10 Most Important Wrestlers In NXT History
6. Seth Rollins
It’s easy to forget Seth Rollins’ time in NXT given his incredible success since transitioning to the main roster. Whether through blowing the wrestling world away with The Shield or serving as The Authority’s corrupt corporate champion, Rollins has become one of WWE’s biggest stars, most exciting performers, and a guy the company will rely on at the highest level for years to come.
He entered WWE developmental after signing from Ring of Honor in 2010, and when FCW became NXT, Rollins played a huge role. He entered the Gold Rush Tournament to crown the first NXT Champion, and after working his way to the finals, Seth overturned Jinder Mahal to claim the belt.
NXT’s roster wasn’t as talent rich then as it is now, and Rollins stood out among his peers. While the Finn Balors of the world benefited from working with Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe, Rollins was wrestling Mahal and Curtis Axel. Nonetheless, his efforts were never anything less than stellar, and he held the belt for close to five months before dropping it to Big E.
Rollins’ run started the trend of highly-successful indy wrestlers running amok in NXT. He helped establish the promotion as a high-workrate show, and it’s hard to imagine what the brand would look like without his early run.