WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 13

One week before NXT presents Takeover: Unstoppable, the brand hit the WWE Network airwaves for what was essentially its "go home" broadcast.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens preceded their upcoming championship bout with a promo that planted the seeds for an epic matchup, while Finn Balor, Tyler Breeze and Hideo Itami had one last confrontation during a gigantic tag team main event.

The Divas dominated the broadcast, as Sasha Banks warmed up for her approaching NXT Women's Championship defense against Becky Lynch with a little non-title singles action. Bayley squared off with newcomer, popular Australian Indy star Jessie McKay, while Alexa Bliss looked for a big win as she battled Carmella.

Baron Corbin returned to action against Solomon Crowe, while Rhyno reiterated his desire to face the Lone Wolf in a battle of the big men.

Who emerged victorious? What effect did Wednesday's in-ring action have on the bouts that will unfold at Takeover: Unstoppable?

Fans found out the answers during this week's broadcast.

Relive the show with this look at the results, highlights, grade and analysis from the May 13 episode of NXT.

Baron Corbin vs. Solomon Crowe

Crowe took the fight to Corbin from the bell, but the big man responded by tossing him from corner to corner.

Crowe fought back as fans chanted, "Baron's gonna bore you," but he flew right into Corbin's grasp and the End of Days for the win.

Rhyno appeared after the match. "Are we gonna do this or what?" he asked before a brawl broke out. The NXT locker room emptied and separated the heavyweights. The Man Beast went on a spree, delivering the Gore to some of the unknown performers tasked with containing him.

The competitors stared each other down to end the segment. 

Result

Baron Corbin pinned Solomon Crowe.

Grade

B+

Analysis

A match such as Baron Corbin vs. Rhyno needs very little build. Both guys are presented as unstoppable forces, so programming them against each other instantly creates intrigue on the part of the fans. While Corbin had his detractors in the audience, he still has a bright future.

Rhyno is just the selfless veteran performer to put him over at Takeover.

As for Crowe, it is difficult to remember a star not named CJ Parker who received such hype but fell as flat as he has to this point. An improved creative effort would help, as would more television time, but fans cannot be impressed with what they have seen from him to this point.

Sasha Banks in Action

Credit: WWE.com

The Sasha Banks fans were in full-throat Wednesday night, as was the women's champion herself, who vowed to show Becky Lynch why she is The Boss of NXT.

Banks' opponent, never named, caught the champion off guard with numerous nearfalls, forcing her to the arena floor to regroup. Back inside the squared circle, a refocused Banks unleashed on her opponent, landing the double knees to the midsection to take firm control of the bout.

Banks mocked Lynch and then applied the Banks Statement for the submission win. 

Result

Sasha Banks defeated KC Cassidy.

Grade

A

Analysis

As a showcase for Sasha Banks, this worked tremendously.

There is a reason the NXT fans respond as favorably to her as they do, and that is because, from a performance perspective, she is arguably WWE's best women's wrestler. She is a complete package, someone ready for the main roster right now.

She told a story of an overconfident champion who had to adjust in order to avoid an upset. She did and now rolls into Takeover for one of the more anticipated matches on the card.

Alexa Bliss vs. Carmella

Credit: WWE.com

Carmella entered to a less hostile reaction than normal, while Bliss was greeted with a much more positive response.

Bliss frustrated her opponent early with two straight nearfalls. A suplex from the Princess of Staten Island, though, turned the match in her favor. She followed with leg scissors and seemed to take control when NXT Tag Team champions Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy appeared.

Bliss mounted a comeback and delivered the standing moonsault into a double knee, called the Bliss Flip, for two. Carmella answered with her submission hold, which was interrupted by Blake and Murphy. Bliss delivered the Sparkle Splash for the pinfall.

Blake and Murphy confronted Carmella, who called them pathetic pigs and said that after they lose the tag titles next week at Takeover, they will be S-A-W-F-T.

Result

Alexa Bliss pinned Carmella.

