As described by his upcoming opponent Tony D’Angelo, Naraku has appeared as a “mysterious nice guy” ever since arriving to “WWE NXT” in April. Behind that outer shell, though, may lie something much more sinister.
During an interview with “Busted Open Radio,” D’Angelo addressed his recent title match contract signing with Naraku, which resulted in D’Angelo putting pen to paper and the former NJPW star vowing that he’d do the same next week.
“Look, I think the guy is just trying to play some mind games with me, you know?” D’Angelo said. “Or this is my other theory. He might be a little scared. He might be second guessing himself. He isn’t sure if he really wants to sign that contract yet, which I get it, but I think he’s being very evil and mischievous.”
Next weekend, Naraku will challenge D’Angelo for the NXT Championship at the “NXT” Great American Bash in Orlando, Florida. This will mark Naraku’s first title match since leaving Japan for the United States. As D’Angelo pointed out on “NXT” this week, it will also be Naraku’s first major title opportunity without his international friends waiting in the wings to potentially help him. This comes in reference to House of Torture, a stable previously led by Naraku in NJPW.
According to Naraku, this will indeed be the case as he intends to battle D’Angelo one-on-one at the Great American Bash. Given Naraku’s subsequent warning that “evil is coming,” D’Angelo’s admitted doubts, and fellow former NJPW star Hiromu Takahashi’s expected landing in WWE next, however, that dynamic has since been put into question amongst fans.
D’Angelo Has Done Extensive Research On Naraku
In an effort to better familiarize himself with Naraku, D’Angelo additionally noted that he performed an extensive background check through tape study and other materials. Coming out of it, D’Angelo now expects their upcoming NXT Championship match to be both physical and chaotic.
“Like I said last night [on NXT], I did my research,” D’Angelo said. “I’ve watched his matches, I’ve seen what he’s capable of. And I definitely, like yourself, was surprised of his strength against a big body in Mason Rook. But like I said, I’m expecting a hard hitting match and I’m okay with that. I’m comfortable in the chaos. I actually welcome the hard-hitting matches. I enjoy it and that’s where I thrive. So yeah, I’m definitely expecting a hard-hitting match and I have done my research. I mean, just like any other match, you do film study, you want to know what your opponent’s made of and what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are. That’s what I’m doing.”
Prior to signing with WWE, Naraku spent several years competing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Under that banner, he enjoyed reigns with singles, tag team, and trios titles, most notably the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Tag Team championship, and NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championships. It was also during this time that wrestling fans knew Naraku as EVIL.
As Naraku, he earned his NXT Championship opportunity by defeating Mason Rook on “NXT” following a distraction from Kam Hendrix.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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