WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from August 7, 2014

Tag team wrestling took center stage on Thursday night's WWE Network broadcast of NXT as the No. 1 contender tournament to crown the next challengers to the dominant Ascension kicked off.

Enzo Amore made only his second in-ring appearance since returning from a devastating broken leg as he teamed with longtime partner Colin Cassady to take on the young, upstart team of Jason Jordan and Tye Dillinger. Would the Jersey tandem be able to knock off their energetic opposition, or would Jordan and Dillinger notch their biggest win to date?

The makeshift duo of Sami Zayn and Adam Rose squared off with Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel, a team with plenty of experience in tag action. Would this be the week that Kidd got back to his winning ways by defeating two men who have been thorns in his side in recent weeks, or would his torment continue, pushing him one step closer to the edge.

Xavier Woods and CJ Parker continued their epic (?) rivalry with the latest singles match, and Bayley took on Total Divas star Eva Marie to round out the rest of the card.

With NXT Takeover 2 rapidly approaching, which Superstars stood out and staked their claim for a spot on the huge event?

Find out now with the highlights, analysis and grades from the August 7 episode of NXT!

Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady vs. Jason Jordan and Tye Dillinger

The first match of the NXT No. 1 Contender Tag Team Tournament kicked off this week's show as Amore and Cassady squared off with fellow babyface tandem Dillinger and Jordan.

Cassady and Jordan started the match. The seven-foot-tall Superstar dominated early, but a knee to the midsection and some quick tags between his opponents turned the tide. Jordan and Dillinger isolated Cassady, something few could have expected when the match began.

Amore made the hot tag but found himself on the receiving end of a vicious kick by Dillinger. A missed opportunity for a pinfall may have cost the more traditional babyface tandem.

Cassady threw himself in harms way, then delivered a vicious boot to the face of Jordan while Amore covered for the win.

Result

Amore and Cassady def. Dillinger and Jordan, via pinfall, when Amore pinned Jordan.

Highlights and Quotes

"I relate them to Floyd Mayweather: They talk the talk and back it up." -Jason Albert

"These guys are tough. I don't know how smart they are. There's no 'w' in soft." -Albert

Grade

B+ 

Analysis

A very competitive match to kick off this week's show.

Jordan and Dillinger were mightily impressive as they overwhelmed both Cassady and Amore at different points in the match, but it was the experience of the Jersey team that helped them prevail.

The win puts Amore and Cassady into the semifinal round of the tag team tournament, where they will meet either Bull Dempsey and Mojo Rawley or The Vaudevillains.

Xavier Woods vs. CJ Parker

After weeks of promos and a match against one another, the rivalry between Woods and Parker raged on Thursday night as they clashed in another one-on-one war.

Woods took the fight to Parker right from the bell, taking him down and pounding away with a flurry of rights to the face. Parker crawled across the ring, avoiding the onslaught of his opponent before ducking out of the way and watching as Woods slammed shoulder first into the steel post.

Back from break, Parker had Woods trapped in a variation of a sleeper, wearing the dynamic young performer down. A senton nearly earned Parker the win. A running double knee to the chest and a double axe handle from the top rope continued Parker's dominance over his main roster opponent.

Woods, reinvigorated, mounted a comeback. He landed a series of forearms, a spinning back kick and a drop kick. The Honor Roll clothesline nearly earned Woods the win, but Parker shot his shoulder off the mat at two.

Woods walked the ropes and dove the entire way across the ring with a splash and still only managed a two count.

Moments later, Parker hung Woods up in the ropes and then delivered a twisting fireman carry slam for the win.

Result

CJ Parker, via pinfall, with a twisting fireman carry slam.

Highlights and Quotes

"Stop frickin' and fracking. Does anyone know what that means?" -Albert

"Another win for CJ Parker. Good for him. The world's a better place." -Alex Riley

Grade

B

Analysis

The splash from Woods was extraordinary, and the match itself was quite good as two young stars did everything in their power to make a name for themselves.

Parker's offense is still quite basic and even earned "CJ's boring" chants from the audience. That is something he is going to have to work on if he ever wants to move past NXT and onto the main roster.

Woods showed great babyface fire but suffered another loss in NXT, something that will not endear him to fans of Raw and SmackDown, most of whom already do not take him seriously as a threat to his fellow Superstars.

Bayley vs. Eva Marie

Credit: WWE.com

Bayley has been gaining momentum over the last month and is poised to challenge Charlotte for the NXT Women's Championship in the coming weeks. First, she would have to get by Eva Marie, who was looking to showcase her improving skills.

Bayley made her entrance to a huge ovation while Eva Marie was greeted with an incredibly negative response.

Eva Marie stalled, earning further disdain from the NXT Universe. "Bayley's gonna hug you" chants broke out as the No. 1 contender to the women's championship completely outclassed the inexperienced Eva Marie.

Eva worked over the back of Bayley, driving her knee in the back repeatedly. A big suplex continued Eva's assault. A second attempt at the same move resulted in a small package from Bayley and a fiery comeback.

A big running back elbow and a Bayley-to-Belly Suplex won it for the popular Diva.

Result

Bayley, via pinfall, following the Bayley-to-Belly Suplex.

Highlights and Quotes

"Riley, you'd be a much happier man if you had more hugs in your life." -Albert

Grade

C

Analysis

Eva Marie is a young woman still learning the ring game. With less than a year's worth of training, she probably should not be put in a position where her inadequacies are exposed. Being greeted with the type of reaction that she was Thursday night is the type of thing that will shake her confidence and prove detrimental to her development.

Bayley was her typical great self. Commentators Jason Albert and Alex Riley did a great job of putting her over as a threat to Charlotte, something that will benefit the heat surrounding the next major women's title match.

Sami Zayn and Adam Rose vs. Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel

Kidd may not be in line for the NXT Championship at this point, but he and Gabriel had the opportunity to take the first step toward a shot at the tag titles as they met Zayn and Rose in the night's main event.

Kidd gained an early advantage and mocked Zayn, who responded with a huge arm drag and a tag to Rose, much to the delight of the NXT Universe.

Kidd and Gabriel isolated Rose and worked him over following a brief bit of comedic hijinx.

Zayn received the hot tag and unloaded on Gabriel with a flurry of offense. A huge top con hilo over the top rope took both Gabriel and Kidd out as a huge "NXT" chant broke out. Rose followed suit, delivering a huge dive.

Moments later, Zayn flattened Gabriel with the Helluvah Kick for the win.

Result

Zayn and Rose, via pinfall, when Zayn pinned Gabriel.

Highlights and Quotes

"He truly enjoys his craft and has such a fun time doing it." -Alberto on Sami Zayn

"Hey! You're not being a lemon. My God." -Rich Brennan on Alex Riley dancing during Rose's entrance

"Nattie's wife!" "Nattie's mistress!" -NXT fans

Grade

B+

Analysis

Gabriel and Kidd showed flashes of what made them such a formidable tag team while on the main roster a few years back, but it was Zayn and Rose who brought the audience to their feet and created a molten-hot finish for this week's main event.

A dynamic babyface team that should make a splash in the tournament thanks to the star power involved, Zayn and Rose worked extremely well together.

Rose appeared to be injured following the big dive off the top rope. It looked like he smacked his tailbone off the steel ramp which, if that is the case, had to send pain shooting up his spine. Climbing back into the ring, then back out, only exasperated the injury.

This was a quality main event that started slow but picked up significantly by the end.