Kyoki/Hiromu Takahashi Wrestles Dark Match Before WWE Raw

The former Hiromu Takahashi made his WWE in-ring debut ahead of the live episode of Monday Night Raw from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, performing in a dark match.

The new Kyoki made his way to the ring to Shinsuke Nakamura's WWE entrance music, with the titantron confirming Kyoki and Shinsuke Nakamura's tag team name of Bakusai, which they referenced during their vignette on last week's SmackDown.

Kyoki was not a major departure from Hiromu Takahashi as the former NJPW star headed to the ring in a very big, colourful coat and wrestled in his usual three-quarter shorts, having moved away from trousers in recent years. The only notable omission from Kyoki's presentation was Daryl the cat, the inanimate plush toy that was Hiromu's mascot in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Kyoki went one-on-one with Kit Wilson in the dark match and promptly picked up the win.

After months of expectation, the former Hiromu Takahashi debuted in a vignette on the August 21 episode of SmackDown alongside Shinsuke Nakamura. This came after a tease that Nakamura's new tag team partner was a "ticking time bomb."

According to reports, Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki will be pushed as immediate challengers for the WWE Tag Team Titles currently held by Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga.

Kyoki's WWE signing came after he finished up with New Japan at the beginning of 2026. He is one of the greatest junior heavyweights in NJPW history as a five-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and four-time Best of the Super Juniors winner. Hiromu also held the IWGP Tag Team Titles with Tetsuya Naito and the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championships with Yota Tsuji and BUSHI as part of Los Ingobernables de Japon.