WWE NXT: Full Preview, Match Card and More for January 13

Welcome to Bleacher Report's preview for this week's episode of WWE NXT, where we take a spoiler-free look at what's in store for the developmental brand's upcoming episode.

After two weeks of recap specials, NXT is finally back with new episodes to kick off 2016. In addition to some great action, this week's show will feature the first NXT Year-End Awards.

Everyone in the developmental system worked hard to make 2015 a banner year for the brand. Every TakeOver live special produced memorable matches, and several men and women helped make NXT just as good, if not better than Raw and SmackDown.

Before we get to the categories and nominees, let's take a look at the card for Wednesday's show.

The Men

Two singles matches are scheduled for this week, and both will put the spotlight on talents who didn't get a lot of screen time in 2015.

The first bout will feature Danny Burch going up against Tommaso Ciampa. Those of you who watch TNA will remember Burch from the second season of TNA British Boot Camp.

He signed with WWE in 2011, was released in 2014 and made his return to the company in 2015 for a few random matches against stars such as Kevin Owens and Apollo Crews.

Ciampa has had an interesting history with WWE. He worked as a jobber from 2004-2006 but was never signed to a deal. He spent the next 10 years honing his skills in Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. He even made an appearance for TNA last September.

This match is interesting because neither one of these men is technically a member of the NXT roster. Whichever Superstar is booked to win could end up being signed if management sees enough value in them.

The second singles match will see Elias Sampson battle Cory Hollis. Neither one of these men was used very often last year, so this could be the start of a new push for one of them.

These are two young Superstars with a lot of potential, but that will only get them so far. They have to prove they are worth the effort and screen time it takes to get someone over, and this bout is a good place to start.

The Tag Teams

The Ascension return to their roots in NXT this week to take on the current tag team champions, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder.

After fizzling out on the main roster, we might see Konnor and Viktor return to NXT for a short time to refresh themselves so they can go back to the main roster with some momentum.

Dash and Dawson have been together for almost 18 months, but they just started finding their groove at the end of last year.

Both of these teams are known for their power moves and stiff strikes, so this should be a fun, hard-hitting match. If Konnor and Viktor are able to pick up a win, we may see them back in the hunt for the NXT Tag Team Championships.

Dash and Dawson have gained a reputation as old-school tough guys in recent months, so they won't make it easy for the former champions to just come back in and take over their old stomping grounds.

The Women

Bayley has defeated some of the best NXT has to offer during her reign as women's champion, and now it's time to find her a new challenger.

Eleven women will compete in a Battle Royal for a chance to challenge Bayley for the title. It will be a mix of established names (Carmella and Emma) alongside several newcomers (Asuka and Billie Kay).

If Bayley is being eyed for a move to the main roster, the winner of this match could end up being the one to take the Women's Championship away from her.

Most of the roster will compete, but it's worth noting that Nia Jax and Dana Brooke will not be included. They are the two most powerful women in the division, so not being in the Battle Royal will give the other competitors a greater chance at victory.

The Awards

It will be interesting to see how the NXT Year-End Awards are mixed into the show since this episode was filmed while voting was still open. Here's a breakdown of the six categories and all the nominees, according to WWE.com.

TakeOver of the Year:

• Rival
• Brooklyn
• Respect
• London

Tag Team of the Year:

• The Lucha Dragons
• Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy
• The Vaudevillains
• Dash and Dawson
• Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady

Match of the Year:

• Bayley vs. Sasha Banks (TakeOver: Brooklyn)
• Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens  (Brock Lesnar: The Beast in the East, Live from Tokyo)
• Women’s Fatal 4-Way (TakeOver: Rival)
• Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor (TakeOver: London)
• Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (TakeOver: Rival)
• Bayley vs. Sasha Banks – 30-Minute WWE Iron Man match (TakeOver: Respect)
• Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch (TakeOver: Unstoppable)
• Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks (WWE NXT, July 15, 2015)
• Finn Balor vs. Neville – No. 1 Contender’s Tournament Final (TakeOver: Rival)
• Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor (WWE NXT, March 25, 2015)

Male Competitor of the Year

• Finn Balor
• Kevin Owens
• Samoa Joe
• Sami Zayn
• Tyler Breeze

Female Competitor of the Year

• Bayley
• Charlotte
• Sasha Banks
• Becky Lynch
• Asuka

Overall Competitor of the Year

• Finn Balor
• Kevin Owens
• Samoa Joe
• Sami Zayn
• Tyler Breeze
• Bayley
• Charlotte
• Sasha Banks
• Becky Lynch
• Asuka

With a whopping seven nominations across three categories, Banks is a heavy favorite to take home an award, but she has some stiff competition with Balor receiving six nods and Owens getting five.

Hopefully this will provide more satisfying winners than the 2015 Slammys, but we will have to tune in Wednesday to find out.

Who do you think will come out on top at the first NXT Year-End Awards?

Match information taken from the spoiler report at WrestleZone.com. Thanks for reading and follow me on Twitter: @BR_Doctor.