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10 NXT Superstars who won championships in their first year on the main roster

Alexa Bliss and Riddle
Alexa Bliss and Riddle

From being NXT Tag Team Champion to becoming United States Champion, Matt Riddle has proven to have a knack for winning gold in WWE.

Riddle's latest triumph came at Elimination Chamber when he defeated John Morrison and former champion Bobby Lashley in a triple-threat match for the United States title.

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Riddle is now part of a list of NXT Superstars who have rapidly climbed the ladder to glory in their first year after their promotion to the main roster.

This list includes some of the biggest stars in the business today, so let's jump right into it.


#10. Riddle's journey from NXT to become the U.S. Champion

Riddle is the new United States Champion
Riddle is the new United States Champion

Riddle first burst onto the scene in WWE back in 2018. He joined NXT after spending several years in the UFC and on the independent circuit.

Riddle's undefeated streak lasted more than five months before Velveteen Dream defeated him in an NXT North American Championship Match.

In NXT, The Original Bro won the NXT Tag Team Championship with his partner Pete Dunne and the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

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Riddle's main roster debut came on June 19, 2020, on SmackDown when he crashed AJ Styles' Intercontinental Championship Party.

On his SmackDown debut match, the former NXT Tag Team Champion defeated the Intercontinental Champion in a non-title match. A month later, the two clashed again, but the result was different as Styles retained his title.

Riddle was drafted to RAW last October and received his first title shot later in January. He challenged the United States Champion Bobby Lashley but again came up short.

Riddle used MVP's crutch to take out Lashley
Riddle used MVP's crutch to take out Lashley

Finally, Riddle snatched Lashley's title at Elimination Chamber in a triple threat match that included John Morrison. After a hard-fought battle, Lashley was closing in on the victory when he applied the Hurt Lock on Morrison. The Original Bro interfered to save his chances using MVP's crutch as a weapon on Lashley, before hitting Morrison with the Bro Derek for the win. His victory meant capturing his first title on the main roster, only eight months from his debut.

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