WWE Makes Massive Change From Hiromu Takahashi To Kyoki; It’s More Than The Name

Hiromu Takahashi made his WWE debut in a dark match as Kyoki before this week’s edition of Monday Night RAW. However, it appears that his new ring name isn’t the only change the Stamford-based promotion has made to the Japanese superstar’s character.

Kyoki faced off against Kit Wilson in a dark match, ahead of this week’s live show of the red brand from Ottawa, Canada. Interestingly, while WWE has retained much of the Japanese star’s presentation, one notable element was missing. Daryl, his plush cat that became synonymous with the former NJPW star, was nowhere to be seen, marking another massive change to his character beyond his new ring name.

Meanwhile, a wrestling fan took to X/Twitter to share a video of Kyoki’s WWE entrance, expressing his excitement at seeing the Japanese star live. However, the fan also pointed out the noticeable omission from the former NJPW star’s presentation, asking where Daryl was. The post highlighted the absence of the plush cat, which had become closely associated with Takahashi during his time in Japan.

Watch the video in the tweet below:

Meanwhile, Daryl was introduced in NJPW in 2017, after Takahashi began carrying the stuffed cat as an emotional-support companion following his loss of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. The unlikely duo quickly became a popular part of his presentation, with Daryl accompanying him to the ring and becoming a regular presence around his faction, Los Ingobernables de Japón.

Although the original Daryl was destroyed by Bad Luck Fale just weeks later, the character continued to feature alongside Takahashi for years, making the cat a memorable part of his NJPW run.

Name of new WWE tag team reportedly revealed

After several weeks of teasing a return to WWE alongside a partner, Shinsuke Nakamura finally revealed Kyoki as his mystery partner in a vignette aired on last week’s edition of SmackDown.

The vignette concluded with the new signing shouting out “Bakusai.” The word could also be seen on the TitanTron when Kyoki made his debut in the dark match against Kit Wilson.

Interestingly, False Finish reported on X/Twitter that ‘Bakusai’ is expected to be the official name for the tag team involving the two Japanese veterans. It also appears that the Stamford-based promotion has filed to trademark the term on June 26.

With both Japanese stars taking shots at reigning Tag Team Champions, The MFTs, it remains to be seen how this fresh feud will evolve, with Kyoki yet to debut on WWE television.

Edited by Sayantan Niyogi