Who is Evil? WWE's newest signee linked with Iyo Sky
WWE signed the former NJPW star recently.
Takaaki Watanabe, better known by his ring name Evil, has signed with WWE. As reported by PWInsider, the Japanese star has signed with the promotion, and the expectation in Japan is that he will not keep the EVIL ring name.
This is a common practice as the Stamford-based promotion usually changes ring names for debuting stars for multiple reasons, including trademark control and character presentation.
Who is Evil?
Evil kicked off his pro-wrestling career with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in 2011. After rising to prominence in NJPW around 2020, Evil turned on the Los Ingobernables de Japón and joined Bullet Club. Embracing a more ruthless, interference-driven style, he quickly established himself as a top heel in the promotion and became the leader of House of Torture.
In the years since, he has remained a key figure in the House of Torture. Watanabe’s accolades list in NJPW includes holding the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships simultaneously.
Watanabe also has had an extended run in the United States, making appearances in Ring of Honor (owned by AEW CEO Tony Khan) from 2014 to 2015, as well as appearances for Global Force Wrestling.
He has held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Intercontinental Championship once. He is also a four-time NEVER Openweight Champion, a two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion alongside Sanada, and a six-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion.
In addition, he became the second NJPW Triple Crown Champion, won the New Japan Cup in 2020, and captured the World Tag League twice in 2017 and 2018 with Sanada. He departed NJPW in January 2026 and is now set to make his WWE debut soon.
Links to WWE star Iyo Sky
While there are conflicting reports on the matter, Watanabe has been linked with former Women’s World Champion Iyo Sky (real name Masami Odate). Sky was reportedly engaged to Takaaki Watanabe while she was in Japan before her move to the U.S.
Some reports claim that the two ended their relationship and separated around 2021 or 2022, while others, including PWInsider, have reported that Watanabe “is the significant other” of Iyo Sky. That said, both stars have chosen to keep their personal life private, and we can’t confirm if the two are still engaged.
Has WWE signed Evil?
Yes, per PWInsider, the promotion has signed former IWGP Heavyweight Champion EVIL.
When will he make his WWE debut?
As of now, there is no confirmation on when he will make his debut or what creative plans are in place for him.
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.