AJ Styles or Bobby Roode?

[IHW]

So, im sitting here watching Impact Wrestling and I see that Aj Styles will be Facing Bobby Roode tonight. I know we will probably see Roode go over Styles some how, but a thought came to my mind.
Who will be the face of TNA in the following years?
Who do you think should be the face of the company?
Will it be "the phenomenal" Aj Styles or The up and coming Bobby Roode?
Could it be somebody else?

I personally think it will be Roode because he has the "it" factor. He is the next world champion in my opinion. Plus, it would be awsome for a TNA original to be the "john cena" of impact. Of course Bobby won't have the same credibility or fan base as Cena... but he should and will be the Face of TNA starting at BFG and for the foreseeable future.

Thoughts?

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

So, im sitting here watching Impact Wrestling and I see that Aj Styles will be Facing Bobby Roode tonight. I know we will probably see Roode go over Styles some how, but a thought came to my mind.
Who will be the face of TNA in the following years?
Who do you think should be the face of the company?
Will it be "the phenomenal" Aj Styles or The up and coming Bobby Roode?
Could it be somebody else?

I personally think it will be Roode because he has the "it" factor. He is the next world champion in my opinion. Plus, it would be awsome for a TNA original to be the "john cena" of impact. Of course Bobby won't have the same credibility or fan base as Cena... but he should and will be the Face of TNA starting at BFG and for the foreseeable future.

Thoughts?

I have never and still will never see this "it" factor in Roode. He's just boring to me. He's decent in the ring and if he had Storm's charisma then maybe I could buy into him but I can't. It would be awesome for a original to be the "John Cena" of Impact so that's why I pick Styles. I can watch a Styles match all day long. I can't say the same for Roode.

 

[ltrav1984]

Aj is a born entertainer if he had been in wwe 4 longer than 1 dark match they wud ov compared him 2 hbk. As for roode i cud probably buy into his hype if he hadnt beat bully ray wiv just a spinebuster where is the big finisher on this guy?

 

[cornucopia]

AJ is wayyyy more athletic but Roode has the bigger stature and a bigger aura around him.

I love AJ's matches but his angles never seem to be that hot going into the matches. Roode seems to have the advantage when it comes to the promo work and working angles.

I still like AJ more however because for me, its more about the matches inside the ring than it is the storylines. Not that I think an okay match ruins a great story though.

AJ just has the edge on Roode because of how damn amazing he is in the ring.

 

[ActionJackson]

Styles. If there is one wrestler in TNA that they can groom into someone to carry the company in the future, it is him.
He is stellar in the ring, his mic skills needs a bit of work, HOWEVER, (dare I say) put Flair (as a face) as his manager, then he will be a-ok.

 

[TCBT]

Styles. If there is one wrestler in TNA that they can groom into someone to carry the company in the future, it is him.
He is stellar in the ring, his mic skills needs a bit of work, HOWEVER, (dare I say) put Flair (as a face) as his manager, then he will be a-ok.

They tried that. Didn't work. All he did was try to be Nature Boy 2.0 and it did nothing for him or his mic skills.

I personally don't find an inch of charisma in Styles. He's a great wrestler and all, but at least for me, it takes more than that to keep me interested in a character. If I had a choice, I'd say have James Storm trim up and become a top guy. I think he has the makings of being a true force in wrestling. Bobby Roode is very good too, and more than decent on the mic when he doesn't have that stupid, shocked look on his face when the fans cheer him now all of a sudden.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Aj is a born entertainer if he had been in wwe 4 longer than 1 dark match they wud ov compared him 2 hbk. As for roode i cud probably buy into his hype if he hadnt beat bully ray wiv just a spinebuster where is the big finisher on this guy?

A Spinebuster delivered correctly is a great finishing move, and in my opinion Roode has the best Spinebuster in the business today. It's perfectly fine as a finisher.

I had always hoped that AJ Styles would become a true MEGA STAR in wrestling. His matches are that damm entertaining I saw sure-fire money in Styles, but I don't think he will get there if he remains in TNA. Sure, the company is "The house that AJ built", and he has been there from day 1 and had countless great matches. BUT, he just doesnt seem to be the guy they want to build the promotion aorund. He doesnt have the mic skills to carry a feud to the level that the very best do.

Now, Bobby Roode can talk the talk. I love his mic work, and the passion he shows when he is talking. He has an awesome look, great physique and just seems to have that star "aura" that the best in the business have. Roode can back it up in the ring, and I am very pleased that he won the BFG tournament. He deserved it, and I would love to see him as the TNA World Champion very soon.

