25 Most Important Wrestlers In NXT History
24. Bobby Roode
Before he grew the greatest moustache in pro wrestling history, Bobby (not Robert) Roode was heading up NXT as its "Glorious" champion.
The former Impact star was a huge signing for NXT when he joined the company in 2016 and began the trend of future stars sitting in the crowd at TakeOvers when he appeared completely unannounced at TakeOver: Dallas.
Roode would debut shortly after and would capture the wrestling world's attention with his incredible theme music, "Glorious Domination". He quickly rose through the ranks, earning the right to face the NXT Champion at TakeOver: San Antonio. He would win this match, beginning an NXT Championship reign that would last 203 days, the fifth longest in the title's history.
Roode was NXT Champion during the promotion's lowest point; the 2016 brand split had gutted the company of pretty much all of its top stars and the bubble of 2015/16 had been thoroughly burst.
Despite this, Roode was always fantastic, bringing an air of class and arrogance to every programme he was a part of. He kept the NXT Championship prestigious during a time when it could quite easily have lost all relevance.
For his services to NXT during its darkest time, Roode deserves his place amongst the elite of the brand.