Tama Tonga has hinted at significant developments involving The Rock and WWE’s Bloodline faction. Following The Rock’s unexpected appearance at the Bad Blood Premium Live Event in Atlanta six weeks ago, speculation has grown about his role within the Bloodline.

A prevalent theory suggests that The Rock is orchestrating Solo Sikoa’s revamped Bloodline, which now includes Jacob Fatu, Tonga Loa, and Tama Tonga. During The Rock’s appearance at Bad Blood, footage captured Sikoa mentioning that The Rock’s involvement was part of “the plan,” adding weight to this theory.

Further fueling speculation, recent footage from SmackDown showed Tama Tonga making a throat-cut gesture similar to one The Rock made at Bad Blood. When a Twitter user claimed this gesture confirmed The Rock’s leadership of the Bloodline,

Tama Tonga responded with a cryptic “Shhhhhhhh,” suggesting that a revelation about The Rock’s involvement may be forthcoming.

Additionally, Bronson Reed has aligned himself with the Bloodline, becoming the faction’s fifth member for the upcoming WarGames match.

The Bloodline once again holds tag team championship gold after Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga won the WWE Tag Team Championships on SmackDown. On the go-home show before WWE SummerSlam, the two teams competed in the main event of the show which also happened to be in Johnny Gargano’s hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

As seen in previous Bloodline matches, this bout saw interference as Solo Sikoa hit Ciampa with a Samoan Spike at ringside while Gargano was trying to fight off everyone else. In the end, it was Fatu who got the win for his team to bring The Bloodline its first taste of gold since WrestleMania 40.

This marks the end of DIY’s time as WWE Tag Team Champions. The pair had held the gold since the July 5, edition of SmackDown where they dethroned A-Town Down Under. Ciampa and Gargano had just one successful title defense, that being against A-Town Down Under on the July 12, episode.

With the WWE Tag Team Titles now with the Bloodline, all eyes are on Solo Sikoa and tonight’s Undisputed WWE Championship match. Sikoa has vowed to win the gold Cody Rhodes captured at WrestleMania by defeating Roman Reigns. On this week’s SmackDown, it was announced that their title match will be under Bloodline Rules, and Sikoa once again had some choice words for Roman Reigns, calling his cousin “weak.” Comments like these and others have led many to speculate that Reigns will return tonight at SummerSlam.

WWE SummerSlam 2024

SummerSlam 2024 will take place on August 3, one day after the Priority Pass tryouts, from the Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The show will be the second SummerSlam from Cleveland and currently has seven matches announced.

Related: What Happened After 2/8 WWE SmackDown?

Hall of Famer Rikishi is proud to see Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa’s arrival in WWE.

The Bloodline storyline has taken a unique turn amid the absence of Roman Reigns. Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa, who are the sons of Haku, have made their way to the company to join the Bloodline. While speaking on the Rikishi Fatu Off The Top podcast, the WWE legend showered praise on the duo for their hard work in NJPW before making a move to WWE. He is thrilled that Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa are finally home. He said:

“Those two kids, Tama and his brother, Tonga Loa, they’re [related] to the family, as far as with Uncle Haku and so forth. These kids, I couldn’t wait for them to come to WWE. They’ve done so much out there, the hard work and building their brand out there in New Japan, that it was awesome to see them finally come home.”

• Roman Reigns Involved With The Bloodline’s Creative Direction During WWE Hiatus

Ever since Roman Reigns dropped the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40, he has been on a hiatus and Solo Sikoa has transformed The Bloodline and the stable has undergone drastic changes. He has ousted Jimmy Uso and brought in Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. Rikishi loves the fact that the duo was added to the stable because they are family and he is thrilled with the revamped Bloodline. 

“The Bloodline, the WWE is home. To be able to see them come and not just go right into an angle, they’re only put there for the simple fact that they belong there. Nothing else, nothing more. You got Roman that’s out the picture now, Jimmy’s out the picture now. Now here comes Solo and his crew, what they like to call The Bloodline 2.0, the brothers, Tama and Tonga Loa, they’re doing a great job. They both look great, they look fresh. So nice to see fresh faces out of there, being involved in The Bloodline, and family at that.”

It has been announced that Tama Tonga will be locking horns with Randy Orton in the semi-finals of the WWE King Of The Ring tournament on this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown. While Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa continue to assert dominance on the blue brand, we recently reported that they won’t be using the Gurilla’s of Destiny team name.

Check out their WWE debuts here:

Solo Sikoa enacts sweeping changes to The Bloodline, kicking out Jimmy Uso whilst adding Tama Tonga:

As Kevin Owens seems to clinch victory with a earth-shattering Brainbuster, Tanga Loa makes his WWE debut in an effort to save Solo Sikoa & Tama Tanga from defeat. 

WWE SmackDown took over Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania’s Mohegan Sun Arena with a sold-out show this week. Those fans witnessed some incredible King and Queen of the Ring Tournament matches take place.

The 2024 King and Queen of the Ring tournaments have begun in WWE, featuring matches on Raw and SmackDown. The finals will go down at a live event in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, May 25. Thirty-two competitors from the roster are vying for the crown, a title previously held by many notable wrestlers.

On WWE SmackDown this week, they continued their road to King & Queen of the Ring. In the first match of the night, Nia Jax defeated Naomi to advance in the tournament.

Carmelo Hayes, the former NXT Champion, won his match against Baron Corbin to advance in the tournament. Hayes secured the victory with a roll-up pin, which didn’t significantly hurt Corbin’s standing, as he was just call-up from NXT during the 2024 WWE Draft along with Hayes.

