9 NXT Champions who went on to become world champions in WWE
Before it was officially recognized as WWE's third brand in October 2019, NXT was – and in some regards still is – WWE's developmental territory for helping up-and-coming talents hone their skills.
The Black and Gold brand was created all the way back in 2010 although it used to be a tournament of sorts at the time with the winner landing a WWE contract. The system was revamped in 2012 and the NXT as we know it today was born.
The brand had its own exclusive titles. starting obviously with the NXT Championship and the NXT Women's Championship. And over the years, we've seen some of the best names in wrestling today hold these titles.
However, most of these stars had humble beginnings at NXT before they made it big and it's time we reminisced the same. So without further ado, let us look at men and women athletes who held NXT titles in the singles division before going to win world titles in the WWE.
#1 Paige
Still only 27 years of age, it's a shame that Paige had to retire from in-ring competition early due to her neck injuries. However, this didn't prevent her from winning championships on both NXT and the WWE main roster.
Paige was the first-ever NXT Women's Champion, a title that she won by beating the likes of Tamina, Alicia Fox, and Emma in the tournament for the inaugural championship back in 2013.
She would go on to make her RAW debut a year later on the night after WrestleMania 30, where she surprised everyone by beating AJ Lee to win the Divas Championship, which as at that time the highest honor for female Superstars in the company. She also became the youngest Divas Champion in the process, winning the title at only 21 years of age.
Currently a contributor for WWE Backstage, Paige has donned several roles in the WWE be it as an in-ring performer, a manager, or as the General Manager of SmackDown. While she certainly had the makings of becoming one of the greatest Superstars in WWE history, she's still a fan favorite and we're happy to see her involved in whichever way possible.