31 Facts About Tama Tonga

1.

Tama Tonga is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former 2-time NEVER Openweight Champion.

2.

Tama Tonga is known as a founding member of Bullet Club; he makes appearances for Impact Wrestling in the United States.

3.

Tama Tonga has worked with NJPW's partner promotion in Mexico, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre where he has held the CMLL World Tag Team Championship twice.

4.

Tama Tonga later teamed with Idol Stevens, billed as The New American Family they briefly held the WWC World Tag Team Championship.

5.

Tama Tonga made his NJPW debut in May 2010 under the name "Tama Tonga".

6.

Tama Tonga was one of sixteen wrestlers who competed in the 2010 Best of the Super Juniors tournament.

7.

Tama Tonga defeated Nobuo Yoshihashi, and Akira, but lost to Ryusuke Taguchi, Fujita Hayato, Kenny Omega, Koji Kanemoto, and Taiji Ishimori, ending with four points, second to last his group.

8.

Tama Tonga teamed up with Hirooki Goto, calling themselves Ara-tonga to compete in the 2010 G1 Tag League tournament.

9.

Tama Tonga entered the 2011 G1 Tag League tournament, this time teaming up with Strong Man, calling themselves Muscle Pavilion.

10.

On 4 January 2012, Tama Tonga appeared in a dark match during Wrestle Kingdom VI, teaming with Captain New Japan to defeat Kyosuke Mikami and Tomoaki Honma.

11.

In September 2012 it was announced that Tama Tonga would go to Mexico from 10 October 2012 and work for NJPW's partner promotion, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre.

12.

The match was a 16-man torneo cibernetico elimination match, from which Tama Tonga was eliminated when Atlantis and Shocker double teamed him.

13.

Tama Tonga next made it to the finals of the 2012 La Copa Junior Tournament, where, on December 14, he was defeated by La Sombra in the main event of CMLL's 2012 Sin Piedad show.

14.

Tama Tonga returned to NJPW in early 2013, just in time to compete in Wrestle Kingdom 7 on January 4 where he teamed up with Captain New Japan and Wataru Inoue to defeat Jado, Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshi-Hashi by pinning Jado.

15.

On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2013, Tama Tonga followed Prince Devitt and Bad Luck Fale ringside after Karl Anderson's loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi where they all attacked Tanahashi.

16.

On 4 January 2016, at Wrestle Kingdom 10, Tama Tonga teamed with Fale and Yujiro Takahashi to take part in a match to determine the inaugural NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions, they were defeated by Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe and Toru Yano when Jay pinned Tama Tonga.

17.

On March 3, Tama Tonga scored the biggest singles win of his career by defeating former IWGP Heavyweight Champion and reigning IWGP Tag Team Champion Togi Makabe in the first round of the 2016 New Japan Cup.

18.

In March 2016, Tama Tonga announced he would reform his tag team with Tevita in NJPW, recruiting him into the Bullet Club as Tanga Loa.

19.

In late June 2016, Tama Tonga returned to CMLL with his brother for a month-long excursion and the two competed in the 2016 International Gran Prix, where Tama Tonga was the last eliminated, losing to winner Volador Jr.

20.

Tama Tonga was announced as one of the participants of the 2016 G1 Climax from 18 July 2016.

21.

Tama Tonga participated in his second G1 Climax by entering the 2017 edition in July.

22.

Tama Tonga finished with a record of four wins and five losses.

23.

The second night, Tama Tonga debuted the newest member to Bullet Club, Taiji Ishimori.

24.

Later, it was announced that Tama Tonga will be competing in the G1 Climax 28.

25.

At the G1 Special in San Francisco, Tama, Loa, King Haku, Chase Owens, and Yujiro Takahashi defeated CHAOS members Gedo, Yoshi-Hashi, and Roppongi 3K, with Tama pinning Gedo after a Tongan Death Grip by Haku to Gedo followed by a Gun Stun.

26.

However, Tama Tonga did manage to defeat the IWGP United States Champion, Juice Robinson, as well as that year's B Block winner, Kota Ibushi.

27.

At No Surrender, Jay White interfered in the Guerrillas of Destiny's match against former Bullet Club stablemates Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows by hitting his finishing move Bladerunner on Tama Tonga causing them to lose the match.

28.

At Wrestling Dontaku, Tama Tonga defeated EVIL to win the NEVER Openweight Championship, his first New Japan singles championship.

29.

Tama Tonga lost the title to Karl Anderson at Dominion 6.12 in Osaka-jo Hall, ending his reign at 42 days.

30.

Tama Tonga finished with 10 points, defeating IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White to advance to the semi-finals.

31.

Tama Tonga later defeated Anderson to regain the NEVER Openweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17, becoming the first to win a NJPW title from a WWE contracted wrestler since the two companies' past partnership ended in 1985.