The shockwave of debuts in the WWE finally seems to have ebbed and not least amongst them is “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson. One of the most decorated tag-team specialists outside the WWE, the 36-year-old is the latest ‘oldboy’ to set foot in a WWE ring for the first time.
It was reported in January that Anderson and his partner Doc Gallows has signed with the WWE. Speculation spread like wildfire that their infamous stable, the Bullet Club, would be reassembled in the WWE, considering former leader AJ Styles’ thunderous debut at the Royal Rumble.
Well, the punters weren’t wrong and today, the brothers in arms embraced on the other side of the Pacific. Whether this foreshadows a reunion is anybody’s call at this point, but before we skip to that, here’s a profile of the WWE’s newest marauder:
- Sports standout
After finishing school in Asheville, North Carolina, Anderson(real name Chad Allegra) earned a baseball scholarship to attend Mars Hill College, but soon dropped out to venture into the professional wrestling industry. Making the move to Cincinatti, Ohio, Anderson was accepted into veteran Les Thatcher’s Main Event Pro Wrestling Camp. Thatcher’s list of pupils include Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns’ elder brother Rosey.
- Rocky start
Anderson’s dream of wrestling ended nearly as soon as it began when he received a severe concussion when wrestling Derek Neikirk, a fellow rookie at Thatcher’s school. It would be more than a year before Anderson could return to wrestling, which he did by signing with Cincinatti’s Northern Wrestling Federation.
- He’s done the rounds
Anyone assuming that Anderson is a familiar face solely in New Japan Pro Wrestling is sorely mistaken. Like most recognized wrestlers, Anderson paid his dues in the indy circuit, going toe-to-toe with the likes of Abyss, Chris Harris(fake Sting), Shark Boy and even Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler in NWF.
He showed a penchant for tag team competition in his nascence, founding the Young Lions, a popular four member stable of rookies.
2. Bad intentions
WWE fans may know Anderson as a member of the Bullet Club, but he cemented his name as a wrestling mainstay in a different tag team altogether. Around 2008-09 in NJPW, Anderson teamed with Giant Bernard (Albert/Tensai) to form Bad Intentions.
The duo to date, hold the record for most successful IWGP tag team title defenses (9!!) and are the longest reigning tag team champions with a mind-numbing 564 day-long reign.
- Keeps his friends close
Anderson now resides in Cincinatti, the home of his alma mater, NFW. He has two sons named Caedon and Cylus and names Ric Flair, another North Carolina native, his favorite wrestler. Anderson is close friends with Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura, their bond originating during their days in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
