WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 10

NXT champion Bobby Roode may have enjoyed a wildly successful first year with the brand, but Wednesday night the next challenger to his title was determined as Hideo Itami battled Roderick Strong in the main event of another entertaining episode of the brand's weekly WWE Network broadcast.

Which internationally recognized star earned the victory that would catapult him to TakeOver: Chicago and a date with The Glorious One for NXT's top prize?

Aleister Black returned to the NXT Arena Wednesday night.

Which unfortunate soul would oppose the enigmatic newcomer?

Find out the answers to those two pressing questions and more with this recap from the May 10 episode.

Aleister Black vs. Cezar Bononi

Aleister Black tore through another opponent Wednesday night en route to his latest victory.

Withstanding more punishment than normal, he fired off a leaping knee to the face that stunned his opponent and finished him with Fade to Black, a knockout kick that has felled many.

Result

Aleister Black defeated Cezar Bononi.

Grade

B

Analysis

Another week, another dominant and largely uncontested victory for Black, who remains untapped from a character perspective.

That is not necessarily a bad thing.

The Dutchman has been phenomenal from a presentation standpoint and is on his way to becoming one of the elite members of the NXT roster. How he handles a high-profile match against an established opponent is the only question facing him at this point.

DIY vs. Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli

The upstart team of Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli attempted to pick up its biggest win to date as it squared off with former tag team champions DIY, and the duo experienced considerable success early.

The heels isolated Tommaso Ciampa and worked over the former Ring of Honor star. A big back body drop to Sabbatelli allowed Ciampa to make the hot tag to Johnny Gargano, who exploded into the match.

The former champions, having withstood the onslaught of their determined opponents, finished Moss off with their double-team kick/knee combination for the victory.

After the match, NXT general manager William Regal announced DIY was the only team deserving of a shot at the NXT tag team titles. Paul Ellering and The Authors of Pain arrived on the scene and scoffed at that decision.

Regal responded by informing the Hall of Fame manager that his new team will defend its titles against Gargano and Ciampa in a ladder match in Chicago.

Result

DIY defeated Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss.

Grade

B+

Analysis

The match itself was pedestrian, but the announcement after it was spectacular. Not only does DIY vs. The Authors of Pain in a ladder match add prestige to a TakeOver: Chicago card that is shaping up to be an extraordinary one, it also puts the dominant champions at a disadvantage.

How will they react to being in a match that does not necessarily favor their skill sets?

It makes for a compelling match and story, which should be incredibly fun for the NXT faithful to follow.

As for Sabbatelli and Moss, you constantly want them to show you a flash of personality or explosiveness but always end up somewhat disappointed. The look is there and they have a solid base of moves, but they are lacking that one personality trait or bit of in-ring charisma that would put them over the top in NXT.

No. 1 Contender's Match: Hideo Itami vs. Roderick Strong

The main event of this week's show, a showdown for the right to challenge Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship at TakeOver: Chicago, was accompanied by a big-match feel usually reserved for the title bouts themselves.

Neither man was able to gain the advantage early, each only momentarily seizing control in the opening moments of the bout.

Roderick Strong's signature backbreaker was on display as he finally put Hideo Itami down for a near-fall, then stretched him in an agonizing submission hold. Itami fought out with a series of hard strikes that sent Strong to the arena floor.

The Master of the Backbreaker cut his opponent's momentum off, though, sending him back-first into the ring apron. A double clothesline moments later neutralized both men and allowed for a reset of sorts.

The match swung in Itami's favor as he unleashed several of his strikes and hard clotheslines. Strong answered with an Angle Slam as the match continued its back-and-forth nature. A big backbreaker led to the best near-fall of the match thus far.

Itami delivered a huge Falcon Arrow from the middle rope but was only able to keep Strong down for a count of two as the Florida native shot his shoulder off the mat at the last second.

The corner dropkick from Itami obliterated Strong and Go To Sleep finished him off.

The Superstars engaged in a sign of respect following the bout.

Result

Hideo Itami defeated Roderick Strong.

Grade

A

Analysis

It feels a bit counterproductive to beat Strong here after spending weeks of giving fans a reason to throw their support behind him. The video packages that aired the last two weeks created an emotional connection between the NXT faithful and the former Mr. Ring of Honor.

Sacrificing that to put Itami over, when the Japanese star was already the logical opponent for Roode, felt like a mistake.

The match itself was a fantastic one that felt like the most important thing in the world for the competitors involved. In return, the NXT Championship is elevated because of the sheer physical brutality the men were willing to put themselves through in order to attain a shot at it.

The crowd could have been hotter, but that is a small complaint to an extraordinary main event.