There has been talk of more members joining The Club now that AJ Styles has become the lead villain in WWE’s attempt to recreate a New World Order. Styles, who was everyone’s newest super hero since setting foot in a WWE ring at the Royal Rumble, has completed his turn for evil just in time to face everyone’s enigma, John Cena, at Money in the Bank.
Las Vegas can’t get much bigger than it already is. Having this epic battle of two unlikely heroes on opposing sides of the ring only magnifies the new era of wrestling and how hard the McMahon family is working to change the culture of stale booking and unlikely storylines.
In my eyes, it’s working better than I had anticipated. If this is what Shane and Stephanie McMahon hope will bring the masses back to the arenas and increase ratings on television, then this is the best possible start to the post Authority era of this company.
Hallelujah! The tide is turning.
Mark Suleymanov writes in one of his latest pieces on inquistr.com that there has been a discussion of adding wrestlers to The Club. While I think that is a foregone conclusion, it may not be as black and white as it seems. If WWE books this properly – that’s a big “IF” – then the new heel faction can be the great force of evil, the kind The Shield had great success with before it disbanded. There must be baby steps in this process. Jumping in the deep end will crush this storyline. While it may not kill off any momentum of Styles, it may lessen the value of Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.
The creative team cannot allow this to become a mountain of problems like it became in WCW where everything turned into a spinoff of one of the greatest storylines in wrestling history. Keep the fans on the edge of their seats. Give them one little bait to swallow at a time and then hit them with one huge event after another.
If The Club is going to add new members, here are four names to consider.
#1 Finn Balor
Of course his name is going to be the first one discussed in the case of expansion. Frankly, I am not sure why he has not been brought up to the main roster yet.
Balor’s history with The Bullet Club and his popularity in NXT and Japan makes him the ideal fit for expansion of the Clubt to four. I would not be surprised if he made his presence felt in the MITB match between Styles and Cena.
The only issue I see with this is what happens to Balor becoming a main event contender, and if he will be able to coexist with Styles on the main event roster?\
#2 Samoa Joe
One of NXT’s crown jewels, Joe has plenty of history with Styles on the Indy scene and in TNA and would be a solid enforcer-type of wrestler in this setting.
Joe’s’ commitment to NXT right now as the promotion’s champion would mean he would have to drop the title to move up to the main roster though. And he has been on record stating he is going to be a champion for a long time and has no plans on vacating the title.
Having a chance to shine in the McMahon family circus could change all of that. We have all be waiting for this to happen. Joe came to WWE with a long list of titles and a style which is different from the three performers already on the Club roster.This uniqueness makes him a solid choice.
#3 Dean Ambrose
I put him on the list for a few reasons, but they all point to one thing – Ambrose will never be a world champion with his current gimmick.
When Seth Rollins betrayed The Shield and joined The Authority, it was the perfect move for the former WWE World Champion. He became the best heel of a better than average bunch. Ambrose is one of the most popular wrestlers on the roster right now. But he is also a man without a real place in the company. His gimmick is getting old. His 15 minutes of fame is waning.
Change did great things for Rollins. This might be the best place for Ambrose while the company figures out what to do with his character.
#4 Austin Aries
I am higher on Aries than some of my wrestling colleagues. As a cruiser weight, there are few who are pound-for-pound as tough as the former TNA star. His connection to both Joe and Styles makes him a great fit.
When the New World Order took shape, X-Pac was the compliment to larger brawling wrestlers. Aries is more versatile and a better competitor in the ring. And he is the perfect complement to the three stars already on the evil roster. Aries would also be another solid competitor in the mid card and could challenge for the mid card titles to bring to the Club’s stable.
