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What’s the story?
As reported by Cagesideseats, the talks with Neville on a potential WWE comeback are dead.
Apparently, the fact that the WWE higher-ups bestowed the go-ahead on Hideo Itami allowing him to use Neville’s signature move, indicates that Neville will not indeed return to the WWE anytime soon.
In case you didn’t know…
Neville performed for the WWE from 2012-17 and has previously held the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
Neville was rumored to have ‘walked out’ on WWE during a RAW taping back in October, following which although many believed he’d reconciled with the promotion, he is yet to return to the WWE.
The heart of the matter
As we’d previously reported, Hideo Itami’s finisher was the Go To Sleep (GTS)—a move popularized by CM Punk. Itami used the GTS throughout his NXT stint, however, he happened to injure Brian Kendrick on a recent edition of RAW; following which the WWE has reportedly banned the usage of the GTS.
Nevertheless, from the 205 Live tapings that followed RAW, Itami seems to have shifted toward using the ‘Rings Of Saturn’—a submission finisher used by Neville in the WWE. The vast majority of professional wrestling industry experts believe that the considering how the WWE is permitting Itami to utilize the signature move, the theory that Neville will not be returning to the WWE in the near future is further validated.
One ought to note that neither Neville nor the WWE has provided any official statements pertaining to his departure from the promotion.
What’s next?
With Neville out of the picture, the WWE Cruiserweight Championship is held by Enzo Amore.
Fans can expect Neville to return to the sport of professional wrestling sooner rather than later, in promotions outside the WWE.
Author’s take
Neville is a highly talented high-flying Superstar, but his grievances with the WWE remain incomprehensible till date.
He seemed to be accorded pretty decent opportunities in the WWE and received a ton of appreciation from the fans as well. Every day he’s on the shelf, is a day of his athletic prime wasted. Here’s hoping the former champ return to the ring at the earliest.
