Today The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling goes international as we travel all the way to New Zealand to be chat with a founding father of the Bullet Club and the group’s muscle known as the “Underboss” Bad Luck Fale joins episode number #244. Hear Fale’s rise to becoming The Underboss as well as the story of formation of The Bullet Club and how they became one of the most dominant factions in professional wrestling history. The full 60 minute interview can be heard below, and you can read some excerpts below:
Bad Luck Fale on the original formation of The Bullet Club:
“It all started while we were there in Japan just enjoying life. We were enjoying our matches and we were just doing whatever we wanted to unless the office stepped in and said you cannot do that. Just playing around I think it was Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) and Karl Anderson even before we started the Bullet Club maybe one tour before I got there they threw up the “too sweet” sign after one of their matches. When we all got together we got Tama (Tonga) and Anderson to join me and Devitt in the ring and we all looked at each other and said let’s throw it up and it just blew up from there. It was just a show of respect to the guys who came before us and for the nWo who we all loved and admired. We had so much fun doing it and doing it that there you go it’s back and popular again.”
Rumors of heat from Kevin Nash for using the “too sweet” hand gesture but instead Nash giving his blessing:
“I’ve never met them yet but he (Kevin Nash) is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time and when I heard him saying that I was happy to hear that. I was happy they didn’t put it down because it was just a sign of respect and for them to see it that way as well I was glad.”
Beating Nakamura for IWGP Intercontinental Championship and being one of few men to defeat him:
“I can say when I was a “young boy” (a trainee) he was one of the influential guys who came in and taught us how to wrestle and taught us all our kickboxing and grappling and he was there at the (NJPW) Dojo teaching us. When I ended up facing him in a singles match it was an amazing feeling and I knew that I had to prove myself not just to everybody but to him as well. Him (Nakamura) being as big a star as he was I needed to step up my game and show people that I can hang with those at that level. He was one of the guys that was very influential in my career and to be able to beat him for that belt and where he was the one who took that belt to the next level and turned it into the same level as the IWGP (World Title) but to take it from him I can’t explain the feeling. That moment when I won and all the boys came out and came in the ring and sat me down on a chair, there is a photo that we all have and with the original boys standing around me I have that hanging in my gym.”
Did he feel Nakamura elevated him to the next level:
“It was after the finals of the New Japan Cup. That’s when I knew and I told myself you can do this. Before the match I kept saying to myself that you have to step up and do this to prove to everybody that you are one of the top guys and after the New Japan Cup is when I realized that I can be one of the guys that you can put in any match and I’ll step up.”
Did Finn Balor’s departure to WWE seem like the end of the Bullet Club:
“When he left I knew he was going to chase his dreams but I had no doubt that at the time we had Karl Anderson and to me he was the real leader after Devitt left. Karl Anderson stepped up when Devitt left and before AJ came so he stepped up, took the helm and kept the Bullet Club together and that gave the chance for AJ to come along.”
Popularity of The Bullet Club in The United States:
“I was very surprised. Here is a group of guys who wrestled in Japan and never had any TV time in America so how did these guys become known all over the world? It was very surprising but I do credit social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) but it wasn’t until everybody like The Young Bucks, Luke Gallows and AJ came along and we all got together that is where things blew up because everybody had their own following. We decided to do everything together. If you get a shirt we all wear it and that is why the Bullet Club shirt became so famous because we all got together and wore the same shirt every single match, took photos and put them up on every social media outlet we could and I think that is how it blew up so big.”
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