WWE NXT: Full Preview, Rumors and More for February 4

Welcome to Bleacher Report's preview for this week's episode of NXT on the WWE Network. Spoilers are already out there, but if you want to know what will happen without learning the match results, you're in the right place.

Next week marks the fourth TakeOver event and the fifth live NXT special overall. Every big show the developmental brand puts on seems to receive universal acclaim, so we should be in for a great time.

But that's next week, and we still have Thursday's regular episode of NXT to look forward to. There is definitely a good reason to be excited with the main event that is planned.

The tag team division gets a break this week, but the women will be pulling double duty with two different matches. If you are a fan of the many talented future Divas on the roster, this will be a show you won't want to miss.

Let's take a look at what's on tap for Thursday's episode of NXT.

The Women

During Triple H's interview with Steve Austin, he expressed interest in the Divas getting more time on the main roster, and that fact is backed up by how much time the ladies of NXT get under his reign.

This week will feature two different matches from the women's division. The first will see Emma return to her roots in NXT to battle newcomer Carmella.

Emma has been featured minimally since her storyline with Santino Marella came to a sudden halt due to his neck injury, so it's good that she will get an opportunity to show what she can do.

Carmella has only had a few matches since joining the company, most of which have been against a talented performer named Leva Bates, known affectionately by the NXT crowd as Blue Pants.

She has shown a lot of promise in the short time since her debut, and Emma is an ideal opponent for her to show off just how much she has learned. These two had a match back in October that saw Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady's pet project pick up the win.

Seeing as Carmella is in the midst of a debut push, it's more than likely she will walk away with the win yet again. Then again, there's always the chance this is the start of a feud between the she and Emma, so anything is possible.

The second women's contest will see a fan favorite, Bayley, take on one of her biggest rivals, Becky Lynch. This will almost certainly be the better of the two matches as both of these women have proven themselves to be solid talents in the ring.

This bout will tie into the upcoming Women's Championship match next week, so keep an eye out for Charlotte and Sasha Banks during the match.

Whoever wins will go into TakeOver with a boost in confidence, but history has shown us that winning a match prior to a title shot doesn't give that person much of an advantage.

The main thing fans will take away from this will be the pleasure of seeing two future Divas do what they do best, and that is what NXT is all about. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

The Men

The semifinals of the tournament to find a No. 1 contender to the NXT Championship will take place this week, and one of those matches will definitely be a show-stealer.

The first bout will see former champion Adrian Neville battle Baron Corbin. Neville is a veteran of the business and someone the NXT crowd has come to know well over the past couple years, while Corbin is new to the scene.

Corbin is currently in a heated rivalry with fellow powerhouse Bull Dempsey. Neville is treading water at the moment.

The reason this is important is because Corbin defeated Dempsey to advance in the tournament, which means Dempsey could be looking for some measure of revenge.

However this plays out, it will be interesting to see how Neville's exciting style meshes with Corbin's more brutal approach to wrestling.

The winner will advance to the final round of the tournament against the man who wins the other semifinal match taking place this week.

That leads us to the main event of the evening. Finn Balor and Hideo Itami have been allies since they both debuted last year, but they will have to put their friendship aside when they enter the ring Thursday as opponents.

This will be the first time that these two will ever square off in singles competition. This is the kind of thing that will make you remember why you love wrestling.

Both of these men have become living legends on the international wrestling circuit, and seeing them finally go one-on-one in a WWE ring is something many fans may have thought impossible a few years ago.

Both Balor and Itami rely on high-flying moves, stiff strikes and a variety of ground-based maneuvers. They're essentially the equivalent to human Swiss Army knives in tights.

It's hard to predict who will come away with the win since both men are in the same position. They're both babyfaces who only debuted within the past few months but already have big followings among NXT fans.

It always sounds cliche to say the fans will be the ones who win in the end, but that is exactly what will happen after these two gifted performers put on what is sure to be an instant classic.

What are you looking forward to on this week's episode of NXT?

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.