10 Strongest Champions In Wrestling Today
8. Bobby Roode (NXT Champion)
The NXT Championship was in real danger of losing its prestige following Finn Bálor’s transition to the main roster. Samoa Joe held the belt for 122 days after taking it from the Irishman, but spent the rest of the 2016 passing it back and forth with Shinsuke Nakamura, with both men struggling for dominance at the top of the card.
Bobby Roode’s arrival in the main event scene has helped things rebound. He took the title from Nakamura on 28 January, and has held it ever since, mounting successful defences against some of NXT’s biggest stars along the way. Having fended off a challenge from Roderick Strong at the latest set of TV tapings, Roode looks set to carry the belt all the way to TakeOver: Brooklyn III, by which point he’ll have been champion for over 200 days.
Roode’s reign has done wonders for the belt’s stature, and while he’s not always the most exciting wrestler in the world, he feels like a genuine megastar. He is NXT’s centrepiece, and in being booked so strongly against guys like Nakamura and Hideo Itami, Roode has once again made the title feel like a prize worth fighting for.