Posted on 1/26/126 by Colin Vassallo
Former IWGP World Heavyweight champion EVIL is leaving New
Japan Pro-Wrestling and is rumored to be heading to WWE.
New Japan made the announcement of his departure official,
saying that he will leave when his contract reaches its end
in a few days on January 31.
“After careful consideration and discussions with NJPW
management, EVIL, who has been a long standing member of the
NJPW roster will leave New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the expiry
of his contract at the end of January 2026,” NJPW wrote. “We
apologise to fans for the sudden nature of this
announcement. New Japan Pro-Wrestling wishes EVIL the very
best in his future activities.”
EVIL, who was recently the NEVER Openweight champion, lost
the title to Aaron Wolf at Wrestle Kingdom 20.
The 39-year-old, real name Takaaki Watanbe, has been working
for NJPW since 2015. He has held the IWGP Heavyweight title,
the IWGP Intercontinental title, the IWGP Tag Team titles,
the NEVER Openweight title, and the NEVER Openweight Six-Man
Tag Team title during his tenure there.