WWE has officially signed former IWGP Heavyweight Champion EVIL — but the company has yet to determine where he fits on its programming. According to PWInsider, EVIL is currently listed internally on WWE‘s miscellaneous roster rather than being attached to Raw, SmackDown, or NXT, placing him in the same internal category as legends and injured talent while creative plans for his introduction are developed.
“Former IWGP Champion EVIL has not been officially assigned to any WWE brand and is listed internally on the company’s ‘Misc.’ roster, which is also where legends and injured talents reside internally,” PWInsider reported. Adding to the uncertainty, WWE has not publicly acknowledged the signing at all, keeping his arrival quiet even as sources in Japan confirmed the deal is complete. “WWE has not officially acknowledged he has been signed by the company,” PWInsider noted.
The signing was first confirmed after months of speculation following EVIL’s departure from New Japan Pro-Wrestling in January — real name Takaaki Watanabe, he became one of NJPW’s top stars in 2020 when he betrayed Los Ingobernables de Japón to align with Bullet Club and subsequently defeated Tetsuya Naito to hold both the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships simultaneously. He is also the real-life partner of WWE‘s IYO SKY.
EVIL Is Expected to Debut Under a New Name in WWE Suggesting a Full Character Repackage Is Being Developed
The most significant detail surrounding his arrival is the expectation in Japan that he will not use the EVIL ring name once he appears on WWE programming. A name change of that nature typically signals a deliberate character repackage — which may be a central reason why WWE is taking its time before assigning him to a specific brand. Whether that debut comes in NXT as a way to rebuild his character from the ground up or directly on Raw or SmackDown under a new identity remains to be seen, but the miscellaneous roster listing and the absence of any official acknowledgment from WWE suggests the company is in no immediate rush to pull the trigger.
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