Do NXT Champions Have More Prestige Than The Other Brands?

[Dave]

Kevin Owens – WWE Universal Champion
Roman Reigns – United States Champion
Sasha Banks – Raw Women's Champion
The New Day – Raw Tag Team Champions

AJ Styles – WWE Champion
Dolph Ziggler – Intercontinental Champion
Becky Lynch – Smackdown Women's Champion
Slater & Rhyno – Smackdown Tag Team Champions

Shinsuke Nakamura – NXT Champion
Asuka – NXT Women's Champion
The Revival – NXT Tag Team Champions​

Above are all the champions in the WWE at the moment, save for the Cruiserweight Champion for the sake of balance. Upon looking at it, I am going to ask just one question:

Are the current NXT Championships more presitigious than the other brands?

When I watch NXT, I see a show that actually cares for it's Champions and Championships. The Championships on NXT are not passed around very easily and when they are moved onto the next person, it feels like a massive deal. Remember when Shinsuke Nakamura beat Samoa Joe for his NXT Championship? That was an utterly fantastic match that crowned Nakamura as the man who was going to move NXT forward. The same can be said of Asuka who defeated Bayley for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT Dallas nearly 200 days ago. One thing is infinietly true of Nakamura and Asuka, they seem to carry the Championships with pride and a poise that I don't think we see on any of the other shows. Like I said, when someone wins a Championship on NXT, it is because they are the best that there is on offer. Can we truly say the same about some of the other Champions?

I think a big part of this is the Brand Extension. Since then, they have introduced 3 new Championship in the name of parity. In fact, what they seem to have done is reduce the prestige that holding a Championship has. Kevin Owens, as much as I love what he is doing, is not the best wrestler on Raw. I don't believe that Sasha is the best Women's wrestler on Raw either. In fact, the only Raw Champions with any measure of credibility is The New Day, who have held their Championships for over 400 days. The Raw Championships, in particular, have been bounced arounf like a hot potato and it has damaged the credibility of the belts right off the bat.

On Smackdown, I think a more brighter picture is being painted. I do firmly believe that AJ Styles is adding prestige to the WWE Championship. He is a terrific wrestler and a great personality. The WWE have done a great job of making him seem like a true Champion and it has paid off. That said, he is let down by the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Slater and Rhyno, and Becky Lynch. Lynch hasn't been seen for a while, Ziggler recently just won the Championship and Slater & Rhyno was a joke gone too far (albeit to good effect).

But through it all, NXT has constantly provided excellent Champions that have gone on to make their reigns memorable in their own way. These are the same people who are now staples of the main WWE brands and show no signs of slowing down.

So do you agree? Are the Championships on NXT more prestigious than the main brands?

 

[Aquaman6686]

Absolutely 100% not. No matter how hard Triple H and WWE try to spin it otherwise, NXT is developmental. They are developmental champions. NXT titles don't mean a thing.

 

[LBGetBack]

Absolutely 100% not. No matter how hard Triple H and WWE try to spin it otherwise, NXT is developmental. They are developmental champions. NXT titles don't mean a thing.

Don't mean a thing? Absolutely 100% wrong. That's like back in the day saying the ECW titles don't mean a thing.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

No. First off, "prestige" is another silly marketing term that WWE uses to sell their product as legitimate sport. But if we are to buy in to the idea that predetermined championships can be prestigious than NXT titles are not even close to holding that label. The fact that no one goes to NXT from Raw or SD to take those title is all the evidence you need.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Don't mean a thing? Absolutely 100% wrong. That's like back in the day saying the ECW titles don't mean a thing.

Original ECW? They were a regional who got lucky. Their titles were far below WWE and WCW importance.

NXT is developmental. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. Their titles are the equivalent of arena football's version of the Super Bowl.

 

[Azane]

"Become to the first 2 time NXT Champion" always made me laugh so hard, being a 2 time NXT champion means you weren't cut out to be Roman's next squash match on RAW.

