WWE Payback is upon us, and many fans are preparing for a top notch event. This is the first big night since WrestleMania, and it’s an important one due to the “new era” that the company has been hyping over the past several weeks.
But it’s not just the high profile matches that have many fans intrigued; it’s the possibility for surprises along the way. One of those surprises includes The Bullet Club, and if that faction forms at Payback, it could own WWE from that point on.
This is perhaps not what fans expected when AJ Styles first entered the company. Styles’ arrival to WWE was a long time coming, and it was a moment that many fans likely believe would never happen. AJ has spent most of his career wrestling around the world and wowing crowds with his ability in the ring.
To imagine that he would finally be given a chance to shine on Vince McMahon’s stage seemed impossible at one time. But now that he’s part of WWE, the fact is that everything seems to be falling into place for him. He’s impressed the WWE fan base, and he’s done some good work in the company so far.
He is perhaps right where he should be, especially in his bid to become the new WWE world heavyweight champion. This is where many feel he should be, and the level he should be wrestling on. Anything other than the main event just would not do for the man known as The Phenomenal One.
So when news began to spread that Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows were leaving New Japan, fans collectively held their breath. What if Anderson and Gallows signed with WWE? Could it be that New Japan’s most physically dominating tag team and two thirds of The Bullet Club, would actually come to the house that McMahon built?
More importantly, would AJ be part of it? To believe that Vince would actually allow a faction not created by WWE to debut was in serious question, and perhaps it still is. The company has covered AJ’s past with Anderson and Gallows, but it’s all been done in an effort to sell the mystery of Payback.
Is AJ aligned with Anderson and Gallows? It definitely seems that the three men keep finding themselves in the same place at the same time and for Roman Reigns, it’s not a coincidence. This is more than just three friends inhabiting the same air; it’s about three Superstars working in collusion to dethrone the WWE world heavyweight champion.
This is how WWE is selling this match, and it’s really the most logical way to do it. AJ may be popular and he may be respected, but he’s still an unknown commodity in terms of his character. Can he be trusted? Is he on the level when he claims to not be directly connected to his best friends’ current actions? Anderson and Gallows keep showing up and Styles keeps trying to distance himself. But is that just a smokescreen?
The fact is that if The Bullet Club indeed comes together at Payback, it would be huge for AJ. This would be a guaranteed way for him to gain a massive foothold on WWE’s main event scene. The man that so many felt deserved a shot but would perhaps never get it, would find himself near the top of the company. He would instantly be the talk of the wrestling world, and his faction would immediately be the hottest act in the company.
They would dominate in every match they worked, and they would really have to. WWE would likely not go this route unless plans were in place to get The Bullet Club over in a very big way. Simply attacking Roman and leaving him for dead would not be enough; they would need to follow up. Today it would be Roman; tomorrow it would be the world.
Bullet Club’s main focus would certainly have to be gaining control on Raw. Just their presence alone would be enough to get fans talking, and their ring work would be enough to get exactly what they want. They could insert themselves in more than one storyline, permeating the product like the mob. No one would be safe from The Bullet Club, as they could bully everyone they came into contact with. This would be the most physically dominating faction since The Shield, perhaps even more so.
This is not a group of NXT standouts, nor is it a collection of indie circuit stars. This is a faction comprised of world traveled guys, and the distinction is made all the more obvious by AJ’s involvement. Of course, he is not the only former Bullet Club member currently employed by WWE; its founder is just right around the corner.
Finn Balor is going to debut on WWE’s main roster. It’s just a matter of time. When he does, he will surely do so in a big way, as he is one of the company’s most impressive young talents. Like AJ, Finn is an international star, and more than ready to impress on WWE’s main roster. But it’s his Bullet Club connection to AJ that has everyone talking.
If Finn indeed debuts at Payback and does so with Bullet Club, then it would be a huge night for everyone involved. The combination of AJ, Finn, Anderson, and Gallows, would make for a unit that could quite possibly become unstoppable. They could very well overshadow The Shield’s accomplishments, and they could do so because as of right now, WWE has no top heel.
It’s perhaps the most important role in the company, yet no one is filling it. Not since Seth Rollins has WWE used an active performer as the top heel, and it’s something that’s desperately missing. Bullet Club could fill that spot, and no one would be able to shut them down.
Whether it includes AJ or Finn or both, the fact is that Bullet Club is a force to be reckoned with, and that would definitely be true in WWE. This is an angle that could become the biggest one of the year, and with the company’s promotional machine behind it, there would be no limit as to how far it could go. WWE’s next great storyline is on the verge of happening, and Payback could be the birth of it all.
Tom Clark can regularly be found on Sportskeeda. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here
