NJPW's Bullet Club Needs an Identity.

Bullet Club always upheld an us versus them attitude. But in 2022, the chemistry is off with Bullet Club. Does BC still have an identity when a King calls all the shots?

Bullet Club always upheld an us versus them attitude. The idea to form a club in May of 2013 started with Prince Devitt as a way to feel comfortable being a gaijin in the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan. Prince Devitt added members in the early days of the club. Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson, and Tama Tonga joined. A core group of four turned into multiple American and Japanese wrestlers wrestling alongside each other with a common core of collecting gold and making a statement together against top contenders like Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi.

But in 2022, the chemistry is off with Bullet Club.

Tama Tonga was the heart and soul of Bullet Club. 

Yeah, I said it. 

He stood the test of time after all the leaders or front men — from my observation — settled for a bit and then went onto greener pastures.

Switchblade Jay White now holds the mantle of Leader in Bullet Club. The major attack happened at IMPACT Wrestling's No Surrender PPV and looking back, how fitting was that title? 

Before that attack, Tama wrestled in Japan during the G1 Climax 31 in 2021. He had a great run, defeating Okada who was then the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. During this major New Japan Tournament, the proverbial Leader of Bullet Club, Switchblade Jay White wasn't there. Tama would on multiple occasions call this out and remind Jay to protect the throne — basically his spot. 

The general question of, "Where's Jay?" was often asked during Tama Tonga's backstage comments. Jay's the face of Bullet Club and without showing up in Japan, it looks bad as a whole for the group. 

A year later, Jay White aligned himself with The Good Brothers, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson — original members who were kicked out. 

Did The Good Brothers promise Jay White the world? 

Did Jay White promise The Good Brothers greater success?

What was the true point and benefit of this alignment? 

When it was time for Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa to fight The Good Brothers at IMPACT Wrestling's No Surrender, the unthinkable happened. 

Chris Bey — newly added Bullet Club member — distracts Tanga Loa long enough until Doc Gallows attacks Loa and all Tama sees is the aftermath. Turning his back for a second — the number one rule you don't do in wrestling — Jay White silently slithers into the ring like a serpent blending in with its surroundings waiting to strike on his unsuspecting prey. A quick stab and twist like his namesake Switchblade delivered a powerful statement of the Blade Runner finisher on Tama Tonga.

Everyone stunned. Everyone shocked. Everything we knew and cared for about Bullet Club was broken in an instant. The pain unbearable. The now true leader of Bullet Club, Jay White sat ringside with a stoic expression. No emotion. No regret. Just business; nothing personal as Jay would explain to everyone in future promos.

Jay White made a choice. 

When leaders leave, they are kicked out through violence. The substitutions of new leaders in the previous years didn't need the whole group to think about choosing sides. 

Bullet Club became complicated once The Elite formed a subsection in Bullet Club. The Elite would do Elite things. Yes, The Elite gave Bullet Club super exposure with the Being The Elite YouTube Series and getting Bullet Club shirts in Hot Topic stores. But they were above Bullet Club and by Tama's call, he created The Firing Squad to kick out all of The Elite and have a reset.

A Bullet Club reset. A new Bullet Club identity. A new Bullet Club journey.

The Switchblade Era is great for a single competitor to win all the worlds worthiest riches, prizes, and accolades. 

Without proper leadership and command of Bullet Club, can all the members still believe that they can acquire riches, prizes, and accolades when they aren’t being utilized fully and just witness a betrayal to their leader? 

Hikuleo — the younger brother to Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa — was the first to willingly leave Bullet Club. Well, more like betrayed Jay White — grabbing him back the neck and throwing him into the waiting jaw of a Gun Stun from Tama. 

On a recent episode of New Japan Strong, Hikuleo had teamed with his Bullet Club stablemates and despite having slight communication problems with Jay White, Hikuleo's important win for the team was cut short by a tag from Jay and then a Blade Runner on the opponent of the opposite team. Jay's post-match promo made Hikuleo's decision easier. 

Jay is slowly breaking, and a leader must not break.

October 8, 2018, Switchblade Jay White joins Bullet Club. He's hand-picked by Tama. Years of fighting by Tama's side, by Loa's side, and even by Hikuleo's side — it was all thrown away by Jay's cowardly strike at IMPACT Wrestling's No Surrender PPV and officially called when Bullet Club in Japan attacked Tama, Loa, and Jado. 

Jay White had compassion for Hikuleo, however, during another episode of New Japan Strong — willingly giving him a choice: stay or leave.

It wasn't personal, just business. 

It was Jay's choice. Not Bullet Club's choice. 

Hikuleo challenged Jay's leadership position during that Strong episode. 