TNA have very few of their own "homegrown talents" as main eventers right now. Roode can be that man. He can lead them into the future as the World Champion.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm a fan of both guys. From an in-ring standpoint, Styles certainly has a flashier and generally more athletic style. Roode, in my view, is a better storyteller and he's much better in promos than Styles is.

Personally, I'm going with Roode here not because I dislike AJ Styles or anything but because Roode has a much fresher feel about him at this point in time. Aside from AJ Styles, TNA hasn't produced a legit homegrown main event star since coming to Spike nearly 6 years ago and they've been in desperate need of one for a long time now. Roode has a good look, he has the ability on the mic & inside the ring, he's one of the most over wrestlers on the TNA roster, he's paid his dues and has earned a great deal of success & respect while he's been part of TNA. I just think that Roode has all of what TNA needs in a main eventer right now.

As far as AJ Styles goes, I've no doubt that Styles will be back in the main event picture in TNA at some point in time and rightly so. However, when it comes to "the future", I just don't really see it in Styles. He's been there from day 1, he's done everything that a male wrestler can do in TNA multiple times and TNA hasn't really been elevated to that next level. I'm not saying that Roode will do any better than Styles in terms of bringing in new viewers and keeping them there, but I'd rather see someone fresh get an opportunity at this time rather than someone that's had a number of chances to be the undisputed face of TNA and has been unable to pull it off. Styles is a great in-ring talent, one of the best in-ring wrestlers in the world today, but I think he's something of a victim of his own success in TNA. Like John Cena & Randy Orton in WWE, Styles has done it all in TNA. There's really nothing left for him to accomplish and I just don't really see Styles ultimately reaching that level of star power as compared to a Cena or Orton if he stays in TNA.

 

[IT Factor]

That match last night was great. Impact's main events for the last two weeks have been awesome thanks to TNA finally utilizing the originals. As far as storylines go, I'm impressed with how Bobby Roode is being pushed. He deserves to win the title @ BFG and it'll be interesting to see if they'll keep Roode on top for long after that.

AJ & Roode are both similiar in their work. Both are very talented in the ring falling short on character. When you're that good in the ring though, you just need to be audible enough to advance the story. Which they both do well enough to warrant being on top of the TNA main event scene.

 

[Rasha]

The "face of the company" level is very vague and could mean different things to different people. Do you mean the top face, or just the biggest name? Ric Flair was the face of WCW while always being a heel.

If you mean using one of these guys in a Hogan/Austin/Rock/Sting-like role as the top heroic figure, than honestly I don't like either. I could totally see Roode as its top heel and AJ as a major Main Event guy (e.g. Savage and/or Warrior during Hulkamania), but not as the number one draw. Not if we're talking about someone who can take IW to the next level.

Is that guy even on the roster right now? Doubtful. Even if it was realizing its full potential, I don't see the roster as being anything more than what you saw in the post-Hogan, pre-Austin days of the WWE. Nobody here is going to start a national phenomenon.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

I'd have to go with AJ here since Roode is probably the most generic guy of the TNA Originals. He's way more talented in the ring and IMO is more believable as a top star on the mic. Roode always seems to be yelling to trying to outdo everyone else in Fourtune on the mic. It was almost comicical to see him and Kazarian jocking for position to see who could yell more to get noticed. AJ, Daniels and Storm are the main TNA guys that seem comfortable around the microphone. All the rest seem to be forcing it rather than just being themselves.


AJ has been booked so horribly that it would take considerable effort to bring him back to the main events, but I still prefer him to Roode. I have been enjoying Roode's current work and think he deserves his shot, but he still needs vast improvement in order to be a major force in wrestling. Otherwise, I could see someone stepping up to take his spot very quickly. Hopefully though, at the very least his push will focus more attention on TNA's own wrestlers vs. WWE rejects. I'm tired of seeing it and really want to see more creativity from IW.

Either way, I'm glad to see IW break the usual predictable cycle of using established WWE guys.

 

[Uncle Phatso]

Styles. If there is one wrestler in TNA that they can groom into someone to carry the company in the future, it is him.
He is stellar in the ring, his mic skills needs a bit of work, HOWEVER, (dare I say) put Flair (as a face) as his manager, then he will be a-ok.

One wrestler to carry the company? Jesus is this 2004? Dude he did carry the company for a long time, I'd rather see Bobby right now in the ME by a long shot. Sure I enjoy Aj's matches, but Roode needs his time.

