Vince McMahon was unaware that Luke Gallows is the same WWE wrestler he had to years ago, Festus. (Photo : Getty Images/Ethan Miller)
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson as best known as “The Club” but the former is actually a returnee to the WWE scene. He was previously known as Festus, a WWE star from 10 years ago.
Then known as Festus, the 32-year-old wrestler known in real life as Andrew Hankinson, was not exactly among the main card talent. Despite his hulking presence, Hankinson was a product of the WWE developmental circuit back then.
Festus at the time carried an entirely different persona, more of a mentally unstable character which was a far cry from who he is now as Luke Gallows. From a quiet and disturbing wrestler, he is now aggressive and fierce which could explain why Vince McMahon forgot he was the same wrestler from 10 years ago.
Aside from Festus, Hankinson previously got a role as Kane’s imposter, Wrestling Inc. reported. After that spill he eventually teamed up with Ray Gordy for the mentally deranged character.
Hankinson bared that the WWE CEO failed to realized that though the difference in character somehow explains it all according to his interview on the Sam Roberts Wrestling podcast. Now in tandem with Karl Anderson, the two have been making noise on WWE Raw as show heels.
As most have seen now, Gallows is a far cry from the quiet and dangerous monster from the early 2000s. His marked improvement is credited to his journey in the business. Both he and Anderson made their marks as the “Bullet Club” in New Japan Pro Wrestling, something that also included AJ Styles.
When Gallows and Anderson first appeared in the WWE, many were under the impression that McMahon would come up with his own version of the “Bullet Club”. But the landscape changed when the WWE split the brands, though Gallows and Anderson remain in tandem on WWE Raw.
Comparing his two runs, there is no question that Hankinson is doing better nowadays. As for tying up with Festus, it will be interesting to note if the WWE CEO was indeed reminded despite Hankinson’s plea of letting it be.
Check out Hankinson weighing in on the Festus character via the video below.