Additionally, the match featured sponsorship from “The Iron Claw” on Max, with MAX graphics on the barricades and entrance as Corey Graves mentioned the Von Erich Family biopic post-match.

Baron Corbin vs Carmelo Hayes
Brought to you by The Iron Claw. #KOTR #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/kMXHI63Wkl

— Balor Club Guy (@TheBalorClubGuy) May 11, 2024

Jade Cargill also advanced toward the 2024 Queen of the Ring crown as she defeated Piper Niven. It’s hard not to see the former TBS Champion as a favorite in the tournament. Cargill impressed throughout the match, executing a blue thunder bomb on Niven, along with perfect splashes in the corner.

Chelsea Green tried to interfere, but there was no stopping the Storm from coming as she won with a Jaded. This win for Cargill also set up a match against Nia Jax next, and that will be another incredible test for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.

JADED! ?#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/TMXmn0OQ4X

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) May 11, 2024

Bianca Belair made her entrance as her tag team partner, Cargill, was leaving. This gave them a chance to pose as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions before the match kicked off. After a back-and-forth contest, Belair won the match to advance in the tournament.

Tama Tonga picked up the win over Angelo Dawkins to advance this week. Dawkins replaced Bobby Lashley, who had to pull out. Tonga is coming off his brother, Tanga Loa, debuting at WWE Backlash in France, so he wanted to keep that momentum going. Tonga also got to show off his new entrance on SmackDown.

Tama Tonga's Entrance ???#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/GwxXxrq2SG

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) May 11, 2024

AJ Styles and Randy Orton brought the third and final King of the Ring match of the night. The two veterans continued as Orton developed a leg injury during the match, one he sold to enhance the drama. Orton fought to keep from getting trapped in a Calf Crusher from the Phenomenal One as fans chanted The Viper on.

They fought on, and Orton delivered his signature suspended DDT, but he was unable to capitalize. The Apex Predator was able to kick out of a Phenomenal Forearm and then he hit an RKO outta nowhere to secure the win.

ring awareness pic.twitter.com/cxzfFzEuOn

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) May 11, 2024

The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will culminate on May 25 at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the finals for both tournaments will take place.

You may find the results for this year’s tournament (so far) in the space below. We have also listed the announced quarterfinal matches.

King of the Ring:

First Round Results:

• Gunther defeated Sheamus
• Ilja Dragunov defeated Ricochet
• Jey Uso defeated Finn Balor
• Kofi Kingston defeated Rey Mysterio
• Randy Orton defeated AJ Styles
• Tama Tonga defeated Angelo Dawkins
• Carmelo Hayes defeated Baron Corbin
• LA Knight defeated Santos Escobar

Quarterfinals Scheduled:

• Gunther vs. Kofi Kingston
• Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov
• Tama Tonga vs LA Knight
• Carmelo Hayes vs Randy Orton

Queen of the Ring:

First Round Results:

• Iyo Sky defeated Natalya
• Lyra Valkyria defeated Dakota Kai
• Zoey Stark defeated Ivy Nile
• Shayna Baszler defeated Maxxine Dupri
• Bianca Belair defeated Candice LeRae
• Jade Cargill defeated Piper Niven
• Nia Jax defeated Naomi
• Tiffany Stratton defeated Michin

Quarterfinals Scheduled:

• Iyo Sky vs. Shayna Baszler
• Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark
• Jade Cargill vs Nia Jax
• Bianca Belair vs Tiffany Stratton

WWE King & Queen of the Ring Card:

• King of the Ring Tournament Final
  • Raw bracket winner vs. SmackDown bracket winner
• Queen of the Ring Tournament Final
  • Raw bracket winner vs. SmackDown bracket winner
• Women’s World Championship Match
  • Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan (Singles match)
• WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
  • Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed (Triple threat match)
• Undisputed WWE Championship Match
  • Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Logan Paul (Singles match)

Tanga Loa made his WWE debut at last weekend’s Backlash PLE from the LDLC Arena in Lyon, France. He reunited with his brother, Tama Tonga, as part of the new and improved Bloodline. 

We’ve received questions from readers about whether or lot they’ll be using their old team name from New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Guerrillas of Destiny. SEScoops has confirmed with multiple sources that Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga will not carry over the GoD name into WWE.

Before joining WWE, Tanga and Tonga reigned in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as the Guerrillas of Destiny and held the IWGP Tag Team Championship an impressive seven times 

We may see the name referenced in passing, there are no plans for them to use the name regularly or as part of any merchandise. A search of the US Patent & Trademark Office database shows no current owners for the  ‘Guerrillas of Destiny’ trademark.

Since Roman Reigns lost the WWE Undisputed World Title to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XL, WWE fans have witnessed a significant transformation in the Bloodline. Loa’s arrival could further reshape the landscape.

WWE Backlash signaled a significant shift for the Bloodline with the introduction of a new, powerful tag team to the WWE Universe, led by Solo Sikoa in Roman Reigns’ absence. Although Paul Heyman may be leery about things, he is still following along. 

The latest European tour of WWE saw events held in three different countries as the promotion continues to embraces its appeal outside of the U.S. 

The tour, which came mere weeks after a recent tour of the United Kingdom, was part of the promotion’s buzz surrounding WWE Backlash: France, the first Premium Live Event in the country’s history. 

WWE in Bologna, Italy

The first night of the tour saw the Superstars travel to Italy. The show saw several highlights, including Solo Sikoa break a 41-match losing streak. The former NXT North American Champion teamed with Tama Tonga to defeat Randy Orton & Kevin Owens in what was also Tonga’s WWE in-ring debut. After the show’s main event, Undisputed WWE Cody Rhodes said he hopes to bring a WWE TV taping to the country. 

