Hikuleo to Tala Tonga: WWE Name Change Explained

WWE Renames Hikuleo as Tala Tonga Following Night of Champions Debut – WWE has officially introduced a new identity for Hikuleo following his impactful debut at WWE Night of Champions 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. During the post-show broadcast, it was confirmed that Hikuleo will now be known as Tita Tonga. The announcement was made as part of a recap segment highlighting Solo Sikoa’s United States Championship victory over Jacob Fatuwhere a graphic credited Tala Tonga—alongside JC Mateo and the returning Tonga Loa—for their roles in aiding Sikoa’s win.

The renaming aligns with a WWE trademark filed last year, where “Talla Tonga” was secured in June 2024. Although the spelling has now been confirmed as Storiesit is clear WWE had long-term branding plans for Hikuleo under this new moniker.

Tala Tonga’s official debut came during the closing stretch of Fatu vs. Sikoa. With Fatu gaining momentum after taking down Mateo and Loa, Tala made his entrance in a hooded disguise. He yanked Fatu off the top rope, delivering a devastating chokeslam through the announce table. This ultimately set the stage for Sikoa to finish Fatu off with a Samoan Spike and claim the United States Title.

While Tala made his television debut on June 28, he had reportedly been signed to WWE for over a year—officially joining the company in June 2024 after finishing his run with NJPW. Though inactive for most of his first year, he quietly returned to action in recent weeks, working a match on WWE Main Event and a dark match ahead of SmackDown.

Tala Tonga now joins Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and JC Mateo in what appears to be the next iteration of the feared Samoan dynasty. Interestingly, WWE has refrained from referring to the group as “The Bloodline” in recent broadcasts, and none of the members have used the name in promos or commentary. Whether this signals a rebrand or a deeper shift in creative direction remains to be seen.