WWE officially wrote off injured wrestler Hideo Itami prior to NXT Takeover, during the WWE Network exclusive pre-show. They rolled “fan footage” of Itami being found in the parking lot being checked on by various stars and backstage personal. NXT champion Kevin Owens was then seen walking to the building with his bags, sarcastically muttering “that’s a shame…” as he walked by.
Renee Young provided an update on the situation, confirming that Itami will not compete in the big triple threat #1 contender’s match. Instead, it will be a singles match between Finn Balor and Tyler Breeze, with the winner getting a shot at the NXT Championship, which will either be held by Owens or Sami Zayn by tonight’s end.
