Hideo Itami Finally Debuts On WWE 205 Live
The Japanese star enters the Cruiserweight division.
24 hours after debuting as a main roster Superstar on Monday Night Raw, former NXT man Hideo Itami made his 205 Live bow last night, defeating former ECW jobber Colin Delaney in a quick squash match.
The Japanese star was nowhere to be found on the rest of the show, but dominated his lowly opponent. He took Delaney down almost immediately, then demanded respect from his opponent, suggesting that while he worked babyface alongside Finn Balor on Raw, he'll likely continue with his established heel character from NXT.
Itami's debut came on the back of a weeks-long vignette campaign. He has been with WWE since 2014, and would likely have made it to the main roster long before now if it weren't for a lengthy series of career-derailing injuries. Fortunately, Hideo has been able to stay healthy since returning from his latest setback in April, though he had been kept off NXT television since September 5th.
WWE's plans for Itami on 205 Live remain to be seen, but he has featured heavily in promotion for the brand's upcoming three-date house show tour, and a Cruiserweight Title program with Enzo Amore has been rumoured in the media.