Hideo Itami missed more than a year of action due to a shoulder injury he suffered last year in May. While Itami was put on the shelf due to this injury, he saw other wrestlers who signed with the company in the same time period as he did, advancing the ladder and becoming mega-stars.
In a recent interview published on WWE.com, the Japanese wrestler talked openly about his injury and how he felt when he saw other wrestlers such as Kevin Owens and Finn Balor dominating the NXT before debuting in the main roster and more. Below are some of the highlights from the interview:
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Hideo who made his In ring return this past June during an NXT Live Event talked about how it feels to return to NXT:
"I’m so happy to be back. Words cannot explain how much it meant. But my goal is not just to be back in action; I’m also focused on reaching the next level."
While discussing his shoulder injury which caused him more than a year of action, Itami claimed that it was the toughest injury of his life:
"I suffered a dislocated shoulder, which was a very tough injury. I have torn my ACLs in both knees and I’ve broken an ankle, but this is the longest I’ve ever been out of action in my entire career. It was the toughest injury of my life."
Talking about the evolution of NXT from being just a development territory to a Global Brand touring all over the world, the NXT star said that it was very frustrating for him to just sit there and watch it happening:
"It was very frustrating. NXT went through so many big changes while I was hurt. There was so much new talent brought in and NXT expanded its touring schedule, but all I could do was watch it happen. I hated having to watch NXT every Wednesday, knowing I couldn’t be in the ring."
Hideo was signed with NXT during the same time as Kevin Owens and Finn Balor and both men have gone on to become very big stars in WWE, so he was asked how it felt and if he feels extra pressure for doing the same:
“I sat in the crowd and watched Finn Bálor become NXT Champion in my home country. I was happy for him, but I was also a little jealous. I saw Kevin Owens defeat John Cena in his first match in WWE. Many people in Japan expected me to do big things when I came to NXT, and now that I’m back, I want to make them proud. I want to show the world how good I am and I want to prove to myself how great I can be.”
Along with this, Itami also talked about how spending time with his family helped him during his rehabilitation period.