The results for the show were as follows: 

• Sami Zayn (c) def. Ludwig Kaiser (Intercontinental Championship)

• Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill & Naomi def. Damage CTRL (Asuka, Dakota Kai & Kairi Sane)

• Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga def. LA Knight & Randy Orton

• Damian Priest (c) def. Chad Gable and Gunther and Jey Uso (World Heavyweight Championship)

• Awesome Truth (R-Truth & The Miz) (c) def. Judgment Day (Finn Balor & JD McDonagh) (World Tag Team Championships)

• Becky Lynch (c) def. Nia Jax (WWE Women’s World Championship)

• Cody Rhodes (c) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (Undisputed WWE Championship)

WWE in Vienna, Austria

WWE’s next stop on the tour saw the promotion come to Vienna, Austria. This was WWE’s first event in the nation since 2019 and unsurprisingly, GUNTHER received a hero’s welcome in his homeland. 

The results for the show were as follows: 

• Sami Zayn (c) def. Ludwig Kaiser (Intercontinental Championship)
• Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga def. LA Knight & Randy Orton
• GUNTHER def. Chad Gable

• Jey Uso & Awesome Truth (R-Truth & The Miz) def. Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Finn Balor & JD McDonagh)

• Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill & Naomi def. Damage CTRL (Asuka, Dakota Kai & Kairi Sane)

• Becky Lynch (c) def. Nia Jax (WWE Women’s World Championship)

• Cody Rhodes (c) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (Undisputed WWE Championship)

WWE SmackDown in France

The penultimate stop on the tour saw WWE finally arrive in Lyon, France for the May 3, episode of WWE SmackDown. This was WWE’s first TV taping in the nation’s history and saw the Superstars seek to build momentum towards WWE Backlash. 

The results for the show were as follows: 

• Bayley, Naomi, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill def. Tiffany Stratton and Damage CTRL
• AOP (with Karrion Kross and Scarlett) def. New Catch Republic 
• LA Knight def. Angel
• Austin Theory and Grayson Waller (c) def. The Street Profits (WWE Tag Team Championship)

WWE Backlash France

WWE’s tour culminated with Backlash France, the first PLE of its kind in the country. Given the raucous ovation the night prior, expectations were high for the show and once again the WWE Universe inside the LDLC Arena delivered. The show saw surprises and title matches with the WWE Women’s Tag Titles changing hands. 

The results of the show were as follows:

• The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga) (with Paul Heyman) def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton
• Bayley (c) defeated Naomi and Tiffany Stratton (WWE Women’s Championship)
• Damian Priest (c) defeated Jey Uso (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
• Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defeated The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
• Cody Rhodes (c) defeated AJ Styles (Undisputed WWE Championship)

WWE’s recent tour has proven to be a hit with audiences as the promotion continues to lean into the ‘World’ aspect of its name. With Triple H teasing a broadcast event in Italy during the post-Backlash press conference and with PLEs in Europe already announced, expect much more from WWE outside North America. 

Tanga Loa debuted as the newest member of Roman Reigns’ stable during WWE’s Backlash event in France. The Guerrillas of Destiny are now a part of the Bloodline.

Kevin Owens and Randy Orton took on Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga in the opening match of Backlash. They started the tag team match with chaos, which led SmackDown GM Nick Aldis to declare the contest a No DQ match. During the closing moments, Tanga Loa showed up to make his mark.

Loa’s unexpected debut helped the Bloodline secure a victory. Paul Heyman stood alongside the celebrating stable, but he didn’t have the most confident look on his face.

His appearance was a surprise since there were no prior reports of him signing a deal with WWE. Jacob Fatu has also signed a new deal, and it remains to be seen how he will be integrated into the storyline.

THE BLOODLINE continues to EXPAND at #WWEBacklash! pic.twitter.com/A3tvnzUWCk

— WWE (@WWE) May 4, 2024

Who is Tanga Loa

Real name Tevita Tu’amoeloa Fetaiakimoeata Fifita, Tanga Loa comes from a prominent wrestling family. He is the son of Haku and the brother of Tama Tonga and Hikuleo.

Before his WWE debut, Tanga achieved significant success in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He won the IWGP Tag Team Championship seven times alongside Tama Tonga. So, the two have already done a ton prior to Loa’s Backlash debut.

Additionally, Loa captured the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship three times; twice with Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga, and once with Taiji Ishimori and Tama Tonga.

The Bloodline’s new incarnation added a seasoned tag team to the mix with Tanga and Tama. Jimmy Uso was ejected from the stable following WrestleMania XL, and it was later revealed that he suffered an injury that required surgery and a long wait until his return to the ring.

Roman Reigns still has a huge hand in the Bloodline’s creative direction, even though his absence. He is still setting the stage for the head of the table’s return, whenever that comes around. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad0wmhhHNLk

Italy could soon be host to an episode of WWE TV if the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has anything to say about it. 

Rhodes was part of a recent WWE live event in Bologna, Italy, and defended his title in the show’s main event against Shinsuke Nakamura. Speaking to the crowd after the match, Rhodes teased bringing an episode of Raw or SmackDown to the country. 

“You know we are sold out tonight, this is pretty good showing for Italy. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a RAW, to have a SmackDown?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/reel:C6cOk_6MNfl

WWE has hosted just one episode of TV in Italy throughout the company’s history, that being the April 16, 2007, episode of Monday Night Raw. The show in Milan is best remembered for the WWE debut of Santino Marella who captured the Intercontinental Championship from Umaga (albeit with a big assist from Bobby Lashley.)

