KENTA was one of the most popular Japanese wrestlers of his generation. Fans around the world know him and his peers worldwide revere him. So much so that the professional wrestling world couldn’t help but get excited when it was announced that World Wrestling Entertainment had reached a deal with KENTA and would soon be reporting to Full Sail University and NXT.
Once he arrived, a name change was in order and KENTA became Hideo Itami. Hie first few months with the company were a little lackluster, but fans were willing to forgive him because despite years of experience, Itami was still new to the WWE style. Fans of Hideo knew he would eventually adapt and might even become a huge star. It certainly didn’t hurt that Itami also happened to be a pet project of NXT executive Triple H.
The Rise
The faith and patience of both the NXT Universe and the Game paid off, and soon Hideo found himself staring down a huge opportunity. Itami found himself in the enviable position of competing for the #1 contendership of the NXT Championship, held by Kevin Owens. It was a position that Hideo had found himself in before, but never been able to capitalize on. This time things would be different however. Itami had won a tournament on Wrestlemania weekend filled with NXT’s top superstars, earning him a spot in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and it was recently announced that the NXT Championship would be defended at the upcoming WWE Network special emanating from Itami’s home country of Japan. It was as if the stars were aligning for Hideo to triumphantly return home and fulfill his destiny of becoming champion.
The Fall
Then, it all came crashing down. The day of Itami’s scheduled #1 contender triple threat match at NXT Takeover:Unstoppable, Hideo was attacked outside of Full Sail University and left with an injured shoulder, not only taking him out of the match, but sidelining him for months. Hideo had gone from looking forward to the biggest moment of his career, to having nothing to look forward to. Instead of basking in the cheers of the fans who had grown with him and cheered him on, he had to sit on the sidelines and watch his opponents steal his destiny.
It has been nearly five months since that event, and each day that goes day bring Itami closer and closer to his ring return. When that day comes there will be a few tasks that Hideo needs to accomplish before moving into the next chapter of his career.
Extract Vengeance
The first thing Itami needs to do when he returns to NXT is find the person who attacked him on May 20th, and hunt him down. Hideo is well versed in the art of revenge, having tasted it within his first few weeks at NXT after being attacked by the Ascension and returning the favor for several weeks.
Any bit of heartache that has come Itami’s way in the last five months has come at the hands of his mystery assailant. Was it Kevin Owens fearing the threats Hideo made of him weeks prior, or was it Tyler Breeze, one of his opponents the night of Unstoppable, trying to increase the odds of winning in his favor? Maybe it was debuting newcomer and old rival Samoa Joe looking to pay an old debt to his former Ring of Honor foe? At this point, we do not know, but when he comes back, Hideo needs to find out.
Itami cannot move ahead in his career until he finds whoever did this to him and return the favor. If not, the gnawing question of the who and why could eat him from the inside out, making it difficult to reach his highest potential. Whether he teams up with NXT General Manager William Regal to launch an investigation or goes full on vigilante and does it himself, Hideo needs to serve the justice with his own hands.
Exorcise The Demon
This might seem like an odd entry on this list considering that not only are Itami and current NXT Champion Finn Balor former tag team partners, but friends. In fact, it was Balor whom Hideo eventually brought to NXT in order to help him fight of the Ascension. Despite this fact, there are two distinct reasons that when Itami returns he needs to challenge his friend to at least one more match.
First, Itami has only defeated Finn Balor once before. They have had several contests in NXT but all of them have ended with Balor’s arm raised in victory, except for the night Itami won the Axxes tournament during WrestleMania 31 weekend. It was no coincidence that the beginning of his journey to the top was punctuated with a victory over the man who he previously could not defeat. If Itami wants to make it back to where he was before getting hurt, then beating Balor is a good place to start.
Secondly, had Hideo not been attacked the day of Unstoppable, it is entirely possible that he would be where Balor is now, atop NXT as champion. In the eyes of many, Finn stole the spot meant for Itami, and has been reaping the benefits ever since. That might not be the case, but let’s be honest, five months sitting at home recuperating gives you plenty of time to think about these things while you watch your friend and tag team partner become NXT Champion in your home country. Hideo needs to prove to himself, the fans, to Triple H, and Finn Balor, that he was the chosen one all along.
Become NXT Champion
While this task and defeating Finn Balor could be one and the same when Hideo returns, it is entirely possible that someone else might be NXT champion by the time Itami steps back into a ring. For all we know it could be the young sensation Apollo Crews, who is next in line for a shot at Balor as of this writing.
Whoever it is, Hideo needs to defeat them and fulfill his destiny. The whole reason he came to NXT was to become champion. He said as much when he first arrived. Before he leaves NXT for the greener pastures of the WWE roster, he needs to unlock this achievement with a decisive win to become the man atop of the mountain in NXT.
Before Hideo was sidelined, he looked poised to become the man in NXT. He needs to ensure that before his time is up that his story ends up being more like his supporter Triple H, who came back from great odds against an injury to rise up as champion, and less like the legendary Magnum TA who has become a story of potential lost.
The Waiting Game
Before Hideo Itami can achieve any of those accomplishments, he first must focus on healing his injuries and getting back into ring shape. If you watched NXT Takeover: Respect then you likely saw Hideo sitting in the crowd with Funaki, watching the show. While he may have appeared to be a man enjoying his friends perform, the look on his face was one that told a different story. One of a man who wasn’t watching, but analyzing. Mentally, Itami is ready, and likely has been for months. All you need to do is look behind his eyes and there you will find the truth of who Itami has become. A dragon, pacing back and forth in his den, waiting to once again take flight.