The way they treat their titles makes their perceived prestige seem higher, but the NXT title isn't that valuable at all, and losing it has bigger implications than winning it.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I would say the NXT Champion right now has more clout and weight than the IS and US titles. My reasoning is that while you can argue that NXT is the "developmental" brand NXT is still a show that is broadcasted in the WWE Network and is a brand that can have an attendance of 10,000 to 15,000 people.

The NXT Champion has to carry NXT and be able to sustain the fan interest from the Network to live attendance whereas the US and IC Champion does not have to have that responsibility.

 

[Jdulemba1001]

No, I get what you are getting at but prestige isn't the right way to put it....prestige implies history...there isn't a long history yet...it may become prestigious eventually, but not yet. It is however, an accomplishment to be proud of.

 

[Low_Ki]

Original ECW? They were a regional who got lucky. Their titles were far below WWE and WCW importance.

NXT is developmental. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. Their titles are the equivalent of arena football's version of the Super Bowl.

Call it what you want dude but the truth of the matter is without it you wouldn't have the currently Universal Champion, and Smackdown and Raw Women's champions.

It's not prestige that makes the title relevant, its the person holding them. Nakamura, Asuka, and the Revival are over. Granted they are over with the smart portion of WWE's fanbase. NXT isn't developmental. It may have started that way but it has evolved in a way that the main shows, both on network TV have not. Call it developmental if that is what you think it is, but don't state it as fact. NXT is a brand within the WWE's Universe. Its the alternative.

To get back on point, of course the NXT Champions are prestigious. Because of those who hold them, and the stories that are told by how they are won. Sami Zayn's two year journey, and its culmination come to mind. The fact that as soon as Kevin Owens walked through the door they had a ready made rivalry to get Owens the title. Balor, Joe, and now Nakamura have all had meaningful stories that relate to the championship.

Much the same with Bayley, Banks and Charlotte. And now Asuka. To say that these are not prestigious is grossly inaccurate.

 

[King Patrick Star]

Here’s how I rank the Championship Title Belts

1. Universal (Top Championship on the flagship show. Ironically, I personally never ranked the Big Gold Belt above the WWE Championship Title Belt regardless of appearance, and show / brand designation. Plus, “Universal” is bigger than “World&#8221
2. World (number one in my heart, but currently number 2 on television)
3. Intercontinental (I wouldn’t care if the IC is on NXT, it’s still ranked higher than the US in my opinion. Plus, “Intercontinental” is bigger than “United States&#8221
4. United States (1 Country vs. 7 Continents, you understand)
5. Cruiserweight

1. Raw Women’s (Flagship show, longer history)
2. Smackdown Women’s

1. Raw Tag Team (Flagship show, longer history)
2. Smackdown Tag Team

I’ll be the first to point out the inconsistency of my rankings and reasoning behind my choices. I’ve never been one to give a $#!+ about other peoples’ opinions, unless they agree with me.

NXT used to be just WWE’s developmental brand. It has turned into WWE’s 3rd brand. Yes there’s a difference, but it’s still a step below Raw and Smackdown. To compare it to sports, it would be like playing for a college and playing for professional minor leagues.

Usually in most cases you can immediately tell which Championship Title Belt has and / or displays the most prestigious just by looking at how many gems there are in the plates. The WWE Universal and WWE World Championship Title Belts have more jewels than I care to count. The only way the NXT Championship Title Belt would have a stones / rocks on it is if Steve Austin and Dwayne Johnson had a tug of war with the Big X Belt. I’d also like to add that the NXT Championship Title Belt is the laziest, ugliest design in the history of Championship Title Belts. The WWE Hardcore Championship Title Belt was at least a Winged Eagle. The nWo Championship Title Belt was at least a Big Gold Belt. Even the Divas Championship Title Belt had more creativity and it at least had effort in the design.

