“I guess what I’m doing is really trying to rejuvenate Bullet Club in the way that I truly see it” ― Jay White
Hello! Today, we continue the Bullet Club series with the Jay White era. Many have said the stable has become stale, and that’s probably true, but it continues on and New Japan doesn’t look like disbanding it soon. The Bullet Club is still a draw, and even with its most popular former members working for other companies, Jay White has steered it through the toughest of times.
Did you miss the previous volumes? You can find them in the links below:
Prince Devitt (#1) / AJ Styles & Karl Anderson (#2) / Kenny Omega (#3)
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#35. Jay White – 4th Leader (October 8, 2018 to Present)
Did you know? Jay White recently became the longest serving leader of the Bullet Club. And he did so during the pandemic while shows were cancelled, and travel restrictions were in place. Even now, there are limits, and White spends much of his time wrestling in America. He leads by example, and has done more to push the Bullet Club in to America than anyone else. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion has wrestled mostly for New Japan Strong, Impact Wrestling, and more recently for All Elite Wrestling.
Despite his ambition, the stable isn’t as solid as it once was. There are groups, including the American branch, the Japanese branch, and a sub-group called the House of Torture. White isn’t doing much to steer them in New Japan, despite representing them overseas, so the promotion appointed EVIL to this role. ‘Switchblade’ is skeptical about EVIL and the House Of Torture, as he can be quoted as saying:
“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.”
Bullet Club was always about having the numbers game, but Jay White’s vision is about him carrying the torch. He is proactive, and while the stable is still recruiting, White rarely does this. Recently, he kicked out the Guerrillas of Destiny and replaced them with The Good Brothers, because he said they were dead weight. It was nothing personal; it was strictly business. White shows that his leadership is all about money, and there is nothing personal about how he leads the stable.
No other leader in Bullet Club has gone to this length to emphasize themselves. However, he’s also the least popular leader in the stable’s history, and he recognizes this. He has to use the established name to make himself more of a star, and you can’t blame him for that. It makes good business sense. Whether it will, remains to be seen.
For clarity, members with names in green are currently in Bullet Club USA. Purple names are members of the House of Torture. Other current Bullet Club members who are not part of this list include:
- The Good Brothers, Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson (USA)
- Bad Luck Fale
- Yujiro Takahashi (House of Torture)
- Chase Owens
- Hikuleo (USA)
- Taiji Ishimori
- King Haku
- Pieter
#36 & 37. Gedo & Jado – Best Managers (October 8, 2018)
In the last month of Kenny Omega’s reign, Jay White, Gedo, Jado & Robbie Eagles joined the ranks of the OG Bullet Club. Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale carried the group during the civil war, and Tonga did not announce that Jay White had taken over as leader until December 11th, 2018. The most shocking part of this was Gedo’s departure from the Chaos stable.
He was Kazuchika Okada’s manager for many years, and helped him to great success. Not only that, but Gedo was one of its original members from all the way back in 2009. His tag partner Jado followed him, so two of the original Chaos members defected to Bullet Club and took Jay White (he had only been with Chaos since early 2018) with them. They continue to serve the stable with all of their experience.
#38. Robbie Eagles (October 8, 2018 – June 30, 2019)
He entered Bullet Club at the same time as Jay White, Gedo & Jado at the end of Kenny Omega’s reign. Bad Luck Fale announced he would team with Taiji Ishimori in the Super Jr. Tag Tournament.
After an unsuccessful title shot against Will Ospreay, Eagles turned on Jay White and joined Chaos. He has since become a singles and tag team (w/ Tiger Mask) IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, showing that Chaos helped his career more than Bullet Club did.
#39. El Phantasmo – Tag Team Specialist (March 8, 2019 to Present)
El Phantasmo is the first Bullet Club member to be recruited under the leadership of Jay White. Since then, the Canadian has become a 3-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Taiji Ishimori.
More recently, he joined Bullet Club USA and represented overseas in Impact Wrestling’s X-Division. He has yet to win any titles with Impact, but made a good impression with his performances. Phantasmo has become one of the most loyal members of the modern day Bullet Club.
#40. Kenta – Go 2 Sleep Club (August 12, 2019 to Present)
The Bullet Club gained big time when Kenta, formerly known as Hideo Itami in WWE, returned to Japan to prove a point. His run as a WWE Superstar was disappointing, so he joined Bullet Club to rejuvenate his career and fit in right away. Kenta’s previous run in Japan saw him dominate Pro Wrestling NOAH, so although he had returned to his home country, this was fresh territory for him to conquer.
