The show marked the WWE in-ring debut of Kevin Owens, who had signed with the company in the months prior to the event. The main event was for the NXT Championship as Adrian Neville defended against Sami Zayn, with the added stipulation for the match being that Zayn would have to leave NXT if he did not win the championship. The show featured five additional matches, including matches for the NXT Women's Championship and the NXT Tag Team Championship.
The card included matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the NXT brand, while storylines were produced on their weekly television program, NXT.[3][4]
On November 27, 2013, Adrian Neville became the number one contender for the NXT Championship as he defeated Sami Zayn in a tie-breaker match between the two.[5][6] After several unsuccessful challenges, Neville was finally able to defeat Bo Dallas for the Championship in main event of NXT Arrival.[7] On the May 8 episode of NXT, Sami Zayn, Tyson Kidd, and Tyler Breeze all participated in a 20-man battle royal where the winner would get a match for the NXT Championship. The match ended in a three way tie between Zayn, Kidd, and Breeze.[8] As a result, the three faced off a week later in a triple-threat match, where Kidd won to become #1 contender.[9] At the first TakeOver, Adrian Neville successfully defended the championship against Tyson Kidd, while Tyler Breeze cheated his way to victory over Sami Zayn to become the number one contender.[10] Following the event, Neville, Zayn, Breeze, and Tyson Kidd became involved in a four way feud, that led to a four way championship match in the main event of TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way. During the match, Neville prevented Zayn from winning the match as he pulled the referee out of the ring to stop the count. Moments later, Neville capitalized on the distraction to win the match and retain the championship.[11] The way Neville regained the championship led to tension between Neville and Zayn, putting a strain on their friendship.[12][13] With the loss, Zayn felt the need to redeem himself, as he took on and defeated Tyson Kidd, Titus O'Neil, and Tyler Breeze to earn another match for the NXT Championship.[14][15][16] During the championship match, Neville appeared to be injured during the match, only to reveal that it was a ruse to trick Zayn to lowering his defenses. A surprised Zayn was quickly rolled up for the pinfall loss.[17] Zayn later responded to comments that he was "too nice" to win the big one by laying out one final challenge to Neville for a match at TakeOver: R Evolution. Zayn also promised that he would quit NXT if he did not win the championship.[18]
In early May 2014, Charlotte entered in the tournament for the vacant NXT Women's Championship, defeating Emma in the first round, Alexa Bliss in the semi-finals, and Natalya in the finals at the first TakeOver, to win the NXT Women's Championship.[19] After a four-month absence from the show, Summer Rae returned on the June 6 episode of NXT, distracting Bayley and allowing Charlotte to get the victory. After the match, The BFFs ("Beautiful Fierce Females" - Charlotte, Summer Rae, and Sasha Banks) attempted to attack Bayley, only to be chased away by Emma and Paige.[20] This led to a six-woman tag team match on the June 12 episode of NXT, which The BFFs lost after Bayley pinned Charlotte.[21] On the July 3 episode of NXT, Charlotte got retribution over Bayley in a tag team match, where she and Banks defeated Bayley and Becky Lynch. After the match, Charlotte let Banks get attacked by Bayley, with Banks officially disbanding the BFFs in a backstage segment later that night.[22]
Hideo Itami and Finn Bálor made their first TakeOver appearance at TakeOver: R Evolution
In the summer of 2014, Kenta Kobayashi, better known simply as "Kenta", signed a full-time contract with WWE to go to NXT in preparation for a main roster position at a later date. Kenta made his first NXT appearance on September 11 at TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way, where he was introduced by NXT General manager William Regal. During his introduction, Kenta announced that he would be known as "Hideo Itami" from that point on. Moments later, he was attacked by The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) who were still angry over losing the NXT Tag Team Championship earlier in the night.[11] Itami made his wrestling debut for NXT during the following day's tapings of NXT. After defeating Justin Gabriel, he was attacked by The Ascension once more, as Konnor and Viktor took advantage of outnumbering Itami.[23][24] In subsequent weeks, Itami kept fighting against the Ascension, but ended up getting beaten up each week as he was always outnumbered.[25][26] the storyline was that as a newcomer in NXT, Itami had no friends around to help him.[27] In November 2014, Itami finally introduced his friend, Prince Devitt, who was rechristened "Finn Bálor" as he made his debut to back Itami up.[28] Following Bálor's debut, a match with Itami and Bálor facing the Ascension was announced for TakeOver: R Evolution.
At TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way, the Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) defeated the Ascension to win the NXT Tag Team Championship, ending their reign as the top tag team after 364 days (recognized as 344 days).[11] The Lucha Dragons successfully retained the championship in a rematch against the Ascension and then moved on to their next challengers, The Vaudevillains (Aiden English and Simon Gotch). The comedic heel duo used several silent movie clips to antagonize the Lucha Dragons as they claimed to be better than two "masked men", portraying themselves as the brave heroes, at least in their minds, as they made a challenge for the tag team championship.
On August 12, 2014, WWE announced that Kevin Steen had signed with them and was due to report to their developmental system NXT on August 25.[29] He was given the new ring name Kevin Owens, and NXT began airing promotional videos from November 20 to hype his upcoming debut;[18] Owens detailed that he had wrestled for 14 years before making it to WWE, having faced (and formed a friendship with) several current WWE or NXT wrestlers on the independent circuit years ago, but WWE signed them first. Now that he was here, Owens declared that he would fight anyone and everyone, because fighting was the best way he could provide for his family.[30][31][32] Soon after, it was announced that Kevin Owens would make his in-ring debut at the next TakeOver event.[18]
Event
The commentators were Rich Brennan, Alex Riley, and Corey Graves.[2] The pre-show panel consisted of Jason Albert, Alex Riley, Renee Young, and additionally Corey Graves, who prior to joining the panel, announced his retirement from the ring due to concussions.[33]
Preliminary matches
In the first match, Kevin Owens faced CJ Parker. Owens executed a pop-up powerbomb on Parker to win the match.[2]
Next, The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) defended the NXT Tag Team Championship against The Vaudevillains (Aiden English and Simon Gotch). Kalisto executed a "Salida Del Sol" on Gotch to retain the titles.[2]
In the fourth match, The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) faced Finn Bálor and Hideo Itami. In the end, Bálor performed a "Coup De Grâce" on Viktor whilst Itami performed a diving double foot stomp on Konnor. Balor pinned Viktor to win the match.[2]
In the penultimate match, Charlotte defended the NXT Women's Championship against Sasha Banks. Charlotte executed "Natural Selection" off the top rope on Banks to retain the title.[2]
Main event
In the main event, Adrian Neville defended the NXT Championship against Sami Zayn. During the match, Zayn performed a "Blue Thunder Bomb" on Neville for a two count. Zayn applied a Koji clutch on Neville, but Neville placed his foot on the bottom rope, forcing Zayn to release the hold. Zayn performed a "Helluva Kick" on Neville, during which the referee was knocked down. In the end, Zayn performed an exploder suplexinto the turnbuckles and a second "Helluva Kick" on Neville to win the title.[2]
After the match, the NXT roster appeared to congratulate Zayn. Neville hugged Zayn and raised his hand in a show of respect. After the NXT roster left, Zayn celebrated with his close frenemy Kevin Owens. Suddenly, Owens pushed Zayn down onto the entrance ramp and performed a powerbomb on Zayn onto the ring apron. NXT General Manager William Regal checked on Zayn as the event ended.[2]
Reception
NXT TakeOver: R Evolution received critical acclaim. Larry Csonka of 411Mania felt as though the NXT Tag Team Championship match was disappointing, giving it ** (out of *****), saying "It was fine, but it just lacked something. The NXT tag team division, as a whole, continues to lack overall." Reviewing the match between Finn Balor and Hideo Itami and The Ascension, he claimed that Finn Balor was the standout star of the match, saying "If you know anything about Balor, you know that he can go big time and work with anyone, WWE has something there if they want it." He gave the match ***1/2. Speaking of the NXT Women's Championship match, he said "They worked hard, they put together a good match and they were able to keep the crowd emotionally invested because they are given the proper formula to do so," giving the match ****. Giving high praise to the main event, Csonka stated "This was just an awesome match, from the story going in to the story they told, the pacing and the overall in ring work and yes the ref bumps, this all worked to get the goal, which was Zayn with the title. They told the story; they completed the journey and delivered excellent wrestling. This is a true MOTY (Match of the Year) candidate." He gave the main event ****3/4. He gave the entire event a score of 8.5 out of 10.[34]
Rami Sebei is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Sami Zayn. He is a former three time WWE Intercontinental Champion.
