Where Did James Storm Go Wrong?

[Wald]

Before we get started I just want to say that I'm not saying that Storm is now lower card or anything like that, he's a definite upper midcard talent. But what I do want to ask is where has his character gone wrong since the 2011 BFG series?

Quick recap: Storm was in the Final 4 of BFG 2011 but, despite it seeming his destny, failed to win the thing, his tag partner Bobby Roode getting the title shot instead. From there it looked like Roode was going to get the Storm face push, with TNA building his shot at Angle around it being Roode's destiny.

Roode loses that match, Storm wins the title on Impact a week later but loses it to Roode a week after that, turning Roode heel and depriving Storm of his 'destiny' just when it looked like he had achieved it.

From here Storm loses a rematch to Roode, but is given an out with an injury angle to set up our sympathy for him. He battles Angle for the number one contendership, which ended in a 4 way match between Storm, Roode, Hardy and Bully Ray, Roode retaining.

All roads eventually led to Lockdown with Storm vs Roode in a cage match in Storm's hometown. No better place for Storm to final defeat Roode and win the title that he had only held for one week right? Wrong. Storm loses at goes into hiding for two weeks.

Ever since coming back you might have been mistaken for assuming Storm vs Roode was going to happen for the title again, that that was the obvious play. TNA though saw more money in Hardy and put the title back on him for a feud with Aries and now Roode. Storm had a match with Roode that was anticlimatic, seems to be stuck in midcard mini-feuds with the likes of Kaz & Daniels now and has even been moved away from the Aces & 8s storyline, where for a while it looked like he would either turn heel and be their leader or be the main face to go against them.

So what went wrong? Did TNA get cold feet at Lockdown 2012 and screw it up? Was he unlucky that Aries took off and TNA practically had to put the title on him? Was his push screwed up before the decision was made to go with Hardy as champion or because of it? Has it even been sidetracked?

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I think TNA saw that this guy's act was gonna get stale in the long run. We were all feeling it at one point.

Yeah it was nice at first, he was a singles guy now, the family and beer thing was all swell but he pretty much got Ken Andersoniosis. Meaning that his schtick got repetitive and lost its charm.

He stopped adding layers to his persona at the worst time possible. A time when Roode and Aries were slowly getting better and Bully was picking up steam. With those three raising all kinds of eyebrows, Storm was left at number 4 with nothing to show for it.

He'll pick back up, though. He's a talented guy he just needs more depth. A heel turn should do it. Did it for Roode and Aries and Bully. Faces tend to be a bit tasteless, he's fine.

 

[klunderbunker]

Lockdown.

It was the absolute perfect setup for Storm to take the title. He came in driving the truck, he was insanely over and it was in his hometown....but he lost. The general consensus was that it wasn't the right call and despite the reports that he was injured, the right move still seems to be putting the belt on him there. That loss, along with being so far ahead in the BFG 2012 Series and then losing make Storm look like a choker. Yeah he beat Roode to end the feud, but there was nothing on the line. That Lockdown loss made Storm look like he couldn't win the big one when it was all his to do, and now he looks like a guy who had a fluke title win because of a lucky superkick and now he can't accomplish anything else when the pressure is on.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Lockdown.

It was the absolute perfect setup for Storm to take the title. He came in driving the truck, he was insanely over and it was in his hometown....but he lost. The general consensus was that it wasn't the right call and despite the reports that he was injured, the right move still seems to be putting the belt on him there. That loss, along with being so far ahead in the BFG 2012 Series and then losing make Storm look like a choker. Yeah he beat Roode to end the feud, but there was nothing on the line. That Lockdown loss made Storm look like he couldn't win the big one when it was all his to do, and now he looks like a guy who had a fluke title win because of a lucky superkick and now he can't accomplish anything else when the pressure is on.

This is exactly where I noticed it as well. I don't think it derailed Storm's career, or anything that drastic, but it fucked his year up and really saw him slip from that main event scene, big time. Especially when you realize that he wasn't able to sustain any sort of long-term feud to stay relevant after the Roode thing blew over. He mostly floundered, and came to AJ's aid here and there. Not enough. Not for a would-be World Champion.

I get the sense he'll rebound big for 2013 though, if that Bad Influence promo is any indication.

 

[thebarber]

the creative team, plain and simple. James Storm could not do anymore as an inring performer.
Maybe he doesnt play the political game very well, maybe Hogan etc do not like cowboys as main eventers. At the end of the day, it is the BOOKING team and CREATIVE who decide who gets the push, not James Storm.

 

[RD_21]

To me it's simple, he had to win the BFG series this year and he had to face Roode, but TNA decided to go against the grain and put the belt on Aries and make Hardy the BFG winner.

To me it feels like a WWE move where they felt that Storm vs Roode could stand on its own and didn't need the title involve, but it backfire in their face since people where with Storm in his quest for vengeance (Roode) and retribution (getting his title back) and getting the title component away really made the whole thing crumble.

I felt like TNA stop carrying about Storm and didn't trust him enough and decided to go with Hardy. I won't lie since Aries and Hardy became the champ I found myself loosing interest in TNA more and more, I just stop caring.

