It is a new period in WWE. Formally branded by WWE because the “Paul Levesque Period,” the corporate is within the midst of a inventive renaissance beneath the management of Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Already, beneath his management, we have seen the rise of recent stars like Damian Priest successful his first World Championship and Cody Rhodes lastly “ending the story” and being topped WWE Champion at Wrestlemania 40.
There’s additionally new management with regards to The Bloodline. On final week’s Smackdown, Solo Sikoa kicked out Jimmy Uso and launched the latest member of the group: former founding member of the Bullet Membership faction and IWGP tag workforce champion, Tama Tonga.
Tama and his brother Tonga Loa have been kicked out by then-Bullet Membership chief Jay White again in 2022, with each brothers in search of singles careers. Tonga would go on to develop into a four-time NEVER Openweight Championship in NJPW however in the end selected to not re-sign again in February of this 12 months making him a free agent. There have been experiences he had signed with WWE again in February and was biding his time to make his first look as impactful as potential.
Earlier than Tonga squares up in a WWE ring for the primary time, let’s undergo his historical past and bloodline, which ties him to the Usos, the brand new WWE Champion himself, and makes him a menace to your complete WWE roster.
Bullet Membership Firing Squad Captain
For many of his profession, Tonga was a part of a tag workforce along with his brother and collectively held the file for many IWGP Tag Group Championship reigns at seven. Often called the Guerillas of Future, they turned the first tag workforce for Bullet Membership after Karl Anderson and Luke “Doc” Gallows left for WWE in 2016.
After Cody Rhodes left WWE again in 2016, he turned the most well liked free agent on the time and went all around the world to carry out in quite a few promotions huge and small. He ultimately discovered his approach to New Japan and was recruited into Bullet Membership and dubbed the “American Nightmare.” From there, he teamed with then-leader Kenny Omega and the Younger Bucks to carve out a brand new technology of Bullet Membership with Hangman Web page and Marty Scurll nicknamed Bullet Membership Elite.
The members of the earlier technology like Tonga, Loa, and Unhealthy Luck Fale did not look after Kenny’s management and the group’s give attention to Cody, so started to distance themselves from their Bullet brethren.
When Omega defeated Cody to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title on the G1 Particular in San Francisco, he and The Younger Bucks have been joined by Tonga, Loa, and King Haku. The Tongans gave the impression to be congratulating Omega, solely to assault them quickly after and reveal new “B.C. Firing Squad” shirts, formally declaring they’d splintered off, with Tonga taking the reins.
Web page and Scurll joined the fray by attacking the Tongans, earlier than Takahashi and Owens tried to deliver peace between the teams. Cody then got here out and was supplied the possibility to assault Omega with a metal chair, however he refused and went after the Tongans.
Because the Tongans left, they known as themselves the “true” Bullet Membership. In October, Cody, Hangman, and the Bucks left the group and introduced they have been merely going by “The Elite” now. Tonga and Cody by no means received their one-on-one, sadly. By December, Tonga declared Jay White the brand new chief of Bullet Membership.
It is uncertain that Tonga would overlook Cody placing him in that scenario although. WWE has a historical past of carrying on storylines from different organizations if the wrestlers concerned have historical past, so it will a killer starter level for Tonga to nonetheless have Cody in his sights as soon as extra to complete one other story.
Tama’s New Japan Professional Wrestling Singles Profession
For many of his profession, Tonga was a part of a tag workforce along with his brother and collectively held the file for many IWGP Tag Group Championship reigns at seven. Often called the Guerillas of Future, they turned the first tag workforce for Bullet Membership after Karl Anderson and Luke “Doc” Gallows left for WWE in 2016.
The Guerillas of Future–G.O.D. in the event you’re nasty–ran roughshod over the tag division, even changing into twin champs after capturing the Ring of Honor tag titles on the 2019 NJPW/ROH joint occasion G1 Supercard. After the match, Tonga went viral with a scathing promo against Ring of Honor and the tag belts he and his brother had simply gained. He additionally captured the NEVER Openweight Six-Man tag belts 4 instances with Bullet Membership members Yujiro Takahashi, Unhealthy Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori, and naturally, Loa.
After being kicked out of Bullet Membership, Tonga discovered success as a singles competitor. He lastly beat Home of Torture chief EVIL, after developing quick a number of instances earlier than, to win his first NEVER Openweight Championship. Later, his success leveled up through the 2022 New Japan’s G1 Climax event the place he eradicated Jay White, the person who kicked him out of Bullet Membership.
On night time two of The New Starting in Sapporo occasion in February of this 12 months, Tonga wrestled his ultimate NJPW match alongside his brother Loa in a shedding effort in opposition to fellow G.O.D members El Phantasmo and Hikuleo.
Familial Ties to the Bloodline
Tonga, whose actual identify is Alipate Aloisio Leone, is the nephew and adoptive son of WWE Corridor of Famer and well-known badass Haku (Meng, whereas he was in WCW). Haku is vastly revered among the many wrestling group and seen because the patriarch of the Tonga wrestling dynasty, just like how The Wild Samoans Afa and Sika are heralded as the top of the Samoan wrestling dynasty of the Anoa’i household.
So no, Tonga and Sikoa Solo should not blood-related by any means, however there are ties stronger than blood. Former MLW star, and son of Afa, Lance Anoa’i defined that his household considers Tonga part of theirs.
“We take into account him, each time I see Haku, he’s my uncle, lot of respect for…I consider it’s simply extra just like the island tradition,” Anoa’i stated again in February. “We’re all from the South Pacific, so the islanders simply stick collectively, man. It’s only one breed. I’ve seen Tama Tonga rising up, I frolicked with him whereas I used to be out in Japan. Each time our schedules blessed us to fulfill up and have dinner. There’s all the time love there.”
With Roman Reigns making Solo his “Tribal Inheritor” again in December, and Jimmy and Jey Uso each ousted, a brand new Bloodline is prime to take over WWE that has the very best of each lineages in its ranks.
The Good Unhealthy Man
Aligning himself with Solo and presumably being joined by Jacob Fatu, if rumors are to be believed, this new Bloodline may quickly function a number of new superstars and nonetheless stay the highest heel faction in WWE. Very like Bullet Membership member rotation, Tonga being added to the group and the WWE roster as a complete provides a brand new coat of paint to his already storied profession.
It will be fascinating to see how WWE books Tonga going ahead. At 41, it is not the norm to strap a rocket onto anyone in that place, however take a look at LA Knight and the highlight he is being given at this level in his profession.
There’s a complete new locker room to tackle in tag matches and singles motion, and the Good Unhealthy Man is trying as imply as ever as he steps onto his largest stage to this point.