Hideo Itami, Finn Balor and Latest WWE NXT Developmental News

WWE NXT fans received more bad news this week when word emerged that Hideo Itami is dealing with an injury.

The facts that Finn Balor is booked to face a former world champion and appears to be unveiling a new body paint design will help to cheer up the NXT fanbase. Balor has some exciting things awaiting him on the horizon, while Itami may have some rehab time lined up for him instead.

In other developmental news, some new faces in the Divas division debuted, Kevin Owens is heading to Japan and WWE isn't sure what to call its latest in-ring sensation. 

Hideo Itami Injured

Sami Zayn suddenly has company in the "I hurt my shoulder" club. 

PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports, "WWE NXT star Hideo Itami is out of action with a bad shoulder injury." Johnson also notes that sources tell him Itami is expected to miss four-to-six months.

That throws quite the wrench into WWE's plans. Itami is scheduled to face Tyler Breeze and Finn Balor in a No. 1 contender's bout at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable. The live event is just a week away.

WWE has yet to announce the injury or any changes to the match, however.

While the company could easily make the Triple Threat a standard match instead, this would be a great opportunity to showcase another prospect. Have Solomon Crowe take Itami's spot and let him prove he belongs in the same class as Breeze and Balor.

Finn Balor and Kevin Owens Set for Japanese Tour

Finn Balor and Kevin Owens will be representing the NXT brand in Japan.

As Mike Johnson notes in PWInsider, both Balor and Owens are advertised for WWE live events during the Japanese tour in July. Balor even has an opponent lined up: He's booked to face Chris Jericho for the first time ever.

WWE's choice of Balor for this spot is huge, as Jericho's dates are limited. Y2J will be doing another tour where he only does house shows for a few months before returning to touring with his band. 

This is a sign of how highly WWE views Balor. And boy, are the fans who buy tickets for this showdown in for a treat.

Newer Divas Step into the Ring

The NXT Divas division is getting some new blood. A pair of recent female recruits and a Diva-in-training got their first opportunities in the ring.

As listed on ProFightDB.com, Jessie McKay and KC Cassidy worked the live event on May 8, while Lina competed in tag action in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 7.

McKay and Cassidy were a part of the recent group of new prospects whom WWE welcomed in April. Lina isn't as experienced as those women and likely won't be moving up the ranks as fast as them. She has been training at the WWE Performance Center over the past year but doesn't have the indy resumes of McKay and Cassidy.

New faces on the match listings is a welcome sight. The Divas division is going to be changing in the near future, with Sasha Banks and Charlotte sure to be leaving for the main roster before long. 

Finn Balor Teases Body Paint Reveal

Philadelphia fans appear to be getting a special treat.

Finn Balor continues to tease on Twitter that he has a new look coming and that he will debut it in The City of Brotherly Love. Balor shared an image of his neck and back, a rib shot and a photo of his face that all offered peeks at a darker shade of body paint. In some of the pics, he referenced May 15.

That's the date NXT travels to Philly for a live event. Perhaps he is just going to use that show as a test run and show off the new body art at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, which is five days after that event.

It's not often that a wrestler can create this kind of buzz about what he's going to wear in the ring. This is just further evidence that Balor is no ordinary wrestler. 

Other News, Notes

The Jason Albert era at NXT continues to receive good reports. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc), the WWE Performance Center environment is much better following Bill DeMott's exit.

In March, DeMott resigned from his position as NXT's head trainer amid allegations of physical and verbal abuse. He has steadfastly denied the allegations. 

Former Divas champ Eve Torres headed to the WWE Performance Center recently. She noted on Instagram that she was there to teach her Women Empowered self-defense class. She wrote of the NXT Divas she interacted with, "They did great this week and all have a bright future ahead of them!"

On last week's NXT, Uhaa Nation debuted in a segment where William Regal offered him a contract to sign. It's clear that it won't take long for him to make his way to TV after joining the developmental system just a few months ago.

F4WOnline (h/t Wrestling Inc) reports that WWE officials have not decided on Nation's ring name yet. That's why his name was not mentioned during the segment or the vignette to introduce him. 

It doesn't really matter what they end up calling him. Nation has the potential to be among the top NXT talents right away.