I get that sometimes they want to keep away from what everybody is expecting, but sometime people are expecting it because it's the right move and right thing to do.

 

[YesSlateYes]

It seems to me that TNA don't have a belt for James storm to have. He can't have the TV/X title as it is lower than what spot Storm is in, but they can't put him in to the main title picture just yet, not while Hardy, Roode and Austin are all over it. Bit of a limbo.

 

[TheHorndogSays]

I'm a fan of his work and have felt ever since his days in Beer Money that he could be TNAs version of Austin. A Beer Drinker that likes to kick butt. With that said I think the first "slip" in his career was in fact not winning Lockdown. I never liked his one week title reign as I feel they should have just had Roode win the thing to begin with then Storm wants a shot and you could still do the Roode heel turn with Roode trying to save his title from Storm. Regardless of outcome, you have the match for vengeance at Lockdown but Storm loses. Plus HOW he lost, seriously who saw that ending coming a mile away when Storm was about to his Roode with the last call? How could Storm also not see it?

However I think the final nail in Storm's main event run coffin was the emergence of Austin Aries and the revival of Jeff Hardy. I don't think ANYONE could have predicted Aries would take off like he did around Destination X. Similar holds true for Hardy in that I think when he came back everyone was just waiting for him to screw up again. Plus when you consider that Hardy brings with him something that TNA has been lacking, a presence in the kid market. While I am not a fan of Hardy's work the fact remain that the kids LOVE him.

 

[GameOver]

Well realistically Storm is not as good as Roode overall but for me it wasn't Storm that went wrong it was ******ed TNA management that screwed up a perfect setup, sure you can still push Roode as the best heel in ages tho that petered off too really quick once the lustre wore off and they dumped him for Aries at the first opportunity.

Storm could've won first carried the title for a few months with Roode by his side and then let Roode turn. shoulda been the highlight fued not Hardy and Aries that stepped in a stole any momentum Roode had.

 

[3drinks]

I was under the impression that Storm lost the title so soon as TNA was having doubts about James Storm being "too Southern" to represent the company. Which, realistically speaking, this is a company founded by a redneck(Double J), in the heart of hickville(Nashville), it's ludicrous to be concerned about someone being "too Southern" to be the face of your company.

So even with all of that hogwash aside, I too agree that they really dropped the ball at Lockdown. Storm should have, by all means, won the title to finally get his vengeance on his former friend who turned his back on him.

 

[Lowdown]

We're all in agreement that Storm should've won the title at Lockdown. Yet his career didn't stall I think. He is still in the mix here and there, but it appears they're trying to keep Roode as the top contender, especially considering that Bully Ray is wrapped up in his own story with the Hogans. Things should pick up for him hopefully this year.

 

[Headman]

He's pretty one dimensional. To be honest he got stale the second he and Roode broke up. I think he's doomed to be a midcarder or tag team wrestler. I don't see much of a future for him in the main event scene.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

He's pretty one dimensional. To be honest he got stale the second he and Roode broke up. I think he's doomed to be a midcarder or tag team wrestler. I don't see much of a future for him in the main event scene.

Pretty much. Except I think he'll be a bit better off than that. I see him as what you said, but also this one guy who might win the belt 1-2 more times (at best) and occasionally get bumped up for a filler feud with a heel Champion.

Dude needs more damn depth, we're not all rednecks thus we can't all associate with the farm and the beer.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I believe James Storm is the unluckiest guy (oh, the irony) in TNA. First off, he was used as the stepping stone to put the belt on Bobby Roode as a heel rather than a face in 2011. Next he was a victim of the dearth of top level heels meaning it made more sense to keep the belt on Bobby at Lockdown and, finally (for now), he suffered from the his feud with Bobby being to, well, TNAy for it to be for the Championship at BFG.

Presently, he appears to be occupying the same role in TNA as Randy Orton occupies in the WWe. He rarely loses, but doesn't seem to carry this through to challenging for top honors. One point that could be to his favor is that TNA does appear to be building a better heel base than it has had in recent times, so a title run could be feasible with guys like Roode, Aries, Daniels and the A&8s to compete against. Against this, though, we have the apparent decision of creative to have Jeff Hardy be the John Cena 'face' of the company.

If I was to really sum up were I think he has "went wrong" per se, it's that he hasn't been a name outside of TNA, which is hardly his fault. In the last year TNA has shown the courage to let a nonWWe heel carry the big belt for sustained periods, the question now is if they are willing to pull the trigger on letting a homegrown face do the same?

 

[Dagger Dias]

At first I was going to say Lockdown. I thought at the time there was absolutely no reason for him not winning there. However, looking back on it, the victory gave Roode more hatred from the fans. TNA still had a chance at giving Storm his moment even after Lockdown. They had the perfect Bound For Glory main event right in front of them the entire time. Storm needed to win the Bound For Glory Series to go on to main event Bound For Glory against Roode, who should still have been TNA World Champion going into the event. That of course all changed with Aries winning at Destination X which, while an interesting move, might not have been the best decision.

