What’s the story?
NXT Superstar Hideo Itami may be leaving WWE very soon. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the 36-year-old Japanese Superstar may be done with the WWE, owing to his run with the promotion being marred by several injuries.
The Japanese Superstar has several of his close family members living in Japan and may leave WWE- which predominantly involves performing in North America, the US in particular- in favour of working for a Japanese promotion.
In case you didn’t know...
Hideo Itami, whose real name is Kenta Kobayashi, is best known for his work on the Japanese professional wrestling circuit in notable promotions such as All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Pro Wrestling Noah, besides several performances in American organisations such as Ring Of Honor (ROH).
Itami has performed for the WWE since 2014; however, the majority of his NXT run has been riddled with injuries.
The heart of the matter
Itami recently returned to NXT earlier this year after recovering from a neck injury that he sustained in October of last year.
If one is to believe the pro-wrestling rumour mill, Itami may part ways with the WWE in a few months. Apparently, his contract with WWE runs out later this year, and it’s highly likely that he may return to Japan, to perform for an organisation in his homeland.
The reason behind Itami potentially leaving WWE is being attributed to the multiple injuries he’s suffered over the course of his 3-year run with WWE, besides him possibly opting to return to his native, Japan, to be with his family.
Also read: 10 Superstars that will lead NXT into a new era
What’s next?
As of the time of this writing, neither the WWE nor Hideo Itami has confirmed or denied the rumours surrounding his future with the company after his current contract runs its course.
Author’s take
Hideo Itami is one of the most talented performers in the industry today, and at just 36 he’s relatively young for the business- one that sees the WWE put its most prestigious belts on 50+ legends.
On that note, I’d have to confess that I wouldn’t mind seeing Itami go back to competing in Japan, as that would, most definitely, enable the dynamic performer to stay with his family while competing in a Japanese promotion.
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