WWE NXT TakeOver 4 Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from 'Rival'

There are few brands consistently delivering the quality shows week in and week out that NXT does. Wednesday night, WWE's developmental brand presented its latest two-hour live event, TakeOver: Rival, and again left the wrestling world buzzing.

In what was another phenomenal broadcast, the event featured two major title changes, a Match of the Year candidate and one of the most dominant and brutal performances since Brock Lesnar decimated John Cena to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Kevin Owens relentlessly and ruthlessly picked apart former friend and tag partner Sami Zayn, targeting his head despite what appeared to be concussion-like symptoms before executing six powerbombs en route to a referee stoppage and a new NXT champion.

Sasha Banks overcame three of the most talented Divas in all of professional wrestling to capture the NXT Women's Championship, a title she has tirelessly chased over the last five months.

And in the final round of a No. 1 contender's tournament, Finn Balor defeated former NXT champion Adrian Neville in a phenomenal bout that both established Neville's greatness and elevated Balor to the top of the brand.

Continuing to be a critical success and one of the biggest selling points of the WWE Network, NXT wowed audiences with a show that both felt fresh and was consistently entertaining throughout.

Who left the big show a winner and who needs to recover after a disappointing evening?

Take a look for yourself.

Winner: Finn Balor

The Irish-born star, who made a name for himself in Japan, defeated Adrian Neville to earn a shot at the NXT Championship. More importantly, he did so in a spectacular match that not only demonstrated that he has a firm grasp on the so-called "WWE style" of working but also that he is ready for the main roster after only six months in the company.

From his breathtaking entrance to the jaw-dropping brutality and physical violence that he unleashed on Neville, Balor looked like a star. Not just a star in the developmental brand—but a star who could show up on Raw this Monday night and instantly become a major player on the main roster.

His performance Wednesday night verifies Triple H and company's faith in Balor and sets up an imminent match between him and another major winner from Wednesday's show.

Winner: Kevin Owens

It would not be out of the ordinary to look at the booking of Kevin Owens and instantly draw comparisons to Brock Lesnar. Whereas the Beast Incarnate is a wrecking ball of a competitor, who knows only how to dish out pain and suffering, Owens is a cerebral performer whose every action is thought out with great detail. He manipulates scenarios and individuals to get what he wants, making him as dangerous, if not more so than Lesnar.

Wednesday night, the booking of Owens was absolutely on point.

He punished, pummeled and destroyed Zayn, then took advantage of a head injury to put an end to his title reign, courtesy of six vicious powerbombs.

Suddenly, Owens was not only NXT champion, but he was also the baddest and most despicable man on the roster.

It is somewhat ironic that Triple H oversees the goings-on with NXT. In late 1999/early 2000, The Game was very much a heel an entire show could be built around. He not only was incredibly unlikable but was a phenomenal worker whose matches regularly were the best of any show.

Thanks to the booking of Owens Wednesday night, NXT now has a heel the entire title picture can revolve around, one whom fans can trust to deliver a great match, thanks to his undying desire to be the best.

Winner: The NXT Divas

Sasha Banks won the NXT Women's Championship at TakeOver: Rival in what was a truly special Fatal 4-Way match. Special because it proved that women's wrestling very much has a place in the industry, especially when the workers are given time and interesting stories.

That Banks—along with Charlotte, Bayley and Becky Lynch—threw caution to the wind by putting her body at risk for the sake of achieving greatness indicates that the women in NXT strive to be more than pretty faces who star in awful reality TV shows. They have a very real desire to not only be the best female wrestlers in the company but also to prove that they are capable of the same show-stealing matches the men are.

Banks may leave Full Sail University with a bag 10 pounds heavier, thanks to the championship that now rests peacefully inside, but all four women should be incredibly proud of what they accomplished Wednesday night.

Loser: Baron Corbin

As awesome a presence as Baron Corbin may have, and as beneficial as the squash matches were, he was exposed Wednesday night, thanks to a booking decision that made little sense at the time and makes even less now.

The No Disqualification stipulation added to his match with Bull Dempsey was barely a factor. It set expectations high for some sort of brutal hardcore battle; however, what fans got instead was an overly long bout that saw Corbin take too much punishment, killing some of the aura that had been established over the last six months.

Sure, he won. And yes, he did so by overcoming a very game Dempsey and proving that he could sell an attack, but it was the wrong time to test Corbin. Now, there are very real questions surrounding his ability at this point in his career.