25 Most Important Wrestlers In NXT History
8. Paige
Paige wasn't just NXT's first female champion, but she was also the promotion's first ambassador to the main roster.
The British-born star became the inaugural NXT Women's Champion in 2013, defeating Emma in a tournament final to capture the belt.
Paige held the strap for a whopping 308 days, which is still the second longest reign in the history of the championship. She helped establish the brand's women's division, which in turn set off the wider Women's Revolution in WWE.
Her reign came to an end after she was called up to the main roster the night after WrestleMania XXX. This wasn't a sad occasion though, because Paige had already captured her first main roster championship after beating AJ Lee for the Divas Championship in her debut match. In doing so, she became the first person in history to hold both an NXT and a WWE championship at the same time.
Paige isn't as underappreciated as Emma in terms of contributions to the women's division, but she definitely doesn't get the full recognition she deserves. She raised the prestige of the NXT Women's Division by capturing a main roster title whilst still in developmental and set in motion a series of events that would change the world of pro wrestling forever.