|
Post by HMARK Center on Feb 17, 2018 8:16:11 GMT -5
HMARK had a great recap of everything, and there's just a bit more I wanted to add. This part blurs the lines of real/fake a bit, which helps push the various ways this can play out. There is an interview from a while back where Omega explains the creation of "The Elite." He noted that it had two purposes: 1. To retain ownership for merchandising purposes (as NJPW obviously owns "Bullet Club") and 2. To differentiate the praise both he and the Young Bucks were getting. To paraphrase him here, Omega basically said that all praise was really directed at the three of them, and no one was ever praising the rest of Bullet Club anyway. The only follow-up comment to this (as there was little backlash) was Omega admitting he has an ego which he considers fair for his talent and position in the wrestling world. Following this, there were no comments from Tama, Fale or anyone else. Tama in the last 6-9 months will occasionally take shots at The Elite (and it really gets blurred around the G1). Now, I think Tama's comments are mostly a work since GOD/Fale/Yujiro's positions have not suffered (and why would they), and they got the same in with Hot Topic as all other members. I will say that it's clear that the ROH group hang out as one clique and the Tongans/Chase/Yujiro are another, but that probably has more to do with age, history and personality than any animosity. In short, BC Japan likely prefer to keep doing their own thing, as not much will change with their positioning regardless of Cody/Omega's outcome. Everyone is at their ceiling, with the exception of HIKULEO, who could be a monster baddie like Fale is/was during his IC title reign and various G1/NJ Cup outings. Yeah, I think Kenny's comments on the second part there was him showing some work from the Chris Jericho School of Kayfabe Line-walking. Keeping up the storyline tension within the Club keeps more storyline possibilities open and allows the guys to keep themselves increasingly relevant, so it works to everyone's advantage if some people believe there might be some legitimate heat going on. What's true, however, is that there's certainly a bit of a "hangout clique" thing going on, largely due to factors like some of the guys spending more time in Japan than others (Fale, Yujiro, GOD to a degree, and even Chase is always willing to fly out the moment they need him), and whether each crew has guys who like to drink or not on them (Kenny, the Bucks, and Marty all don't drink alcohol), which of course just makes the divide seem more real. Doesn't mean these guys don't like one another in real life, given things like Tama and Fale being on BTE a couple of times and the long time locker room sharing they've done, but they're doing a really good job keeping up the appearance that something could happen on screen that plays off of the dynamics they're presenting to the public. In a lot of ways, it's the "new kayfabe" a lot of people think about with 21st century wrestling on the internet.
|
|
|
Post by Mayonnaise on Feb 18, 2018 18:53:03 GMT -5
I don't know if it has been mentioned but the hotel room the Bucks were in when Kenny and Kota came knocking, 710. The road from Rancho Cucamonga to Long Beach, 710.
|
|
Chainsaw
T
A very BAD man.
It is what it is
Posts: 90,480
|
Post by Chainsaw on Feb 19, 2018 16:33:56 GMT -5
HMARK had a great recap of everything, and there's just a bit more I wanted to add. This part blurs the lines of real/fake a bit, which helps push the various ways this can play out. There is an interview from a while back where Omega explains the creation of "The Elite." He noted that it had two purposes: 1. To retain ownership for merchandising purposes (as NJPW obviously owns "Bullet Club") and 2. To differentiate the praise both he and the Young Bucks were getting. To paraphrase him here, Omega basically said that all praise was really directed at the three of them, and no one was ever praising the rest of Bullet Club anyway. The only follow-up comment to this (as there was little backlash) was Omega admitting he has an ego which he considers fair for his talent and position in the wrestling world. Following this, there were no comments from Tama, Fale or anyone else. Tama in the last 6-9 months will occasionally take shots at The Elite (and it really gets blurred around the G1). Now, I think Tama's comments are mostly a work since GOD/Fale/Yujiro's positions have not suffered (and why would they), and they got the same in with Hot Topic as all other members. I will say that it's clear that the ROH group hang out as one clique and the Tongans/Chase/Yujiro are another, but that probably has more to do with age, history and personality than any animosity. In short, BC Japan likely prefer to keep doing their own thing, as not much will change with their positioning regardless of Cody/Omega's outcome. Everyone is at their ceiling, with the exception of HIKULEO, who could be a monster baddie like Fale is/was during his IC title reign and various G1/NJ Cup outings. Yeah, I think Kenny's comments on the second part there was him showing some work from the Chris Jericho School of Kayfabe Line-walking. Keeping up the storyline tension within the Club keeps more storyline possibilities open and allows the guys to keep themselves increasingly relevant, so it works to everyone's advantage if some people believe there might be some legitimate heat going on. What's true, however, is that there's certainly a bit of a "hangout clique" thing going on, largely due to factors like some of the guys spending more time in Japan than others (Fale, Yujiro, GOD to a degree, and even Chase is always willing to fly out the moment they need him), and whether each crew has guys who like to drink or not on them (Kenny, the Bucks, and Marty all don't drink alcohol), which of course just makes the divide seem more real. Doesn't mean these guys don't like one another in real life, given things like Tama and Fale being on BTE a couple of times and the long time locker room sharing they've done, but they're doing a really good job keeping up the appearance that something could happen on screen that plays off of the dynamics they're presenting to the public. In a lot of ways, it's the "new kayfabe" a lot of people think about with 21st century wrestling on the internet. I also think The Elite existing helps Bullet Club to continue to get heat from crowds. While it's cool to be a fan of BC, they're still heels, and there's still a mindset that if they're not getting booed, they're not doing their job right. This is especially true in the US, as NJPW explodes over here. Having Kenny and The Bucks kinda be representative of the cool tweeners that people can cheer for helps to take pressure off of the rest of the Club and allows them to be the underhanded heels they excel at. Marty's at an interesting crux, then, as his whole gimmick is based off of him being The Villain, but people have been cheering for him more and more as he's become more involved with The Elite, and his performance at WK12 may have made him a breakout star in NJPW. It'll be interesting to see where he goes from here if there is a big split in BC. Cody, meanwhile, has been great, too, being all carny, coming out with the Bullet Club Is Fine shirt and introducing Barry, playing up the cheap hucksterism that's kinda trying to take the cool sheen off of BC a bit in the effort to make money and kinda cement himself as leader. It's hilarious. "Go shit in the woods, Barry!"
|
|
Mozenrath
FANatic
Foppery and Whim
Speedy Speed Boy
Posts: 120,893
|
Post by Mozenrath on Feb 19, 2018 19:34:26 GMT -5
Yeah, I think Kenny's comments on the second part there was him showing some work from the Chris Jericho School of Kayfabe Line-walking. Keeping up the storyline tension within the Club keeps more storyline possibilities open and allows the guys to keep themselves increasingly relevant, so it works to everyone's advantage if some people believe there might be some legitimate heat going on. What's true, however, is that there's certainly a bit of a "hangout clique" thing going on, largely due to factors like some of the guys spending more time in Japan than others (Fale, Yujiro, GOD to a degree, and even Chase is always willing to fly out the moment they need him), and whether each crew has guys who like to drink or not on them (Kenny, the Bucks, and Marty all don't drink alcohol), which of course just makes the divide seem more real. Doesn't mean these guys don't like one another in real life, given things like Tama and Fale being on BTE a couple of times and the long time locker room sharing they've done, but they're doing a really good job keeping up the appearance that something could happen on screen that plays off of the dynamics they're presenting to the public. In a lot of ways, it's the "new kayfabe" a lot of people think about with 21st century wrestling on the internet. I also think The Elite existing helps Bullet Club to continue to get heat from crowds. While it's cool to be a fan of BC, they're still heels, and there's still a mindset that if they're not getting booed, they're not doing their job right. This is especially true in the US, as NJPW explodes over here. Having Kenny and The Bucks kinda be representative of the cool tweeners that people can cheer for helps to take pressure off of the rest of the Club and allows them to be the underhanded heels they excel at. Marty's at an interesting crux, then, as his whole gimmick is based off of him being The Villain, but people have been cheering for him more and more as he's become more involved with The Elite, and his performance at WK12 may have made him a breakout star in NJPW. It'll be interesting to see where he goes from here if there is a big split in BC. Cody, meanwhile, has been great, too, being all carny, coming out with the Bullet Club Is Fine shirt and introducing Barry, playing up the cheap hucksterism that's kinda trying to take the cool sheen off of BC a bit in the effort to make money and kinda cement himself as leader. It's hilarious. "Go shit in the woods, Barry!" Cody joining did so much to get things back on the right track for BC, it seems like. Gave Omega a foil, Cody washed out the stink that was Adam Cole being an underwhelming recruit for them, and he gave voice to some of the lingering questions, like "Why is Omega qualified to lead when he keeps coming home empty handed?" until Omega got the US title, and "Do Omega and the Elite even care about the rest of the Bullet Club?" which obviously has come to a boil.
|
|
|
Post by Oh Cry Me a Screwball on Feb 19, 2018 19:45:52 GMT -5
I'm not sure if the name has a specific meaning, but the Bear's name is actually Bury.
|
|
|
Post by mcmahonfan85 on Feb 19, 2018 22:03:32 GMT -5
see, they're good. its cool. Bullet Club is fine. there's no heat between the BTE's and the OG's
|
|
|
Post by HMARK Center on Feb 19, 2018 22:28:46 GMT -5
Hah, Tama has nooooooooooooo @#$%s to give.
