Hideo Itami To Make WWE Return Soon?
Cryptic tweet from the NXT star may be teasing a comeback.
It's been nearly a year since Hideo Itami competed for NXT, but his long convalescence after a shoulder injury could be coming to an end.
Wednesday night, the star took to Twitter to share a single word with his followers - "Almost." Many fans are taking that as a sign that the Japanese star is getting close to a return to the ring.
Itami, who competed for Japan's Pro Wrestling NOAH as KENTA, was a major acquisition for WWE. He debuted in NXT in September of 2014, formed a partnership with Finn Balor, and won a tournament that earned him a slot in WrestleMania 31's battle royal. Weeks after WrestleMania, though, he suffered a debilitating shoulder injury.
The injury and subsequent surgery were expected to keep Itami out of action for six to eight months, but in January, The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that the former GHC Heavyweight Champion was experiencing complications and was not close to returning. Since then, there has been no news about Itami, save for the fact that he took part in Triple H's entrance at WrestleMania 32.
The one-year anniversary of Itami's last match will arrive on April 30, and hopefully he gets some concrete news on his future soon.