Former NJPW Star Hikuleo Makes WWE Debut On Main Event After Full Year On The Bench

Former NJPW star Hikuleo made his long-awaited debut ahead of this week's "WWE SmackDown," as he featured in a singles match. 

The former Bullet Club member, who was signed by WWE last year, wrestled on WWE's Main Event show, which will air at a future date. As per fan reports, the 34-year-old star faced and defeated Pretty Deadly's Kit Wilson in his first-ever match in WWE. 

Hikuleo, the brother of WWE star Tama Tonga and cousin to Tanga Loa, joined WWE last July, after spending several years in NJPW, as well as featuring in promotions like Impact Wrestling and AEW. Despite him being on WWE's books for nearly a year, there was no sign of him, with him not even wrestling in WWE's developmental brand, "NXT." A report from March had revealed that he had been listed as part of WWE's roster for several weeks, while another said that he had been in Orlando — the location for WWE's Performance Center — for a long time. 

NXT Champion Oba Femi mentioned Hikuleo, perhaps the first WWE star to do so since his signing, stating that he and Lance Anoa'i are waiting in the wings to make an impact, and that he is wary of them showing up and challenging him. Like Hikuleo, Lance Anoa'i has also been waiting for his chance to shine in WWE, as he too was signed last year but has yet to feature on WWE television.