Tama Tonga Makes In-Ring Debut

The WWE live event in Bologna, Italy also marked the in-ring debut of Tama Tonga, who debuted on TV as part of Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline very recently. In the third match of the night, Tonga and Sikoa defeated the team of LA Knight and Randy Orton. Despite getting the win, Tonga still fell victim to an RKO from the Viper after the match. 

@RandyOrton Dropped Tama Tonga With An RKO After The Match At #WWEBologna In Italy.

🎥 : Credit To The Respective Owners pic.twitter.com/weuk2UwD7K

— randyfan4ever (@randyfan4ever_) May 1, 2024

Tonga joined WWE after a nearly-14 year tenure with New Japan Pro Wrestling. This run saw him become a seven-time tag-team champion and four-time NEVER Openweight Champion. It remains to be seen if Tonga will see the same success in WWE but debuting in a high-profile angle like The Bloodline and working with established top stars in his debut certainly bodes well for his future. 

WrestleMania is in the rearview mirror, and WWE has been known to re-stack the deck. This week’s SmackDown included a big change for The Bloodline as Jimmy Uso was kicked out to make room for Tama Tonga.

It is a new era for the Bloodline. The Rock is gone after WrestleMania, although he did promise to return for a match against Cody Rhodes. Roman Reigns is also taking a break after losing his title.

There is a new Bloodline, and Paul Heyman is reluctantly on board.

Bloodline Changes After WrestleMania 40

The Bloodline took to the ring this week on SmackDown, and they had a lot to address. The Wise Man Paul Heyman spoke about Cody Rhodes winning the Undisputed WWE World Title at WrestleMania.

Suddenly, Solo Sikoa cut off WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman’s speech on SmackDown this week to make his own announcement. He called attention to Jimmy Uso and how he should be reprimanded for losing. Then Solo hugged Jimmy in the ring while saying, “you’re my brother, I love you.“

Jimmy Uso is coming off a WrestleMania loss to his brother, Jey Uso. There are punishments for losing, and they made that point very clear when Tama Tonga jumped in the ring to attack Jimmy.

After a brutal beat-down in the ring, which included wrapping a chair around Jimmy’s head in the corner followed by a running hip attack from Solo, brought a new chapter in the Bloodline saga.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!

Jimmy Uso just got taken out by…TAMA TONGA?!?#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/BP2uHOhXPN

— WWE (@WWE) April 13, 2024

Paul Heyman famously said that we were only in the “bottom of the 3rd inning” at SummerSlam last year. We have to wonder where they are in the ballgame after this development after WrestleMania 40.

The Wise Man looked scared in the corner, fearing that he was next in line. That beatdown on Heyman did not happen, as Solo brought him to join him and Tama as they did the Bloodline sign. Heyman, although a bit hesitant, did the pose alongside them.

???

EVERYTHING just changed for #TheBloodline… #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/G6rDVEeXvO

— WWE (@WWE) April 13, 2024

Who is Tama Tonga

Roman Reigns and Tama Tonga are not related, but they share a connection through their Polynesian heritage. Tonga, real name Alipate Fifita, is of Tongan descent, while Reigns is Samoan, both belonging to the broader Polynesian cultural group. He is son of legendary pro wrestler Haku.

Tama entered WWE after having a lengthy run in NJPW, where he won many titles along the way. He has won the IWGP Tag Team Championship seven times with Tanga Loa. Tama is a four-time NEVER Openweight Champion and has won the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship four times.

He’s been on WWE’s radar for a while, but NJPW kept him locked in a contract. Needless to say, The Bloodline has a huge boost with Tama in their ranks.

There are other potential future Bloodline members possibly on their way. Jacob Fatu and Zilla Fatu, who is Umaga’s son, are always possibilities. From the way they splintered things off, it looks like Jimmy Uso could use an ally to fight the new Bloodline now.

WWE superstar Jey Uso is ready to welcome more members of his legendary family into the company. The company has made a strong effort to showcase the lineage of the Anoa?i Family with the Bloodline stable(Roman Reigns, The Rock, Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso), which fans have gravitated towards in recent years. 

As the group continues to be a focal point on WWE TV, Jey has expressed interest in having other family members join the company to get a bigger spotlight. 

In an interview with Battleground Podcast, Jey discussed the Bloodline’s success in WWE. He was also asked if he had any advice for other members of his family who may want to join the company and align themselves with the faction. While Jey is no longer in the group, he has no problem seeing unsigned talent from his family sign to be led by the ‘Tribal Chief.’

“Man, come. We family at the end of the day, come. Some of your worst enemies might be in your family, but at the end of the day, we are all still family,” said Jey.

 Jey also noted that he likes that several family members wrestle for different promotions and are thriving. However, he wants to see everyone under the WWE umbrella. 

“…I feel like if we all come to the big leagues, the WWE, bruh, it’s mindblowing what could happen,” said Jey. He added, “…Man, at least almost ten deep in there, Uce, like what, and let alone some big hitters. So, man, the future is bright is all I’m going to say.” 

Popular Free Agents From The Anoa?i Family 

Although Jey doesn’t share names, fans have wanted to see former MLW World Champion Jacob Fatu join WWE to side with the group. ‘The Samoan Werewolf’ is a free agent who has expressed interest in joining the company. Whether WWE wants to sign him is unclear, but fans hope a deal will be made soon. 

