Best Champions in NXT History

2020 Celebrates ten years of NXT! An entire decade and during that time we have seen what was known as developmental become the biggest and most consistent brand in all of WWE! We have seen history made, revolutions begin and the rise of some of the companies most must-see names! Over the course of the past ten years fans have seen several champions crowned but a select few have stood out just that little bit more than others and today we are going to be taking an in-depth look at some of those names as we discuss five of the best champions in NXT history across the women’s, men’s and tag team divisions.

Shayna Baszler

We kick start things off with one of the best heels in pro wrestling today and the only ever two-time NXT Women’s champion, Shayna Baszler. While she most certainly has had her fair share of controversy and divided fan opinion Baszler was without a doubt one of the most dominant superstars and champions in NXT history regardless of gender. From the moment she arrived on the black and gold brand Baszler took over the women’s division taking out any and every woman who stood in her way. Bullying the lockerroom, picking up quick and effected victories week in and week out and aligning herself with Marina and Jessamyn, Shayna truly was an unstoppable force. Competing in a cage match, taking part in memorable rivalries against the likes of Kairi Sane and Rhea Ripley and created a buzz around the women’s division that was different from what any other past champion had provided.

The Revival

Looking back at the history of the NXT tag team division there can be no denying there was a revolution in itself and tag team wrestling was at its best in the WWE it has been in years! One of the key teams during this time was, of course, The Revival. Dash and Dawson changed the game massively competing in standout matches that went down as highlights of the year and some of the best tag team encounters in history! The first team to be crowned two-time NXT Tag team champions they created a buzz and hype around the division and there was an appeal that we hadn’t seen for tag team wrestling in a very long time! Their rivalry with DIY will go down as an all-time great and the bouts we saw between the four men truly did raise the bar and change the game. Things may not have gone the same way on the main roster for The Revival, but no one can take away just how incredible these two are and the impact they made during their time in NXT.

Adam Cole

The current NXT champion Adam Cole in my opinion most certainly deserves a spot on this list. Competing in epic matchups that have stood out on episodes of NXT and Takeover events the leader of the Undisputed Era has worked five-star quality bouts against the likes of Matt Riddle, Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano and more becoming the face of the Black and gold brand and one of the most popular names in pro wrestling today. Cole has so far had a level of dominance that no other champion has possessed and has been an incredible champ with more sure to come.

Adrian Neville

Going back to the early days of NXT it was during the time that we saw Adrian Neville crowned champion that I found I had a huge interest in the black and gold brand! His journey to becoming champion was one of the most entertaining and well done and was a key reason I found myself so invested in all things NXT. His rivalry with Bo Dallas is an NXT classic competing in the first ladder match to win the title and going on to have a memorable reign that consisted of incredible match-ups and rivalries. We saw incredible character development after his love and obsession for the title really did take over. Talking of takeover, during his reign as champion Neville worked iconic NXT Match ups including that epic fatal four-way and singles bout against talents such as Tyson Kidd, Tyler Breeze and Sami Zayn.

Asuka

As the longest-reigning champion in the history of NXT Asuka had to be on this list today! During her time in the black and gold brand the Empress of tomorrow went undefeated and made her way through the women’s division out talents including Nia Jax, Bayley, Ember Moon and more and changed the game in women’s wrestling following the next chapter in the division after the Four Horsewomen moved on over to the main roster. It was Asuka who changed the game and increased the intensity and brought something totally different to any other female star before her. Asuka’s rivalry with Moon will go down as an NXT classic and her reign will most certainly never be forgotten!

The Undisputed Era

I believe it’s most certainly safe to say that the Undisputed Era are the best tag team in NXT history! Despite the names changing at times the team have been unbelievably dominant and over the years have taken part in NXT classics and some of the best tag team encounters I have ever seen. Three-time champion (with Kyle O'Reilly being the one star to win the title three times) Undisputed Era has made history and cemented themselves as the best in the brands history. Classic encounters and rivalries with the likes of the Street Profits, Moustache Mountain, The Revival and so many more will forever be memorable encounters and I have to admit that when I think of the NXT tag-team titles it’s the Undisputed Era I instantly think of now whether they are current champs or not.

There were, of course, other names I didn’t include in this list that defiantly deserve recognition including first-time NXT Women’s Champion Paige, the Queen Charlotte Flair, Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, Sasha Banks and Bayley! Current title holder Keith Lee is entering a league of his own and NXT continues to dominate the WWE and the world of Pro-wrestling and I don’t know about you but I cannot wait for what awaits the next ten years!