Hideo Itami Cleared For WWE Return

According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, NXT superstar Hideo Itami has recovered fully and been given the green light to return to in-ring action. When asked when Itami will return by a fan on Twitter, Meltzer replied, "Any time now. He's cleared."

Itami's recovery hopefully marks an end to the setbacks that the star has suffered in his tumultuous WWE career. When he was first signed in 2014, he was one of the first major international acquisitions for the NXT brand and was thought to be a future star. Soon after his debut, though, Finn Balor joined the company, and it seemed like company higher-ups (and fans) took to the Irish star with more fervor.

Itami won a tournament to earn a spot in WrestleMania 31's battle royal, but soon after the show he suffered a shoulder injury that put him on the shelf. Complications after surgery meant that he missed a total of 14 months of action, and while he returned to NXT TV over the summer, he was soon back on the DL - a botched powerslam from Riddick Moss hurt his neck, putting his spot in jeopardy once more.