25 Most Important Wrestlers In NXT History
4. Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens burst onto the scene in NXT and, in no time at all, took its top title to the main roster.
Owens arrived in NXT at TakeOver: R Evolution and was immediately put into the NXT Championship picture, when he turned heel on real life best friend and new NXT Champion, Sami Zayn.
Zayn and Owens' feud over the title was a brilliant mix of real life emotion and fantastic wrestling storytelling. Owens would take the belt from Sami at TakeOver: Rival, less than two months after joining the promotion.
Whilst Owens' time as champion in NXT was impressive, it was his time on the main roster whilst champion that really sets him out from the rest.
On an episode of Raw in May 2015, Owens made his shock main roster debut when he accepted John Cena's United States Championship open challenge. He laid Cena out with a vicious Pop-Up Powerbomb and stamped on the US title whilst holding the NXT one above him.
Owens and Cena were booked in a match at Elimination Chamber, which, to everyone's surprise, Owens actually won. The NXT Champion defeated John Cena in his first ever main roster match. Talk about a headline.
Owens' storyline with Cena on the main roster elevated NXT to a whole new level and drew thousands of main roster fans to the developmental show.