Grade

B-

Analysis

The match was disjointed and awkward at times. Neither Carmella nor Alexa Bliss is on the level of their fellow NXT Divas, and that showed through here. Both need more time working with seasoned veterans in order to learn their craft and continue improving.

The meat of this segment was in the post-match confrontation between Carmella and the tag champions Blake and Murphy.

For the first time in her NXT career, Carmella had the audience in the palm of her hand and was able to manipulate the attendees into cheering her. With every passing week, she is growing as a performer, and that will only help her as she develops her in-ring work.

Hideo Itami and Finn Balor vs. Tyler Breeze and Adam Rose

Balor and Rose started for their respective teams, the former frustrating the biggest party animal in WWE and clearing the ring as we headed to break.

Back from the commercial, Breeze controlled the pace of the match, working over Balor and isolating him from Itami.

Balor fought back but wound up on the receiving end of a big spinebuster from Rose, followed by a Boston Crab. A leg drop from Breeze behind the official's back further put Balor in jeopardy. A well-timed Pele Kick afforded him some time and space to make the hot tag to his partner.

Itami made the hot tag, firing off a series of maneuvers on Breeze, including a running high knee in the corner. He unloaded on Breeze with a series of kicks and a stalling dropkick in the corner. Balor made the tag, though and delivered the Sling Blade.

A corner dropkick to Breeze followed but before he delivered the Coup de Grace, Itami tagged himself back in. The dissension proved the babyfaces' downfall as Breeze an unfocused Itami up for the win.

After the match, Breeze delivered the Supermodel Kick to Itami and caught Balor with the Beauty Shot. He even blasted Rose with another superkick, leaving him the last man standing.

Result

Tyler Breeze and Adam Rose defeated Hideo Itami and Finn Balor.

Grade

A

Analysis

This was outstanding build for the upcoming No. 1 contender's match between Breeze, Balor and Itami in that the dissension between the babyfaces proved too much to overcome, building on the events of last week's show.

Speaking of last Wednesday's broadcast, Breeze again proved one step ahead of his bickering opponents, again laying them out and leaving with the most momentum ahead of their bout.

Rose's involvement was odd, if only because he has no issues with anyone else in the match, and his return had not been built to at all. Perhaps the superkick he suffered at the hands of Breeze leads to a program coming out of Takeover, but only time will tell.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens Promo

The always popular Sami Zayn made his entrance into the NXT Arena for his faceoff with Kevin Owens, just seven days away from their hotly anticipated rematch for the brand's heavyweight championship.

The champion arrived to a chorus of boos.

In a really bizarre and poorly cut voice-over, Zayn confirmed his injury suffered while wrestling John Cena and revealed that the match with Owens will still happen. The camera shot Owens' face the entire time, further adding to the weirdness of the brief revelation.

Zayn asked Owens why he has acted the way he has in recent months. Owens deadpanned, showing little emotion and offered no response. Attempting to get a reaction out of the champion, Zayn brought up his son and asked if their issues stem from Owens' child preferring him over his own father.

A speechless Owens walked out of the ring, stopping on the stage and addressing Zayn.

"I know I'm the one who hurt you. I know exactly what the injury is. And I know how I hurt you. And at Takeover, I'm gonna do it again. But this time...this time, you're not coming back," he promised before returning to the locker room. 

Grade

A+

Analysis

The brilliance of the Kevin Owens character was on display here.

Zayn clearly touched a nerve by bringing up the champion's son, but Owens, reserved and smart, did not allow his emotions to get the best of him. Instead, he stepped away and very calmly detailed his master plan for the match next week: exploit Zayn's injury and take him out.

It was as simple as that, yet far more complex than any other storyline in WWE right now.

To realize that the NXT writing staff is capable of a story as intriguing and compelling as this, while the masterminds behind Raw continue to churn out disappointing television week after week, goes to show the wealth of talent that exists in front of the camera as well as behind it.