Tyler Breeze vs. Hideo Itami: Winner and Reaction from NXT TakeOver Rival Event

Hideo Itami continued his steady rise since joining NXT as he defeated Tyler Breeze in an entertaining match at NXT TakeOver: Rival Wednesday night.

Itami secured the win after a corner dropkick and a big running kick. Former star Lance Storm gave his thoughts on the match:

While it turned out to be an excellent in-ring affair, the issues between Breeze and Itami didn't come to the forefront until recently.

They met in the first round of the tournament to determine a new No. 1 contender for the NXT Championship. That encounter was equally thrilling, and it was Itami who emerged and advanced to the semifinals.

After the Japanese Superstar fell to Finn Balor, he was attacked backstage by Prince Pretty in retaliation for what happened in the previous round. That set the stage for their bout at Rival, and it certainly seemed to light a fire under Itami as well:

While neither Breeze nor Itami are in the main event scene currently, it is clear they both entered Rival with the mentality of putting on the best performance possible and doing everything within their power to steal the show.

Since Itami came to WWE with so much hype surrounding him last year, the overarching assumption was that he would pick up the victory over Breeze at Rival.

Itami and Balor made their NXT live special debut with a great win over The Ascension two months ago, and Itami seemed quite confident that he would continue his winning ways on Wednesday:

That confidence manifested itself in the form of another victory for Itami, but that certainly doesn't erase the progress Breeze has made as a key member of the NXT roster.

Breeze has grown by leaps and bounds as an all-around performer since assuming his supermodel gimmick in 2013. He has always been a solid in-ring worker, but now he has a great character and attitude to match.

Although Breeze doesn't always receive the credit he deserves with the likes of Itami, Balor, Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville and Kevin Owens on the roster, there is no question that he has a very bright future in WWE as well.

Itami is still trying to find himself from a personality standpoint, but that is certainly understandable due to the fact that he is still adjusting to living in the United States. It isn't easy for a non-English speaker to connect with American fans; however, Itami has done most of his talking in the ring.

Even without a solidified character at this point, Itami still consistently gets great reactions from the live crowd at Full Sail Arena. Based on the fact that he continues to pick up wins over credible opponents, there is no doubt NXT officials have a great deal of confidence in Itami.

Breeze hasn't received that same push in terms of wins and losses, but he has managed to get himself over as a cocky heel nonetheless.

No matter the result, both Breeze and Itami should be a big part of NXT's progression in the coming months. They both possess the tools necessary to make some noise on the main roster as well.

They showed some fantastic in-ring chemistry Wednesday night, and it will be quite exciting to watch them come into their own moving forward.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter