Karl Anderson’s explains his role in WWE signing Tama Tonga

The latest installment of the Bloodline saga began explosively last week on SmackDown with the introduction of Bullet Club founding member and veteran of New Japan Pro Wrestling, Tama Tonga. Tonga has a strong connection with WWE’s renowned family, dating back to his father Haku’s tag team, The Islanders, with Sam Fatu, a member of the Anoa’i family who also wrestled under the name Tama.

Tonga’s path to WWE has been lengthy and is closely tied to his friendship with Karl Anderson, a longtime comrade from the original Bullet Club.

Speaking to Busted Open Radio, Anderson said, “I remember texting Triple H and telling him that Tama Tonga’s contract is coming up, and I think Tama is a full-blown can’t-miss if you ask me. And he wrote back right away. It took a year to get it done. But, like I said, I’m a big believer in things happening for a reason.”

In 2022, after Anderson and his tag team partner, Luke Gallows, re-signed with WWE, Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque allowed Anderson to finish his dates with New Japan, including Wrestle Kingdom 17, where Anderson wrestled Tonga for the NEVER Openweight Championship. One year later, after Wrestle Kingdom 18, Tonga announced that he was leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling. The Bullet Club bad boy debuted with New Japan in 2010 and was a mainstay for the promotion for over a decade.

His debut last week wasn’t just a surprise to viewers but perhaps to Tonga himself. According to Anderson, Tonga texted him, saying he was in Detroit, the host city for last Friday’s SmackDown.

“He had no clue he was going to debut that night either, which is kind of WWE-style,” Anderson said. “They’ll bring you in, and then you gotta debut.”

Anderson told Busted Open Radio that he enjoyed seeing Tonga go through that experience, saying he was proud of him before adding, “I think he knocked it out of the park.”

During his time with New Japan, Tonga won several championships and gained a reputation as one of the most exciting in-ring performers in the industry. Based on his looks and experience, Anderson believes Tonga is a perfect fit for WWE.

“He’s a charismatic guy. He’s a bit insane, which is kind of what we all need, and I can’t wait to see where it’s at. I’m so glad he’s in that Bloodline storyline because now he’s involved with the tippy-top guys. He’s got Paul Heyman right there, who’s always creatively the genius that he is. It doesn’t get much cooler.”