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Writer: Nikunj Walia
WWE NXT or as it is known by its current name, NXT 2.0 has been considered the early battleground to lay the foundation for making some of the best and top WWE superstars of the current regime such as Kevin Owens, Sasha Banks, Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, and many others.
But the one thing that runs in common between the aforementioned names is holding a championship in the former black and gold brand. Most WWE Superstars who came up from NXT established their credibility in the developmental brand by becoming its top champion. From stars like Bayley winning the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn in 2015 to Finn Balor’s two reigns as the NXT champion, the stories of creating great champions and superstars are endless.
But today we take a look at some of the biggest names in WWE who came up to the main roster from the sacred grounds of WWE NXT without winning a championship.
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From her early beginnings as a valet to rising up on the main roster as one of the most intriguing characters, Alexa Bliss has come a long way. She made her televised debut in NXT back in 2014, playing a glitter fairy gimmick and competing in a tournament for the vacant NXT Women’s championship.
While Bliss spent most of her NXT career managing the tag team of Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy, she attempted to clinch the Women’s Championship on a few occasions as well but would come up short each time.
The closest Alexa Bliss got to the NXT Women’s championship was against then champion Bayley in a one-on-one bout in 2015, however, she was unsuccessful after getting slapped by the champion followed by a thunderous Bayley to Belly suplex for the win.
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The Goddess of WWE since then has risen up to the ranks on the main roster, becoming the first woman to win both the RAW and Smackdown Women’s championships, earning a total of 5 title reigns in the process along with two WWE Women’s championships and the Money in the Bank briefcase. But the history books would always show an omission in her resume when it comes to becoming champion in NXT.
The WWE Universe witnessed Alexa Bliss return to WWE programming after a long hiatus on the May 9 2022 episode of WWE RAW winning a squash match against Sonya Deville.
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The master of the unscripted violence Jon Moxley, formerly known as Dean Ambrose had a very brief stint in WWE NXT wrestling mostly in WWE’s previous developmental territory FCW before Triple H laid the bricks for a new home for upcoming WWE prospects. During his brief stint in NXT, he appeared only at a couple of live events without any appearance on WWE NXT TV.
In fact, he is the only superstar to hold two interesting records when it comes to a championship and the former Black and Gold brand. The Lunatic Fringe never competed in any championship match during his stay as an NXT Superstar but has defended their main roster title inside an NXT ring.
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Reigning as the WWE United States Champion in 2013 as part of The Shield, The Hounds of Justice returned to NXT with Ambrose defending his title against Neville in a winning effort. The Mox progressed further well in his career capturing every major accolade on the main roster in WWE and went to jump ship to their rival competitor AEW becoming the second superstar to win their world championship
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Jon Moxley will forever be regarded as one of the most technical and accomplished athletes of the squared circle, but the chances of ever capturing a championship on the now rebranded WWE NXT 2.0 seem to be less.
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Big Time Becks aka Becky Lynch would always be regarded as one of the pioneers to revolutionize women’s wrestling in the WWE. The Irish Lass Kicker along with her fellow cohorts of the Four Horsewomen- Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Bayley changed the game forever since their arrival in NXT back in 2013-14. While the women on the main roster were only getting matches for mere minutes, these four women continued to amaze the WWE Universe at Full Sail with their excellent performances that would set the tone for the Women’s Revolution in the future.
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The hardcore wrestling fan base at WWE NXT saw every member of the Four Horsewomen capture the NXT Women’s championship- except Big Time Becks. Although Becky Lynch was involved in a number of title matches during her NXT stint, she never managed to get her hands on the title in WWE NXT.
This could be one of the sparks that would fuel the fire of The Man, Becky Lynch, to put in twice as much work as the others once she got her main roster call-up in 2015 along with Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks to transcend into the most popular and successful Women’s Superstar of this era. While she now sets the standard for every woman on Monday Night RAW these days, the big-time resume of Big Time Becks would never show a championship in the NXT column until she decides to journey back to her roots and lay the straight fire on everyone to capture the NXT Women’s championship.
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When Joe Anoa’i aka Roman Reigns first step foot inside a WWE training facility, everyone saw him as the next blue chip prospect who would rise up to become one of the greatest superstars of all time. Even his initial beginning in NXT saw him portray a gimmick of a man who would always dress to impress and viewed himself as the most valuable commodity in WWE.
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The future Tribal Chief made his dynamic debut in 2012 in NXT against CJ Parker and from that very moment on, he was destined to become a Megastar in the WWE. Moving up to the ranks from his days in the Shield to a singles competitor and finally embracing his true identity of being the Head of the Table, Roman Reigns did exactly what Vince McMahon and others had visioned him to do i.e become the top superstar of this generation defeating legends like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, winning multiple championships and cemented his place as the top attraction of WWE.
The Tribal Chief, The Head of the Table Roman Reigns now rules the roost with his special counsel Paul Heyman and his cousins The Usos as part of their faction, The Bloodline with both the WWE and WWE Universal championship firmly in his grasp which he won in a Champion vs Champion Winner Take All match defeating his arch-rival Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 38.
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Despite conquering everything there to conquer in the WWE, Roman Reigns accomplishments will always miss out on a championship at WWE NXT, the very same place from where he began his journey towards greatness, something that his Shield brother Seth Rollins would always be one up on him with the Drip God being crowned as the inaugural NXT champion back in 2012 defeating Jinder Mahal in the Gold Rush tournament.
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