match.

Whilst his main roster run has left a lot to be desired, no one can deny his dominance in NXT.

9 Samoa Joe Was A Badass Champion In NXT

Joe Was The First Multi-Time NXT Champion

Samoa Joe is the only man to hold the championship on three different occasions. Each one of Joe’s victories stand out as major moments in NXT history due to whom he defeated and when: he ended the longest reign in NXT up until that point when he defeated Finn Balor for his first victory at an untelevised house show; he was the first man to defeat Shinsuke Nakamura for his second victory; he defeated Karrion Kross for his third victory, the last new champion of the Black & Gold Era of NXT.

The only thing that kept Samoa Joe from being higher on this list is the fact that across the three reigns, he barely had a successful title defense.

8 Bo Dallas Is The Most Underrated NXT Champion

Dallas Was One Of The Earliest Titleholders

Bo Dallas’ reign lasted 260 days. Dallas had successful defenses over Sami Zayn and Cesaro on NXT TV, but his most memorable encounters were with Adrian Neville. The two men had a trilogy of entertaining contests that included a Lumberjack match and the first Ladder match in NXT history.

Dallas also gets credit for bringing some new recognition to the NXT brand, as he was the first NXT Champion to be a participant in the Royal Rumble match, a trend that would continue in the years to follow.

7 Bron Breakker Is The Best NXT Champion Of The New Era

Breakker Was Dominant With The Title

When it comes to the more recent champions in the new era of NXT, few have come close to Bron Breakker. He steamrolled the opposition when he arrived, making a quick climb up the card and becoming the new NXT Champion by defeating Tommaso Ciampa. Throughout his two reigns he defended his title against several notable names like Dolph Ziggler, Cameron Grimes, Santos Escobar, Joe Gacy, JD McDonagh, Ilja Dragunov, and more.

Breakker was a great choice to be the face of the new NXT.

6 Kevin Owens Took NXT By Storm And Quickly Won Gold

Owens Was Pushed To The Top Of NXT

While NXT Champion, Owens would have successful defenses against Sami Zayn and Finn Balor, he also was the first champion to defend the championship on main roster programming by defeating Heath Slater, Adrian Neville, and Zack Ryder on Main Event, Raw & SmackDown respectively.

However, what stood out most about Owens’ reign was his story with John Cena. As NXT Champion, he arrived to answer the John Cena U.S. title open challenge, and after some physicality between the two, he stomped on the U.S. Title while holding the NXT Championship high and proudly. Until that moment, NXT never mattered more. He would later go on to defeat Cena in his first match on the main roster, while still NXT Champion.

5 Bobby Roode Was On Top Form During His NXT Run

His Character Work Was Fantastic As Champion

Roode’s run in NXT was just over a year-long, but his impact on the brand will forever be felt. His presentation in NXT screamed “Champion,” and while holding the championship, he picked up some pretty impressive victories. He was one of the few people to defeat Shinsuke Nakamura, and he did that twice. He also would successfully defend the title against Kassius Ohno and Hideo Itami.

One aspect of his run in NXT and as champion that often gets forgotten is that Bobby Roode was undefeated for the majority of his time in NXT, with his only losses coming against Drew McIntyre to end his reign and Roderick Strong before moving on to SmackDown.

4 Tommaso Ciampa Made The NXT Championship Feel Special

Ciampa Was Obsessed With The Belt

Tommaso Ciampa will always be remembered for his time in NXT. Although he has just arrived on the main roster and has a lot of time to achieve many things, it will be tough to replicate his accomplishments in NXT. He is in the esteemed club of multiple-time NXT Champions, holding the title twice and helping usher in the new era of NXT 2.0 as its first champion, but his first reign which lasted 237 days merits his inclusion here.

A reign that included a classic battle with Johnny Gargano in a Last Man Standing Match at TakeOver: Brooklyn 4, and a journey up to the main roster for a short stint in 2019, “The Blackheart” was a proud NXT Champion. Had it not been for a major neck injury that required him to vacate the title, this reign could have easily propelled Ciampa to the top of the list.

3 Adrian Neville Had Fantastic Matches And Helped Grow NXT

Neville Took NXT To The Next Level

Adrian Neville’s reign began with a victory in the first-ever ladder match in NXT history over Bo Dallas and continued from February to December 2014, which included 9 successful title defenses. With wins over Dallas, Tyson Kidd, Brodus Clay, Tyler Breeze, Titus O’Neil, and Sami Zayn, Neville brought a level of prestige to the championship that it hadn’t quite achieved yet.

With his reign, the NXT Championship began to feel like one of the top prizes in the business.

2 Finn Balor Was At His Very Best In NXT

Balor Was A Top Star On The Brand More Than Once

As a two-time NXT champion, Finn Balor is one of only 7 men to hold the championship twice. While his first reign often gets recognized due to its length at 292 days, it’s his second reign as champion that earns him this spot.

Balor stepped in after Karrion Kross had to vacate the title due to injury in a time when NXT needed someone to hold the torch, and he carried it impressively with multiple victories over some of the best wrestlers on the planet such as Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Pete Dunne. Balor would hold the title for 212 days before losing it to Karrion Kross.

1 Adam Cole Is The Best NXT Champion Of All Time

Cole Was The Face Of NXT

Adam Cole is undoubtedly the best champion in NXT history. For 403 days, Cole carried the championship with him and led NXT through some very important times in the brand’s existence. With Cole as champion, NXT solidified itself as a third brand in WWE, no longer just a developmental territory, with its move to the USA Network.

Cole would successfully defend the championship a record eleven times across five different brands within the WWE Universe: NXT, NXT UK, Evolve, Raw & SmackDown. His victories include wins over Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Finn Balor, Pete Dunne, Matt Riddle and even Daniel Bryan. While a number of his victories came by way of nefarious means with help from his Undisputed Era stablemates, one cannot argue the level of importance the NXT title achieved while around the waist of Adam Cole.