WWE NXT Takeover III Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments

The latest NXT Takeover special has come and gone, and the wrestling world is buzzing about everything that went down Thursday, especially in the final 30 minutes of the broadcast.

Sami Zayn, after a year of chasing the NXT Championship, finally achieved his dream of wearing the gold following an impressive victory over Adrian Neville. In the wake of the win, Kevin Owens, Zayn's longtime best friend, led the NXT locker room to the squared circle to celebrate the victory.

It was very much a momentous moment, made even better by a sign of respect and sportsmanship by Neville.

Then it happened.

In a shocking turn of events that will have long-lasting effects on NXT, Owens attacked Zayn and left him in a heap to close out the show.

No one could have foreseen Zayn's glorious celebration being ruined by someone he considers his best friend. Will the new NXT champion be able to compose himself to battle Owens in what is sure to be a huge championship program over the next few months?

Elsewhere on the card, Charlotte defeated Sasha Banks in an excellent match to retain the women's championship, the Lucha Dragons retained the tag titles with a win over The Vaudevillains, and Baron Corbin squashed Tye Dillinger.

On the heels of another outstanding two-hour live event, who has set themselves up for a phenomenal 2015? Who is in dire need of momentum?

Let's take a look.

Winner: Kevin Owens

From the minute his debut videos began airing on NXT television, it was clear that management had big plans for Kevin Owens. Those plans came to fruition at "Takeover: R Evolution" when Owens dismantled CJ Parker in the night's opening match, fighting through what appeared to be a broken nose to do so. Then he brutally assaulted his friend—and new NXT champion—Sami Zayn to bring the show to a buzz-worthy conclusion.

There will be no steady build to an Owens-Zayn feud. Rather than building up to something fans already want to see, Triple H and the rest of the NXT Creative staff gave it to them right off the bat, rewarding their loyalty and passion with a feud that has the potential to make the brand superior to the main roster product in the weeks and months to come.

Considering the fact that WrestleMania season is nearing, that is quite the statement.

Owens, though, is that type of performer. As a talker, he is incredibly engaging. As a worker, he and Zayn have torn up the Indys for years. Now, they have the opportunity to do so in the biggest wrestling company on the planet.

And any doubts that Owens may have had about leaving Ring of Honor are most definitely erased.

Winner: Sasha Banks

Over the last year, the spotlight has shone brightly on Charlotte, Paige, Emma and Bayley in NXT, leaving Sasha Banks to wallow in their shadows. That all changed in the weeks leading into the latest Takeover special as she emerged as the top contender to the women's title.

Thursday night, she made sure that no one would ever shove her aside again, delivering a performance that solidified her as one of the most underrated and underutilized workers on the entire roster.

Whether it was her showmanship as she mocked Charlotte, using her own moves against her, or her ability to counter some of the champion's maneuvers and catch her off guard, Banks was absolutely phenomenal in her first real opportunity to shine.

While she may have walked away defeated, expect to see more of The Boss in a featured role in the future.

Losers: Lucha Dragons and The Vaudevillains

There was nothing really wrong with anything Sin Cara, Kalisto, Aiden English and Simon Gotch accomplished Thursday night but, based on everything else that happened on the show, their tag title match came across as lacking.

The Vaudevillains are incredibly entertaining, but there was something about their match that felt very much like a contest fans had seen or are likely to see again on one of the normal episodes of NXT television. It lacked that sense of importance that the other bouts had, which may be due to the time constraints put on it.

At only six minutes, the teams did not have the time to establish the story and accomplish everything they wanted to, unlike those that came later on in the broadcast.

Both teams will be just fine and will likely meet again—hopefully in a better match.

Winner: Finn Balor

Now that was an entrance.

As Prince Devitt in Japan, Finn Balor became known for some outstanding entrances, not to mention face and body painting that helped establish a presence that other competitors did not have. Thursday night, he brought that entrance, that paint and his undeniable aura to NXT and captured the imagination of the fans.

Every mannerism and movement was timed perfectly with his music. The paint scheme was outstanding and the "holy s--t" chants from the NXT fans summed up the theatricality of the entrance to perfection.

Add to that Balor and Hideo Itami's victory over the previously dominant Ascension, and you have a star-making evening for Balor.

Winner: Sami Zayn

"Takeover: R Evolution" was built around Sami Zayn finally defeating Adrian Neville and winning the NXT Championship. As he took to the ring, chants of "ole" rained down on the former El Generico, the gravity of the moment became more and more apparent.

Zayn was the overwhelming favorite, so much so that the fans inside Full Sail University turned on Neville, who really had done nothing wrong other than seizing the opportunity and capitalizing on openings in previous matches against the popular Canadian.

Over the course of the match, Zayn turned in one of his finest performances, leading to a win and his first NXT Championship.

The celebration was outstanding and his tearful embrace with friend Kevin Owens made the moment even that much more special...even if Owens did obliterate him moments later.

Thursday was very much the coronation of Zayn as the face of the NXT brand, and it simply could not have happened to a better guy.