WWE Brand Split 2016: 10 Wrestlers Who Must Stay In NXT
2. Hideo Itami
Since signing with WWE in January 2014, the former KENTA has now spent more time on the treatment table than on television. A lingering shoulder injury kept him sidelined from May 2015 to June 30th, 2016, when he made his in-ring return at a Florida house show, and the former Pro Wrestling Noah and Ring of Honor standout looks set for an immediate return to television.
There’s no doubt that Itami is an incredibly talented wrestler. Anyone who’s ever seen his blockbuster matches with the likes of Daniel Bryan, Low Ki, and Naomichi Marufuji can attest to that, but he’s endured a rough transition to the WWE style. Itami has improved progressively, but his matches have largely underwhelmed, and his in-ring hesitancy suggests that he’s having real difficulty transitioning from hard-hitting puroresu to the simplified WWE style.
Itami will always be a popular figure with NXT fans, and he has all the tools required to be a long-term success in WWE. He just needs to figure out how to unlock them in this environment.