Benjamin Satterley, better known by his ring name Pac, is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Death Triangle alongside Penta El Zero M and Rey Fénix. He was the inaugural AEW All-Atlantic Champion and one-time AEW World Trios Champion, at one point holding both titles simultaneously to become the first double champion in AEW history.
The Ascension were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Konnor and Viktor known for their time in WWE. Currently, they work as The Awakening on the independent circuit under the names of Big Kon and Vik.
Taylor Michael Rotunda is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, best known for when he performed under the ring names Bo Dallas and Uncle Howdy . He is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Blackjack Mulligan, his father Mike Rotunda, his uncles Barry and Kendall Windham, and his brother Windham were professional wrestlers.
Eric Thompson is a Canadian professional wrestler currently making appearances for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), under the ring name Zyon. He is best known for his time with WWE under the ring name Viktor.
Tenille Averil Dashwood is an Australian professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Emma. She is also known for her time in Impact Wrestling, where she performed under her real name.
Matthew Michael Clement is a Canadian professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Tyler Breeze as a trainer at the Performance Center and as a member of the UpUpDownDown channel. He also wrestles on the independent circuit under the mononymous ring name Breeze.
Pamela Rose Martinez is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bayley. Bayley's 380-day reign as WWE SmackDown Women's Champion stands as the longest in the championship's history.
NXT Arrival was a professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's developmental territory, NXT. The event aired exclusively on the WWE Network and took place on February 27, 2014, at NXT's home base, Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. It was WWE's first live professional wrestling event streamed online via the WWE Network, which launched three days prior to the event.
The Lucha Dragons were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Kalisto and Sin Cara. They previously wrestled in WWE's developmental territory NXT, where they were one-time NXT Tag Team Champions. Their name is a reference to their lucha libre style of wrestling. They won the NXT Tag Team Championship after defeating then champions The Ascension on September 11, 2014, at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way.
Cory James Weston is an American professional wrestler currently working on the independent circuit under the ring name Westin Blake. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Wesley Blake.
The 2014 NXT TakeOver was the inaugural NXT TakeOver professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's developmental territory, NXT. The event aired exclusively on the WWE Network and took place on May 29, 2014, at NXT's home arena, Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way was the second NXT TakeOver professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's developmental territory, NXT. The event aired exclusively on the WWE Network and took place on September 11, 2014, at NXT's home base, Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. It was also the promotion's second event to carry the Fatal 4-Way name, the first of which was WWE's eponymous pay-per-view in June 2010.
NXT TakeOver: Rival was the fourth NXT TakeOver professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's developmental territory, NXT. The event aired exclusively on the WWE Network and took place on February 11, 2015, at NXT's home arena, Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
Blake and Murphy was a villainous professional wrestling tag team in WWE on their developmental territory NXT consisting of Wesley Blake, Buddy Murphy and their valet Alexa Bliss, where they are one time NXT Tag Team Champions after defeating former champions Lucha Dragons.
FreeAgentZ are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of nZo and CaZXL. The duo are best known for their tenure with WWE, from 2013 to 2017, under the respective ring names, Enzo Amore and Big Cass. After their separate departures from the WWE, the two reunited in 2019, when they appeared at G1 Supercard.
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn was the sixth NXT TakeOver and inaugural TakeOver: Brooklyn professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's developmental territory, NXT. The event aired on the WWE Network and took place on August 22, 2015, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. It was the first night of what was billed as a WWE "triple-header" at the arena, with SummerSlam taking place the following evening and Raw the night after that. This was the first TakeOver to be held outside of Full Sail University; WWE promoted it as NXT being "on the biggest stage yet". It was the first TakeOver to have its own subseries of TakeOvers, as well as the first TakeOver held as a support show for one of WWE's main pay-per-view events.
NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable was the fifth NXT TakeOver professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's developmental territory, NXT. The event aired exclusively on the WWE Network and took place on May 20, 2015, at NXT's home arena, Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
NXT TakeOver: Dallas was the ninth NXT TakeOver professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's developmental territory, NXT. The event aired exclusively on the WWE Network and took place on April 1, 2016, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. The event was held as part of the WrestleMania 32 weekend festivities, in turn being the first TakeOver to take place during a WrestleMania weekend.
Mikael Vierge is a French professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with WWE developmental brand NXT under the ring name Marcus Louis and in Impact Wrestling under the ring name Baron Dax.
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