You can also just take a look at how long each show is. Raw has 3 hours on USA, Smackdown has 2 hours on USA, NXT has 1 hour on the WWE Network. If NXT was a show on cable TV, it wouldn’t last 3 full seasons. Oh wait, it didn’t, and it wouldn’t again. Simply put, WWF is to WCW is to ECW as WWE is to TNA is to ROH as Raw is to Smackdown is to NXT.

NXT is great, I’ll admit that, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that NXT is short for NeXT. The NXT SuperStars are the NeXT WWE SuperStars, and not the other way around. If John Cena were to win the WWE Universal Championship, he would Ric Flair’s record. There should really be an argument for that. Now, if John Cena were to turn heel, head to Orlando, takeover NXT (pun intended) and become the NXT Champion, would you consider Cena the 16 time World Champion?? Actually, I don’t really know how I would answer that. HAHA!!

 

[ztwhite]

prestige [pre-steezh, -steej]
 
noun
1. reputation or influence arising from success, achievement, rank, or other favorable attributes.
2. distinction or reputation attaching to a person or thing and thus possessing a cachet for others or for the public.

adjective
3. having or showing success, rank, wealth, etc.

It's hard to differentiate between NXT and WWE titles using the word prestige, considering the definition of the word.

But it's also hard to elevate a title in NXT above a title in WWE due the stage in which they're competed on. NXT is a niche audience show, at best. Unless you have a subscription to the WWE Network or Hulu, you can't watch NXT (at least in the U.S. -- not sure how it works overseas).

There was a moment when I think they tried to elevate the NXT title to a grander stage when Kevin Owens made his debut on Raw. But he quickly dropped the belt to Finn Balor before making his full-time run with the Red brand. And this has been a theme with all the champions on NXT before they make their big league debuts -- especially with the ladies title.

Personally, I think there should be some crossover with the belts. Allow the champions on NXT to wrestle sporadic matches on either Raw or Smackdown. Since I'm a wrestling fan, I'm fully aware of what's going on in NXT and watch on a weekly basis, but I'm not sure how many casual fans are aware of what's going on in NXT. And like it or not, it's the casual fan who can elevate the business to another level. Ratings in the 90's compared to ratings today make that obvious. Die hards are sticking around, but casual fans have wavered and disappeared (which might always be the case, no matter what).

Bigger point -- and it's simply an opinion -- if a wrestler is given the option of holding the IC Title, U.S. Title, or NXT Title, I'm pretty sure they would quickly choose the IC or U.S. Title. If you look at today's product, Roman Reigns and The Miz (even though Dolph Ziggler now has the IC Title) are much bigger stars than Shinsuke Nakamura. I'm guessing that if a poll was conducted of the general audience, a vast majority would have no idea who Nakamura is. But they also may not know who Reigns or The Miz are, either, so...

 

[Aquaman6686]

Here’s how I rank the Championship Title Belts

1. Universal (Top Championship on the flagship show. Ironically, I personally never ranked the Big Gold Belt above the WWE Championship Title Belt regardless of appearance, and show / brand designation. Plus, “Universal” is bigger than “World”)
2. World (number one in my heart, but currently number 2 on television)
3. Intercontinental (I wouldn’t care if the IC is on NXT, it’s still ranked higher than the US in my opinion. Plus, “Intercontinental” is bigger than “United States”)
4. United States (1 Country vs. 7 Continents, you understand)
5. Cruiserweight

1. Raw Women’s (Flagship show, longer history)
2. Smackdown Women’s

1. Raw Tag Team (Flagship show, longer history)
2. Smackdown Tag Team

I’ll be the first to point out the inconsistency of my rankings and reasoning behind my choices. I’ve never been one to give a $#!+ about other peoples’ opinions, unless they agree with me.

NXT used to be just WWE’s developmental brand. It has turned into WWE’s 3rd brand. Yes there’s a difference, but it’s still a step below Raw and Smackdown. To compare it to sports, it would be like playing for a college and playing for professional minor leagues.

