Kyoki, formerly known as Hiromu Takahashi in NJPW, worked his first WWE match this Monday.
Ahead of RAW and the SmackDown taping at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, the Japanese star faced Kit Wilson in a dark match and picked up the win.
The in-ring debut came just three days after his first WWE television appearance. On the August 21 SmackDown from Toronto, Kyoki was officially introduced as Shinsuke Nakamura’s new tag team partner.
Nakamura had spent weeks teasing the arrival of an ally to take on the MFT. The vignette set the stage for an escalation in the rivalry with Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga, the reigning WWE Tag Team Champions.
The bout against Wilson also marked Kyoki’s return to action after more than six months away from the ring. His last match took place on February 11 at NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka, where he teamed with Taiji Ishimori to defeat Francesco Akira and Jakob Austin Young in his farewell from the promotion.
There is still no date for Kyoki’s television debut.