Fantasy Booking AJ Styles, Gallows and Anderson Bullet Club Reunion on WWE Raw

Only good things can come from The Club reuniting on WWE Raw.Credit: WWE.com

While there isn't a whole lot to get excited about on WWE Raw nowadays, a potential Bullet Club reunion with AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson could be worth keeping an eye on if the last two weeks' worth of episodes were any indication.

After spending the past month on the sidelines with an injury, Styles returned to Raw on the June 17 episode to confront his longtime friends, Gallows and Anderson. The Phenomenal One pulled no punches when running down their long list of failures since coming to WWE three years ago and how they've largely failed to live up to the hype.

Styles of course has history with Gallows and Anderson from their Bullet Club days years ago. They eventually reunited for a short period upon arriving in WWE in 2016 before being split up abruptly in the 2016 WWE draft.

While Styles went on to achieve great success as a singles star on SmackDown Live, Gallows and Anderson floundered in the tag team ranks on both brands. Their 2017 Raw Tag Team Championship reign was short-lived and it's been rumored recently they could be looking to leave the company when their contracts expire later this year.

Although The Club are officially set to team with Triple H during WWE's upcoming tour of Japan, this should be more than a one-off reunion. Styles getting the band back together could be huge for all parties involved and more importantly give Raw the shot in the arm it desperately needs right now.

Although it was strange to see Styles arrive in WWE without The Good Brothers by his side in January 2016, he ultimately benefited from flying solo at first.

It wasn't until April that he joined forces with the debuting duo of Gallows and Anderson and turned heel shortly thereafter. The character change and alliance with his former Bullet Club stablemates turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to Styles, who defeated John Cena at Money in the Bank with help from his friends.

The "Beat Up John Cena" bit The Club started doing during their feud with the veteran was also incredibly entertaining. Unfortunately, they were forced to split up in the 2016 WWE draft for no apparent reason, and everyone was worse off for it.

The Club lasted only two or three months in WWE, which isn't nearly enough time for a trio that has such a strong connection. Even if Gallows and Anderson are on their way out of the company in the fall (more on that later), that means we'll have at least another three months of The Club on Raw, which is better than nothing.

Just imagine what these guys would be capable of if they were given the chance to wreak havoc on the Raw roster as heels. This might be their last chance of getting a real run together in WWE.

Based on their long list of accolades from their stint in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, an argument could be made that Gallows and Anderson are among the best tag teams in the world.

Sadly, most fans would never guess that, seeing as how they've been made to look like losers for the better part of their WWE tenure.

Once their alliance with Styles came to an abrupt end, they were never able to maintain momentum for any stretch of time. They vied for the Raw Tag Team Championship on countless occasions throughout 2016 but fell short against The New Day every time.

They did eventually knock off The Bar for the belts the following January, but it was an unremarkable reign that marked the peak of their push. They have not been a part of anything noteworthy on Raw or SmackDown Live since.

When news broke earlier this year that they were eyeing an exit from WWE, it was safe to assume they'd be either booked into oblivion or not featured on WWE TV at all. It's only logical that the company wouldn't want to invest in them, though it would be wise for it to make the most of The Good Brothers while they still have them.

If this Club reunion can rejuvenate their careers and convince them to stay, that's great. If they're looking to leave no matter what but can help elevate some stars on the way out, that's even better.

While Styles is far from "damaged goods" right now, there's no denying he could use a fresh coat of paint after resting on his laurels for the last year or so.

His move to Raw in the Superstar Shake-up and subsequent feud with Seth Rollins helped a bit, but he failed to become universal champion at Money in the Bank. Unless he re-enters the title picture in time for SummerSlam, which looks unlikely, he needs something else to sink his teeth into.

Thankfully, it appears WWE is in the process of taking steps in the right direction based off his match against United States champion Ricochet on Monday's Raw, as well as his recent run-ins with Gallows and Anderson.

During his rivalry with Rollins, he exuded some heel-ish tendencies, and as popular as he is with the audience, another heel run may be exactly what he needs to feel fresh again. Being with his buddies Gallows and Anderson will also bring the best out of him.

A natural leader, The Phenomenal One having Gallows and Anderson do his bidding for him against whoever he ends up feuding with would be a blast.

There are already a slew of top heels on Raw between Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley, but none of them pose as much of a threat to the rest of the roster as Styles would.

A major problem Raw has been dealing with for many months now is the lack of consistent storytelling from week to week. Everything feels rather formulaic and rehashed from the previous week, and as a result, fans don't have much of an incentive to tune in every Monday.

AJ Styles attempting to light a fire under Gallows and Anderson last week on Raw gave fans a glimmer of hope that this will be an angle worth investing in for the weeks ahead. Far too often WWE starts a storyline that piques everyone's interest, only to cut it short a week or two later.

Fingers crossed that isn't the case with The Club, who have a real opportunity to make Raw must-see TV again. Their original interaction on the June 17 edition created a lot of conversation among fans and left them looking forward to what would happen next.

This isn't an angle that should be rushed, either. The endgame should be the Bullet Club stablemates getting back on the same page and targeting a specific Superstar (such as Ricochet or Seth Rollins), but the longer it plays out, the more people will want to see where it goes.

That has worked wonders for Bray Wyatt's recurring Firefly Fun House segments so far. Granted, they take up a total three or so minutes of the three hours of Raw every week, but it never ceases to steal the show. If The Club can have a similar effect on fans, that will be one more reason for them to be excited for Raw for a change.

The early stages of this Club reunion have been excellently executed up to this point, but now the question is where Styles, Gallows and Anderson go from here.

As previously noted, a heel run would be their best bet as there are plenty of popular babyfaces for them to work with. Rey Mysterio, Braun Stowman, The Miz, Cedric Alexander and (as seen on Raw) Ricochet would all be exciting opponents for the decorated trio.

Ultimately, all roads should lead to Gallows and Anderson helping Styles get back to Universal Championship contention. There aren't any other villains currently on the red brand who make sense to beat Seth Rollins for the title, and their matches would be every bit as outstanding as their first-ever one-on-one outing in WWE at Money in the Bank.

After Styles becomes champ, it's very possible he will ditch Gallows and Anderson, paving the way for their legitimate departure from WWE. They could also end up re-signing, as long as they're promised a decent enough deal with better creative direction than they've had since their debut.

Either way, this Club reunion is shaping up to be that hot summer storyline WWE seems to have every year leading into SummerSlam. Whether they're together long enough to eventually feud with Undisputed Era or are broken up again as soon as Extreme Rules, it'll be interesting to see how they're handled and if they can continue to be the talk of WWE.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.