Usually in most cases you can immediately tell which Championship Title Belt has and / or displays the most prestigious just by looking at how many gems there are in the plates. The WWE Universal and WWE World Championship Title Belts have more jewels than I care to count. The only way the NXT Championship Title Belt would have a stones / rocks on it is if Steve Austin and Dwayne Johnson had a tug of war with the Big X Belt. I’d also like to add that the NXT Championship Title Belt is the laziest, ugliest design in the history of Championship Title Belts. The WWE Hardcore Championship Title Belt was at least a Winged Eagle. The nWo Championship Title Belt was at least a Big Gold Belt. Even the Divas Championship Title Belt had more creativity and it at least had effort in the design.

You can also just take a look at how long each show is. Raw has 3 hours on USA, Smackdown has 2 hours on USA, NXT has 1 hour on the WWE Network. If NXT was a show on cable TV, it wouldn’t last 3 full seasons. Oh wait, it didn’t, and it wouldn’t again. Simply put, WWF is to WCW is to ECW as WWE is to TNA is to ROH as Raw is to Smackdown is to NXT.

NXT is great, I’ll admit that, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that NXT is short for NeXT. The NXT SuperStars are the NeXT WWE SuperStars, and not the other way around. If John Cena were to win the WWE Universal Championship, he would Ric Flair’s record. There should really be an argument for that. Now, if John Cena were to turn heel, head to Orlando, takeover NXT (pun intended) and become the NXT Champion, would you consider Cena the 16 time World Champion?? Actually, I don’t really know how I would answer that. HAHA!!

The Universal Championship is meaningless. It's got two months of history. The WWE Championship has been defended since 1963. To call the Universal Championship more prestigious is absolute insanity.

 

[King Patrick Star]

The Universal Championship is meaningless. It's got two months of history. The WWE Championship has been defended since 1963. To call the Universal Championship more prestigious is absolute insanity.

I agree with what you are saying. I understand the facts behind your statement. If you look at it logically, you make complete and perfect sense. You know, during the initial Brand Extension, I always viewed the WWE Championship Title Belt (Undisputed / Spinner / Rated R / Big Scratch) to be a step above the World Heavyweight Championship Title Belt (Big Gold Belt), no matter which Championship Title Belt was on which show. Now, things have changed.

This is the WWE we’re discussing. Logic is thrown out the window here. The fact of that matter is this. The Universe is bigger than the World. Raw is bigger than Smackdown. Whichever Championship Title Belt is on the flagship show will (and now, I guess should) be considered as the highest honor by default. I did not agree with that idea from 2002 – 2013, but I agree with it now, and it’s just the way it is.

 

[LBGetBack]

Original ECW? They were a regional who got lucky. Their titles were far below WWE and WCW importance.

NXT is developmental. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. Their titles are the equivalent of arena football's version of the Super Bowl.

I never argued that ,NXT wasn't developmental. I argued against it's titles being "meaningless". Developmental doesn't mean meaningless. There's a reason so many NXT wrestlers debut on the main roster to huge pops. It's because what they did in NXT was meaningful. Their titles are the equivalent of NCAA players winning the Heisman trophy or being an All American or winning the national title or major bowl game.

The Arena football example is terrible....those guys don't go to the NFL at all and if they do they're just filling out the rosters. College football is a much better example. Many of those guys enter the NfL already well known to football fans. Some of them quickly become stars, some of them just fill roles on teams, and some guys flop and don't last long.

 

[Vanilla Midget]

That depends who you ask. Basically everyone on this thread is arguing that there is some measurement of prestige when it comes to pro-wrestling titles. There are so many factors including our own subjectivity and biases that will basically make this argument impossible to win.

NXT fans will always see the NXT titles as being more prestigious than the ones contested on Raw and Smackdown. Most outsiders will agree that the bigger and more recognizable titles have the prestige.

