“SAN JOSE, Calif. — Hideo Itami is
going to WrestleMania. Though he’s only been in WWE NXT — and America —
for six months, the Japanese sensation has made an immediate impact
since arriving. It was no different at the first session of WrestleMania
Axxess tonight, where Itami won a four-man tournament to earn a spot in
the prestigious Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal this Sunday at
WrestleMania.
Itami defeated former NXT Champion Adrian Neville in
the semi-finals of the tournament. That win earned the Japanese star a
spot in the finals against his friend and occasional tag team partner
Finn Bálor, who beat Tyler Breeze in the other semi-final match. It was
the first time the two friends met since they clashed in the semi-finals
of an NXT Championship No. 1 Contender’s Tournament, where Bálor
emerged victorious.
Itami and Bálor had WWE fans at Axxess
swarming around the ring to catch a glimpse of a high-octane struggle.
In the end, the Japanese Superstar put his friend away with a running
dropkick to punch his ticket to WrestleMania. The magnitude of this
opportunity isn’t lost on Itami. He almost couldn’t believe that he was
heading to The Show of Shows.”
Credit goes to WWE.com