As much as I like Aries, having him win the world title and lose it to Hardy at Bound For Glory pales in comparison to what it would have been like for Storm to finally win at the biggest show of the year, getting the title from his former friend in the ending to one of the best feuds I have ever seen in the federation. The argument for Lockdown being where TNA went wrong with James Storm is a strong one, but I'd say that not having him win the Bound For Glory Series is it. That deprived him of the opportunity to truly overcome Roode in the best possible environment. Storm winning at Bound For Glory would have been a career defining moment for him.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I believe Storm has just gotten lost in the shuffle with all the other big players hanging around. I don't agree with those who say he should've won at Lockdown. How would things have panned out from there? Roode's reign wouldn't have been as good.

However I do think he should've main evented BFG by winning the series. Him vs Roode or Aries could've been amazing headlining BFG (His match with Roode was match of the night no question!). It would've been predictable sure, since Storm was the favourite to win the series throughout. But sometimes predictable is good. Especially if predictable is something we all want!

Storm is one of my favourites. I don't think he's stale, he's just fine as a main eventer. FitFinlay4Life your comparison to Orton is a perfect one. I believe he will win the world title this year.

But hey, worst case scenario, he forms another kickass tag team with another wrestler.

 

[wrestlingfan]

Like Zevon Zion said. The problem with Storm is layers in his character. He has a fun gimmick, great mic skills, and a decent ring worker but his character doesn't have much layers and depth. (That's where the lines is drawn between rednecks like Dusty Rhodes, Stone Cold Steve Austin & Road Dogg, Trevor Murdoch,). It's been simply just catchphrases, and comedy. He was at his best around Lockdown of last year where people bought into him as a legit babyface. A heel turn would be best because Storm's character will be over whether face or heel.

 

[JulesWagner]

I think people got fed up after a while... Then again, Impact Zone audience is not much of an indication. His move set is Shawn Michaels with a few alterations, his attitude is a poor man's Stone Cold (just remember the Christmas bit) and on the mic he's um... alright but feels downright forced especially when he tries to be either funny or sarcastic. I like the guy but he has little charisma. I could do with him if he wasn't just an obvious rehash.

 

[Wald]

At first I was going to say Lockdown. I thought at the time there was absolutely no reason for him not winning there. However, looking back on it, the victory gave Roode more hatred from the fans. TNA still had a chance at giving Storm his moment even after Lockdown. They had the perfect Bound For Glory main event right in front of them the entire time. Storm needed to win the Bound For Glory Series to go on to main event Bound For Glory against Roode, who should still have been TNA World Champion going into the event. That of course all changed with Aries winning at Destination X which, while an interesting move, might not have been the best decision.

As much as I like Aries, having him win the world title and lose it to Hardy at Bound For Glory pales in comparison to what it would have been like for Storm to finally win at the biggest show of the year, getting the title from his former friend in the ending to one of the best feuds I have ever seen in the federation. The argument for Lockdown being where TNA went wrong with James Storm is a strong one, but I'd say that not having him win the Bound For Glory Series is it. That deprived him of the opportunity to truly overcome Roode in the best possible environment. Storm winning at Bound For Glory would have been a career defining moment for him.

Actually, thinking about it, I agree with this so long as they got rid of Storm's two month lay off. Have Roode fluke win at Lockdown and deny Storm a rematch. Have Storm win BFG and challenge for the title for the ultimate showdown. That would be a one year build for former friends and tag partners to ultimately decide who is the best and that is wrestling gold

 

[New Hot Fed]

At first I was going to say Lockdown. I thought at the time there was absolutely no reason for him not winning there. However, looking back on it, the victory gave Roode more hatred from the fans. TNA still had a chance at giving Storm his moment even after Lockdown. They had the perfect Bound For Glory main event right in front of them the entire time. Storm needed to win the Bound For Glory Series to go on to main event Bound For Glory against Roode, who should still have been TNA World Champion going into the event. That of course all changed with Aries winning at Destination X which, while an interesting move, might not have been the best decision.

As much as I like Aries, having him win the world title and lose it to Hardy at Bound For Glory pales in comparison to what it would have been like for Storm to finally win at the biggest show of the year, getting the title from his former friend in the ending to one of the best feuds I have ever seen in the federation. The argument for Lockdown being where TNA went wrong with James Storm is a strong one, but I'd say that not having him win the Bound For Glory Series is it. That deprived him of the opportunity to truly overcome Roode in the best possible environment. Storm winning at Bound For Glory would have been a career defining moment for him.

Exactly. And I don't think it helped Roode either, they both feed off each other to give us this great epic tapestry. It's not that strange that Lockdown had the best buyrates of the year, it was a great story with two guys at the top of the their games. So unfortunate that at the beginning of the year Roode and Storm were the two biggest stars of TNA and by the end of the year they had been thrown under the bus to make place for an easy star to push, a WWE reject in Jeff Hardy and a Johnny Come Lately in Aries(who was essentialy the hot guy of the moment but no history to back it up). I go back to Stone Cold and how even if he was uber hot and popular in 1997, they just didn't give him the belt, they waited for him to win the Rumble 98 then fought HBK at Mania and won the belt there. So they had the time to do a big build up. It was too soon for Aries to become champ.