Jay knew this all too well, telling Hikuleo to be patient. Jay White had joined Chaos upon returning from excursion. Jay would often question Okada's leadership, asking him if he thought members in the same group could wrestle each other for championships because of the competition. He played to the Japanese honor code in sports. Jay as well reminded Okada that one day he'll dethrone The Rainmaker and did just that to become the IWGP Heavyweight Champion at that time. 

Slowing down Hikuleo with his words was a must — as if those memories flooded back for Jay. 

Hikuleo and Jay agree to an old-fashioned teacher vs student match. Hikuleo may have lost to Jay but realized then that he needed him. He needed Bullet Club.

Now the betrayer — Jay White — became the betrayed and Hikuleo reunited with his family. 

Tama Tonga challenges Jay White on October 10th for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Hikuleo vs Karl Anderson for the NEVER Openweight Championship on November 5th.

What becomes of Bullet Club's identity if after they lose the championships?

Jay White's loss to Tama Tonga during the G1 Climax 32 still bothers & now newly added frustration and disappointment from Hikuleo's betrayal creates more cracks in Jay's guard. 

Karma's a bitch, huh?

Jay White will be desperate on October 10th. Desperation doesn't win matches and neither does overconfidence which are two characteristics of Switchblade Jay White. 

But as this deep-rooted turmoil continues, everyone else in the group including House of Torture are floating around aimlessly. Bullet Club's identity has been lost for a while.

A well cohesive stable would utilize everyone's strength to cover any weakness. The strength of Bullet Club is the numbers game. The strength of Bullet Club is understanding how to maximize the outside environment to cause the most pain to their opponents. I like to call it Bullet Club tactics. I'd consider those strengths as characteristics that make Bullet Club good, even dangerous.

Leaders should confide in their generals. Bad Luck Fale is known as the Rogue General. He's the second in command. Always stood by Prince Devitt and through the years at the side of the others. However, as Jay White gave the call some 9,000 miles away from Japan, Fale followed the order like everyone else. Fale and Tama helped shape Bullet Club. Fale, Tama, and Loa are family. And by one man's decision — by decree of King Switch — destroyed that family, the same family that kept Bullet Club afloat for Jay White to reap extra rewards with its heavy namesake.

Just business; nothing personal. 

But Bullet Club can't be a one man's show. It never was this before The Elite.

So, what identity does Bullet Club have now? Has Bullet Club run its course? 

With two new additions to Bullet Club — Chris Bey and Ace Austin — it feels more like an association rather than part of the team. 

El Phantasmo is going after Shingo for the King of Pro Wrestling Trophy. That's a super cool down in momentum. 

Tag team titles are still being chased by Bullet Club but those IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships are being held hostage by FTR in America. 

KENTA is having fun promoting his book. 

Taiji Ishimori is still IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion.

Juice Robinson, a newly turned heel, shocked the wrestling world by being a perfect addition to Bullet Club to kick some life into the stable. According to him, he is apparently not signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling and is a free agent. The last time we listened to him about his future plans, he showed up in Bullet Club. After losing the IWGP United States Championship, he hasn't challenged for another title in New Japan. 

And dare I say that not only does House of Tourture — EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO, and Dick Togo — have its own identity under the umbrella of Bullet Club but also are the 6-man NEVER Openweight Champions. Are they representing Bullet Club with those championships?

Bullet Club is messy, and Jay White is starting to feel the weight Tama Tonga carried for so long. But Tama carried it with grace. 

The only time Jay White, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa felt as a powerful, indestructible Bullet Club unit was in 2021 — right after Jay suffered a huge loss against Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 15, the second night. The three targeted Tomohiro Ishii because Jay White ordered it under the guise of it was all Ishii's fault that he didn't beat Ibushi for the double championships: IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Championships at the time of NJPW merging the two titles together. Jay White couldn't accept the loss. He banded together with his appointed soldiers and attacked the strongest rival he's ever faced. And as a trios team, they lost to Ishii, Goto, and Yoshi Hashi of Chaos, never getting those 6-man NEVER Openweight Championships.

So what went wrong along the way? Jay White is the type of leader that loves results and dislikes any kind of interruptions to his plans — with no fault of his own — and has a mindset of do-it-yourself since there's no one better to count on than you. But lately, Bullet Club hasn't been producing skyrocketing results where we're able to see and enjoy the fruitfulness. We're only enjoying Jay's fruitfulness. It's King Switch's Bullet Club. It's not Bullet Club. 

Bullet Club needs to be smaller, with goals, with expectations and standards. Jay White is perfect for cleaning up Bullet Club. Creating a version that gets results. Jay White is a grand slam champion — IWGP NEVER, IWGP Intercontinental, IWGP US Heavyweight, IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP World — and sold out both Madison Square Garden and The United Center. 

It's Still His Era. 

It should be: Bullet Club's Era. Everyone should be talking about Bullet Club rather than one man.

Just business; nothing personal. 

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