WWE Region, Memphis Subregion, First Round: (5) Edge vs. (28) Bobby Roode

[supernatural1981]

This is one of the toughest if not THE toughest in this region of the draw.

I think this could have the potential to be match of the round and for some reason i am leaning towards Bobby Roode. He causes what might be seen as a upset in some peoples eyes by beating Edge around the 30 minute mark.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I am a massive Roode fan, as you can tell from my sig but Edge has done everything Bobby has done, but on a far bigger scale.

Both Canadian, both former faction members, both multiple time tag-team champions who went on to World Title success in solo action.

However, Edge is the most decorated wrestler in WWE history, he has won it ALL...multiple times. He would find a way to put away The Leader of The Selfish Generation for sure, he has beaten pretty much everyone possible.

Winner = Edge, with some kind of dirty trick that Roode would have been proud of

 

[Papa Pillman]

To be fair, Roode has never won any big matches without cheating. At least Edge has had a solid face run or 2 where he picked up some big clean wins.

This simply isn't true.

Roode didn't cheat during the Iron Man against AJ at Final Resolution. He didn't cheat to win the Four-Way at Against All Odds(Sting ended up hitting Hardy with the belt). There was nothing outside the lines in the ladder match win against RVD at Sacrifice. So Roode was able to survive at times on PPV simply by being a good slimy strategist.

Where Roode will get my vote here is this:

Even with all of his title reigns, there was never a time that Edge was really "the man" amongst the WWE full time roster. He was always a "supplementary" champion. All of his title wins combined don't hold the type of relevance to his company that Roode's hold to his.

I like IHW's breakdown of how similar these two are as performers when you really look at the trajectory of their career paths. But I think Roode is the better non-kayfabe performer, and, though it may be a stretch, from a kayfabe perspective I think his most major accomplishment of being TNA's longest reigning champion(and defending successfully against the likes of Hardy, Sting, and Styles) is more important than any of Edge's singles accolades.

I go Roode for the upset. Reveling in the minority.

 

[HBsam31]

Tough draw for Roode for sure. I enjoy Roode a great deal, and I think he could have went a bit farther had he not came up against Edge. Edge has the experience factor going for him. he has done it all in wrestling, and just would be too much for Roode in this match.