Another famous free agent who could be heading to WWE is Tama Tonga. Although he isn’t related by blood, he is still considered family as the son of Haku. Multiple outlets reported that he is expected to sign with WWE after spending most of his career in New Japan Pro Wrestling. It’s unclear when he could debut, but he’s seemingly on track to be on the roster soon. 

Jey may soon get his wish, as the company could make significant moves to sign two famous and accomplished members of the Anoa?i Family. Hopefully, this will lead to more great storytelling in WWE that will last for the next few years. 

Roman Reigns has been very good to his family with the Bloodline stable. Their family tree is extensive, and there may be more room at the table for an incoming star who already has a veteran’s level of experience. 

Tama Tonga did his thing in NJPW for years, but now it is reported that he is coming to WWE. His exact start date has not been mentioned yet, but there could be a massive role waiting on him whenever that day comes to make his debut for WWE after years of interest from both sides.

It is theorized that Tama Tonga’s role in WWE may involve becoming a member of The Bloodline. The faction considers him family, and his impending arrival could be perfect timing for a WrestleMania moment.

Tama Tonga’s Possible WWE Future

During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that it is very possible that Tama Tonga may join The Bloodline when he makes his way to WWE. He is considered family by everyone in the faction.

“He’s on his way, I don’t know the role, but you know very likely at some point could be part of the Bloodline situation, because he’s considered family by all those guys, so if they need somebody new, it could be him.”

It was noted that Tonga is done with NJPW, and he was talking with WWE a year ago as well. “He should start pretty soon,” Meltzer concluded. 

The Bloodline’s Future in WWE

WWE introduced Solo Sikoa to the Bloodline fold at Clash at the Castle in 2022, and that was the last addition to the stable, other than Sami Zayn’s program with the faction. It could be very possible that Tama Tonga might add a new flavor to the mix that will give the Bloodline saga even more time.

SEScoops will have complete coverage of this story, and so many more, in the pro wrestling world. Keep checking back for more updates as additional information is available. 

WWE has had their eye on Tama Tonga for a long time. Now, his time is finally coming to work in the biggest pro wrestling company in the world after taking over NJPW for so many years.

Dave Meltzer has confirmed on F4WOnline that Tama Tonga is on his way to WWE. This will mark a huge step in his pro wrestling journey.

WWE sources have confirmed that Aliopate Aloisio Leone, better known as Tama Tonga, is headed to the company.

Tama Tonga expressed a desire to prioritize family time after spending extended periods away from home on wrestling tours, much like his father did. Despite negotiations with WWE last year following the expiration of his New Japan contract, Tonga ultimately chose to extend his stay in Japan for another year.

More Confirmation

Fightful Select also reported to confirm that it appears WWE landed this big free agent. The report simply backed up Meltzer’s report to say that Tonga is WWE-bound.

Tuesday, Wrestling Observer reported that longtime NJPW wrestler Tama Tonga Is headed to WWE. Fightful was able to confirm that is the expected move, barring unforseen circumstances.

Who is Tama Tonga

Tonga, the nephew and adopted son of professional wrestler Haku, partnered with his cousin and adoptive brother Tanga Loa to create the tag team Guerrillas of Destiny. Their collaboration lasted until Tonga departed NJPW in 2024. He played a pivotal role as a founding member of Bullet Club and remained one of the stable’s longest-serving members until 2022.

Tonga is named after his father Haku, who initially competed under the name Tama Tonga before adopting the monikers King Tonga, Haku, and Meng.

Tonga, alongside his tag team partner Loa, achieved seven IWGP tag team championship reigns. Transitioning to singles competition, Tonga secured the Never Openweight title on four occasions. However, he recently lost the title to Evil on January 22 in Nagoya, coinciding with the expiration of his contract at the end of the month. He returned for a final farewell match on Saturday.

Tama Tonga has bid emotional goodbye to his NJPW fans.

Tonga had dethroned Shingo Takagi to regain the NJPW NEVER Openweight title at Wrestle Kingdom 18 but his title run was short-lived. That night, in a post-match press conference, Tonga had announced that January would be his final month with the promotion. He added that he wants to find work closer to home and that he misses his family.

EVIL dethrones Tama Tonga

At Saturday’s NJPW The New Beginning in Nagoya event, EVIL defeated Tama Tonga in the headlining clash to win the NEVER Openweight Title. The main event originally resulted in a double disqualification after Bullet Club, Guerrillas of Destiny, and Hontai members got involved. 

Tama went on to insist that the match should be restarted but this time as a lumberjack match. At the end, EVIL dethroned Tama in latter’s farewell match.  

Following the match, Tama Tonga, who was quite emotional, cut a promo and expressed his gratitude to the fans. He said:

“Thank you for giving me a chance to know you. I love you.”

Thank you @1TamaTonga🙋‍♂️

Sign up Now & Stay tuned to https://t.co/CeQLGjTmZ5#njnbg #NJPW #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/93LLGuhsWh

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 20, 2024

Tama Tonga emerged as a significant force in the tag team division alongside his brother Tanga Loa. He tasted success as part of Guerrillas of Destiny and the Bullet Club. Tonga’s journey in NJPW is marked by multiple IWGP Tag Team Championships. He has also held the NEVER Openweight Championship and NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship four times each. He has now decided to depart NJPW and it is needless to mention that the fans will miss him.

Where is Tama Tonga headed? Well, WWE had been interested in signing him. Read more below:

Tama Tonga is once again the NJPW NEVER Openweight Champion, but it appears that his reign will be a very short one. 

