10 Things You Didn't Know About Finn Balor
9. He Formed NJPW's Bullet Club
Spend enough time listening to Michael Cole and JBL on Raw and you could be forgiven for assuming that AJ Styles was the Bullet Club’s founding father, but no. The Phenomenal One merely inherited the infamous stable’s leadership upon Balor’s 2014 departure from New Japan Pro Wrestling, but continues to represent “The Club” brand with Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows.
Finn amassed an impressive 9 title reigns in 8 years with NJPW, and his notoriety peaked in 2013. Teaming with Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson, and Tama Tonga to take-out Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW’s biggest star at the time), the Bullet Club was born. Unleashing a torrent of western wrestling tropes like interference and screwy finishes on the Japanese market, Balor’s Bullet Club were NJPW’s chief antagonists and helped bring the company back to international prominence.
Bullet Club didn’t care about puroresu’s long-standing traditions of honour and respect: they broke every rule in the book and wreaked havoc on anyone foolish enough to stand before them, and Balor was at the helm.