Bobby Roode: One of the Best?

[Cena's #1 In My Heart]

Alright we know Bobby Roode is damn good, but is he one of the best?

I'm talking something like..

1. CM Punk
2. Kurt Angle
3. AJ Styles
4. Daniel Bryan
5. Bobby Roode

After watching his tag match on Impact.. damn.. this guy is ready to explode. In fact... everytime he enters the ring he damn near explodes on his opponent!

He hits his moves with such intensity and perfection.. He's defiantly climbing my ranks as one of the top wrestlers in the business today.

I'm fully convinced right now that Bobby Roode is going to be a main event player within a year. Imagine the matches he could have with AJ Styles or Kurt Angle.. especially if they bring the intensity that Impact Wrestling is known for bringing to the ring.

Hell, I'd have Bobby Roode come out on top of this Bound for Glory Series.

 

[klunderbunker]

I've heard this Bobby Roode is great talk for years now and I flat out do not see it. He's good, but making comparisons like these seem like a huge stretch. He had a brief singles run before Beer Money got started and it was one of the least interesting runs I've ever seen. He was out there with Booker who you know is going to give you at least a passable match and then with Eric Young who was one of the hottest acts in the company at that point. All of that run made me long for some Randy Orton chinlocks. I do not get these accolades he gets, and at age 34 I don't know how much longer you can wait to pull the trigger on him if that's what they're going to do. Not sure at all here.

 

[Cena's #1 In My Heart]

Things change as years go by my man. I didn't buy into Robert Roode when he was doing his feud with Booker T either.

Wrestlers get better with experience. Roode now knows what he needs to do to be successful.. he knows how he needs to talk.. how he needs to walk.. he has learned over the years and his in ring work is right up there with the best.

I wouldn't even break up Beer Money.. I'd just get the titles off them and just let them be friends in Fortune... both of them go on and do the singles career thing.

Robert Roode reminds me a lot of Triple H.. from his movesets... to his look...

 

[The Dragon Saga]

One of the best? I thought you were going to say he was in around the top fifty, but the top five?? What show are you watching?

Bobby Roode is a good wrestler, and he has a good look, nice on the microphone comes across very natural, but the thing about Roode is even though I feel as if he's a very talented wrestler and I would love to see them push him towards the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, is nothing about him really stands out. He doesn't have anything eye-catching. I'll give you an example using your little list.

You left Mistico/Sin Cara off your list. He's far better than Roode as a wrestler, and the difference between Mistico and Roode is that Cara's moves they make you go, "Wow," his attire and his look is eye-catching. You could not walk into a room, see a guy wearing a glittering blue mask and not look at him. With Roode, he's just another guy with solid wrestling ability.

I could add another twenty people above Roode and to your list, easily. Roode is good, I like him and all, but he's not that good or anywhere near it currently. He hasn't even broken out yet. And as KB said, he's 34 years old and if he is going to come out of the shadows he needs to start doing it... NOW!

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I've heard this Bobby Roode is great talk for years now and I flat out do not see it. He's good, but making comparisons like these seem like a huge stretch. He had a brief singles run before Beer Money got started and it was one of the least interesting runs I've ever seen. He was out there with Booker who you know is going to give you at least a passable match and then with Eric Young who was one of the hottest acts in the company at that point. All of that run made me long for some Randy Orton chinlocks. I do not get these accolades he gets, and at age 34 I don't know how much longer you can wait to pull the trigger on him if that's what they're going to do. Not sure at all here.

Yes, feuding with Eric Young. How exactly do you propose a guy to "get over" when he's working a primarily comedy angle designed to put over the comedic face?

The fact Roode is so oft-complimented and considered by the IWC fans to have that 'it' factor should be all you need to realize that there is some merit to the topic, regardless of what you've seen of his singles work thus far.

Yes, his singles work wasn't much to write home about, but it was also his first real run at it. Give it time. Bobby Roode is a future World Champion. Mark my words.

His work with Booker was very passable, but again, it was his first run.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

Bobby Roode is just waiting to break out. It sucks from my standpoint because I love Beer Money, and I really don't want to see them break up, but it has to happen sometime. Roode has shown in recent months that he can handle his own on the stick, and he's definitely got the in-ring down. Now all he needs to do is get the fan support, which he has, but needs more. What he really needs to do to become one of the best though is stop hindering his potential, and just knock the fucking door down.

 

[Cena's #1 In My Heart]

See what I'm talking about is... I don't see another wrestler who hits his moves with quite the intensity that Roode does.

Storm tags him and damn Roode comes in going 120%! It's like when John Cena starts to power up and starts hitting his moves (thats the only thing Cena does good).

Roode just brings a different mindset to the ring, you can see it in the way he wrestles. You can see it with all of Fortune actually... they wrestle like they are the best.. they don't just let you hit your moves on them.. you have to earn your move spots.. unless its a planned ending or spot in a match. Because Fortune tends to counter shit on ya.. and Roode is a prime example of it. He'll take any opening he can get to get on the offense.

 

[Trill Co$by]

Robert Roode has it in him to be the power technician that TNA needs to truly combat with WWE. Amongst him, Anderson, and Gunner I can some great television that can boost them into a battle and be entertaining if done right.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Robert Roode has it in him to be the power technician that TNA needs to truly combat with WWE. Amongst him, Anderson, and Gunner I can some great television that can boost them into a battle and be entertaining if done right.

