10 Most Important Wrestlers In NXT History
3. Finn Balor
Hideo Itami was NXT’s first major acquisition from the Japanese wrestling scene, but Finn Balor followed shortly after. The former NJPW Junior Heavyweight Champion debuted as Itami’s tag team partner against the ascension. This was back in December 2014, and when Balor debuted his Demon body paint gimmick at TakeOver: R Evolution, it was clear he’d soon become a star at Full Sail University.
It didn’t take long for him to hit the main event scene. Balor defeated Kevin Owens to become NXT Champion in July 2015, and compounded his dominance by besting KO in a ladder match at TakeOver: Brooklyn. He then entered the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic as Samoa Joe’s tag team partner, thus beginning the biggest angle of his young WWE career.
Joe turned on Balor shortly after the tournament’s conclusion, kicking-off a long, gruelling feud in the process. Joe and Balor battled over weekly TV shows and TakeOver live specials with the NXT Championship on the line, and while Balor defeated Joe in London and Dallas, Joe eventually took the belt at an April 2016 house show.
Finn’s reign ended at 292 days (another record), and by the time he departed, he was considered NXT’s icon. He’d risen to become the brand’s top babyface during Sami Zayn’s injury absence, and a vital foil for the bloodthirsty Joe. Without Balor to inherit his role as the fan’s biggest hero, NXT would have had a gaping hole at the top of the card when Sami fell to injury, and Balor’s skill, theatrics, and showmanship make him one of NXT’s most notable wrestlers.