At Wrestle Kingdom 18, Tonga dethroned Shingo Takagi to regain the gold. Takagi, a three-time NJPW NEVER Openweight Champion, had held the title since October’s Fighting Spirit Unleashed event, where he beat Tonga. Tama’s victory this week makes him a four-time champion. This also makes Tonga the wrestler to have held the title for the third most amount of reigns, behind Hirooki Goto (five reigns) and Tomohiro Ishii (six reigns. 

You can check out some of the highlights from Tonga’s title win below. 

.@Takagi__Shingo "Tope Con Giro"

Sign up Now & Stay tuned to https://t.co/CeQLGjTmZ5#njwk18 #NJPW #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/gH8IDum6ot

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 4, 2024

.@Takagi__Shingo came to Tokyo Dome🫵🐲

Sign up Now & Stay tuned to https://t.co/CeQLGjTmZ5#njwk18 #NJPW #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/5XvoCt5XYe

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 4, 2024

.@1TamaTonga "Styles Clash → Gun Stun"

Sign up Now & Stay tuned to https://t.co/CeQLGjTmZ5#njwk18 #NJPW #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/nveUjxIjNu

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 4, 2024

🔥WRESTLE KINGDOM 18 in 東京ドーム🔥

第5試合NEVER無差別級選手権試合‼️
"THE DRAGON"鷹木は辰年初戦を勝利で飾ることはできるか⁉️

🆚 @Takagi__Shingo × @1TamaTonga#njpwworld で配信中📡

視聴＆登録⏩https://t.co/CeQLGjTmZ5#njwk18 #NJPW pic.twitter.com/makykhZbHm

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 4, 2024

Finishing with New Japan Pro Wrestling

While Tonga is once again the champion, it appears that a lengthy title run isn’t in the cards. In a post-match press conference, Tonga announced that January will be his final month with the promotion. In his comments (courtesy of PWI Contributor Issa) Tonga said he wants to find work closer to home. He added that he misses his family and doesn’t want to keep leaving them behind, as this was the case in his childhood. 

Tonga made it clear that he loves Japan, NJPW, and every wrestler who works for the promotion. He is also elated at the current state of his career but realizes it is now time for him to go home to his family. Tonga is the nephew and adoptive son of legendary tough-man wrestler Haku. 

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 saw the arrival of a former WWE World Champion. Click here to find out more. 

New Japan Pro Wrestling continued its second round of the New Japan Cup on March 13 at the Item Ehime in Ehime, Japan.

The main event had Will Ospreay take on his United Empire faction member Mark Davis in the second round of the New Japan Cup. In the co-main event, EVIL competed against Jeff Cobb. The winner of Ospreay vs. Davis and EVIL vs. Cobb will face each other in the next round of the New Japan Cup on March 17.

NJPW streamed their event live on NJPW World at 6:00 AM ET/3:00 AM PT. However, to watch the New Japan Cup, fans must subscribe to their service, which is $9.99 in the United States.

If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.

New Japan Cup 2023 Results (3/13)

1. Chase Owens & Kenta def. Oskar Leube & Ren Narita
2. Shota Umino & Tama Tonga def. Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr
3. Sho & Yujiro Takahashi def. Taka Michinoku & Taichi
4. Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan & Kyle Fletcher def. Gedo, El Phantasmo & David Finlay
5. Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Sanada, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito def. Lio Rush, Yoh, Yoshi-Hashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto
6. EVIL def. Jeff Cobb- New Japan Cup Tournament Match(Second Round)
7. Will Ospreay def. Mark Davis- New Japan Cup Tournament Match(Second Round)

New Japan Cup (3/13) Highlights

EVIL def. Jeff Cobb

Will Ospreay def. Mark Davis

New Japan Pro Wrestling continued its second round of the New Japan Cup on March 12 at the Shiga Pref. Cultural Industry Community House Event Hall in Shimotara Maibara, Shiga, Japan. SEScoops has the results from the event down below!

The main event had Hirooki Goto take on Kyle Fletcher in the tournament’s second round. Fletcher defeated Goto’s tag team partner Yoshi-Hashi to advance in the New Japan Cup on March 10. Goto wanted revenge for his partner as both aimed to move to the next round. The co-main event featured another New Japan Cup second-round match between Never Openweight Champion Tama Tonga and Aaron Henare.

The event went live on NJPW World at 4:00 AM ET/1:00 AM PT. However, to watch the New Japan Cup, fans must subscribe to their service, which is $9.99 in the United States.

If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.

New Japan Cup 2023 Results (3/12)

1. Ryohei Oiwa & Ren Narita def. Oskar Leube & Tomoaki Homma
2. Yuto Nakajima & Shota Umino def. Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr
3. El Phantasmo, Kenta, Chase Owens & David Finlay def. Taka Michinoku, Douki, Yoshinobu Kanamaru & Taichi
4. Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, Mark Davis & Will Ospreay def. Dick Togo, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL
5. Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Sanada, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito def. Lio Rush, Yoh, Yoshi-Hashi, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
6. Tama Tonga def. Aaron Henare- New Japan Cup Tournament Match(Second Round)
7. Hirooki Goto def. Kyle Fletcher- New Japan Cup Tournament Match (Second Round)

Tama Tonga only recently captured the NJPW Never Openweight Championship, but his days with the promotion may be coming to an end if WWE can help it.

WWE has internally expressed interest in bringing Tonga into the fold, Fightful Select reports.

Word traveled through the locker room at New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom event earlier this week, but there is no confirmation if Tonga is interested.

Ironically, Tonga faced WWE’s own Karl Anderson at Wrestle Kingdom, dethroning the Machine Gun to start his second reign as Never Openweight Champion.

