Former New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Hikuleo made his highly anticipated WWE debut at Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Following a successful stint as a member of NJPW’s Bullet Club faction and the Guerrillas of Destiny stable, Hikuleo signed with WWE in July 2024.
In their first on-screen match for the promotion, Hikuleo wrestled a dark match taping for “WWE Main Event” prior to “WWE SmackDown,” where they defeated Kit Wilson of Pretty Deadly. However, it was later revealed that Hikuleo’s name had been changed to Tala Tonga.
Tala’s WWE debut was also marked by his induction into The Bloodline, alongside a returning Tonga Loa. In the process, he interfered in a match between Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu for the WWE United States Championship, breaking up Fatu’s pin attempt before chokeslamming him onto the announcer’s table.
Tala has also held multiple championships in NJPW, including the IWGP Tag Team Championship, Strong Openweight Championship, and Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship. As a member of The Bloodline, he brings his experience from other promotions like Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and All Elite Wrestling to WWE.
Source: https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1898537/former-njpw-star-hikuleo-officially-gets-new-ring-name-finally-making-wwe-debut