The main roster titles carry the stigma of the years mistreatment they received through the Ruthless Aggression era to the PG era. In this new era they've been treated slightly better.

We've had US title matches and tag title matches advertised for multiple WrestleManias that were dropped. We had Sheamus beat Bryan in 30 seconds. We had IC champs rolled up like bums in some weak attempt to generate heat by being a loser. We've had the 30 day defence rule disappear. Batista once simulated shoving the French flag us the asses of La Resistance, the World tag team champions, whom he had just single handedly defeated.

I think what people that have the opinion of OP are expressing is the NXT titles have been booked well from the inception. They've never been hot potatoed, the title holders have never been buried and the feuds have generally all been hot. A lot of that is the virtue of age, the NXT titles haven't been around long enough to hit rock bottom, so are in that sense more prestigious.

Bad booking can be overcome by good booking. The IC title has been hotter than it's been since the Attitude era. The women are finally being booked well. The small guys finally have a prize to fight over again.

So here's the thing, if you like NXT more and you think they're champions are far more credible, than my hats off to you. You must love Wednesdays. The reality is though that the WWE World title on Smackdown is the most recognized professional wrestling championship on the planet. People may not know the champions, but plenty of people remember the Attitude era and recognize the names of straps like the IC or US belts. Outside of us hardcore fans, no one really knows NXT.

 

[Aquaman6686]

I agree with what you are saying. I understand the facts behind your statement. If you look at it logically, you make complete and perfect sense. You know, during the initial Brand Extension, I always viewed the WWE Championship Title Belt (Undisputed / Spinner / Rated R / Big Scratch) to be a step above the World Heavyweight Championship Title Belt (Big Gold Belt), no matter which Championship Title Belt was on which show. Now, things have changed.

This is the WWE we’re discussing. Logic is thrown out the window here. The fact of that matter is this. The Universe is bigger than the World. Raw is bigger than Smackdown. Whichever Championship Title Belt is on the flagship show will (and now, I guess should) be considered as the highest honor by default. I did not agree with that idea from 2002 – 2013, but I agree with it now, and it’s just the way it is.

Thinking without logic doesn't work for me. The Universal Championship is a complete joke to me and it will remain so until it accumulates prestige via the wrestlers holding and contending for it. Right now, Kevin Owens is the #4 male singles champion in the company for me, FAR below the WWE World Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the United States Championship, and only slightly above the Cruiserweight Championship.

 

[King Patrick Star]

Thinking without logic doesn't work for me. The Universal Championship is a complete joke to me and it will remain so until it accumulates prestige via the wrestlers holding and contending for it. Right now, Kevin Owens is the #4 male singles champion in the company for me, FAR below the WWE World Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the United States Championship, and only slightly above the Cruiserweight Championship.

I know you've been a Professional Sports Wrestling Entertainment fan for a long time. You should know by now that in any form of fictional entertainment, logic is should not be taken into consideration 88% of the time. There are way to many examples to list.

There have been many Champions in history that people just did not like. He maybe a joke to you, but he is the current "Face" of Monday nights.

Back on topic, I think I would rank the NXT Championship at number 3, below the top 2 Championships, above the 2 mid-card Championships. I would also rank the NXT Women's and NXT Tag Team Championships at number 3, below their respective Raw and Smackdown counterparts.

 

[Aquaman6686]

I know you've been a Professional Sports Wrestling Entertainment fan for a long time. You should know by now that in any form of fictional entertainment, logic is should not be taken into consideration 88% of the time. There are way to many examples to list.

There have been many Champions in history that people just did not like. He maybe a joke to you, but he is the current "Face" of Monday nights.

Back on topic, I think I would rank the NXT Championship at number 3, below the top 2 Championships, above the 2 mid-card Championships. I would also rank the NXT Women's and NXT Tag Team Championships at number 3, below their respective Raw and Smackdown counterparts.

