Latest on What WWE Brand EVIL Is Headed To

While WWE has signed former IWGP Heavyweight Champion EVIL, the company has not yet determined where he fits on its programming. According to PWInsider, EVIL is currently listed internally on the company’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 WWE figures out its plans for him.

PWInsider reported: “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.”

The miscellaneous listing suggests that, despite the signing being confirmed, creative plans for introducing EVIL to WWE audiences have not yet been finalized. Adding to the uncertainty, WWE has not publicly acknowledged the signing at all, keeping his arrival quiet even as reports from sources in Japan confirmed the deal was complete. 

The signing itself was first confirmed after months of speculation following EVIL’s January departure from NJPW. PWInsider confirmed at the time: “World Wrestling Entertainment has signed former IWGP Heavyweight Champion EVIL, PWInsider.com has confirmed with numerous sources in Japan. While there have been rumors about his destination for months, PWInsider.com can confirm he is signed and sealed with WWE.”

Compounding the mystery surrounding his debut 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 character repackage, which may be part of why WWE is taking its time before assigning him to a specific show. 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.

EVIL, whose real name is Takaaki Watanabe, became a top star in NJPW in 2020 when he betrayed Los Ingobernables de Japón to align with Bullet Club and defeated Tetsuya Naito to hold both the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships simultaneously. He is the partner of WWE’s IYO SKY.