Was waiting for the inevitable Game of Thrones betrayal moment, there.
|
|
Convoy
Hank Scorpio
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
Posts: 7,495
|
Post by Convoy on Feb 19, 2018 22:41:10 GMT -5
Tama is ready to lead...
|
|
|
Post by This Player Hating Mothman on Feb 19, 2018 23:03:58 GMT -5
Tama not letting someone throwing a chair even change his posture is a total f***ing power move
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2018 23:24:22 GMT -5
"The three star savior" lmao
|
|
|
Post by Mayonnaise on Feb 19, 2018 23:25:40 GMT -5
My god I love me some Tama Tonga.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2018 23:44:51 GMT -5
I watched the video, and maybe I'm missing something because it did nothing for me.
I saw guys I like, guys I don't but like everything with BC it just felt unbearably and suffocatingly smug, and not in any positive way.
But the Cody is raking it in, so I can't dislike it too much.
|
|
|
Post by IgnahtaSempria on Feb 20, 2018 0:01:13 GMT -5
"It's like Cody said, Bullet Club is fine."
That line makes me wonder; when Tama says that, who exactly does he consider as Bullet Club? The other Tongans obviously, and probably Yujiro, but what about Scurll? The Young Bucks? Hangman Page?
Plus, I think the whole "Too Sweet" thing might have been a test. The Bucks saying "you know we can't do that anymore" might have been a sign to Tama that the Bucks have gone soft. That them obeying the cease & desist shows that their merch sales and marketability are more important to them than Bullet Club's reputation. If they were still hard, they'd have said "f*** the cease & desist" and kept doing the Too Sweet anyway.
In short, I've got a feeling that Kenny and Cody won't be the only ones leaving Bullet Club against their will.
|
|
ronin705
Dennis Stamp
All Might
Posts: 4,277
|
Post by ronin705 on Feb 20, 2018 6:34:32 GMT -5
The Tongans are either with Cody or Tamas planning a coup once the Kenny vs Cody smoke clears.
|
|
Allie Kitsune
Crow T. Robot
Always Feelin' Foxy.
Celestial Princess in Exile.
Posts: 45,782
|
Post by Allie Kitsune on Feb 20, 2018 8:04:28 GMT -5
It sort of makes you wonder what Cody's plan is after all the smoke clears.
It seems obvious he's going to be the one on the outside of all the merchandising opportunities and hardcore hype at the end of all of this.
|
|
lionheart21
Patti Mayonnaise
Once did a thing...
Posts: 30,377
|
Post by lionheart21 on Feb 20, 2018 10:18:05 GMT -5
Cody is so good as a shit-stirring asshole heel, the man has found his niche
|
|
|
Post by "Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik on Feb 20, 2018 10:23:33 GMT -5
Tama Tonga during the brawl: "Man, these white boys are crazy."
|
|
|
Post by This Player Hating Mothman on Feb 20, 2018 10:24:53 GMT -5
"It's like Cody said, Bullet Club is fine." That line makes me wonder; when Tama says that, who exactly does he consider as Bullet Club? The other Tongans obviously, and probably Yujiro, but what about Scurll? The Young Bucks? Hangman Page? Plus, I think the whole "Too Sweet" thing might have been a test. The Bucks saying "you know we can't do that anymore" might have been a sign to Tama that the Bucks have gone soft. That them obeying the cease & desist shows that their merch sales and marketability are more important to them than Bullet Club's reputation. If they were still hard, they'd have said "f*** the cease & desist" and kept doing the Too Sweet anyway. In short, I've got a feeling that Kenny and Cody won't be the only ones leaving Bullet Club against their will. Yeah, this was how I sort of read what was happening, especially with Tama not getting up or involved at all in the fight. He's going to sit and bide his time, see how this all plays out, and while he's definitely not on team Cody I think he's a bit shaky on Kenny too if they're going to keep pulling away from what Bullet Club is supposed to be. There's a lot of stories being told here on different levels with everyone involved, and I think they've done a really good job of foreshadowing something in the general non-investment of the islanders in what's happening while letting it fade into the background. Something people who want to jump around and pay deeper attention to can analyze, but something people who are just along for the ride don't have to. Which is pretty impressive for a few dudes on their iphones.
|
|
y4j1981
Dennis Stamp
Rowsdower
Posts: 4,627
|
Post by y4j1981 on Feb 20, 2018 10:43:01 GMT -5
Loved Cody pulling a Duke from 'Rocky 5'
|
|
|
Post by cabbageboy on Feb 20, 2018 10:43:24 GMT -5
Here is the ultimate problem with any Tama Tonga as the leader scenario: The dude isn't remotely a top guy. NJPW isn't likely to push him to any singles title so him becoming the leader of the Bullet Club would probably just reduce the BC to a marginal faction within NJPW.
|
|