WWE Trademarks ‘Bakusai,’ Raising Questions About Potential NXT Signing

WWE has filed a trademark application for the phrase “Bakusai,” with the filing dated June 26th. The trademark description covers entertainment services including wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer, rendered live and through broadcast media such as television and radio, as well as via the internet and commercial online services, along with the provision of wrestling news.

The name Bakusai carries immediate significance to hardcore wrestling fans, as it is closely associated with NJPW star Hiromu Takahashi, one of the most beloved junior heavyweight performers in the world today. Takahashi has been a cornerstone of New Japan’s junior division for years, holding the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on multiple occasions and consistently delivering some of the most memorable matches in the company’s modern era.

While WWE has not made any official announcement regarding a signing, the filing is widely seen as a potential signal that the company may be looking to bring Takahashi into the fold — most likely under the NXT banner, where the company has increasingly signed international talent in recent years. It’s worth noting that trademark filings don’t always result in a debut; WWE has filed trademarks in the past that never translated into an active signing or character.

Still, the specificity of this filing — tied so closely to a name synonymous with one high-profile performer — will keep speculation running hot until WWE or the talent involved offers any kind of clarity. Whether this leads to an NXT appearance or turns out to be a dead end remains to be seen.