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Bullet Club is the hottest thing in the wrestling world today. Even WWE casuals who do not follow Indy wrestling have heard of them, and their t-shirts can be seen in the audience at any wrestling event held around the world. Many of the greatest wrestlers in the world have come from the Bullet Club, including a handful of WWE main eventers.
Bullet Club was founded by Prince Devitt in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2013. Devitt, Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson, and Tama Tonga attacked IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi in a 4-on-1 beat down that officially marked the birth of Bullet Club. The four outlaws would later be joined by Nick and Matt Jackson aka The Young Bucks, and Doc Gallows. Bullet Club has continued to expand and evolve, consisting of numerous world class wrestlers and appearing in wrestling promotions around the world.
Devitt would have his cohorts interfere in his matches, using common American heel tactics that were revolutionary in the honour-bound ways of Japan. Devitt would later leave NJPW for NXT, WWE's developmental league, where he became Finn Balor. AJ Styles then became the leader of Bullet Club and under his leadership, the villainous faction of foreigners held every championship available in NJPW, before he too left for WWE.
Former Club members Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, and Adam Cole would all eventually sign with WWE. Bullet Club has a way of dealing with high profile departures like Devitt, Styles, and Cole, a ritual in which once your contract is up and you sign with WWE, The Young Bucks superkick you into oblivion.
Bullet Club is currently led by IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega of NJPW, but state-side in Ring of Honor Cody Rhodes is the provisional leader. Now going by just "Cody", the current ROH Champion bucks the trend of Club members leaving the most popular stable on the Indies to be part of the most popular promotion in the business (i.e. WWE).
Cody's decision to part ways with WWE, along with the success he has enjoyed since doing so, shows that WWE is not the "End all be all" of professional wrestling. Here are five superstars still within the confines of Vince McMahon's empire, who could abscond to the brigade of Indy darlings that is Bullet Club.
#5 Neville
The former one-time NXT Champion, two-time NXT Tag Team Champion, and two-time Cruiserweight Champion, despite reportedly leaving the company, is still signed to WWE. Back in October, it was reported that Neville walked out of an episode of Monday Night Raw before the show began. Neville was never released though and is rumoured to be coming back.
It is incredible the transformation of Adrian Neville in WWE. Winning three titles during his tenure in NXT, Neville was a true superstar, then he got called up to the main roster where his character was botched. Neville dropped "Adrian" from his name, wore colourful tights, came out wearing a cape, and was made to look like a superhero but was constantly reminded that he was a short man with elf-like ears.
Despite being crowned the "Breakout Superstar of the Year" in 2015, the clean-cut perennial underdog Neville found all his momentum stagnated. That was until he suffered a fractured ankle in 2016.
When Neville returned from injury, he wore all black, sported a beard, and laid waste to everyone in the Cruiserweight division. Neville easily won the Cruiserweight Championship that was reintroduced to WWE during his absence. The British superstar dubbed himself the King of the Cruiserweights and flourished as a villain, cutting the best promos of his life and having the best matches of his main roster run.
The reason behind Neville wanting to leave had to do with WWE wanting him to lose to Enzo Amore. After carrying the floundering Cruiserweight division on his back for almost a year, Neville was made to lose to a talent-less mouthpiece, i.e. Amore, because officials thought Amore would bring more popularity to the division.
Given the success of Neville's heel run, the dark side of The Man that Gravity Forgot would make a grand addition to Bullet Club. His patented Red Arrow finisher is a beautiful diving attack that defies the law of gravity. The way Neville twists and turns in midair is inhuman and will be a reliable crowd pop in any wrestling venue around the world. Plus the Red Arrow would look great when added to Nick and Matt Jackson's More Bang for your Buck attack. Neville is more than just an aerialist though, as he is a well-rounded wrestler who is a true technician in the ring.
#4 Dolph Ziggler
Earlier this month I wrote an article on how Dolph Ziggler can save his wrestling career.
In the article, I covered the possibility of Ziggler joining Bullet Club. Rumors of Ziggler leaving WWE have been circling like vultures over the Show-off's head for years. Ziggler's character currently has no direction in WWE, which may have him facing the exit. Should he decide to finally walk away from the company, he could pursue many other ventures in the business.
One such venture could be joining Bullet Club. If Ziggler leaves WWE for Ring of Honor or New Japan, he could join Bullet Club, possibly establishing himself as the new Adam Cole. Ziggler would mesh with the Young Bucks just as Cole did, and would re-ignite the Superkick Party! Ziggler has a beautiful superkick that would look even better when flanked by the bucks as all three men kick their opponents head off.
Ziggler has claimed for the entirety of his WWE career that every night he steals the show. Unfortunately, it has been a long time since Ziggler has stolen the show, but the man that many believed to be the next Shawn Michaels is still more than capable of putting on 5-star matches. Ziggler has all the talent and popularity to be a major player for Bullet Club, and should a high calibre member leave and have to be kicked out, Ziggler and the Bucks can do the honours.