I didn't say Kevin Owens was a joke. I said the Universal Championship was a joke. Two different things. He's a very gifted wrestler, but to me he's a midcard guy holding a tertiary title. His championship doesn't mean jack in my book.

 

[radec]

That depends who you ask. Basically everyone on this thread is arguing that there is some measurement of prestige when it comes to pro-wrestling titles. There are so many factors including our own subjectivity and biases that will basically make this argument impossible to win.

NXT fans will always see the NXT titles as being more prestigious than the ones contested on Raw and Smackdown. Most outsiders will agree that the bigger and more recognizable titles have the prestige.

The main roster titles carry the stigma of the years mistreatment they received through the Ruthless Aggression era to the PG era. In this new era they've been treated slightly better.

We've had US title matches and tag title matches advertised for multiple WrestleManias that were dropped. We had Sheamus beat Bryan in 30 seconds. We had IC champs rolled up like bums in some weak attempt to generate heat by being a loser. We've had the 30 day defence rule disappear. Batista once simulated shoving the French flag us the asses of La Resistance, the World tag team champions, whom he had just single handedly defeated.

I think what people that have the opinion of OP are expressing is the NXT titles have been booked well from the inception. They've never been hot potatoed, the title holders have never been buried and the feuds have generally all been hot. A lot of that is the virtue of age, the NXT titles haven't been around long enough to hit rock bottom, so are in that sense more prestigious.

Bad booking can be overcome by good booking. The IC title has been hotter than it's been since the Attitude era. The women are finally being booked well. The small guys finally have a prize to fight over again.

So here's the thing, if you like NXT more and you think they're champions are far more credible, than my hats off to you. You must love Wednesdays. The reality is though that the WWE World title on Smackdown is the most recognized professional wrestling championship on the planet. People may not know the champions, but plenty of people remember the Attitude era and recognize the names of straps like the IC or US belts. Outside of us hardcore fans, no one really knows NXT.

I actually agree on a lot of points, and he have actual smart comment. But i have to fanboy it up by saying while hardcore fans are the people that watch NXT, some people of the other are noticing. I'm not saying everybody knows NXT, but some minority of the other side are watching.
XD

 

[radec]

I didn't say Kevin Owens was a joke. I said the Universal Championship was a joke. Two different things. He's a very gifted wrestler, but to me he's a midcard guy holding a tertiary title. His championship doesn't mean jack in my book.

Of course you would say that, and of course you have to come in and say NXT doesn't mean shit, just so you can seem "different". NXT title's ARE prestigious, do they mean more than the main roster? Probably not, and it does have to do with a lot of the titles being around for so long, especially the WWE. But i'll say NXT does a better job at presenting and treating their champions better than the main roster. We don't see Asuka getting pinned by Liv Morgan for no reason. We don't see Shinsuke Nakamura losing on a regular basis. We don't see Samoa Joe smashing The Revival with a chair after destroying them in a 1 minute match. All of the champions that I've mentioned haven't gotten pinned or looked weak since winning their titles. The champions from before didn't look like jabroni's. And when they get pinned, or at least defeated, it'll lead to something, it will lead to a title match. And that's how it should be. Remember when Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio held world titles, they lost on a regular basis, and it never lead to anything? Remember how Samoa Joe held the NXT title, and the only time he was pinned was when he lost title? That tells you something.

 

[HORRORHOLIC]

Prestige or not, they certainly seem more important. And at least there's only one of each.

 

[ShinChan]

Of course you would say that, and of course you have to come in and say NXT doesn't mean shit, just so you can seem "different". NXT title's ARE prestigious, do they mean more than the main roster? Probably not, and it does have to do with a lot of the titles being around for so long, especially the WWE. But i'll say NXT does a better job at presenting and treating their champions better than the main roster. We don't see Asuka getting pinned by Liv Morgan for no reason. We don't see Shinsuke Nakamura losing on a regular basis. We don't see Samoa Joe smashing The Revival with a chair after destroying them in a 1 minute match. All of the champions that I've mentioned haven't gotten pinned or looked weak since winning their titles. The champions from before didn't look like jabroni's. And when they get pinned, or at least defeated, it'll lead to something, it will lead to a title match. And that's how it should be. Remember when Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio held world titles, they lost on a regular basis, and it never lead to anything? Remember how Samoa Joe held the NXT title, and the only time he was pinned was when he lost title? That tells you something.

