Top five future WWE World Champions currenty in NXT

WWE’s developmental brand NXT, has been a breeding ground for future champions for over a decade. It kicked off in 2010 as a TV series, running for 5 seasons and introducing talents like Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt, who later became WWE champions.

In 2014, NXT transitioned into a full-fledged developmental territory and debuted its first major event, NXT Arrival, exclusively on the WWE Network. The response was electric, solidifying NXT’s place in WWE’s lineup. It has since become its own brand, attracting both fresh faces and established independent stars eager to elevate their careers.

NXT serves as a crucial platform for talent to hone their skills, develop characters, and build fanbases before making the jump to the main roster. Even WWE‘s current top champions like Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins had to go through NXT before becoming household names in the wrestling world.

With NXT consistently producing future world champions, there’s no shortage of talent on the current roster poised for success.

Here are the current five NXT Superstars who possess the skills and potential to eventually hold the WWE Championship:

5. Lyra Valkyrie

Lyra Valkyrie is the current WWE NXT Women’s champion. Valkyrie has been signed with WWE since 2020 and have been one of the best talent on the Women’s roster. Just like “The Man” Becky Lynch, Lyra Valkyrie comes from an Irish background and is in a league of her own.

Most recently Lyra Valkyrie defended her WWE NXT Women’s Championship against Shotzi Blackheart which would make things easy for her transition to the main roster. With all the talent she possesses sooner or later, she will be one of the future WWE Champions.

4. Joe Gacy

Joe Gacy is one of the top talkers on the NXT roster right now. He is the leader of the Schism group. The schism stable would be disbanded, but his intriguing stable included Jagger Reid, Rip Fowler, and Ava Raine, the daughter of WWE icon and Hollywood star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Since its inception as a faction in 2022, the group has been compared to The Wyatt Family, with Gacy emerging as the main member.

The 35-year-old superstar has been in the ring since 2006, when he first competed. Gacy spent the most of his career as the face of Combat Zone Wrestling, where he won three CZW World Championships until signing with WWE in 2020. With him compared to the likes of Bray Wyatt, he was certain to make the list.

3. Oba Femi

Oba Femi already made his debut in a squash match where we could see Femi destroying his opponent and now with him being the NXT North American Champion, his dominance is clearly visible in the NXT roster. He could be one of the biggest draws WWE had in a long time, who has the body and wrestling moves to make him a top-tier professional wrestler.

Oba Femi last defended his title against Lexis King, who he defeated using his strength in a one sided match which he won effortlessly showing his dominance as he made his return from a year hiatus. Oba Femi could be a great addition to the main roster with WWE trying to build depth in their roster.

2. Cora Jade

The most recent generation of NXT talent has seen some of the finest in the brand’s history gain recognition on a larger scale. Cora Jade is another name on this list. Jade joined with WWE in 2021. She previously wrestled for Impact Wrestling, AEW, and other indie promoters. Since joining NXT, she has made a significant impact and has established herself as a household name.

Jade has competed in number-one contender bouts and various feuds. Her thoughts are fully set on winning the NXT Women’s Championship. Fans will have to wait for her return to NXT television before that can happen. Jade is undeniably a rising star for the NXT brand. In a surprisingly short period of time, she has had a significant impact on the NXT audience. She has been one of the greatest heels on the team. She would be an excellent future world champion.

1. Ilja Dragunov

Ilja Dragunov was born in Russia. And he is an incredible beast. He began his career with the WWE NXT UK brand and then moved on to the main NXT brand in 2022, but not before making history as the first real Russian to hold a WWE championship.

Dragunov won the NXT UK championship in an incredible bout against future Intercontinental Champion Gunther, who was then known as Walter. The hard-hitting match took place at NXT Takeover 36 in 2021 and was unanimously appreciated, receiving 5.25 stars from Dave Meltzer.

Dragunov has been making waves in NXT throughout 2023 with one of the most deadly lariats in wrestling right now, which he refers to as the Constantine Special. Hugely gifted, highly charming, and as passionate as they come, his matches and promos have become must-see television in NXT, and WWE has given him the opportunity to properly display his abilities.

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