So far, Kenta has won the New Japan Cup USA, the NEVER Openweight title, and the IWGP United States title. His most heated feuds were against one of New Japan’s biggest stars in Hiroshi Tanahashi, and AEW’s Jon Moxley. He is one of the few guys to walk through the ‘forbidden door’ and appear on episodes of AEW Dynamite. Maybe one day we’ll finally get that CM Punk vs. Kenta match? We know he’d love that, and so would we. He is probably the most popular Japanese wrestler in the current form of Bullet Club.
#41. EVIL – House of Torture Leader (July 11, 2020 to Present)
Many consider EVIL a full leader, but to me, it feels like he’s a caretaker (while Jay White is away) and more so a leader of the House of Torture sub-group. What I would agree with, though, is that EVIL is one of the most overrated members in Bullet Club history. He won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship the day after joining the stable, but only held it for 48 days before losing it to Tetsuya Naito.
You know when WWE force pushes someone? It’s much like that. EVIL is a decent wrestler, but I don’t think he is ready to be the face of the promotion. As the first Japanese leader in Bullet Club, there was potential for him to reach another level, but nothing suggests that his leadership has helped. When Jay White finally returns to New Japan, I’m sure many will hope that EVIL either steps aside, or gets kicked out of the group. Fans have criticized House Of Torture for overusing interference, which has always been a part of Bullet Club, but the sub-group takes it to a poorly received level.
#42 & 44. Dick Togo (July 12, 2020) & Sho (September 4, 2021)
With the addition of Dick Togo and Sho, the House of Torture is currently running with the four guys shown above. Togo provides the experience and acts more like a manager. Sho is the young lion and previously worked in the Roppongi 3k tag team with Yoh. This is a chance for Sho to work as a singles wrestler, and it helps that he has plenty of experience around him. As far as House of Torture goes, will it still have a place when Jay White returns?
#43. Chris Bey – First Impact Recruit (July 19, 2021)
The latest Jay White recruit happened not long after he debuted with Impact Wrestling. He had his eye on Chris Bey for some time and recruited him after some light persuading. The former X-Division Champion was a hot agent not so long ago, as WWE, AEW and Impact were looking to sign him. He landed with Impact, and he may never have imagined becoming the first wrestler signed to an American promotion to become a Bullet Club member.
Bey has his own “Finesse Club” merchandise, which I’m sure goes over pretty well. He is athletic and has a promising future ahead, even more so under the mentorship of Switchblade. With the recent change of personnel, he gets to learn from the returning Good Brothers, too. However, they are not the only experienced wrestlers he can pick the brains of.
#45. Scott Norton – First nWo Black & White Member (April 16, 2022)
Scott Norton is the second nWo member after Jeff Jarrett to join the Bullet Club, and the only one from Black & White (unofficially named the leader) and nWo Japan. As of this writing, he has not yet joined, but will do so when he teams with The Good Brothers, Hikuleo, Chris Bey & El Phantasmo to take on the United Empire at New Japan Windy City Riot. He has never officially retired, although has wrestled sporadically since 2006.
This brings the group a strong tie to the original New World Order, to which fans often compare the Bullet Club to. The numbers game, merchandising and “too sweet” hand gesture are all taken from the nWo. With Scott Norton, the group learns from one of the nWo’s most loyal members. Despite being 60 years old, Norton will feel he is in good enough shape to do this, otherwise he wouldn’t have agreed to a match. I’m sure many of the older WCW fans will enjoy seeing him in action again.
Conclusion
There you have it! All 45 Bullet Club members in the history of the stable so far. We have been through the eras of Prince Devitt, AJ Styles/Karl Anderson, Kenny Omega and Jay White. Whether or not it has become stale, Bullet Club has been around longer than the New World Order. It has outlived many legendary stables and doesn’t look like disbanding soon. As a group of villains, it continues to get heat with Japanese fans by bringing the American style of wrestling to its shores. It may not be as popular as it once was, but as a proven commodity, it would take something drastic for it to dissolve.
Jay White and EVIL continue to move the stable in their own directions, and they may someday unite. We may even see a Bullet Club invasion in AEW one day? The future is unknown, but the past is undeniable. Bullet Club has enjoyed its own legacy, and I hope this series of articles has helped you to understand why. Which era was your favorite? And who would you like to see join its ranks? Please let me know in the comments. Thank you very much for reading!
