The WWE 'NXT 5' - Where are they now?
The 'NXT 5' was a group of then-NXT Superstars that were signed by WWE in 2014. This group consisted of Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Hideo Itami.
Dubbed the 'NXT 5', these five performers were seen as the future cornerstones in which NXT and, subsequently, WWE would be built upon. Not only did the future of the company appear to be in these five wrestlers' hands, but their future appeared to be very bright and promising, as well.
All five men were professional wrestlers that came with huge reputations from the independent professional wrestling scene in North America and/or internationally. Therefore, the WWE Universe was salivating at the prospect of seeing all five Superstars compete in a Raw, Smackdown and NXT ring under WWE's umbrella.
Six years later, let's take a closer look at where each member of the 'NXT 5' is currently and how their WWE career has panned out since signing with the company.
#5. Kevin Owens: WWE (Monday Night Raw)
Kevin Steen signed with WWE in August of 2014, changing his name to Kevin Owens in the process. The surname change to Owens would be a tribute to his son Owen, who is named after Owen Hart.
Owens would make his NXT debut at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution in December 2014, defeating CJ Parker in the opening match of the show. Famously, Kevin Owens would also turn on long time best friend (and fellow 'NXT 5' member) Sami Zayn after Zayn won the NXT Championship in the main event of the show.
During his short NXT career, which only lasted six months, Kevin Owens would capture the NXT Championship, defeating Zayn. After this loss, Owens would become a full-time member of the WWE main roster.
In his five years as a main roster competitor, Kevin Owens has become a former WWE Universal Champion, a 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and a 3-time WWE United States Champion.
Currently, Kevin Owens is a member of the Monday Night Raw roster in WWE. Having defeated Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 36, Kevin Owens would be out of action through an ankle injury, followed by taking himself off of televisions due to health and safety concerns associated with COVID-19.
However, Owens has subsequently returned to WWE television recently, continuing to feud with Seth Rollins and his disciples during Rollins' feud with Rey Mysterio.