Sources in New Japan told Fightful that Tonga’s contract with the promotion is set to expire within “a matter of weeks.”

Tama Tonga

Beginning his training in 2008, Tonga would join NJPW in 2010 and is a founding member of the Bullet Club.

The 40-year-old is a seven-time IWGP World Tag Team Champion with his brother Tanga Loa, which makes sense considering he was trained by the Dudley Boyz.

After winning the ROH World Tag Titles at G1 Supercard, Tonga became the third man to have won a title in ROH, NJPW, and CMLL, behind Rocky Romero and Matt Taven.

Family Affair

Tama Tonga is on WWE’s radar as their next potential signing, but his brother may soon be calling himself a WWE Superstar.

It was reported earlier this week that WWE is also interested in Tonga’s brother Hikuleo but there is no confirmation as to whether talks have taken place.

WWE is said to have been interested in Hikuleo for months, and intermediaries have been used to express interest.

This is the same strategy as the Dragon Lee situation, as Finn Balor was the first to initiate contact with Lee regarding joining WWE.

Dragon Lee announced last month that he had signed a deal with WWE and relinquished his newly-won AAA World Tag Team Championship.

An angle with implications for NJPW and AEW took place Saturday night on Impact Wrestling’s No Surrender PPV. The Guerrillas of Destiny were challenging the Good Brothers for the Impact World Tag Team Championships when Chris Bey came to ringside. His distraction seemed to irritate both Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. Then, Jay White appeared and gave a Blade Runner to Tama, leading to Anderson and Gallows retaining.

After the match, it was made clear that White had kicked the GOD out of Bullet Club and welcomed Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows back into it.

Following these events, Jay White tagged the Young Bucks in a post featuring highlights of his Blade Runner to Tama Tonga.

The Young Bucks then changed their bio to read, “Never really cared for Tama anyway tbh ?”

Karl Anderson commented on the Young Bucks bio as well.

Tama Tonga then responded to the Young Bucks on Twitter.

There are implications for the angle in AEW as well. In storyline, Adam Cole brought White into the promotion recently. The Young Bucks and the Good Brothers had previously been aligned along with Kenny Omega as members of the Elite in both Impact and AEW last year. This angle is essentially taking place in 3 different promotions.

“Machine Gun” Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga are 2 of the original 4 members of Bullet Club. Anderson left NJPW in 2016 for WWE, however, setting the stage for the Guerrillas of Destiny to take over as the faction’s top heavyweight tag team.

Now, however, Anderson is in the Elite with former Bullet Club members Kenny Omega, Doc Gallows, and the Young Bucks. On Impact Wrestling recently, Jay White aid he was not allowing Anderson and Gallows back in the group. Don Callis then noted that it should be White asking for permission to join the Elite. So, tension has been brewing between the two stables.

The rivalry brewing between the Elite and Bullet Club spilled over onto Twitter recently. Anderson Tweeted out a photo “The Elite Squad” from Fight for the Fallen leading to the exchange with Tama.

This led to Tama Tonga responding with the following:

“I would argue with you, but we’re past that. Your good brother philosophy is shallow deep. The day is coming,” Tonga Tweeted.

Anderson then responded, asking Tonga to not make him “Kill what I created.”

“Don’t do this Tama.. I’ve been holdin off on Killin the Bullet Club for good. Please don’t make me kill what I created. I’m beggin u”

Tama Tonga recently addressed Kenny Omega and the Bullet Club reunion angle in AEW and Impact. Tonga was on his “Tama’s Island” podcast and addressed the angle as well as KENTA showing up on Dynamite last week.

“I was so surprised, I didn’t no nothing, I didn’t know anything,” Tonga said about KENTA showing up on Dynamite.

“KENTA is there for one reason and one reason only, Moxley,” Tonga continued.

“That US title belt belongs to KENTA. That’s the only reason that he’s there.”

Tonga then continued to say he doesn’t believe reports about a working agreement between AEW and NJPW having been reached.

“That sounds like a lot of horses**t to me, man,” Tonga said about a “forbidden door” being opened.

“Is the door wide open? Hell no, the door is not wide open. Is it cracked open? Maybe, maybe this can be something but is it open? Hell, no.”

Tama would continue to say that the situation with Moxley and travel restrictions due to the pandemic are what led to the current situation with AEW and NJPW. He would say the situation could lead to the two organizations working together in the future, however.

“Can this lead to the door opening more? Yes, it’s like building trust.”

The ‘Bullet Club Cold War’ appears to be heating up. Kenny Omega, The Good Brothers and The Young Bucks have all seemingly been trying to bring the band ‘back together’ on US television.

At the recent IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill PPV, Kenny Omega, Gallows & Anderson all appeared wearing Bullet Club emblazoned gear. Up to that point, it was assumed that the group could not use the Bullet Club moniker for copyright reasons; New Japan Pro Wrestling still own the rights to the name and logo of the faction.

Whilst the idea of AEW and IMPACT working together has been exciting during late 2020 and early 2021, many fans have been wondering when and if New Japan will be part of the angle.

Bullet Club member Tama Tonga has been vocally unhappy about the US based ex-members of Bullet Club using the ‘too sweet’ sign and wearing BC gear.

Tama Tonga on Working Relationships

Tama Tonga also recently stated that he would be more open to working with WWE than the likes of AEW. “Let me tell you something, man. I ain’t got no problems with WWE. No problems,” Tonga stated on the Tama’s Island podcast. “You know what? Hunter, anybody else out there, Vince McMahon, anybody, we open for business man. You come take care of me and my peoples, and I’m talking about BC and New Japan, let’s do business man.”

