8 Most Shocking Title Changes In WWE NXT History
We didn't see any of these coming.
When Samoa Joe pinned Shinsuke Nakamura to capture the NXT Championship for a second time at NXT TakeOver: Toronto last Sunday, the stunned reaction of the crowd was palpable. Nobody saw it coming.
Long storyline journeys leading to an inevitable babyface championship win are tried and tested in wrestling and can produce great moments like Sami Zayn capturing the NXT title from Adrian Neville or Bayley beating Sasha Banks in Brooklyn.
However, sometimes shock wins can be even more memorable (WWE had their own share of those too this past weekend) and NXT has produced some cracking surprise title switches in its short time as a brand.
Here's eight of the most shocking.
8. Bo Dallas Vs Big E Langston
WWE clearly had high hopes for third generation wrestler Bo Dallas in 2013, giving him a debut in the Royal Rumble match and a bout with Intercontinental champ Wade Barrett the following night on Raw. Even so, when he got his NXT title shot against the dominant Big E Langston in June that year, few expected that Bo would actually pull off the win.
Given that the NXT audience had developed a strong dislike for Bo Dallas - a guy who was supposed to be a babyface - the Full Sail fans were hoping that the powerhouse Big E would run through another challenger. Instead, in a stunning upset, Bo won after 'accidentally' exposing the turnbuckle and pushing Big E into it, much to the frustration of the crowd.
That turned out to be a very welcome and slow burn heel turn for Bo Dallas, who turned out to be a riot as NXT champion, playing the role of a heel who obliviously thought he was popular with the crowd. Now, if only WWE could channel that charisma into something for Bo to do on the main roster in 2016...