Hikuleo Makes WWE Debut at Main Event Taping

Hikuleo Makes WWE Debut at Main Event Taping – Former NJPW standout Hikuleo officially stepped into a WWE ring for the first time tonight, appearing during the WWE Main Event taping held prior to Friday Night SmackDown in Lexington, Kentucky. His long-awaited debut ends months of speculation following his signing with the company over a year ago.

As reported earlier this week, Hikuleo was expected to be in town for the taping, but it wasn’t clear if he would wrestle. Now confirmed, the 6’8″, 265-pound powerhouse worked a match for Main Event, marking his first in-ring appearance under the WWE umbrella. Though he had previously been assigned to the NXT roster, Hikuleo never competed on television for the brand before transitioning to the main roster.

There had been strong speculation that Hikuleo would align with The Bloodline upon debut, given his real-life family ties. He is the son of wrestling legend Haku, making him the brother of Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa—both of whom are currently active in The Bloodline alongside Solo Sikoa and “Jacob Fatu”. Despite those connections, sources indicate WWE has held off on inserting him into the group, at least for now. However, there’s still potential he could appear during tonight’s SmackDown broadcast, which is ongoing as of this writing.

Hikuleo, 34, brings an impressive international résumé to WWE. Trained by The Dudley Boyz, he began his pro wrestling career in 2016 and quickly made a name for himself in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. During his time with NJPW, he captured the IWGP Tag Team Championship alongside El Phantasmo and also held the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship. In addition to his work in Japan, he made appearances in AEW and TNA.

While details of his Main Event match haven’t been publicly released yet, Hikuleo’s in-ring debut signals that his WWE career is finally underway after a lengthy delay. With The Bloodline saga continuing to dominate SmackDown storylines, fans will be watching closely to see if Hikuleo is integrated into the faction—or if WWE charts a different path for him.