We reported yesterday that there was rumors that Hideo Itami could be heading back to Japan when his contract with WWE expires this year. Itami denied those rumors in a short clip that WWE published on social media.
“No, I worked hard to get here,” said Itami. “One loss doesn’t mean going back to Japan. I’m not done yet.”
Kevin Owens mentioned on Twitter today that his thumb is broken but he will not miss ring time. He tweeted:
Sad to report that #TheThumbOfAmerica is broken but fear not! I am in fact the toughest man alive and will not be missing any ring time. pic.twitter.com/y0BIWWN3Vj
— Kevin Owens (@FightOwensFight) June 6, 2017
WWE officially announced that John Cena will be making his return to WWE programming on the July 4th episode of SmackDown Live.
To combat low ratings, WWE is planning a big show for July 4th with Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler.
Many of you may have noticed the absent of The Hardy Boyz on this week’s episode of RAW. For those wondering, Matt and Jeff Hardy had the day off and that’s the reason they were not on RAW. Matt’s wife Reby Sky is due to give birth very soon, so that’s why Matt is home.
During the mailbag segment on today’s installment of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer was asked about the rumors of Hideo Itami leaving WWE once his contract is up this year. Meltzer mentioned that he didn’t know for sure if Itami would leave, but he could see it happening. Meltzer explained that Itami has a lot of family in Japan and he could see him leaving WWE to head to New Japan.
As many of you are aware, Itami has had several injuries since coming to WWE several years ago. He seems to get hurt every time he builds any momentum on the NXT brand and it sets him back. Several of his peers that joined NXT around the time he did are already on the main roster doing big things while he is still trying to overcome the developmental system. It should be interesting to see how his career plays out in WWE with his contract nearing expiration this year.
As many of you noticed, Finn Balor was not used on this week’s episode of RAW. It’s believed that he was kept off television to sell the impact of the Fatal 5-Way match at Sunday’s Extreme Rules event. Balor did appear after RAW went off the air to make the save for Seth Rollins who was being attacked by Samoa Joe and Bray Wyatt.
Triple H announced on Twitter that NXT “Takeover: Brooklyn III” will take place Saturday, August 19th at the Barclays Center during SummerSlam weekend.
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn returns to Barclays Center on Aug. 19
For the third year in a row, Brooklyn, N.Y., will host NXT’s hottest event of the summer.
TakeOver: Brooklyn III comes to the Barclays Center Saturday, Aug. 19, one night before WWE SummerSlam emanates from the same building.
WWE COO Triple H made the announcement on Twitter:
Tickets for the WWE Network special event go on sale this Friday, June 9, at 10 a.m. ET, exclusively at NXTtickets.com.
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn has played home to such historic showdowns as Finn Bálor vs. Kevin Owens, Bayley vs. Sasha Banks and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe in previous years. There’s no telling what huge matches will go down this August, but this much is certain: Takeover: Brooklyn III will have the entire WWE Universe buzzing!
Don’t miss out on witnessing the action live in person — secure your ticket this Friday.
WWE announced that Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns will open tonight’s episode of RAW.
Also confirmed for tonight’s show, The Miz will be celebrating his Intercontinental Championship win after beating Dean Ambrose for the championship at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event.
Check back here at 8PM ET for our live play-by-play coverage.
The Miz announced on tonight’s episode of RAW Talk that he will have an Intercontinental Championship Comeback Tour celebration on tomorrow’s episode of RAW.
No other matches or segments have been announced for the show, but we will keep you updated if they announce anything else.
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According to WWE, Hall of Famer Harley Race has broke both his legs in a fall this past week. Here is an excerpt from their report:
WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race has broken both legs after a fall in his home in Troy, Mo. on Tuesday, WWE.com has learned.
Race sustained a fracture to his right femur and suffered breaks in his left fibula and tibia, as well as a spiral break of his left ankle. The WWE Hall of Famer required emergency surgery to relieve the swelling in both legs late Tuesday night. He subsequently received four blood transfusions and underwent surgery on Friday to reset the fractures.
WWE wishes Harley Race the best on the road to recovery.
As Darren Young continues to train for his ring return, he noted on Twitter that Finn Balor introduced him to blood flow restriction therapy for rehabilitation.
Thanks 2 @FinnBalor 4 introducing me 2 #bloodflowrestriction for rehabilitation training. It’s helped so much in my recovery. #blockthehate pic.twitter.com/K6yFoOAW3R
— nodaysoff D-Young (@DarrenYoungWWE) June 1, 2017
As previously noted, Young has been out of action since January with an arm injury.