10 Things WWE Don't Want You To Know About Bullet Club
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As if he wasn't already 2017's most vital performer, Kenny Omega became the talk of the wrestling world yet again following New Japan Pro Wrestling's blockbuster announcement that industry icon Chris Jericho will be his Wrestle Kingdom 12 opponent.
Jericho will wrestle outside of WWE for the first time since 1999, in a move not unfamiliar to those that have tracked his lengthy career. Never ahead of the curve but always just behind it (in a sweet spot Vince McMahon has always coveted as a promoter), 'Y2J' has had a knack for leaping on speeding bandwagons throughout his career. New Japan is wrestling's fiercest juggernaut, led in part by Omega and his Bullet Club cronies.
With Kenny at the helm since AJ Styles' 2016 departure, the 'Biz Cliz' have grown the brand and manifesto beyond their early days as a traditional heel stable. Transcending an industry they've exploded out from within, the various rotation of members, sub-factions and international equivalents mimic WCW's multiple iterations of the New World Order with performers that just happen to be younger, cooler and fifty times more irreverent.
Despite teasing references between former members and an argued-upon hand gesture, WWE are none too keen for their audience to invest any further in what is unquestionably wrestling's hottest brand. The company may deck their performers out in gaudy blue and red to argue otherwise, but an increasing portion of their audience are firmly back in black.
10. Fantasy Island
Bullet Club's secret weapon and one of pro wrestling's underrated gems, Tama Tonga falls somewhere between Umaga and Roman Reigns as the perfect blend of savage islander and contemporary Samoan badass.
Alongside Guerillas Of Destiny partner and brother Tanga Loa, the adopted son of WWE and WCW legend Haku/Meng sharpens his grunt work as a polished pro-wrestler with a cold-as-ice disrespect for his opponents. Exhibiting an unhinged wild side as and when it suits, Tonga capably employs the killer instinct of his not-quite bloodline in high impact battles that suit New Japan's realistic style and his futuristic verve.
A founding member of Bullet Club, he's understood the power of the live microphone more and more over the years, talking with the levels of confidence and swagger numerous experienced WWE stars could do with aping when they dare stray from scripts.