• Hideo Itami suffered another setback on his shoulder injury and he could be out for several more months.

Hideo Itami suffered another setback on his shoulder injury and he could be out for several more months. (Photo : Twitter/@WWENXT)

NXT superstar Hideo Itami has been out due to injury since May 2015. However, a recent post on the Twitter account of the Japanese wrestler indicates that he might be nearing his return. How will Itami fit in the landscape of NXT that has drastically changed in the last eleven months?

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According to a report by WWE.com, the 35-year-old wrestler suffered a torn left rotator cuff that required surgery. He was written out of television thru a parking lot assault by an unknown attack in the morning of "NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable."

Itami was scheduled to face Finn Balor and Tyler Breeze at that event to determine the number one contender for the NXT championship. The timetable of his recovery was estimated to be just six to eight months after surgery.

However, it's not close to a year but there's still no clear indication of a return. That all changed with a Twitter post on Wednesday morning. Itami wrote the word "Almost" which means he's close to a return.


There were unconfirmed rumors back in January stating that the Tokyo-native suffered a setback while rehabbing his shoulder, per Daily DDT. Itami being out longer than eight months is a clear indication that there were problems encountered during his recovery.

During his recovery period, he made a return to Japan to promote WWE while his arm is in a sling. He has also been very active on social media and updating his fans on his rehabilitation.

If he returns before the summer, NXT has changed a lot since he last wrestled. Balor is the NXT champion while a lot of wrestlers have been promoted to the main roster. Breeze, Zayn, Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens and Apollo Crews are not in developmental anymore.

However, fans can look forward to Itami challenging Balor for the NXT title. He can also face several new names on NXT like compatriot Shinsuke Nakamura who recently made his debut against Zayn in a five-star classic.

Itami can also start a feud with the likes of Austin Aries and Samoa Joe. Are you excited for his in-ring? You can watch his introduction to NXT in the video below.