When WWE moved their developmental system from Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) to NXT, no one could have expected the show designed to train the Superstars of tomorrow would become the must-watch wrestling show on the planet.
With such a short, but impactful history, there have been so many success stories of stars moving up from NXT to WWE's main roster that, most of their shows consist of graduates from the former developmental brand. Still, not everyone who got called up worked out. In fact, there are just as many stories of struggle as success, and we're going to list them. Here are 5 Former NXT Champions Who Succeeded On The Main Roster (& 5 Who Struggled).
10 Succeeded: Finn Balor
Finn Balor debuted in NXT with a lot of fanfare. The former Bullet Club member was one of the most exciting wrestlers in New Japan Pro Wrestling at the time, and his debut in WWE was nothing short of exceptional. He quickly garnered a reputation for showing up for big matches and dressing up for TakeOvers. He defeated Kevin Owens to win the NXT Championship and went on to have one of the longest reigns in the title's history.
As soon as he was called up, Balor was inserted into the Universal Championship tournament, where he was the title's inaugural winner.
9 Struggled: Ember Moon
Ember Moon was the hero of NXT for a brief period of time. Despite never being able to beat Asuka, the talented performer won the NXT Women's Championship and defended it valiantly against the likes of Sonya Deville and even Shayna Bayszler. When it came time to call up Moon, however, it looked like WWE's focus on Sasha Banks, Baylee, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch made it hard for Moon to find meaningful time. Now out with an injury that will keep her away from the action for an undisclosed amount of time, we can't help but look at Moon's time on the main roster as disappointing.
8 Succeed: Big E
As a homegrown talent, Big E was a massive success in NXT, winning the show's belt, he was one of the most dominant superstars on the brand early on. Saying other wrestlers needed a five-count when he pinned them made him insanely popular, and fans loved watching him wreck everyone who got in his way. Admittedly, when he was called up, Big E struggled to find his footing. Sure, he had the size and ability, but something in the personality department was lacking, but once he was aligned with Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston to form The New Day, everything clicked. Now, as one-third of the most popular faction in WWE history, Big E is one of the biggest success stories out of NXT.
7 Struggled: Neville
While Neville is doing just fine for himself as PAC over on AEW these days, the King of The Cruiserweights came to NXT, making a splash as one of the very best high-fliers in the company. He won the show's tag-team championship and the NXT title, where he had a stranglehold on the belt. Willing to do whatever it took to hold on the title, Neville toed the line between good and evil before getting called up.
Given a superhero persona, The Man Gravity forgot got big wins over some notable names, but after an unfortunate injury, he lost all momentum. He was eventually shuffled over into the Cruiserweight Division, where he was used prominently, but it was clear he was destined for better. He was released in 2018, and since then, he's proven that he's one of the most exciting wrestlers around.
6 Succeed: Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens is one of the most popular stars on the main roster, and it all started with an impactful debut in NXT. Winning his first match against CJ Parker, Owens capped off his night by joining his long-time frienemy Sami Zayn on the ramp following the latter's first-ever NXT Championship win. In a shocking turn of events, Owens turned on Zayn and obsessed with taking away his title. He did just that and became one of the most dominant NXT Champions ever.
He was then called up to the main roster while still holding the developmental brand's belt, and he beat John Cena in his debut match. Things only got better for Owens, who later won the Intercontinental Championship, United States Championship, and eventually the Universal Championship.
5 Struggled: Bobby Roode
Bobby Roode debuted in NXT following a long time in TNA. From 2004 until his departure in 2016, Roode did it all, and later in his career, it was time for him to shoot his shot in WWE. He came to NXT with much fanfare, and with a little help of a fantastic theme song, he became one of the most popular stars on the show. He won the NXT Championship by defeating Shinsuke Nakamura kicking off a series of great matches by the star.
When it came time for a call up though, it appeared that whatever clicked in NXT wasn't working on the main roster. Unfortunately, Roode never broke through the mid-card ceiling, capturing the United States Championship and having a few forgettable runs with the Tag Team Championship and the 24/7 belt.
4 Succeed: Charlotte Flair
Even before her callup to the main roster, everyone knew Charlotte Flair was destined for greatness. The daughter of the most legendary wrestler to ever step into a ring, Flair already had the name recognition, but she backed it up with fantastic ability. The talented superstar won the NXT Championship in one of the best women's matches in WWE history, and because of that, we started to see the seeds of the Women's Revolution.
Upon her callup, Flair was the most prominent of her rivals. With a total of 10 main roster championships to her name, Flair is the face of WWE's Women's Division and one of the biggest names WWE has on their roster.
3 Struggled: Bo Dallas
Bo Dallas had a strange trajectory in WWE. As a third-generation wrestler — his father being Mike Rotunda, better known as I.R.S, and his grandfather being Blackjack Mulligan — Dallas seemed destined for greatness. Yet, the NXT crowd didn't take to him until he developed a more delusional persona. With this, he won the NXT Championship. Quickly becoming one of the most entertaining parts of the show, Dallas won over the hearts of NXT fans, and they were excited when it was announced that he would be called up.
Unfortunately, once that happened, it was clear that whatever worked for Dallas in NXT wasn't working on the main roster, and he floundered, barely finding time on TV. He had a stint of success alongside Curtis Axel as the B Team, but after the team won and lost the title, they were rarely seen on TV.
2 Succeed: Seth Rollins
Easily the biggest success story from NXT, Seth Rollins has absolutely taken over WWE. After becoming the inaugural NXT Champion, Rollins debuted on the main roster alongside Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns as part of The Shield, one of the most dominant factions in WWE history.
Since then, Rollins has won the Tag-Team Championship six times, the Intercontinental Championship, United States Championship, WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and WWE Universal Championship. Not only that, but he's taken part in some of the biggest moments in WWE history by betraying The Shield to align with Triple H and cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase during the main event of WrestleMania.
1 Struggled: Sami Zayn
Unlike his rival, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn has had a bit of a rough go on the main roster. After effectively being the heart and soul of NXT. The Underdog from the Underground took on all fighters, regardless of their size and strength, gaining some insane crowd momentum leading up to his eventual NXT Championship victory against Neville.
Unfortunately, he was injured in his first main roster match, and following that, he's never really recovered. Used mostly against or alongside Kevin Owens, Zayn never reached the heights he saw in NXT following his call up and is mostly used as a manager these days. He's certainly talented enough to turn things around, but so far, his time on WWE's main roster has been disappointing.