It has been reported that Hikuleo has signed with WWE after finishing his time with New Japan Pro Wrestling earlier this year, but what do you need to know about him?
Fightful Select broke the news that Hikuelo has signed with WWE and multiple sources have confirmed. The adoptive son of Tonga Fifita (aka Meng/Haku) Hikuelo is the brother of Tama Tonga and the adoptive brother of Tonga Loa and his arrival in WWE has been expected for some time now.
Early Career
Hikuelo’s wrestling journey began in 2016, when, after training in the Team 3D Academy in Florida, he became a student at the NJPW Dojo. The Hikuleo name comes from Hikule’o, a Tongan God, and he made his in-ring debut on November 12 in Auckland, New Zealand.
NJPW – The Bullet Club
After completing his training, Hikuleo joined the NJPW roster fill time in 2017 and joined the Bullet Club alongside his brothers and his cousin Bad Luck Fale. Unfortunately, an injury in March 2018 derailed his plans and he wouldn’t appear for NJPW until FFebruary 2019 at Honor Rising: Japan.
NJPW – Guerillas of Destiny
After his brothers were kicked out of the Bullet Club by Jay White, Hikuleo began a feud with the faction’s leader and lost to the Switchblade at the Mutiny show in April 2022. He would later align fully with GoD and defeated White in a ‘Loser Leaves Japan’ match in February 2023. Two months later, Hikuleo captured the Strong Opeweight Championship, his first title in New Japan, but lost the gold back to Kenta weeks later. At Wrestle Kingdom 18, Hikuleo and Phantasmo won the IWGP World Tag Titles but lost the gold
Outside New Japan
Hikuleo was in the crowd of AEW Fyter Fest Night 2 in July 2021 where he watched the IWGP U.S. title match between Jon Moxley and Lance Archer. After slapping the victorious Archer after the match, Hikuleo challenged him at Fight for the Fallen but was defeated. He returned to AEW in June 2022 to team with the Young Bucks and reDRagon to win a ten-man tag-team match.
In 2021, Hikuleo also appeared in Impact Wrestling and established himself as part of a U.S. branch of the Bullet Club alongside Chris Bey, and El Phantasmo. He and Bey would challenge for the Impact World Tag Team Titles at that year’s Bound for Glory and Turning Point events but failed to win the gold from the Good Brothers.
Now, Hikuleo’s journey has taken him to WWE where his brothers are already headlining SmackDown as part of the Bloodline. With Hikuleo by his side, Solo Sikoa could grow even more dominant on SmackDown which could certainly spell disaster for Cody Rhodes.
