| Hideo Itami Makes His WWE Wrestling Debut At NXT Taping |
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Hideo Itami
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Formerly known as KENTA, Hideo Itami made his WWE NXT wrestling debut at Friday's taping in Winter Park,
Florida.
In a match that will air on next week's episode on the WWE Network, he defeated Justin Gabriel. After the match,
The Ascension attacked Itami and left him laying with the Fall of Man.
To view photos from his debut, click here.
One of the most renowned performers in the illustrious history of Japanese wrestling has found a new home in
WWE NXT. The competitor formerly known as KENTA drew headlines when he signed with WWE over the summer, an
announcement that carried such gravity that the legendary Hulk Hogan set out to Japan to moderate the ceremonial contract
signing.
A former one-time Global Honored Crown (GHC) Heavyweight Champion, three-time GHC Junior Heavyweight and one-time GHC Tag
Team Champion in his native country, KENTA made his official debut at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way, where he revealed
his new WWE-branded moniker, Hideo Itami.
Itami's warm reception came to a halt when The Ascension, fresh off losing the NXT Tag Team Championship to the
Lucha Dragons, interrupted the Japanese wrestling sensation and demanded a title rematch. For their actions, Viktor and
Konnor were promptly ejected from the ring by Itami, and next week on WWE NXT, the celebrated athlete will make his
wrestling debut.
No matter which continent's he's competing on, no matter the ring name, Hideo Itami remains one of the most talented and
respected professional wrestlers in the world, and he's ready to prove it to WWE fans.
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KENTA makes his WWE NXT debut as Hideo Itami
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Hideo Itami's WWE theme song is called Tokiwakita (Time Has Come) and is now available on iTunes.
The wrestler formerly known as KENTA makes his televised debut tonight on WWE NXT against Justin Gabriel.
Thursday's NXT Takeover: Fatal 4-Way event was a big success for WWE. Fans that watched the show seemed to have
loved it and it proved again to be a big reason why fans should purchase WWE Network for only $9.99 US per month. One of the
moments that received the most attention was the debut of KENTA. It was noteworthy not only because it was his first time on
WWE programming, but also because he announced he would be using a new name: Hideo Itami. Vince McMahon and Triple H were at
odds over that.
Triple H was adamant they not change KENTA's name to capitalize on his popularity in Japan and make sure they didn't
offend the fans in his home country. He feels that KENTA can be of great assistance to WWE in Japan, which has gone cold in
recent years. Vince, however, considers trademarking names very important, and was equally adamant that they give him a new
name.
As you can see, Vince won out.
With this decision, it's clear that no wrestler is is safe regardless of international success or marketability.
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