Given the fact that he was written out of competition directly before NXT Takeover: Unstoppable, it has now officially been a whole year since we’ve seen Hideo Itami wrestle.
Prior to the event, Itami suffered a legitimate shoulder injury that required surgery, and he was taken off the Unstoppable card in a moment of Peak Kevin Owens. It was one of many WWE shoulder injuries in 2015, including the one that shelved Sami Zayn for roughly seven months. To make matters worse, Itami encountered “complications” during the rehabilitation which set him back significantly. It’s been a long road back for the innovator of the Go 2 Sleep, but in a bit of good news, it appears that the end of that road may now be in sight.
The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Itami is scheduled to make his return to NXT in the next few weeks. No specific date has yet been mentioned, so we’ll have to wait for the tapings following NXT Takeover: The End on June 8 to see what unfolds. It’s been far too long, but this is great news nonetheless. In fact, there’s almost more that can be done with Itami now that some of the main players during his initial run have moved up to the main roster. Should he set his sights on Samoa Joe? There’s bound to be history with Shinsuke Nakamura, too. Should they be teamed up, or maybe set at each other’s throats for more of a Hanzo vs. Genji thing? Also, a certain Australian tag team that made waves in Pro Wrestling NOAH just debuted, so there’s no shortage of loose ends for Itami to start tying.
