WWE NXT Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from February 25

NXT champion Kevin Owens continued his reign of terror Wednesday night, sitting in on commentary as No. 1 contender Finn Balor battled former WWE tag team champion and returning Superstar The Brian Kendrick.

It was not Balor who needed to watch his back, however. Instead, it was someone much closer in proximity to the champion—someone who was once a main roster star but has made his name as an analyst for WWE over the last two years.

That someone was Alex Riley, who found himself thrown over the announce desk by Owens.

With Owens sidelining Sami Zayn, defeating Adrian Neville and attacking Riley, it is clear no one is safe from the champion's rage.

When given the opportunity to step into the squared circle and come face to face with Balor, though, Owens opted to return backstage. Was it a mind game on the part of the champion, or is Balor a challenge Owens wants nothing to do with at this point?

It is a question that will be answered in the weeks and months to come.

Becky Lynch and Bayley squared off, the two determined to enter themselves into title contention, the Lucha Dragons were in action and Hideo Itami battled Bull Dempsey in a match that would have meant more prior to the latter's three consecutive losses to Baron Corbin.

With NXT laying the groundwork for the next several months of television, relive the February 25 episode with this look at the winners and losers of Wednesday night's broadcast.

Winner: Alex Riley

In 2011, Alex Riley was one of the budding young stars in World Wrestling Entertainment.

Fresh off a split from The Miz, he was incredibly popular and appeared well on his way to capturing the United States Championship. Then, he suddenly disappeared, languishing on WWE Superstars. Some thought he would be wished well on his future endeavors when all was said and done, but somehow, he managed to keep his job.

He began calling the action as a commentator for NXT and received a second chance at succeeding in the company. The WWE Network offered him another opportunity as an analyst, a role he thrived in.

But there was a desire to return to the ring, a desire Riley regularly addressed on social media.

Wednesday night, the seeds were planted for Riley to step back inside the squared circle after he was assaulted by Kevin Owens.

Fresh off a run of matches on WWE live events, Riley clearly impressed someone to be put in a position to headline NXT in the weeks and months ahead of the next NXT special.

For Riley, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. While he has been superb in the role of commentator and analyst, he clearly has the passion to finish what he started with his in-ring career. He could not have been paired up with a better, or hotter, talent than Owens.

While the likelihood that Riley becomes the first Superstar to beat Owens in NXT is nonexistent, a strong performance by the former collegiate athlete from Boston College could earn him another shot at stardom on Raw and SmackDown.

Loser: Bull Dempsey

It appears as though the great Bull Dempsey experiment is over, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Like Mojo Rawley, Dempsey never really left the impression that he was anything beyond a generic big man. Sure, he was a solid brawler and lived up to that part of his gimmick, but he never developed into anything, and it hurt him tremendously.

He was bland and boring and failed to connect with an audience that loves pro wrestling.

Wednesday night, on the heels of three consecutive losses to Baron Corbin, he lost another short match to Hideo Itami.

Now on a losing streak, Dempsey appears to be heading down the same road that the aforementioned Rawley did. Like the college football star, he exploded onto the scene and scored a bunch of wins but then was sacrificed to put others over when it was clear that he was not prepared for that initial push.

Whether Dempsey can recover in ways that Rawley still has not remains to be seen.

Winner: Becky Lynch

Wednesday night, Becky Lynch defeated Bayley to stake her claim to an NXT Women's Championship match. It was a huge win, and one that catapults her into title contention just two weeks after establishing herself as one of the brightest young stars on the roster via a legitimate four-star match at TakeOver: Rival.

The Irish-born Lynch made a name for herself in the independents before disappearing for a bit. When she signed a WWE developmental contract, there were questions surrounding her ability to return to the level of performance she had prior.

That is no longer the case, as Lynch has developed into one of the most must-see performers in all of NXT and the type of worker Triple H and management can continue to rely on to prove that women can have matches every bit as good as their male counterparts.