I don't think the Bfgs would of been as good if an allredy big name would of won it. Bobby is a big name, but he's not a huge name in the singles scene. That's what makes this exciting, well for me at least.

Roode has been making me turn into Tna, I love this.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I can't choose. Those two are my favorite wrestlers right now. Too hard.

The way I see it, Styles has things that Roode doesn't, and Roode has things that Styles doesn't. Either of them can be pushed to Main Event status and even World Champion. That's how good they are.

However, carrying the entire company? Okay, please take your heads out of the McMahon bubble. You know there's more work to be done in your company when you rely on ONE person to carry all. No, AJ shouldn't carry the company. No, Roode shouldn't carry the company. The entire roster should carry the company. Otherwise what's the point of having over 30 wrestlers? To fill up match and promo time until you get to your main wrestler? Is this the WWE?

AJ or Roode? Depends on what you look for in a wrestler. If you like high flying and innovation - AJ Styles. If you like more old school like performers who are not flashy or fancy with what they do but more hard hitting and show a lot of heart and emotion - Roode's your guy. I like high flying AND old school so to choose between the two would be impossible.

 

[Taskmasta]

I personally like AJ more but I want both of them at the top. They're both great wrestlers and home grown talent so I would like to see them and people like James Storm and Samoa Joe be TNA headliners. I just don't like Roode as a face tho. His mic work is a lot better to me when he's heel.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

When I first saw Roode, he was a very compelling heel. Then he became a part of Beer Money, and was stuck in that tag team mode and then came along Fortune and so forth. He is talented, but I prefer him as a heel more than anything else. I'm glad he's finally getting an opportunity to move beyond the tag division and actually getting a shot at the top title.

AJ was great until they started making him try to be the second coming of Rick Flair. I think both guys have the ability of being great and being a face of the company. I think AJ is better suited as a face and Roode is better as a heel, but I think both would do great jobs as the top guy in the company.

 

[Headman]

The most I ever enjoyed AJ was his first heel turn when he did that interview talking about how hard it was growing up without air conditioning. He was being dead serious, but it was comedic gold. If he goes back to this I'll choose AJ, but for now I'll go with Roode by default.

 

[Reflection]

If TNA has one guy that can be a successful top guy, its Jeff Hardy (sadly enough).. he has the experience of main events on the bigger stage, he has the looks, the charisma and the fan following. TNA's aim should be to get him back on track somehow. Once that is accomplished, the success will overlap the failure. Moreover lets face it, wrestling fams' memory is shortlived, so nobody really would remember his drug issues and/or DWIs.
Now coming to your question, Styles or Roode?
both of them has been there for quite a while now, so i don't see any question on originality. In addition to that, irrespective of what they might claim to "matter", they WILL need someone who can do flashy moves, draw a crowd, bring in fans, and sell merchandise (wrestling skills don't matter. If you disagree, watch Daniel Bryan on SD). If we look at only these three simple priorities, 90% of the roster is eliminated, leaving behind only a handful with these qualities present in them. Now Styles has the athleticism, the reaction drawing power, He can bring in fans, and he can sell merchandise. Can Roode do the same? Athleticism? Yeah. Reaction drawing power? To some extent. Merch sales? Not much. Ability to bring in new fans? No.

 

[New Hot Fed]

That's like choosing between your two children. I can't for the life of me choose between AJ, Roode, Storm and Joe if I had to pick one to be the flag bearer for my company. They all have elements unique to them the others three don't have, elements that have the potential to transform into greatness.

To shine
AJ would have to be the ultimate face.
Roode would have to be the ultimate heel.
Storm could do both.
Joe would have to be a tweener.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Why not both? Roode is likely the next to become TNA World Champion, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is THE face of the federation. I think they are trying to turn him into a permanent main eventer with this Bound For Glory Series winner angle, and he does deserve the title run. In the coming years this might see him becoming the #2 guy in TNA much like Orton is for WWE. Cena is still the face of WWE but Orton is also a top tier guy. AJ Styles IS TNA for me. No one on Impact Wrestling comes close. He should be and will continue to be the face of their organization, although Roode will be turning into their #2 guy by Bound For Glory. If I had to pick it would be AJ but I say both.

 

[ABMorales787]

The face? Fuck that! Who's the left kidney of TNA? Who cares. We can't have both guys as big deals in the company? It takes two (or more) to make a feud happen. Both guys can be selling points to the company from different points of view. Too many major stars is never a bad thing in wrestling.