10 Best NXT Champions Of The Black And Gold Era
3. Finn Bálor
There was a palpable sense of excitement and disbelief when Bálor came to NXT. The promotion had signed indie darlings already but to bring the former leader of The Bullet Club over from Japan was stunning. Whilst Bálor was absolutely the finished article and could’ve gone straight to the main roster, he’s a star that most associate with the Black and Gold.
Not only is he in an elite crew of men who have held the title twice, he also did it in two different decades as two different characters.
Bálor’s first run as The Demon felt cutting-edge. Around this time, NXT didn’t really have a tonne of strong gimmicks and much in the way of production values. It also didn’t have that stand-out babyface that was needed to topple Kevin Owens for the title. Bálor’s reign lasted 292 days - the second longest in promotion history - and he became the face of a prospective next generation.
When that didn’t work out, however, he returned to NXT in 2019.
Starting out as a heel, Bálor was forced to turn face due to the audience’s overwhelming adoration for their returning former star. Still, he played a more intense and dangerous character who shocked the world by capturing the NXT Championship for the second time.
Whilst his second run wasn’t nearly as strong as his first, his presence made a huge difference, adding lustre back into a brand that had lost some of its steam.