The Good, the Great and the Awesome from NXT 8/14/14

The August 14 episode of NXT was a reminder of why fans have such an unwavering love for the developmental brand of World Wrestling Entertainment.

Great wrestling, intriguing stories and determined individuals make for a first-rate product, and that is exactly what fans were privy to Thursday night as Adrian Neville and Tyler Breeze delivered an incredible main event for the NXT Championship.

Not to be outdone, Bayley and Sasha Banks proved their worth to the NXT Universe, providing the passionate audience with a hard-fought wrestling clinic that ended only when Bayley countered a submission attempt into a rollup for the win.

Sin Cara and Kalisto emerged as favorites to win the tag team tournament and earn a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championships, while the Vaudevillains defeated Mojo Rawley and Bull Dempsey, putting an end to that vanilla tag team.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited entering NXT Takeover 2 on September 11, as demonstrated by this week's show. Relive the very best from the August 14 show with The Good, the Great and the Awesome from NXT!

The Good

Credit: WWE.com

The Vaudevillains Advance, While Bull and Mojo Implode

In a single segment, NXT managed to both advance the Vaudevillains in the tag team No. 1 contender's tournament and ignite a rivalry between Bull Dempsey and Mojo Rawley. That, my friends, is maximizing television time and getting the absolute most out of a minutes-long segment.

Aiden English and Simon Gotch were clearly the superior team and more than deserved to move onto the next round of competition. They are incredibly over with the NXT Universe and have developed into one of the more entertaining acts in the brand.

Dempsey and Rawley, on the other hand, have struggled to catch on with the audience to this point, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that they have competed primarily in squash matches. A feud with each other may entice the audience to become more invested in their bouts.

The matches may not be pretty, but they will be hard-hitting and should go a long way in the development of both Superstars, especially Rawley, whose good will with the fans is running out—particularly if the positive reaction to the beatdown he suffered at the hands of Dempsey is any indication.

The Great

Credit: WWE.com

Sin Cara and Kalisto vs. Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake

The match may have been nothing special from a quality standpoint, but its importance in the development of Sin Cara and Kalisto as a team, not to mention as legitimate contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championships, was paramount.

The duo showed great chemistry, executing some solid double-team offense and keeping the fans inside Full Sail University on the edge of their seats as they tore through Murphy and Blake en route to a pinfall victory.

They now advance to the semifinals of the tag tournament, where they will meet the team of Adam Rose and Sami Zayn. A win over those two established stars would catapult them into the finals and set up a scenario in which Kalisto gets a second chance at dethroning The Ascension—a story that was briefly hinted at by Renee Young during Thursday's broadcast.

The Awesome

Credit: WWE.com

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

With the promise of a NXT Women's Championship match at stake, Bayley and Sasha Banks delivered an outstanding match Thursday night, reminding fans why they are two of the most underrated stars on the entire developmental roster.

The ring work was crisp. Banks' submission-based attack was impressive, while Bayley's fiery comeback was thrilling. The finish deserves special kudos. Banks fought out of a Belly-to-Bayley attempt, delivered a Backstabber and locked in a crossface. Bayley, always thinking, countered the submission hold into a rollup for the pinfall victory, earning a shot at Charlotte at NXT Takeover 2.

It was just a stellar match and a fine example of what the talented women on today's WWE roster are capable of when given the time to ply their craft, rather than having to rush through two-minute television matches.

Adrian Neville vs. Tyler Breeze

For months, Breeze bid his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to cash in his NXT Championship opportunity against Adrian Neville. Thursday night was that time, and the two budding ring performers delivered an outstanding main event that started slow but picked up by the end.

The near-falls and high-impact offense that wowed the crowd moments before the finish were some of the best work of either man's time in NXT and proved that they have an even better match in them than the already tremendous one they delivered on this week's show.

Tyson Kidd's involvement late in the contest ruined what was an otherwise stellar bout. It is forgivable, though, because it reintroduced both he and Sami Zayn to the NXT Championship picture and set the stage for what could be a Fatal 4-Way match for the top prize in the brand.

It was a great way to cap off the best episode of NXT in months.