Why do main roster superstars challenge for developmental championships?

[Punk_Axel_Ziggler_Fan]

I understand that business-wise it gives NXT more publicity, but speaking in kayfabe, main roster superstars competing for NXT titles just doesn't make sense to me. Surely it's a step down from your current position? A former World Heavyweight Champion, Dolpg Ziggler, challenging Kevin Owens for the NXT Championship? Or Too Cool vowing to win the NXT Tag Team Championship from The Ascension in 2014. They're legends! They've achieved so much in WWE, and then come back years later and set their sights on a rookie title? Is it just me they can't seem to wrap my brain around this?

 

[Stopspot]

To put over the younger, fresher talent. Simple as that. Too Kewl spent their career jobbing so no reason they couldn't come out to job to the Ascension.
And Dolph is also a "solid hand" used to put over other talent. If it wasn't obvious by his position on the card most of the time.

But yeah, it's simply a matter of raising the prestige of the titles as well as putting over the guys defending them. It's a tradition old as time, veterans putting over younglings.

 

[Prince Bálor]

As Stop said, you need someone to put over the younger talent, raise the prestige of the championships, etc.

You want your up-and-coming superstars looking good and not being crapped on.

It's how things work.

 

[Green Jesus]

Yeah, Kayfabe-wise, I think the NXT championship could be seen as "ohhh, shiny, I never held that before" by other superstars. But other then that it's not really a prestigious title kayfabe-wise(Owens may have improved that a bit, though). Guys like Bo Dallas and Big E are not treated like former champions at all and such. So yeah, maybe the kayfabe explanation is getting it for some sort of trophy mentality

 

[The GOAT]

The two examples you gave aren't really all that illogical from a kayfabe perspective, though. You could rationalize it by saying Too Cool realize their time in the limelight has come and gone, so they're trying to win the NXT Tag Team Championships as a way of "challenging" the newer guys to see if they have what it takes to go over a couple of veterans that have been in the game awhile.

As for Kevin Owens, he's the most dominant NXT Champion in history and defeated John Cena clean in his very first match on the main roster. Needless to say, he's "raised the bar" on what it means to be NXT Champion, and guys like Dolph Ziggler and others trying to dethrone him of that title could be seen as trying to silence/humble/etc. the dominant "new kid on the block."

 

[Aids Johnson]

Too Cool was in NXT? Link please.

 

[Messiah1]

Too Cool was in NXT? Link please.

 

[Leo C]

Because NXT is awesome.

 

[I'll See Ya Kia]

Yeah, Kayfabe-wise, I think the NXT championship could be seen as "ohhh, shiny, I never held that before" by other superstars. But other then that it's not really a prestigious title kayfabe-wise(Owens may have improved that a bit, though). Guys like Bo Dallas and Big E are not treated like former champions at all and such. So yeah, maybe the kayfabe explanation is getting it for some sort of trophy mentality

Totally agree, here. Shiny things in a glass case have always interested me. :