Will WWE Debut a New Iteration of ‘The Bullet Club’ in 2026?

This past episode of Friday Night SmackDown took place at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This was the second week that SmackDown returned to its original two-hour length. The reiteration of a popular wrestling faction continues to be teased. Original Bullet Club member Tama Tonga and original Bullet Club leader Finn Balor have crossed paths backstage for the past several weeks on SmackDown.

The two originals would initially meet backstage on Balor’s first night on SmackDown, and Tama welcomed his former leader to the blue brand. Tama and Talla Tonga broke apart from Solo Sikoa’s MFT faction a couple of weeks later. ‘The Prince’ would bump into the duo as they were heading out of the building. The former Universal Champion would congratulate his former stablemate on finally making his own decisions and remind him of the old Tama during their NJPW days. The former right-hand man of the MFTs would bump into his old leader the following week and execute a premeditated attack on Balor ordered by some of his elders. It would come to a climax last night when Balor and the former Tag Team Champion would have a one-on-one match, with the former Universal Champion coming out on top and evading a post-match attack from the tallest Tonga.

This isn’t the first time WWE has teased their version of a faction that gained popularity outside of their company. They had their own iteration of the NWO in 2002, even bringing back the original trio of Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash. Hall of Famers like Booker T, X-Pac, Big Show, and even Shawn Michaels were part of the WWE’s iteration of the NWO. WWE had their own iteration of The Bullet Club when AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson formed The Club in 2016, later rebranded as The O.C. in 2019, and added Michin to the group in 2022. The original trio was so successful in WWE that they would all hold gold simultaneously at various points of their run. Balor would even try to convert the three into joining The Judgement Day during his time as the leader, but that attempt failed miserably. ‘The Phenomenal One’ and ‘The Prince’ have shared ‘Too Sweet’ moments in a WWE ring, with the latter pulling it out on last night’s SmackDown after his victory over Tama.

There are a few factors that make a new variation of The Bullet Club returning in WWE possible. Tama has been talking with Shinsuke Nakamura for the past several months about their past history. Nakamura had a bad relationship with The Bullet Club. The former United States Champion was the original leader of the faction CHAOS, which was the arch-rival faction of The Bullet Club in NJPW. The two have had tense moments and matches in WWE, but there has yet to be some sort of story-ending payoff. Styles is currently working for WWE after his in-ring retirement, but he could push for some sort of Bullet Club reunion or storyline. Recent NXT signing Naraku, formerly known as Evil, is also a former Bullet Club member. He still needs to adjust to the pacing and WWE-style production, but he could debut on the main roster to join a new iteration of The Bullet Club. Cody Rhodes is currently looking for a WWE Championship feud with CM Punk, but he was also a former leader of The Bullet Club who could elevate the other talent in the story.

That last tidbit is important because Rhodes has yet to face his arch-nemesis in their inevitable rubber match. Roman Reigns won at WrestleMania 39. ‘The American Nightmare’ finished “the story” at WrestleMania 40. The two would team up in last year’s WarGames at Survivor Series but would lose, causing tension between the two that has yet to be resolved. Reigns’s goal since becoming World Heavyweight Champion is to rebuild The Bloodline and make it stronger than ever before. Bringing Sikoa back to The Bloodline increases the numbers, reunites family members, and reduces competition within WWE. This gives the former Undisputed WWE Champion every reason to rebuild The Bullet Club to combat his arch-nemesis’s family. The two behemoth factions could be involved in a months-long or years-long feud that could end inside War Games. The biggest faction from the 2010s facing off against the biggest faction from the 2020s would bring back weary WWE fans and bring some NJPW fans into the WWE Universe.