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NXT Takeover: R Evolution Could Be Best Wrestling Show of 2014

By @sdmeyers1

NXT Takeover: R Evolution

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So far in 2014, the three NXT special events have produced several incredible matches and moments. The upcoming event, titled Takeover: R Evolution, has a chance to be one of the best events of the year in the entire wrestling industry.

The main event features NXT Champion Adrian Neville defending his title against his former friend, Sami Zayn. Both competitors have proven to be elite performers in the ring, and both appear to be future stars in the WWE. This storyline has been particularly well-produced, and it dates back to the previous special event.

At that show, Zayn appeared to be on the cusp of capturing the NXT Championship in a fatal four-way match until Neville pulled the referee out of the ring. The opportunistic Neville then capitalized to score the pinfall against another opponent.

Over the past few months, Neville has continued to dwell that Zayn “can’t win the big one,” in reference to Zayn coming up short against Cesaro, Tyler Breeze and in the four way. Neville has passed every test since he became champion in February, but this will be his toughest challenge and most personal feud to date.

It’s very possible that this will be the final match between the two in NXT. At this point, Zayn needs to culminate his road to redemption by finally capturing the title. He has been the best worker, as well as the most popular superstar, in NXT for the entire year.

Conversely, Neville has shown enough to warrant a promotion to the main roster, as he has nothing left to prove in developmental. His high-flying ability would immediately infuse some energy into the stagnant WWE roster. Similarly, R Evolution could mark the final NXT special event for The Ascension.

The former NXT Tag Team Champions lost their gold earlier this year, and have since engaged in a rivalry with highly-touted international stars Hideo Itami and Finn Balor. Although Itami and Balor are currently wrestling as a tandem, both could soon become top singles competitors.

R Evolution will mark the first special event match for both newcomers, though, and it’s likely they will score an impressive victory to establish their momentum. If that match concludes the feud, The Ascension would likely join the ranks of the WWE tag team division.

Additionally, the event will feature the much-heralded debut of Kevin Owens. Owens, who competed in other promotions under his real name, Kevin Steen, has the talent to be one of the top stars in NXT. His vignettes in recent weeks have given a glimpse of his passion to fight. Although it’s still unclear if Owens will actually compete or just cut a promo, his presence alone will create a buzz in the NXT audience.

In other action, the Lucha Dragons will defend their tag team titles against The Vaudevillains, NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte will square off against Sasha Banks with the title on the line, and the mysterious Baron Corbin will do battle with fellow heavyweight Bull Dempsey.

All of those contests bring something unique to the table, and all have a chance to be very good bouts for the undercard. By comparison, WWE’s latest pay-per-view Survivor Series only had two matches that had significant buildup. Although Neville, Zayn and Owens don’t carry the same appeal as John Cena, Randy Orton or Brock Lesnar, they have proven just as capable of putting on an incredible match or cutting a memorable promo when given the opportunity.

If this event equals the standard set by the first three NXT special events this year, it will be a very good show. With the star-studded card, however, it has a chance to surpass its predecessors. If that happens, NXT Takeover: R Evolution will go down as one of the finest wrestling shows in 2014.

Sean Meyers is a professional wrestling writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter or “Like” him on Facebook.

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