The Bullet Club faction was formed in May of 2013. The founding members were Finn Bálor, Karl Anderson, Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale. Of course the faction would go through many revamps and leaders. Past members include: AJ Styles, Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, The Young Bucks, Hangman Page, Cody Rhodes, Doc Gallows, Frankie Kazarian, Jeff Jarrett, King Haku, Scott D’Amore, actor Stephen Amell (star of the hit show, Heels) and so many others I have failed to mention out of brevity and not purposeful negligence and disrespect.
via NJPW /YouTube
Jay White is its current leader, and he’s been a busy one at that. Not only has he appeared on Impact Wrestling quite often in recent memory, all the while making his obligations to NJPW, where the faction originated, but he’s also recently made appearances on AEW, he aligning himself with former member, Adam Cole.
The Young Bucks seem a tad worried about his sudden appearance, and we all need to see where this goes, but it only adds to the mysterious Adam Cole, and what his own true intentions are moving forward.
Recently, Jay White spoke to the Strong Style Podcast, and he addressed some of the fans’ concerns that the Bullet Club of old was quite suddenly a tad stale, and what he does to rejuvenate the faction. Here’s some of what he said:
“I guess what I’m doing is really trying to rejuvenate Bullet Club in the way that I truly see it…You know, people can sometimes – whether they think Bullet Club gets stale or not; especially since my absence from Japan, with the likes of guys like EVIL and the House of Torture trying to say that they’re still Bullet Club. You know, Bullet Club’s just going like this (signals down), so, I put it on myself to go to Impact, to New Japan Strong, to AEW, just to prove the success of Bullet Club has to run through me…
Like Cole said, he said to them the other night I believe, ‘Hey, if you need a hand, Jay White’s here.’ …That’s what I’ve brought in, that’s what I’ve been brought in for. I felt like the Bucks could have a little bit of a hand with things recently. So, figured I’d come over and extend my hand to them…”
via Jay White on the Strong Style Podcast / Wrestling Inc. (Transcription)
So in the end, it isn’t as if he disagrees with fans altogether, but this is what caused him to go to Impact and now AEW. In truth, the Bullet Club has seen a resurgence in interest with the more casual fan. The hardcore Bullet Club fans never lost interest, but the casual fan is once again paying attention, and that can be attributed to White’s appearance on both Impact and now AEW.
Miro lists differences between AEW and WWE
Miro has spent dominant years of his career not only now in AEW, but also in WWE as Rusev. He had many feuds and matches on that platform and against the likes of John Cena, who is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most influential performers to ever wrestle in a WWE ring.
If anyone would know the differences between the two companies in terms of the last decade or so, Miro would certainly be the one to ask. He spoke on The Kurt Angle Show and as it turns out, had a lot to say on the matter:
“Big differences, first, the creative…There’s no writers; we just have Tony that writes certain things. But on a day-to-day basis, you’re pretty much in charge of your own writing. If you have a promo, yeah, Tony may have a suggestion, but usually, it’s going to be on you and what do you want to say…
The matches, yeah, we have producers, or agents, or coaches as we call them, but they’re not going to be on every match and they’re not as hands-on as WWE is. They’re not going to tell you ‘Oh, they dived in the last match so you can’t do dives before that,’ the control level, it’s all about peer-to-peer…
I had times where Vince tells me ‘Don’t smile, don’t look at the people, don’t raise your hand, don’t do this.’ Tony Khan is not going to do this, he’s a big wrestling fan and he wants to see good wrestling matches. The styles, you can tell the style is much different…
If you watch WWE, you can tell it’s kind of the same pattern, same storyline, same people. While in AEW, we’re trying to be way different than that. Our matches are different, we have a lot more Attitude Era-ish, not with the blood and stuff, but just more Attitude Era to it. It’s more adult-oriented…
The biggest thing is the freedom…Also, we don’t travel 300 days in a row, we have one show a week, sometimes two, sometimes three if we have pay per views or whatever. Those are only so often and that’s what I love the most. The opportunity for me to rest my body…
I think Tony was talking about off-seasons as well and all of that; he’s just a way different thinker…This old carny vibe, they’re all trying to screw you over while I don’t think Tony is like that. I think Tony is a businessman first, he owns quite a few successful businesses and sports franchises and that’s how he operates for it.”
– Miro via The Kurt Angle Show /Wrestling Inc. (Transcription)
via The Kurt Angle Show /YouTube
In the end, they (WWE & AEW) are completely different products, and clearly for Miro and a few others, the way business is conducted in AEW is far better and far more conducive to their progression as wrestlers and as performers. A happy worker is a good worker, clearly, is the credence over at AEW.