• Roman Reigns Comments On His Relationship With Jon Moxley

“I ain’t got no beef with y’all” Tama continued. “Not like these other cats, building a company just to rival you. Nah, New Japan, we been here. We been here before all of y’all. We been here. So look, we ain’t got no problems. Look, our gates is wide open. Let’s do business.”

credit to WrestlingINC for the transcription

At the conclusion of this week’s AEW Dynamite, Kenny Omega, Anderson & Gallows and the Young Bucks closed the show by reuniting and sharing the “2 Sweet” hand signature. It was a reunion of 5 wrestlers who all ran as members of Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling from 2013 to 2018.

“Machine Gun” Karl Anderson is one of the 4 founding members of the group. Prince Devitt, Bad Luck Fale, and Tama Tonga are the 3 others. Doc Gallows would join later in 2013, as would the Young Bucks. Kenny Omega would arrive in late 2014 and would wrestle in the Junior Heavyweight division until AJ Styles left in 2016 and he moved to heavyweight.

Bullet Club original Tama Tonga reacted to the reunion in AEW. He tweeted after Dynamite:

Tama Tonga tweeted the following about the Bullet club’s presence on Tuesday’s Impact Wrestling on AXS TV. He thinks that any incarnation of the Bullet Club that does not include the Tongans is illegitimate.

Guerrillas of Destiny At Wrestle Kingdom 15

Tama Tonga and brother Tanga Lao, known as the Guerrillas of Destiny, captured the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships for a record 7th time earlier this week at Wrestle Kingdom 15.

The Guerrillas of Destiny have defended the title 9x thus far across their 7 title reigns. They need to win one more IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match to tie both Cho-Ten and Tencozy for the record of 17 combined title victories + title defenses.

New Japan Pro Wrestling star and Bullet Club member Tama Tonga recently discussed what has made BC such a lasting force in pro wrestling. Tonga commented on the long running stable during the latest episode of his Tama’s Island podcast.

The group was initially formed back in 2013, with Prince Devitt/Finn Balor, Karl Anderson, Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale becoming the nucleus and initial core group of foreign talent to call themselves Bullet Club.

Bullet Club would add (and then later throw out) some of the biggest names in pro wrestling. AJ Styles, Adam Cole, Kenny Omega and Adam ‘Hangman’ Page are all alumni of the prestigious group.

Tama Tonga on Bullet Club

“It was the foreigners doing it big in Japan” Tama Tonga would state on the podcast, saying why the group began to gain momentum. “When Americans could see like these Americans doing it so big in Japan? I think that was something they gravitated to, it was awesome.”

Tama Tonga would then heavily praise the ‘second wave’ of members who joined the group. Most notably, The Young Bucks Matt and Nick Jackson. “Another thing was The Bucks” Tonga stated. “The Buck were red hot and on the indie scenes. They brought over a lot of fans to watch us [in NJPW].”

• Latest On AEW & NJPW Possible Working Relationship

Tonga would finish by saying that the way the group utilized social media was also a massive part of their growth and enduring nature. “It was just some of our like social media things that we were doing up there. It was this against the grain type attitude, It was just cool, it was. We’re just cool.”

Do you think that Bullet Club will continue to rise into the next decade? Let us know in the comments

New Japan Pro Wrestling and Bullet Club star Tama Tonga recently discussed his ‘dream’ tag team matches on the Tama’s Island podcast.

“I don’t want to name just one team, I’m gonna name three” Tonga began on the podcast. “From WWE? Probably The Usos. Then the other two would be FTR and Lucha Bros.”

Tama Tonga on Dream Matches

Tonga would go on to say why he chose those specific teams. “That would be the three just because of their unique styles. They all represent a style. I feel that my brother (Tonga Loa) and I can mesh with each one of those styles. We’ve been to Mexico, we’ve done the Lucha style. We do the ground and pound and we kind of have like an old school style mixed in our in our repertoire, that I feel like FTR would be into that style.”

• Lance Archer On Origins of “Everybody Dies” & Signing With AEW

Tama Tonga would then hype a potential match with FTR even further. There has recently been rumors of a potential AEW and NJPW partnership, so these could be some very telling comments. “Just even the promos battle with them” Tonga stated. “Because I just feel…like even on social media? The things that we would do? I watched their social media and I think they’re very good at trash talking.”

Tonga would finish by saying “we would try to match them, not only in the ring? But all the outside shenanigans you know? The social media crap.”

Would you like to see GOD vs FTR in AEW or New Japan? Are there any other AEW vs NJPW matches you want to see? Let us know in the comments

Today, New Japan Pro-Wrestling released a video announcement made by NJPW of America CEO, Takami Obari. He discussed how NJPW wrestlers based in the United States are not currently able to travel to Japan to partake in NJPW events.

In the meantime, NJPW Strong will be a weekly show on NJPW World. Obari mentions that it’s difficult for US-based wrestlers to compete in Japan. Starting Friday, at 10PM Eastern, NJPW Strong will be presented on NJPW World.

It will begin with New Japan Cup USA 2020, an eight-man single elimination tournament, and the winner will be eligible to challenge for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship, currently held by Jon Moxley, at a later date.

The first round matches are as follows, and are scheduled for the premier episode on August 7th.

August 7th: New Japan Cup USA First Round

• Karl Fredericks vs. KENTA
• Jeff Cobb vs. Tanga Loa
• David Finlay vs. Chase Owens
• Brody King vs. Tama Tonga

August 14th: New Japan Cup USA Semifinals

• Two semifinal matches

August 21st: New Japan Cup USA Final

• Final match