Great point made, sir.

Stronger booking is what makes NxT titles more prestigious than the titles at the main roster.

Remember Rollins Vs Lesnar? Rollins was the World Champion yet was getting squashed at the hands of Brock. That match itself was horrible since Rollins had little offense against him.

Liv Morgan is still the biggest face in NxT's women division as Ember Moon doesn't make an appearance often. And she got squashed by the champion in record time.

AJ Styles has received strong booking and thus elevated the main event scene at Smackdown. The InterContinental title was elevated by Ziggler-Miz feud. These are the things required to bring back the prestige of main roster titles.

 

[nikkamcdraco]

It's funny how wrestling fans need to use the word "prestige" for scripted titles. You don't see this in any other championship. UFC doesn't even say "Man, Jon Jones sure ruins the prestige of his title" or pretty much anywhere else but wrestling.

 

[Dagger Dias]

As much as I love NXT, I cannot say that any of its titles hold more prestige than their main roster counterparts. NXT is the most overall enjoyable show in the WWE and it has been for over 2 years. That being said, Smackdown from after the brand extension's return, is not far behind it for show quality. The new titles are all already growing in importance. Even the two new Women's Championships have added prestige to that title tier now with the focus on actual wrestling as opposed to the nonsense we saw before the arrival of girls like Paige or the four horsewomen.

The NXT Championship is not as prestigious as Raw's Universal Championship. The NXT Championship is for a show that as much as we hate to admit it, is the developmental ground for the two main shows. While being less than a semester old, the Universal Championship is the top prize for the flagship show of the biggest wrestling federation in the world. It skyrocketed in importance quickly, and will soon be second only to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in prestige. That's not to say there isn't a lot of prestige to the NXT Championship, it does pale in comparison in importance to the top prizes of Raw and Smackdown however.

The NXT Tag Team Championships are not as prestigious as the Raw Tag Team Championships for obvious reasons. All you have to look at is the history of each set of titles, as well as the easy answer of one being developmental while the other is flagship. What about the Smackdown Tag Team Championships? Having only had one team hold them so far, an argument can be made there. Or can it? Smackdown's quality is much higher now and with them being a main roster show it is only a matter of time before the blue brand's tag belts become the top tag belts.

Last but not least we have the NXT Women's Championship. At one point this title WAS more prestigious than the prize for the girls on the main roster. The Divas Championship was a joke other than when Paige or AJ held it. Now that the Raw Women's Championship and Smackdown Women's Championship have been introduced, the focus is on women's wrestling and that division is the best it has been since the days of Trish and Lita. I cannot at this point state with any confidence that the NXT Women's Championship will hold more prestige than either of those titles. Much like with the Smackdown Tag Team Championship, with girls like Becky and Alexa fighting for the Smackdown Women's Championship then it will grow in importance quite quickly despite not having been around for more than a couple of months.

None of the title tiers in NXT hold more prestige than their main roster counterparts. That is a good thing though. The goal should have always been to get to the top of Raw/Smackdown, not to remain in developmental forever. Everyone in NXT has something great to dream of winning, and there is nothing wrong with the developmental show having less important titles. The Universal/World Championship or the Raw/Smackdown Women's Championships should be the final goal of the NXT wrestlers in the end.

 

[HORRORHOLIC]

The Universal Title means the least. Look at the short history so far. The 1st Champion has to give it up the next night, and the next Champion is handed it by Triple H. That's all there is to that Championship so far.