EVIL could be making the jump to WWE. According to Voices of Wrestling, discussions between the New Japan Pro-Wrestling veteran and WWE are ongoing, though no official signing has been confirmed. The report notes that EVIL — real name Takaaki Watanabe — has expressed a preference for starting his WWE run in NXT rather than going directly to the main roster, feeling that the developmental brand would give him time to adapt to the WWE style before a bigger spotlight.
Watanabe has also indicated he would prefer to keep his already well-established EVIL persona intact if he does sign with the company.
EVIL Has Been One of NJPW’s Most Prominent Stars Over the Past Decade
Watanabe debuted in NJPW as a young lion in 2011 before a 2014 excursion to ROH helped shape his career. He returned to NJPW as EVIL and went on to become one of the promotion’s most notable names. After years as a member of Los Ingobernables de Japon, he joined Bullet Club in July 2020 and made history shortly after, defeating Tetsuya Naito at Dominion on July 12, 2020, in Osaka-jo Hall to capture both the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships simultaneously.
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