4 WWE legends who appeared on NXT
Ever since its inception, NXT has been the breeding ground for WWE's biggest stars. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Finn Balor are just a handful of names who've passed through the developmental brand before debuting on the main roster.
However, if you thought WWE's developmental territory was exclusive to the stars of tomorrow, you'd be mistaken. While it is a rare occurrence, legends have been known to make surprise appearances on NXT television in the past.
Here are four WWE legends who appeared on NXT.
#4. The Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase
Don't miss it when @MDMTedDiBiase officially crowns @LAKnightWWE the NEW #MillionDollarChampion TONIGHT on #WWENXT at 8/7c on @USA_Network!
wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/a…
Ted DiBiase spent a good portion of his time in NXT being a thorn in Cameron Grimes' backside. He'd cost the young star matches, verbally insult him, and do all the classic things you'd expect a good heel to do whilst bugging up LA Knight, Grimes' arch enemy at the time.
Their rivalry would come to a head at NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021. There Grimes and Knight would do battle in what would go on to be a highly praised ladder match for Ted's Million Dollar Title.
Knight won the match and the title, but turned on DiBiase just moments after having the aforementioned title placed on his shoulder.
Grimes would go on to defeat Knight on August 24 of that year. As a result, Grimes became the new Million Dollar Champion and The Million Dollar Man did not have to become Knight's butler.
#3. WWE Hall of Famer Rick Steiner confronts NXT Superstar Joe Gacy
What has @JoeGacy done!? Never go after a man's family.
#WWENXT @harlandwwe @bronbreakkerwwe https://t.co/e3RzbSRC1H
WWE Hall of Famer Rick Steiner recently made an appearance on NXT. However, when taking into account what went down, it certainly wasn't a happy state of affairs by any means.
On the April 5th episode of NXT 2.0, The Dog Faced Gremlin was attacked, kidnapped, tied up, and locked in a cage by Joe Gacy in an attempt to get the attention of the current NXT Champion Bron Breakker.
The good news for Mr. Gacy? It worked. The bad news is, it worked. Their initial match took place at NXT Spring Breakin' where Gacy was defeated. Their 2nd encounter happened a little over a month later at In Your House, where Bron went two for two.
#2. The Rated-R Superstar Edge puts NXT on notice
As #WWENXT became "Rated-R", @EdgeRatedR let @FinnBalor & @PeteDunneYxB know that he will be keeping a close eye on their #NXTChampionship Match at #NXTTakeOver: Vengeance Day! https://t.co/rQSOVXUzIa
Edge's comeback story ranks as one of the greatest wrestling returns in WWE history. He shocked the world at the 2020 Royal Rumble when he entered the titular bout at number 21.
He ran it back the following year, but this time, The Rated-R Superstar would go on to win the match, thus earning him a World Title match of his choosing.
Though Roman Reigns seemed like the obvious choice, this didn't stop Edge from weighing his options. He appeared on the February 3 edition of NXT and teased that he could very well challenge for the NXT Title in lieu of the Universal Championship.
As you may know, Edge would ultimately go on to challenge Reigns for the blue belt, but regardless, seeing him in an NXT ring made for an awesome moment.
#1. Dusty Rhodes congratulates Seth Rollins after his inaugural NXT Championship victory
I was ever so fortunate to be a friend to this man, to learn from him as a performer and as a human being. #RIPDusty http://t.co/GH0e1isGxw
You may have noticed that this article's intro included a list of current WWE Superstars who paid their dues in NXT before being called up to the main roster.
The list is significant for many reasons, but one in particular is that The American Dream played a pivotal role in the development of each superstar that was mentioned.
On August 29, 2012, Seth Rollins made history by becoming the inaugural NXT Champion. Following the win, Dusty Rhodes entered the ring, embraced Rollins, and raised his arm in victory.
Rollins recently brought up Dusty in an attempt to get in the head of Cody Rhodes during their feud. Seeing as how kayfabe has been dead and buried for quite some time, it goes without saying that the disrespect shown was for storyline purposes only.