Tama Tonga recently spoke with Justin Barrasso for Sports Illustrated Extra Mustard; you can read a few highlights below:
Tama says the Bullet Club upheaval was a long time coming, says Bad Luck Fale made the call:
“This has been a long time coming. Kenny Omega started a subgroup, ‘The Elite,’ within Bullet Club. No one is the head of Bullet Club, no one ever has been, and we had a self-proclaimed leader focusing on his own ‘Super Kliq’ or whatever else nerd ass name it’s called. This war was sparked the moment ‘The Elite’ was formed.”
“Fale is the one who made the call. You’ll all find that out soon.”
Tama explains the decision behind their attack was due to a lack of respect:
“The ones putting in the work day in and day out in Japan, we were cast away. We tried, over time, to give them the benefit of the doubt, but it kept getting worse. The ideals of Bullet Club working together, being a team, and watching each other’s backs was no longer what we stood for. We were a divided club. It was just too much to ignore.
Balor and Styles taught us and showed us teamwork. Balor taught Fale and me so much in the New Japan dojo, and we have nothing but respect for him. AJ came into Bullet Club and was humble and a team player, someone who was here for the betterment of the team. That’s why they were placed, by the group, to the front.
New Japan Pro Wednesday (7/11) Hiromu Takahashi Update, G1 Predictions, More
Tonga says his goal is to straighten out the group, and finally ‘Bullet Club is fine’:
“My goal, my sole focus, is to straighten out Bullet Club. Take it back and push it forward. Wherever that takes me, that’s where I’ll go, whether that’s the G1 final or a match with Kenny. People still don’t know what Bullet Club is, but in due time, everyone will understand.
I am not the leader of Bullet Club,” Tonga explained. “Fale, me, and Loa, we are the leaders of Bullet Club, and anyone that’s with us. We are not ‘Firing Squad,’ we are Bullet Club, the Bullet Club. ‘Firing Squad’ only arrives when there is bulls— and betrayal.”
“Finally, after over two years, Bullet Club is now fine. After Saturday, Bullet Club is on its way to being the best we’ve ever been.”