Predicting The Next 5 NXT Champions
Who will be the next generation of champs?
NXT has long been referred to as the superior show when it comes to WWE's weekly programming. Featuring a roster mixed of big names from the indy circuit and some Performance Centre-trained stars, NXT overshadows its bigger brother at almost everything. Whether it's the TakeOver specials or the phenomenal matches and simple yet effective storylines, the main WWE superstars always fail in comparison to their counterparts. It's obvious to see just how much work has gone in to making NXT what it is today compared to what it was originally set up to be: a reality show.
The NXT Championship is the biggest prize to be won in the developmental brand. Having been held by guys who are now huge on the main roster, like Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens, everyone signed to NXT is desperate to be added to that elite list of names. Obviously not everyone will, considering some of the names that are floating around down there at the moment. Don't get your hopes up on a Cezar Bononi or a Fabian Aichner title victory happening any time soon.
But we can all hope that at least some of the bigger names get their hands on the championship one day...
5. Johnny Gargano
He's a bit busy at the moment, but yeah, this will be happening at some point.
Johnny Gargano wholeheartedly deserves to be the next NXT Champion, as shown by the work he's been putting in over the past 12 months. Always a talking point when it comes to the NXT TakeOver specials, two of Gargano's bouts at these events have been rated five stars by Dave Meltzer.
The creative team have been crafting away at the current rivalry between Johnny Wrestling and old chum Tommaso Ciampa. Gargano picked up the win in their first match, an Unsanctioned Match, at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, but the rivalry is far from over. A second bout between the two appears to be taking place at the next TakeOver event in Chicago, where Ciampa is likely to win to even the score. A third and final match should then take place at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV, with Gargano winning to end the rivalry once and for all.
Following his fued with Ciampa, Gargano should move in to the NXT Championship picture against Aleister Black. A championship match between them should be set for the TakeOver on the eve of Survivor Series in Los Angeles. This will likely be the culmination of Gargano's meteoric rise to the top, with the NXT Championship placed firmly around his waist, while Black can debut on the main roster in next year's Royal Rumble Match.