Hikuleo's ring name revealed following debut at WWE Night of Champions 2025

Hikuleo signed with the WWE in 2024.

Former NJPW star Hikuleo signed with the WWE in July 2024 and was training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The former NJPW star recently made his main roster debut during Night of Champions 2025 in Riyadh.

After months of speculation, he made his debut during the Main Event tapings, which were held before the June 13 episode of Friday Night SmackDown at the  Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Hikuleo defeated Pretty Deadly’s Kit Wilson to register his first win in the WWE.

What Happened?

The former NJPW star was seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ahead of Night of Champions, and as reports suggested, he made his main roster debut during the United States title match. Jacob Fatu defended the United States title in the fourth match of the PLE on Saturday.

During the match, when Sikoa started struggling, JC Mateo tried to intervene, but Fatu took care of him. However, a returning  Tonga Loa then appeared, sending Fatu crashing from the top rope; even then, Fatu refused to quit.

Just then, Hikuleo appeared and slammed Fatu onto the announce desk with a chokeslam, aligning himself with Solo’s faction and sealing the victory for Solo Sikoa, who became the new United States Champion. During his appearance, neither Michael Cole nor Wade Barrett referred to him as “Hikuleo,” even though that was the ring name he used during recent dark matches before SmackDown.

In fact, his name wasn’t mentioned at all during the broadcast. Shortly after the PLE during the post-show presser, it was revealed that the former NJPW star will now be known as ‘Tala Tonga‘. The headline ticker read, “Solo Sikoa wins with the help of JC Mateo, a returning Tonga Loa, and a debuting Tala Tonga.”

The Bigger Picture

Solo Sikoa, after months of struggle, which started from his Bloodline suffering defeat at Survivor Series 2024 against the OG Bloodline led by Roman Reigns and then losing the Ula Fala to Reigns at Raw Netflix debut, has bounced back strong.

Solo’s Bloodline not only lost the WarGames match in 2024 but also suffered a setback when Tonga Loa was sidelined with a serious injury. Sikoa’s stock took an even worse hit after losing the Ula Fala as well as Tonga Loa sidelined due to injury.

While Solo bounced back, adding JC Mateo to his faction, the rift between him and Fatu started getting bigger and ultimately culminated in Fatu turning on Money in the Bank. However, Solo in one night bounced back, not only winning his first singles title on the main roster but also revived his faction with a returning Loa and a debuting Hikuleo, who will now be known as Tala Tonga.

How will Jacob Fatu bounce back from the title loss, and can he overcome the numbers game? Voice your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.

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