WWE NXT Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from November 13, 2014

As the march to Takeover: Evolution continues, NXT once again invaded Full Sail University for another action-packed episode of its weekly WWE Network television show.

After weeks of redemption via wins over Titus O'Neil, Tyler Breeze and Tyson Kidd, Sami Zayn entered Thursday's broadcast for his much-anticipated NXT Championship match against friend and competitive rival Adrian Neville.

The two Superstars delivered a stellar, highly competitive bout that saw Zayn nearly dethrone the champion, but in the end, trickery and deception from Neville allowed him to hold on to the gold.

Where this leaves the Canadian-born star in his quest to become the top dog in NXT remains to be seen, but after another high-profile loss, one must assume he is at least a bit disheartened at this point.

Sasha Banks continued her winning ways with a victory over Alexa Bliss, the Lucha Dragons knocked off the very game Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake, and Finn Balor made his in-ring debut in a victory with Hideo Itami over Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel.

Just because a Superstar or a Diva emerges with his or her arms raised in victory does not necessarily mean he or she is a winner or a loser. What does? Who were the real victors of Thursday night's broadcast and why?

Take a look for yourself.

Winner: Sami Zayn

Sure, the former El Generico lost Thursday night, but there is still reason for him to celebrate.

For months, he has listened to Adrian Neville, supposedly his friend, tell him he cannot win the big one. But in Zayn's two most recent NXT Championship opportunities, it was Neville who had to resort to underhanded tactics to preserve his title reign and prevent Zayn from capturing the gold.

Thursday night, in his latest attempt to halt Zayn's momentum, Neville feigned a knee injury and rolled a concerned Zayn up for the victory. It was very cerebral of the champion, but, at the same time, it indicated that he knew on that night he could not beat his opponent.

While the loss will likely haunt Zayn in the weeks to come, he should feel confident about his championship aspirations going forward.

That the events of Thursday night almost guarantee a rematch at December 11's Takeover: Evolution special should make him feel much better, especially since the story seems to dictate he will be getting the title on that evening.

Credit: WWE.com

Winners: Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake

Not only did the former enhancement talents get an entrance on this week's show, and not only did Jason Albert do a fine job of putting them over on commentary, but the team of Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy also gave NXT tag team champions the Lucha Dragons every bit of competition they could ask for. Their power and intensity meshed well with the speed and agility of Sin Cara and Kalisto, making for quite the entertaining contest.

Murphy and Blake are constantly improving as a team. Over the last two months, fans have watched them evolve from punching bags for The Ascension to legitimate threats to top contenders in the tag division.

Albert continuously put over their work ethic and how much time they spend in the WWE Performance Center. That he has taken to talking them up surely indicates that management, including Triple H, has requested more spotlight and attention be put on the old-school-style team.

With the Vaudevillains next in line for a tag title shot, it is unlikely that Blake and Murphy will see any sort of major push by year's end. As 2015 arrives, though, expect to see the tandem make a major push toward the gold.

Loser: Alexa Bliss

The absolutely adorable Alexa Bliss was the recipient of yet another broken nose at the hands of Sasha Banks on Thursday night. Bloodied and stunned following a hard slap to the face, she was really no match whatsoever for the top contender to the NXT Women's Championship.

Shortly after her debut earlier this year, Bliss looked like the next breakout star of NXT. Sure, she was smaller than any other Diva on the roster, but she was athletic, had the support of the NXT Universe and scored a few upset victories, including one over Banks.

Lately, management has failed to help sustain her momentum. Her appearances have become inconsistent, and she has been on the losing end of almost all of her televised bouts.

Few girls come in the with athletic background Bliss has. Wasting her ability and her look, which resonates with the young girls in the crowd and could give them a positive role model to look up to, is a mistake. And it lands Bliss in this week's "loser" category through no fault of her own. 

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Justin Gabriel

Sure, he and Tyson Kidd lost to Finn Balor and Hideo Itami on Thursday night, but Justin Gabriel had a brief flash on the microphone that proved he is both better and more comfortable on the mic than fans would have expected, most likely because he never has the opportunity to talk.

Gabriel was confident, and he exhibited considerable charisma as he ran down Balor for being another "international star with cool music."

It was only a few seconds long, but it proved that Gabriel should be allowed more opportunities to express himself and get himself over despite WWE Creative doing him no favors.