Although WWE remained mostly quiet on the situation due to NXT taping so far ahead of time, the promotion finally shot an angle at the NXT Takeover: Unstoppable event to write Hideo Itami out of storylines to deal with a shoulder injury. PW Insider reported that should injury would require surgery and keep him out of action for anywhere from six to eight months.
Now, Itami has gone under the knife and he's showing off his scars:
I will be better than ever. #EvenStronger #neverbackdown pic.twitter.com/wAZnCToBiM
— Hideo Itami / 伊丹英雄 (@HideoItami) May 26, 2015
Gnarly.
Itami was a star on the rise just a couple months ago, having been pushed throughout WrestleMania weekend and into the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He was scheduled for a triple threat number one contender match at Takeover: Unstoppable before the injury knocked him out.
Considering how rapidly NXT has grown, there's no telling what the landscape will look like once he finally returns.