Austin Aries vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: Winner, Reaction from NXT TakeOver: The End

Shinsuke Nakamura continued his meteoric rise in NXT on Wednesday night at NXT TakeOver: The End, as he defeated Austin Aries in a highly entertaining affair.   

NXT provided a photo of Nakamura's finish: 

It was a match filled with plenty of action, and WWE provided one of the highlights: 

After the match, Adam Pacitti of What Culture provided his take:

Kevin Berge of Questionable Critics provided his thoughts on what the result means for Aries:

Aries and Nakamura are two of NXT's newest and biggest signings to date, and they both debuted at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in winning fashion prior to WrestleMania 32.

The Greatest Man That Ever Lived beat Baron Corbin, while the King of Strong Style outlasted Sami Zayn in a bout that still stands as a legitimate Match of the Year contender.

With Finn Balor and Samoa Joe continuing their feud over the NXT Championship leading up to The End, it left Aries and Nakamura without dance partners.

That changed when Aries and Nakamura teamed up to defeat Blake and Murphy in a match. Tension was teased between them throughout, and it led to the Japanese Superstar answering Aries' challenge for an opponent at the latest NXT live special.

During the buildup toward the match, Aries made his goal to reach the top of the mountain clear, according to WWE NXT on Twitter:

Nakamura shared those same aspirations, however, and said that he and not Aries would be the next NXT star to capture the brand's top title.

Although Wednesday's match wasn't technically a No. 1 contender's match, it felt as though it was in a de facto sense, which added high stakes to what was already among the most highly anticipated bouts in wrestling this year.

Aries and Nakamura are two of the best in-ring workers in the world, so there was pressure on them to steal the show. They didn't disappoint, and they both proved capable of being the face of NXT should Triple H decide to take them in that direction.

Both Aries and Nakamura entered NXT TakeOver: The End with undefeated records, as they were protected in anticipation of a big showdown.

Most likely expected Nakamura to continue his dominance because of his immense star power and international appeal, and that notion held true, as the 36-year-old veteran took another step toward potentially becoming NXT champion.

Nakamura is now in line to potentially carry NXT moving forward, while A-Double's loss will fuel speculation that a call-up to the main roster could be on the horizon.

A multitude of NXT call-ups are possible because of the impending brand split, so there is some level of uncertainty surrounding the future of both Aries and Nakamura.

Both Superstars proved once again Wednesday that they are among the top all-around talents in the wrestling business, and no matter how they are utilized moving forward, they will be major assets to WWE.

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