WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 2

For Finn Balor, Wednesday's episode of NXT on WWE Network was an opportunity to prove himself as the brand's greatest titleholder. For Neville, it was a chance to remind fans of why he is the longest-reigning champion.

Their clash headlined another entertaining night of action starring sports entertainment's hottest young talent.

The Vaudevillains sought another key victory in their march to the tag team titles. To attain victory, they would have to battle the upstart team of Hugo Knox and Tucker Knight. Would they emerge with the win or endure a massive upset loss?

Emma was in action, looking for another solid win, while Elias Samson looked to keep his win streak alive.

And on top of all of that, Austin Aries shook the foundation of NXT with a shocking arrival, which was interrupted by a mainstay of the brand.

Which men and women rolled through Wednesday's broadcast maintaining momentum, and who suffered devastating losses?

Take a look with this week's grades, results and analysis.

Hugo Knox and Tucker Knight vs. The Vaudevillains

Credit: WWE.com

The Vaudevillains continued to inch their way back into tag team title contention Wednesday night as they battled the new duo of Hugo Knox and Tucker Knight.

Aiden English and Simon Gotch isolated Knox, working over the former soccer player in their corner.

Late in the match, Knox finally made the hot tag to Knight, who experienced a brief flurry of offense but was cut off by English.

Moments later, the Whirling Dervish finished off the upstart team.

Result

The Vaudevillains defeated Hugo Knox and Tucker Knight

Grade

C

Analysis

The intensity and aggression shown by English and Gotch is key to their success going forward.

As babyfaces, their style contradicted their role in the show. Now it fits perfectly and instantly makes them a more entertaining and interesting watch.

They may not receive a title shot anytime soon, thanks to the champions being heels, but they will earn themselves a future opportunity at the gold if they continue performing at this level.

The match itself was a squash that put the winners over strong, so mission accomplished.

Santana Garrett vs. Emma

Emma's hubris nearly got the best of her as she battled Santana Garrett in singles competition.

She toyed with Garrett rather than scoring the pinfall early, but she managed to maintain control of the match.

It was late in the match when Garrett began mounting her comeback, complete with a series of clotheslines and a Russian leg sweep, that her sure victory appeared to be in doubt.

Luckily, a Tree of Woe and some well-timed distractions from Dana Brooke allowed Emma to put her opponent down and apply the Emma Lock for the submission win.

Result

Emma defeated Santana Garrett

Grade

C

Analysis

Another entertaining enhancement match on this week's show saw Emma pick up a much-needed win. What elevated it was the amount of offense Garrett was allowed to get in.

A great, old-school babyface worker, she showed strong fire as she came back.

With the women's division constantly looking to replace talent called up to the main roster, Garrett would make a strong addition.

Austin Aries Arrives

Austin Aries, the latest major signing by general manager William Regal, made his NXT debut Wednesday night.

As he entered the arena, basking in the tremendous ovation he received from the fans, he was attacked by Baron Corbin.

The Lone Wolf tossed Aries into the lighting and delivered a vicious End of Days at ringside. "An eye for an eye," he told Regal, referencing his elimination from title contention.

Aries was helped to the back, his grand arrival destroyed by NXT's dominant force.

Grade

A+

Analysis

This was an incredibly well done segment.

Aries made his debut and, immediately, was thrown into a high-profile program with one of the top stars in NXT.

Furthermore, it continued Corbin's dispute with Regal, whom he holds responsible for his lack of NXT Championship opportunities.

The result is a feud that will allow Aries to show off against a bigger opponent, a role he thrives in, and presents Corbin an opportunity to learn from another extremely talented worker.

If only the main roster could produce an angle this strong and productive.

Steve Cutler vs. Elias Samson

Credit: WWE.com

Elias Samson wrestled Steve Cutler.

He dropped knees to the face and leg drops.

Then he finished his opponent off with a neckbreaker.

The end.

Result

Elias Samson defeated Steve Cutler

Grade

F

Analysis

The Samson squash matches are redundant, and worse, they are doing more to hurt perception of him than actually programming him against legitimate competition.

His work is hardly the stuff of stars. It is simple, repetitive and boring, though not necessarily through any fault of his own. Sure, he could change things up on his own, but he cannot break free of the mundane squashes unless management gives him the chance.

The sooner that happens, the more likely it is that fans see real improvement from The Drifter.

Nontitle Match: Finn Balor vs. Neville

Longtime NXT fans remember Neville's run with the brand and how, late, he controlled matches by working over his opposition. Wednesday night, he again played the de facto heel, working on grounding Balor in an attempt to prove himself the greatest NXT champion ever.

Whether using a moonsault, chinlock or a series of German suplexes, he was able to work over the leader of the Balor Club to great effect for the majority of the match.

Late, he had Balor set up for the Red Arrow, but Balor rolled out of the way, forcing the Breakout Superstar of 2015 to hop off the top rope. He did so but suffered the Sling Blade by the current NXT champion.

After an exchange of blows that generated more and more heat from the fans, Balor delivered his running dropkick and put Neville down with the Coup de Grace. Not satisfied, he finished Neville off with Bloody Sunday for the pinfall victory. 

Result

Finn Balor defeated Neville

Grade

A

Analysis

What a phenomenal match between two guys who should probably be wowing audiences on the main roster with performances like this one.

Balor has done more to elevate the importance of the NXT Championship through his stellar in-ring work than anyone to date. Every match he competes in feels important, because management has made it a mission to promote his appearances as special.

Neville was phenomenal here, reminding fans unsatisfied by the way he has been portrayed on the main roster of his ability in a longer and higher-profile match than he is used to.

Just a spectacular way to end the show and put Balor over as the elite star in NXT.