Tama Tonga reveals what influence The Elite had within the Bullet Club

In the aftermath of AJ Styles' departure from NJPW, Kenny Omega, and co. formed a Bullet Club sub-group known as The Elite, with the original members being Omega and The Young Bucks.

However, as the years gradually progressed, the Bullet Club added more members, and some of them technically became a part of The Elite as well. With the likes of Hangman Page, Cody Rhodes, and Marty Scurll coming in, The Elite was at their peak form and became an instant hit in the US, promoting both The Elite and the BC simultaneously.

Discussing the topic, Bullet Club OG Tama Tonga felt that The Elite was a totally different team and their frontman Kenny Omega prioritized the sub-group in comparison to The Bullet Club.

Tama Tonga on the influence of The Elite within the Bullet Club

The Elite initially started off as a vital part of NJPW and the Bullet Club and took the legendary faction to new heights. With Kenny Omega becoming the first gaijin Superstar to win the G1 Climax and The Young Bucks capturing tag team gold all around the world, The Elite got off to a great start.

Courtesy of the faction, top names from the professional wrestling world such as Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll became an influential part of the Bullet Club. However, The Elite's shenanigans eventually crossed BC OG Tama Tonga, who realized that the group was in the Bullet Club to build something on their own.

"It just felt like the Elite group was building something on their own. We were here in Japan on every single tour doing what we had to do, and they were going rogue, and just doing whatever the hell they wanted to do. Enough was enough," said Tonga on njpw1972.

At the G1 Climax 2018, things finally boiled down to a point where The BC OGs had enough and Tama decided that it was finally time for him and Omega to go their different paths. 'The Good Bad Guy' infamously almost ruined the G1 that year with constant interferences and Bullet Club attacks. However, things were eventually dealt with before they got out of control.

What happened between The Elite and the BC?

At the G1 Special in San Fransisco, Tama Tonga, along with BC OGs Tanga Loa and Haku, finally turned their backs on The Elite after Kenny Omega's successful IWGP Heavyweight Title defense over Cody Rhodes.

Members of The Elite, including The Young Bucks, Page, Scurll, and even Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi were laid out by The Firing Squad. This lead to a factional war between The Elite and the Bullet Club and by January 2019, The Elite announced their own wrestling promotion - All Elite Wrestling.