Hiromu Takahashi’s name has begun circulating within WWE circles following the debut of his former Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemate EVIL, now known as Naraku, on NXT.
According to Bodyslam, word going around the WWE Performance Center is that Takahashi is expected to end up in WWE. Additionally, a separate source indicated that some within WWE believe Takahashi could use the name Nox Raijin, which was originally the trademarked ring name intended for EVIL before WWE made a last-minute switch to Naraku ahead of his NXT name reveal on Tuesday night.
Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp previously reported that WWE internal materials still referred to EVIL as Nox Raijin as recently as May 3, confirming the name change was a late decision. The existence of the Nox Raijin trademark, filed on April 28 with the USPTO, now raises the possibility that it was always intended for a different performer.
Takahashi spent 16 years with NJPW after debuting in August 2010. During his time with NJPW he became a five-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a record four-time Best of Super Juniors tournament winner in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022. He also competed on excursion in CMLL, where he performed under the name Kamaitachi and won the CMLL World Lightweight Championship, and had stints in Ring of Honor, AEW, and Pro Wrestling Noah during his career. He departed NJPW in 2026.
Takahashi and Naraku, formerly EVIL, were both longtime members of Los Ingobernables de Japon in New Japan before EVIL’s 2020 betrayal of the faction to join Bullet Club. A potential WWE reunion of two former LIJ stablemates on NXT would add a compelling layer to Naraku’s ongoing storyline with Tony D’Angelo.
