標籤: NJPW

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.

Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion EVIL may debut in WWE soon.

Sources have indicated to BodySlam that EVIL is expected to debut soon following his recent signing with the company, with tonight’s NXT emerging as a possibility given the mysterious storyline currently ongoing on the brand.

PWInsider first confirmed the signing last week, noting that WWE has yet to publicly acknowledge the deal. A follow-up report from PWInsider also revealed that EVIL is currently listed internally on WWE’s diverse roster – the same category used for legends and injured talent – ​​suggesting that the company has not yet decided which brand he will be assigned to. That picture is probably about to change.

So where does evil fit in? The NXT connection stems from last week’s episode of the brand, during which Tony D’Angelo was presented with a box containing the Japanese kanji for “war”. The delivery immediately led to speculation that EVIL may have been behind it, with many fans and observers pointing out the obvious similarities between the secret package and his arrival in WWE.

Others have suggested that the sender could be Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Meteor Sasaki, who is currently on tour in NXT. No confirmation of either theory has been provided, but the timing of the bodyslam’s imminent first report on The Tonight Show fuels EVIL speculation.

EVIL had a breakout moment in his career after betraying Los Ingobernables de Japon to join up with Bullet Club in 2020. He defeated Tetsuya Naito, retaining both the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships, a moment that marked a significant change in NJPW’s storytelling at the time.

His overall resume includes one IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign, one IWGP Intercontinental Championship reign, four NEVER Openweight Championship reigns, two IWGP Tag Team Championship reigns, and six NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship reigns. He left NJPW in January before his WWE contract was confirmed in late April. Japanese sources are expected to drop the EVIL ring name going forward, although WWE has not publicly confirmed any new name.

WWE has signed with former IWGP Heavyweight Champion EVIL, PWInsider.com has confirmed with multiple sources in Japan. While rumors regarding his destination have been circulating for months, the signing has now been confirmed. According to the same sources, the expectation in Japan is that he will not wear the EVIL ring name upon his WWE debut.

EVIL, whose real name is Takaaki Watanabe, made a name for himself in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2020 after one of the most talked-about heel turns of that era. Originally a member of the Los Ingobernables de Japon faction, he shocked fans by betraying the group and allying himself with Bullet Club, adopting a darker, intervention-heavy character in the process.

The result was soon rewarded. He defeated Tetsuya Naito to become a double champion, as well as hold the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships, a moment that marked a significant shift in NJPW’s storytelling during that period.

NJPW 的格局正面臨著潛在的巨大變化，有報導稱前 IWGP 重量級冠軍 EVIL 已通知晉升並有望加入 WWE。

在歷史性的摔跤王國 20 賽事中，EVIL 將 NEVER 公開量級冠軍輸給了奧運會金牌得主亞倫·沃爾夫 (Aaron Wolf)，之後，關於“黑暗之王”及其在日本以外的未來的猜測愈演愈烈。

這一轉變似乎不僅僅是謠言，正如《摔跤觀察家現場》的布萊恩·阿爾瓦雷斯最近表示的那樣：“順便說一句，EVIL 可能正在離開新日本，而且有強烈傳言說他正在前往 WWE。”

雖然 EVIL 標誌性的酷刑之家干擾和“惡作劇”經常引起傳統主義觀眾的強烈反對，但他作為 NJPW 前三冠王的履歷使他成為 WWE 全球擴張努力的重要收購者。

有趣的是，據報導 AEW 並不是競選的主要因素。據稱，AEW 主席托尼·汗 (Tony Khan) 對 EVIL 特定的高干擾摔跤品牌並不感興趣。

EVIL 可能不是唯一一位即將在 WWE 亮相的 NJPW 明星。據報導，子彈俱樂部戰犬 (Bullet Club War Dogs) 的幾位成員（現已轉變為 Unbound Company 派系）的內部興趣激增，現任 IWGP 全球重量級冠軍大衛·芬利 (David Finlay) 一直是 WWE 內部經常談論的話題，尤其是 NXT 品牌，因為他的合同即將到期，並且希望 2026 年在美國度過更多時間。

同樣，加布·基德也吸引了 WWE 和 AEW 的“巨大興趣”，因為他的 NJPW 合同預計將於一月底到期。雖然 AEW 已經聘請基德作為喬恩·莫克斯利 (Jon Moxley) 的死亡騎士 (Death Riders) 的合夥人，但 WWE 對這位“戰狗”領袖以及德里拉·莫洛尼 (Drilla Moloney) 等隊友的追捕，標誌著新的一年可能會針對 NJPW 的頂級外國人才進行突襲。