Report: WWE Plans For The Nox Raijin Name Revealed

WWE's trademark for 'Nox Raijin' with the United States Patent and Trademark Office won't be wasted.

According to Bodyslam, the expectation around the WWE Performance Center is that Hiromu Takahashi is expected to join WWE and some believe the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion will be Nox Raijin in the company.

WWE have been a rumoured landing spot for Takahashi since he exited New Japan Pro-Wrestling in February. Takahashi had been a part of NJPW since 2010 and he is one of the greatest junior heavyweights in New Japan history, ending his time with the company as a five-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and four-time Best of the Super Juniors winner. He is also a one-time IWGP Tag Team Champion with Tetsuya Naito and a one-time NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champion with Yota Tsuji and BUSHI.

According to reports, Takahashi's former Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemate EVIL was originally scheduled to use the Nox Raijin name in WWE NXT until the company landed on Naraku. Bodyslam noted WWE had been working on vignettes and promotional materials with EVIL being known as Nox Raijin over the weekend before the decision was made to go with Naraku on Monday, May 4.

WWE filed to trademark 'Nox Raijin' on April 28. Raijin is the god of lightning, thunder, and storms in Japanese mythology, as well as the Shinto and Buddhist religions.