One WWE NXT star may not be on the main roster for long.
There has been some talk within the sports entertainment company about moving Hideo Itami up from the NXT roster to the main roster with the idea that he would join the Raw brand as a member of the Cruiserweight division.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there are some reports in Japan that Itami is interested in returning to the country once his contract with the sports entertainment company has expired.
Itami made his name known while competing in Pro Wrestling Noah under the ring name Kenta.
He began his professional wrestling career n All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), before moving to Pro Wrestling Noah. He also worked for Global Professional Wrestling Alliance (GPWA), a global organization of cooperative promotions that allow their competitors to travel abroad to other companies, as well as Ring of Honor (ROH).
Outside of the WWE, he has won several professional wrestling championships in his career. Those titles include being a one-time Global Honored Crown (GHC) Heavyweight Champion, three-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion,three-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, and one-time GHC Tag Team Champion. Also, he is the winner of the 2012 Global League and the 2013 Global Tag League tournaments.
In early 2014, he entered WWE's Performance Center in Orlando, Florida for a tryout. His signing was officially announced during an in-ring segment on July 12 in Osaka. Kobayashi relocated to Orlando to resume training at the Performance Center. He made his NXT debut on September 11 at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way by being introduced by William Regal where he announced his new ring name.
In 2015, Itami had suffered a legitimate shoulder injury, which required surgery and was expected to sideline him for six months. Itami had suffered complications with his shoulder that kept him out of action for longer but he eventually made his return to the ring on June 30, 2016, at an NXT live event, teaming with TM-61 to defeat Samoa Joe, Blake and Tino Sabbatelli in a six-man tag team match.
In recent months, he has not been used on WWE television as much. In August, he demanded respect from the fans, which led to Aleister Black walking out and Black hit Itami with Black Mass. This led to a match between the two stars wrestling each other at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III where Itami was defeated by Black.
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