What's Next for NXT's Top Stars Following Takeover II

With Thursday night's Takeover II living up to its considerable hype, fans old and new will undoubtedly be wondering where the consistently excellent developmental division will go from here.

Billed as the biggest signing in NXT history, Japanese star KENTA made his debut on Thursday night's broadcast, announcing that he will now be known as Hideo Itami. However, things were soon interrupted by The Ascension, who were perturbed at the loss of the NXT Tag Team Championship.

Itami soon dispatched the once-dominant Ascension with a flurry of kicks, which might give us a hint as to where both parties are heading: Itami being made to look like a star by knocking off such a strongly booked pair and The Ascension doing their bit to strengthen a newcomer as they presumably make their way to the main roster.

Elsewhere on the card, Bull Dempsey made very short work of Mojo Rawley in an entertaining, minute-long brawl. It looks like Dempsey is being built up as a serious contender for an upcoming feud—perhaps with Itami, considering the packed state of the NXT Championship scene.

It's less clear where Rawley goes from here. A long winning streak didn't do much to build the Hype Man's rapport with the audience, and his limitations in the ring didn't help things. A rebuild was certainly in order, and hopefully, this will mark the start of a refreshed Rawley who can channel his unlimited energy in a more beneficial direction.

The NXT Women's Championship was defended in another excellent bout for the division, with Bayley failing to get the win but managing to earn the respect of defending champion Charlotte. With Sasha Banks interjecting herself at the end of the match, as well as making appearances on both the pre-show and the post-event Fallout broadcast, it seems that she might fancy a shot at the gold.

It looks like this might come in the form of a Triple Threat match, with Bayley also involved, which would certainly be an opportunity for either Banks or Bayley to sneak a win over the convincingly dominant Charlotte.

Certainly the best match of the night—and a contender for one of the best this year—was the main event, which saw Adrian Neville successfully defend his NXT Championship against worthy competition in the form of Tyler Breeze, Tyson Kidd and Sami Zayn.

Credit: WWE.com

Many were confident that we would see a title change Thursday night, but the fact that we didn't was just part of a bigger surprise that helped make the match such a success. The scale of this bout seemed to suggest it was the end of the four-way feud that's been raging for some months; instead, it was a stepping stone to an even more exciting prospect.

This was accomplished utterly perfectly in the match itself: Flashes of the brewing faceoff between Zayn and Neville were peppered throughout the lengthy match, whipping the audience into a mad frenzy to see them really get into it. Then, with a finish that crystallized a confrontation between the two as the obvious next step, we were presented with a completely engaging programme of the likes of Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins on the main roster.

Whenever Zayn vs. Neville does take place, it can be sure of an electric atmosphere befitting of the action it will surely contain. It likely would have been well-received regardless, but Thursday night's main event gave it such a strong foundation that it could well be the most compelling title feud we've seen in NXT to date.

Credit: WWE.com

Both Zayn and Neville hold a position that is completely understandable. Zayn had the match won and had his moment in the sun snatched away by his friend. Neville, on the other hand, was at a disadvantage not having to be pinned for his title, and he simply did what he could to correct that.

The setup is completely open-ended; either man could turn heel, or both could remain as fan favourites. There are weeks of excellent television to be wrought from this, as well as a guaranteed stunner of a main event at the end of it. It is a positively mouthwatering feud from every angle.

Given that the machinations needed to set things off on this path came at the end of an excellent match in its own right—and one that kept Breeze and Kidd looking strong—is all the evidence you could ever need that NXT is a must-watch for any wrestling fan. And, with all of this going on as well as top-level talent like Prince Devitt and Kevin Steen waiting in the wings, the much-used catchphrase certainly seems to be ringing true: The future is now.