5 WWE NXT stars who could win their first championship before the end of 2022
WWE NXT is the third biggest brand in the company. NXT was first introduced in 2010 as a competition show of sorts, but it eventually transitioned into a proper developmental system in 2012 under the guidance of Triple H.
Over the past ten years, some of the best stars have competed and trained in NXT. Some of the stars were experienced prior to joining the developmental system while others started from scratch. Regardless of where they started, tons of WWE NXT alumni are on the main roster each week. Several stars even won the championships on the NXT brand prior to being called up.
There are numerous championships on WWE NXT currently. Ignoring the NXT UK titles, the brand features NXT Champion Bron Breakker, NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose, NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes, NXT Tag Team Champions The Creed Brothers, and NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. Still, not every superstar is lucky enough to be a current or former champion.
With an incredibly talented roster of WWE NXT Superstars, who might go on to win the championship before 2022 comes to a close? Could a new NXT Women's Champion be crowned? Could a tag team step up?
Below are 5 WWE NXT stars who could win their first championship before the end of 2022.
#5. Cruz Del Toro & #4. Joaquin Wilde, Legado del Fantasma is ready for the next step
Legado del Fantasma is a faction led by Santos Escobar. The stable also features Elektra Lopez, Joaquin Wilde, and Cruz Del Toro. Santos has already held gold in the company and Elektra Lopez is likely to win a championship when she becomes a more active in-ring superstar.
Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro are ready to take the next step. The two stars had success internationally and in other promotions before joining the company, but their biggest peak came when they joined Santos.
Both Wilde and Del Toro are talented and their tag team skills are second to very few teams. With two years of experience as a duo, they have everything to be champions.
The only potential drawback to the duo winning gold before the year ends is if they are called up to the main roster. If the act is moved to RAW or SmackDown, they may be off television for a while beforehand. Still, they could end up winning gold this year.
#3. Ivy Nile is a star in the making
Ivy Nile signed with WWE in 2020 after spending time in mixed martial arts and The Rock's Titan Games show on NBC. She competed on a few WWE NXT live events right before the Covid-19 pandemic drastically changed the world.
In September 2021, Ivy joined Diamond Mine on WWE NXT. Since then, she's regularly competed for the company on NXT, NXT Level Up, and 205 Live prior to the brand being discontinued. She also briefly competed for NXT UK, where she had an epic bout with Meiko Satomura.
While Ivy Nile is still inexperienced, she has proven to be quite talented. With a 8-0 win-loss record on NXT Level Up and several big wins across any other brand she's competed on, a title shot is likely in her future.
She could challenge Mandy Rose for gold and may continue teaming up with Tatum Paxley. With Ivy, it isn't a matter of if she'll win a title, but instead just a matter of when.
#2. Grayson Waller has the potential to be a top heel
Grayson Waller is an Australian professional wrestler who started his career in 2017. He wrestled on the independent scene for four years until he was signed by World Wrestling Entertainment in 2021.
Waller reported to WWE NXT and the Performance Center before making his debut on 205 Live in June of the same year. He was a regular on the purple brand for most of the year, but as it was being phased out, he went on to join the main NXT program.
While Grayson Waller hasn't yet won a championship in the company, he has regularly brushed elbows with the champions and top stars of the brand. He also had a feud with AJ Styles. If his current rivalry with Apollo Crews ends in his favor, he may be next for a title shot. It would be unwise for either Carmelo Hayes or Bron Breakker to underestimate the Australian star.
#1. Nikkita Lyons is one of the more popular stars on WWE NXT
Nikkita Lyons has technically been involved in professional wrestling for four years now. After graduating from high school in 2018, she briefly trained to wrestle and shortly after debuted for the WOW Women of Wrestling promotion. She had about a dozen bouts with the company in 2018 and 2019.
Nikkita signed with WWE in 2021 and debuted on the 205 Live brand. She made her WWE NXT debut in February 2022 and defeated Kayla Inlay.
Lyons is incredibly popular among fans. With a brief appearance on SmackDown already behind her, the future looks bright for Lyons. She could very well be the person to dethrone Mandy Rose. If she isn't, she and Zoey Stark could keep being a team and chase the WWE NXT Women's Tag Team Championship.
WWE NXT is filled with talented stars. With NXT UK talent being brought over to the States, the roster will become bloated with the top-level talents and stars of tomorrow. Which superstars will break out of the pack and win gold? Fans will have to wait and see.
Speaking of WWE NXT, click here for 5 reasons why former NXT Superstar Tenille Dashwood should return to World Wrestling Entertainment.