Add as a preferred source on Google EVIL has already appeared on WWE programming, but the company still hasn’t officially locked in a new name for him.
According to WrestleVotes, WWE hasn’t finalized which identity the former NJPW star will use going forward. The situation helps explain why his NXT debut was handled in such an enigmatic way.
On this week’s episode of WWE NXT, EVIL confronted Tony D’Angelo, the current NXT Champion, after weeks of mystery involving a box with Japanese symbols tied to the word “war.” During the segment, he appeared hooded, handed an item to the champion, and then revealed his face.
The most important detail is that WWE did not officially introduce him as EVIL. The broadcast referred to him only as a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, making it clear the company could still change his identity before fully putting him into a rivalry.
EVIL, the ring name of Takaaki Watanabe, signed with WWE after leaving New Japan Pro-Wrestling earlier this year. Even before his debut, there was already expectation that he would start his run in NXT under a different name.
So far, WWE has not announced when D’Angelo and EVIL will clash for the NXT Championship.