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MAR.12.2022

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The Right Choice? Tama Tonga Interviewed

Tama Tonga speaks about the new Japan Cup, and BULLET CLUB fractures

Tama Tonga’s New Japan Cup gets underway on Sunday with a first round match against EVIL. Yet this is more than a refocus on his first singles tournament since G1 Climax 31. After Jay White turned his back on the ‘Good Bad Guy’ at IMPACT’s No Surrender, Tonga is looking for answers, and looking for a path to revenge. 

Watch New Japan Cup LIVE in English on NJPW World! 

I think that Jay saw an opportunity

–Tama, as we speak, you’re now back in Japan, after the last time we saw you being in the World Tag League. How does it eel to be back in the country?

Tama: After that long stint that we did August in the G1 to everything in between, to the World Tag League, it was great to take that time away to reset and get set. Now, I’m not too sure how I feel, because of what happened before I came here. I’m still trying to process everything, and see where to go from here.

–Obviously we’ll talk about the New Japan Cup in a bit, but we have to talk about what happened at IMPACT’s No Surrender. You and Tanga Loa were closing in on victory over the Good Brothers for the IMPACT Tag Team Championships when Jay White struck you with a Bladerunner.

Tama: Right.

–So now that you’ve had some time to reflect, can you talk about what went through your mind when you saw jay in the ring, and he hit you with that Bladerunner?

Tama: It had been a long time, chasing after the Good Brothers. It was two years at least before we could have that match. So when it happened… I think that Jay saw an opportunity in that. It caught me off guard, to be honest. It blindsided me. All I had going on in my mind was the Good Brothers at the time, and now I’m really… I’m at a standstill here.

–Obviously you were in BULLET CLUB from day one, and you saw Jay White come in, back in 2018. Is he a different man now to who he was then? Did you have any indication this might be coming?

Tama: That’s a good question. When came into the Club, we had brought him in. It was a time of turmoil between us and The Elite, and we saw him as someone young who we could mould into the top position. Back then, he was cocky. He was arrogant, and that fit right in with the idea of what BULLET CLUB stood for. But I think over time… I think he realized.

–Realized?

Tama: Realized that he was falling off. That he wasn’t at the level in the business that he was two, three years ago. I think he felt threatened by me, to be honest. He wasn’t here in the G1 last year, and a lot of us had to step up. I stepped up, took control and he saw that. He saw as well that I was upset with how he handled things last year, and he thought that he had to do something about it. So I’ll give him that much, he caught me by surprise. He got one up on me.

Am I still BULLET CLUB? I don’t know


–There are a lot of moving parts for BULLET CLUB between IMPACT, NJPW STRONG and NJPW in Japan. On IMPACT, Jay White said that you and Tanga Loa were out of BULLET CLUB.

Tama: Mm-hmm.

–So do you accept that? Are you part of New Japan Cup as BULLET CLUB members, or as your own men?

Tama: I think we need to see what the rest of the guys here decide. That will be the deciding factor. Now I’m here in Japan, do these other guys feel the same as Jay? Am I the guy blocking BULLET CLUB moving forward? Am I a threat to everyone else? That’s what I want to understand. So am I still BULLET CLUB? I don’t know to be honest. We’ll see in this Cup.

–Backstage at Anniversary, Gedo spoke backstage to El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori and Bad Luck Fale. He relayed a message from Jay White saying ‘What side are you on? Jay hopes you make the right decision, and I do too.’ In your mind, what is that correct decision? Have you spoken to them?

Tama: I haven’t been in touch with them, no. The right choice, we’ll see. Obviously, I’m going to say the right choice is with me. But we’ll see what they do.

–Let’s talk about the New Japan Cup. You received a bye into the second round, and will face the winner of Ryusuke Taguchi and EVIL March 13 in Hyogo. With all respect to Taguchi, that’s a winnable match for EVIL, and HOUSE OF TORTURE is another wrinkle in the BULLET CLUB situation. How do you feel this potential match might play out?

Tama: It’s just another match. Look, I see people asking what side I’m on, talking about me joining EVIL. I think EVIL has his own thing going on, and it’s never been any desire of mine to be part of that. Can I trust EVIL? Hell no. Just look at the G1 and everything since. I can’t be in someone’s group that I can’t trust. But he’s part of the New Japan Cup, and that just means he’s a hurdle I have to jump over.

Where is Jay White?

–Traditionally the winner of the New Japan Cup challenges the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion is Kazuchika Okada, and we know you can beat Okada. Do you think potentially winning the cup, and winning the title will hold sway in this whole BULLET CLUB situation? That holding the gold means holding the power, especially over Jay White?

Tama: Absolutely. Abso-freaking-lutely. This is a pivotal point here. And where is Jay White? He blows off the G1, now he blows off the New Japan Cup? Where is Jay White? You’re doing a U-S-of-what? U-S-of-Jay Tour? Nah, nah. This is what’s important. New *Japan* is what’s important. Especially in a time like this, a tournament like this, this is what’s important. If he’s not here to take responsibility, then I will.

–Casting aside Karl Anderson for a second, I want to ask you about the other original BC member Bad Luck Fale. If anyone understands the workings of BULLET CLUB, it’s him- do you have anything you’d like to express to Fale?

Tama: We’re family. That’s blood. So you already know what the right choice is. We shouldn’t even have to speak about this. We started together day one here. So you know what the right choice is, Fale.

–And finally, any message for Switchblade Jay White?

Tama: I’m coming. I ain’t waiting. I’m coming for you, Jay White.

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