Former NJPW Champion Stuns WWE Fans With Debut at 'Night of Champions 2025'
Former NJPW Champion Stuns WWE Fans With Debut at 'Night of Champions 2025' originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
One key WWE singles championship changed hands on the "Night of Champions 2025" card thanks to the debut of a former NJPW star.
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The PLE is currently taking place inside Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Fans already witnessed Cody Rhodes defeat Randy Orton to become the King of the Ring. Rhea Ripley defeated Raquel Rodriguez in a street fight, while Sami Zayn outlasted Karrion Kross.
While the first three matches at the "Night of Champions" event saw fan favorites pick up wins, it was a different story with the WWE United States Championship match. Jacob Fatu lost the gold to Solo Sikoa thanks to the promotional debut of former NJPW name Hikuleo.
Hikuleo had been featured in dark matches before recent airings of "SmackDown." Many speculated that he could eventually align with Sikoa to cost Fatu the WWE United States Championship, and that's exactly what happened.
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The former IWGP Tag Team Champion wasn't the only surprise during the match at "Night of Champions." Tonga Loa made his return from injury. He delivered a spinning neckbreaker to Fatu off a distraction from JC Mateo.
Sikoa's faction continues to grow on the blue brand. There is another member of his group who is currently sidelined due to an injury. Tama Tonga was put on the shelf just before "WrestleMania 41," and it's unknown what the timeline looks like for a return.
For now, Sikoa is content with Mateo, Loa, and Hikuleo. At this time, it isn't known if Hikuleo will keep his current name or if WWE will give him the rumored Talla Tonga label.
Related: WWE Crowns New Champion One Day Before 'Night of Champions 2025'
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
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