#3 Cesaro
Cesaro has worked the Indy scene before and enjoyed much success before arriving in WWE. Unfortunately for Cesaro, he fell into the category of; Tremendous athlete, huge fanfare, not enough charisma\personality to be considered a top guy.
While Cesaro is a world-class wrestler, he seemingly lacks that "IT" factor. Cesaro is pound for pound one of the strongest men we have ever seen in WWE. His Cesaro Swing is always a crowd pleaser, when he grabs his opponents by the feet and swings them in 360-degree rotations five, ten, fifteen, sometimes even twenty times!
Cesaro was floating aimlessly around before his rivalry with Sheamus culminated in the two men forming a tag team. Sheamus and Cesaro are one of the best tag teams in the world right now and I don't ever want to see their incredible run come to an end. While the two frien-emys are the current and three-time Raw Tag Team Champions, they won't be together forever.
While Sheamus and Cesaro have a long and successful future ahead of them, they will eventually split. Cesaro would be a great singles wrestler if he wasn't an even better tag team wrestler, which is why he is always placed with a partner. Cesaro would make a great addition to Bullet Club, his promo limitations would be masked, his character depth wouldn't matter, all that would matter is his ability in the ring as the Club has many members that are more than capable of doing the talking.
#2 Chris Jericho
Y2J in BC? It's the team-up you never knew you wanted until now. In 2008 Jericho began to tell anyone who would listen, calmly and slowly, "I am the best, in the world, at what I do". If what he does is get things over then you can't argue with the Ayatollah of Rock 'N' Rolla.
In wrestling terminology, for something to be "over" means that it is embraced by the fans. Jericho's ability to get anything over is unparalleled, if he cares about something then by God so will you. In the picture above Jericho is holding a clipboard, it is called the list of Jericho, it was so over with the crowd that WWE Shop began selling replica clipboards at a ridiculous price.
Bullet Club does not need Jericho's help to get over with the diehards and Indy fans, but the Midas touch of Jericho's affiliation will get them over with WWE casuals. Jericho is currently on a collision course with Bullet Club leader Kenny Omega. Billed as "Alpha vs. Omega" the two titans of wrestling will clash at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 12.
It will be the first time since 1999 that Jericho has wrestled for a high venue promotion outside WWE. Despite working the match, Jericho is still under contract with WWE. If all goes well in Japan, and good lord how could it not, Jericho may want to work with Bullet Club some more, rather than settling for this one-off appearance.
On top of the Alpha vs. Omega match, Jericho is hosting the Cruise of Jericho, where Bullet Club members Cody Rhodes, Marty Scurll, and the Young Bucks are set to perform. Officially named "Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea", which hopefully will go better than Jericho's Festival of Friendship, the wrestling legend originally requested NXT superstars to perform on his cruise, but was denied. With Jericho wrestling Omega, and Club members performing for Jericho's event, it is not hard to see Jericho, if only for one day, join Bullet Club.
Even if Jericho wrestled in a multi-man match alongside Bullet Club just once, it would break the internet. Jericho is arguably the greatest wrestler of all time. When you consider in-ring ability, promo ability, natural charisma, and everything else that makes a great wrestler, it is hard to put anyone past the self-proclaimed Man of 1004 Holds. Omega himself is arguably the greatest young wrestler in the world today and has yet to hit his prime. Jericho and Omega could give the wrestling community a treat and go the "Y2AJ" route. Additionally, the world needs a Chris Jericho themed Bullet Club t-shirt. Take. My. Money.
#1 Daniel Bryan
Rumors of Daniel Bryan wrestling again will continue to regularly make the run of the rumour mill until Bryan eventually competes again. Unfortunately for fans of the Yes Man, it won't be in a WWE ring. Bryan was forced into early retirement due to multiple concussions suffered throughout his career.
Bryan is still in shape and is eager to return, but has not been cleared by WWE doctors. Although every independent doctor Bryan has sought out has cleared him, it is understandable why the WWE, facing multiple head injury based lawsuits, are not giving Bryan their seal of approval.
When Cody Rhodes won the ROH Championship, Bryan tweeted that if Rhodes held the title for 462 days, then Bryan would have to go after him. Bryan added that the date would be September 28 of next year and that Rhodes had been warned. This would be the date that Bryan's WWE contract expires. Despite not wrestling, Bryan holds the on-air position of SmackDown Live GM. Once Bryan's contract is up he is free to sign with whatever promotion he pleases, and please Bryan, choose Bullet Club territory.
Daniel Bryan wants to wrestle again, and Rhodes would love to face him on the Indy circuit. Having worked together in WWE, Rhodes could be Bryan's ticket to joining Bullet Club. Bryan will be a highly sought-after free agent, and Bullet Club gets what Bullet Club wants, which is exactly what we as fans want to see.
Daniel Bryan in Bullet Club would be a dream come true and would open the door for many dream matches. Bryan was one of the best wrestlers in the world during his prime, and with him still being young it is hard to imagine any "ring rust" slowing him down when he finally gets going again.
