Hiromu Takahashi's name has begun to circulate in WWE circles following the NXT debut of his former Los Ingobernables de Japan partner EVIL, who is now performing under the name Naraku.
According to BodySlam, news has been circulating around the WWE Performance Center that Takahashi is expected to end up in WWE, with a separate source saying that some within the company believe he could use the name Knox Raijin – the trademark that originally stood for EVIL before a last-minute name change.
Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp previously reported that EVIL is still listed as Nox Raijin in WWE's internal materials, as recently as Sunday, confirming that the switch to Naraku was a late decision ahead of the NXT name reveal on Tuesday night.
WWE filed a trademark for the name Nox Ryjin with the USPTO on April 28 – the same day as EVIL's NXT debut – which now raises the possibility that the name was always meant for a different artist entirely rather than EVIL.
Takahashi spent 16 years with NJPW after debuting in August 2010, becoming one of the promotion's best performers during that time. He is a five-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a record four-time Best of the Super Juniors tournament winner, having won it in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022. During the CMLL tour, he competed under the name Kamaitachi and won the CMLL World Lightweight Championship. He also worked in ROH, AEW, and Pro Wrestling NOAH during his career before leaving NJPW earlier this year.
Both Takahashi and Naraku were longtime members of Los Ingobernables de Japon in New Japan before EVIL's betrayal of the faction to join up with Bullet Club in 2020. A potential WWE reunion of the two former LIJ teammates on NXT would add a layer to Naraku's ongoing program with NXT Champion Tony D'Angelo.
Whether Takahashi comes under the Knox Raijin name or another identity entirely, his expected arrival gives NXT another important NJPW-affiliated signing to build on.
