NXT Championship

NXT Championship
The NXT Championship belt with default side plates
(2017–present)
Details
Promotion WWE
Brand NXT
Date established July 1, 2012
Current champion(s) Tommaso Ciampa
Date won July 18, 2018
Past design(s)

The NXT Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship[1] created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE for their developmental brand NXT. Introduced on July 1, 2012, it is the top championship of NXT. Seth Rollins was the inaugural champion. The current champion is Tommaso Ciampa, who is in his first reign.

History

The inaugural NXT Champion Seth Rollins
The longest reigning NXT Champion Finn Bálor

The championship was first introduced on the July 1, 2012, edition of NXT when NXT Commissioner Dusty Rhodes announced a "Gold Rush" tournament, involving four wrestlers from the NXT roster and four wrestlers from the main roster competing to be crowned as the inaugural NXT Champion in a knockout tournament, replacing the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship that was retired in the same month. The first NXT Champion was crowned on the July 26, 2012 taping of NXT (aired August 29), with Seth Rollins defeating Jinder Mahal in the tournament final.[2][3] On November 19, 2016, at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, Samoa Joe became the first performer to hold the championship on more than one occasion.[4]

On WrestleMania weekend 2017, all NXT title belts were redesigned. The new title belts were unveiled at NXT TakeOver: Orlando that same night and given to the winners of their respective matches. Coming in line with the top championships of the main roster, the new design includes removable side plates with the WWE logo as default plates, which are customized to each champion.[5]

Inaugural tournament

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
         
Richie Steamboat Pin
Leo Kruger
Richie Steamboat
Jinder Mahal Sub
Bo Dallas
Jinder Mahal Sub
Jinder Mahal
Seth Rollins Pin
Seth Rollins Pin
Drew McIntyre
Seth Rollins Pin
Michael McGillicutty
Justin Gabriel
Michael McGillicutty Pin

Reigns

Current champion Tommaso Ciampa

As of October 18, 2018, there have been 16 championship reigns with 14 different champions. The inaugural champion was Seth Rollins. Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura have the most reigns with two. Finn Bálor's reign as champion is the longest at 292 days (WWE recognizes it at 293), while Samoa Joe's second reign is the shortest at 14 days. Bo Dallas holds the record as the youngest champion, winning the title two days before his 23rd birthday, while Bobby Roode is the oldest champion, winning the title at 39.

Tommaso Ciampa is the current champion in his first reign. He won the title by defeating Aleister Black at the NXT tapings on July 18, 2018 (aired on July 25, 2018 on taped delay) in Winter Park, Florida.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NXT Championship". WWE. Archived from the original on October 31, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017. Fulfilling a prophecy first laid out by WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon years earlier, Drew McIntyre captured a world championship in a WWE ring when he defeated Bobby Roode to claim the NXT Title at TakeOver: Brooklyn III.
  2. ↑ Parry, Josh (July 26, 2012). "NXT spoiler - first champion crowned". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  3. ↑ James, Justin. "JAMES'S WWE NXT REPORT 8/29 - Week 11: First NXT champion crowned in big-match setting". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  4. ↑ James, Justin. "JAMES' NXT TAKEOVER: TORONTO REVIEW 11/19: Nakamura vs. Joe, Asuka vs. James, #DIY vs. The Revival, and more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  5. ↑ WWE (April 1, 2017). "EXCLUSIVE: WWE NXT General William Regal arrives at WrestleMania Axxess with a HUGE announcement regarding NXT TakeOver: Orlando!". Facebook. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
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