It cant be a #NewJapanWeek without a look at the worldwide sensation The Bullet Club. As we did with other factions like Los Ingobernales de Japon and CHAOS, here’s a quick catch-up on who’s in the Bullet Club today.
Bullet Club: The Past
Before Kenny Omega and The Elite, it was Finn Balor (then known as Prince Devitt) who was the leader of the Bullet Club. He used the opportunity to move to the Heavyweight division and become a main eventer. The group saw gaijins (foreign wrestlers) come together to wreak havoc on New Japan. Balor was joined by Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows as the main heavyweight tag team. With Balor WWE bound he was ousted as leader. He was replaced by the TNA (now Impact Wrestling) and ROH legend AJ Styles, at this point Styles was considered one of the best workers in the worlds and brought alot of attention and success to the Bullet Club. There were other, lesser members such as Cody Hall, Amber Gallows and Bone Soldier.
The Originals
Tama Tonga
Tama Tonga was one of the four founder of the Bullet Club, he spent most of the early time teaming with Bad Luck Fale. He was a big part of the Latin American arm of BC, as he competed frequently in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He spent most of the 2015 as the fall guy in multi man matches. In 2016 he was able to play a role in matches for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships. In March 2016, Tonga announced he would be forming Guerillas Of Destiny with his adoptive brother and former WWE talent Tanga Loa (Camacho in the WWE). A month later the duo captured the IWGP Tag Team Championships. The two brother formed a great tag team that has become three time tag team champions and are part of the reigning 6-man champions. Tonga has continued to improve and is certainly a handy tag specialist to have in the Bullet Club.
Bad Luck Fale
The Underboss is the only other remaining original BC member. The tall, big man is a great upper midcarder and gives the Bullet Club some added danger. He spent the first year as protection for Devitt, tagging with him in World Tag League and feuding with anyone the Bullet Club decided to take out. In 2014 he briefly held the IWGP Intercontinental Championship defeating and then losing it back to Shinsuke Nakamura. He had some good performances in the 2014 and 2015 G1 Climax keeping himself a threat for multiple titles. His 2016 was spent challenging for the trios titles with Tama Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi. 2017 saw him as runner up in the New Japan Cup, challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and win the trios tile for a second time, this time with G.O.D. Fale has always been in the Bullet Club and always been presented as an obstacle for opponents to overcome. He may never be world champion but he fills a great role in both he roster and the Bullet Club.
Current Members
Gino Gambino
The first Australian member “Mr.Juicy” has been really impressive in the Australian scene and Melbourne City Wrestling in particular.
Leo Tonga
The big prospect, son of Haku and brother of G.O.D. The 26 year old is nearly 7 foot tall and towers above his Japanese opponents. Has all the raw power to be very successful in future.
Stephen Amell
The actor famous for being Oliver Queen aka The Green Arrow in the hit TV show, Arrow. His joining is the most WWE thing the Bullet Club has ever done and the name value he adds to the group makes him a worthwhile addition.
Chase Owens
The main fall guy in multi man matches. Owens may never see much success but he could be a future 6-man champion. He’s currently the side kick to Bad Luck Fale and learning to become “Tongan”.
Yujiro Takahashi
The “Tokyo Pimp” was the first Japanese member of the Bullet Club. His pimp gimmick fit the early aesthetic of BC. The Former No Limits and Chaos member turned on Chaos shortly after WrestleKingdom 8 to join the BC. He helped then leader AJ Styles defeat Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP heavyweight title. His early tenure in the BC sae him win the NEVER Openweight title and team with Styles in world tag league. After a poor performance in the 2014 G1 Climax he was sent down the card and became fodder in multi man tags doing nothing of note in 2015. In 2016 he mostly challenged for the six man titles. He has started teaming with Hangman Page in a move that could spur the pair on to tag team success.
Adam “Hangman” Page
Page competes in both ROH and NJPW as part of Bullet Club while also representing The Elite. The 26 year old has all the raw talent to be a big star in the future. He successfully teams with The Young Bucks as the ROH six man champions as The Hung Bucks and has started teaming with Takahashi which could lead to more sucess.
“The Villain” Marty Scurll
Every story needs a Villain, and the Bullet Club got theirs on the same night they kicked out former member Adam Cole. The UK star has gone on to hold many championships as a Bullet Club member, including the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion heading into Wrestle Kingdom 12.
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes
The new leader of the Ring of Honor branch, former ROH World Champion, and part of the Being The Elite cast along with Omega, Young Bucks, Scurll and Hangman, Cody has fit in nicely with the Bullet Club since he left the WWE last year.
The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson)
Arguably the best tag team in the world and the biggest international stars outside of the WWE. The pair have brought the most success and international appeal to the Bullet Club as their matches never fail to court controversy and much needed buzz. They have gone on to become record six time Junior Heavyweight tag team champions as well as having two reigns as NEVER 6 man champions with Kenny Omega. They have also maintained a large Bullet Club presence worldwide through their numerous UK tours as well as being the faces of ROH and PWG. Their ability to gain attention and drive merchandise sales have turned the Bullet Club into the international phenomenon it is today. It is no joke to say the Bucks are the most important members of the Bullet Club
Kenny Omega
Having signed from Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) Omega sided with the Bullet Club. Swayed by the money and potential for Junior Heavyweight gold he dubbed himself “The Cleaner” and took on a new villainous persona. At Wrestle Kingdom 9 he won the junior heavyweight title from Ryusuke Taguchi. He would hold the title on and off until WrestleKingdom 10. At New Year Dash, the day after Wrestle Kingdom 10, Omega ousted Styles as leader of the Bullet Club and announced his intentions to become a Heavyweight, forming The Elite as a new power trio with the Young Bucks at the top of the Bullet Club food chain. He spent most of 2016 feuding for the Intercontinental championship before winning that year’s G1 Climax. The rest as they say is history. Omega went on to put on some all time classics in 2017, leading their global expansion and becoming a huge star in the process. 2018 is set to be an even bigger year for Omega and the Bullet Club as he looks to finally capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. But first he has an Alpha to take down.
