What’s the story?
Chris Jericho posted on Instagram that he will be facing NXT Superstar Hideo Itami on June 30th in Japan.
In case you didn’t know...
WWE will be touring Japan at the end of June, going to Tokyo on June 30th and July 1st. Chris Jericho will be returning to action in WWE’s Asia tour after being on hiatus due to his tour with Fozzy. However, it seems that it’s just a return to Live Events and not WWE television itself.
Jericho was last seen on the May 2nd edition of SmackDown Live, where he was defeated by Kevin Owens for the United States Championship. He was written off TV after being assaulted by Owens post-match.
Hideo Itami has been back for a few months now after his 2nd injury in NXT. He unsuccessfully challenged Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship at NXT Takeover: Chicago. Since then, he’s been involved in a program with Kassius Ohno, teasing a heel turn quite a few times.
He will be returning home to Japan for the first time since December, this time finally being able to perform there. When NXT last went to Japan in December, he was still injured, thus unable to perform.
The heart of the matter
Chris Jericho posted on Instagram about his excitement to be facing the former GHC Heavyweight Champion Hideo Itami:
Jericho vs Itami should be an excellent match as the two veterans lock it up in front of Hideo Itami’s home country audience. It’s almost a certainty that Hideo will win, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jericho put Itami over after the match. Last year when Jericho faced Nakamura in Japan, he praised him after the match, calling him a future WWE champion.
What’s next?
Jericho will be back in action for the Asian tour and likely have an excellent match with Itami. Post-tour, Jericho may continue with Fozzy while Itami gears up for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III.
Author’s Take
Hideo Itami vs Chris Jericho is a match-up no one thought they would want to see until they actually hear of it. The two competitors haven’t crossed paths before, so they may most likely have a great match.
The Japanese audience is lucky because their live events always feature stellar line-ups.
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