Thanks for the red rep, nice to see you have the intelligence to debate about it. But if you don't want to start it, by all means, allow me the pleasure.

You said, "Wrestling is no place for spot ****es." I find that quite hypocritical seeing as you seem to be defending TNA by assuming that they don't have any when they have Amazing Red, they had the whole Suicide character and in all they've had several more over the years. Therefore TNA does see the need to have spot ****es, and then you seem to have lost the defintion of a spot ****e.

You said that in my comparing Robert Roode to Mistico - I would seriously like, and I endorse any dumb fuck to come out and tell me in this thread that Robert Roode is an all around better wrestler than someone like Mistico. Because if anyone states that they must be high as fuck.

Robert Roode's problem is he isn't unique. He's generic. What's the difference between Robert Roode and Gunner? Same build, two normal guys, no real gimmicks; at least in Roode's case its anymore. This isn't a problem with TNA, this is a problem with wrestling, gimmicks have been disposed of to make way for wrestlers having personas and quite sadly, even though as I have said I am fan of his, Robert Roode has a boring as fuck persona.

Thanks for the red rep and no challenge at all. Next time grow a pair so you won't get shown up.

 

[ABMorales787]

Roode stands out more because he wants to stand out more. Whenever he talks, you can feel the emotion coming out. When he wrestles he seems very natural doing it and shifting from move to move. He comes off very comfortable on mic. is he one of the greatest? Yeah, I could think 50 guys better. But in today's business, finding a guy who gives off the kind feel he gives is rare and it's worth the investment. To me, he comes off as an everyman wrestler that embodies what most fans feel.

 

[jtolliver23]

I think that Robert Roode is great in the ring and a great technician, but I have to agree with Dragon Man that he's not in the top 5. I do agree that Sin Cara/Mistico is more entertaining in the ring. But Robert Roode is one of the best wrestlers in TNA and they really need to capitalize on that. And for God's sake they better not act like he didn't get his ass kicked on Ric Flair's orders, they need to finish that feud. Even though Naitch is way past his prime, he is still able to put people way over and I think that could be the start of a major push for Roode. In my opinion. I could be wrong.

 

[yoshi_doce2006]

Bobby Roode reminds me of a mix between Curt Hennig and Arn Anderson. Excellent tactician, strong on the mic, his moves are all impactful, and he has good in-ring psychology. Bobby Roode while I wouldn't put him Top 5 like the OP did would be around Top 10 or 15. Before he can catapolt Top 5 he has to have a run as champ and show his ability with the ball.

 

[GrandSword]

Roode has old school ring work and very strong mic skills. And his face comebacks in a match are the best I've seen in years in any company. TNA's roster is so large that no one really gets a chance to shine. For example Crimson's 6 month undefeated streeak seems to consist of 5 matches.. but that's a topic for another day.

Roode is ready its upto management if they want to use him or not and give him some big feuds or wins. Beer MOney are the most beleievable heels and faces of the company. When they are heel you really think to yourself, there is no way these guys could ever be good guys again, and then when they are faces they are crazy over.

Its a sign of how good Roode is and he has huge potential. One of the best, well that's upto how he's booked from here on out.

 

[king_kanyon]

Your Right on the money. I don't know if i have him this high, but I do belive he's one of the best. He has grown in the last 2 years ever since beer money inc formed they have gotten better and he has also, he works fast hes exiting when he speaks now you listen because it's raw and every one on impact with the arival of Hulk has goten better on the mic and he has far and ahead benifited. I thought with Hogan's Arival the produt would suffer for a year or 2 as they figured things out, but I thought it would be for the best we know they can wrestle better then the wwe but they couldn't speak better but soon they'll do both things better and by the time Augsest 2011 comes around just in time for their firt world tour things will fall in to place just as TNA Has planed all along. I Like Seing the Bigger Picture.

 

[t619]

Am i the only person that finds James Storm to be underated. I like Robert but i do think people don't realize how good his partner is. James Storm would be a great maineventer imo and same with Robert.

 

[WWWYKI777]

OP You DARE forget to list Jericho? :O

But yeah Bobby is a badass , hes great

Amongst him, Anderson, and Gunner I can some great television that can boost them into a battle and be entertaining if done right

I'd love to see him vs. Gunner , would be a great match

Kaz? You dont get more urban white boy than Kaz. He makes Vanilla Ice look hip.

What the bloody hell are you talking about? Hes not urban at all............

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I like Roode, I always have.

I don't see why TNA is not pushing this guy into the main event, he has been ready for a long time. He looks the part, has a good moveset and has the intensity and promo skills to really make an impact. I would much rather see Booby Roode main eventing than guys like RVD, Anderson and Morgan.

He deserves a good singles run more than anyone in the company. He has done his time with Beer Money and had success there, and its time for him to be on his own and make a run for the TNA title. I see no reason why he can't get there. He always impresses me on the mic, and he looks more than ready to become a major sar. The fans want him to be there, and he just needs to go out there and do it.

Bobby Roode should be TNA champion within the year in my eyes, it is his time

 

[Trill Co$by]

Thanks for the red rep, nice to see you have the intelligence to debate about it. But if you don't want to start it, by all means, allow me the pleasure.

You said, "Wrestling is no place for spot ****es." I find that quite hypocritical seeing as you seem to be defending TNA by assuming that they don't have any when they have Amazing Red, they had the whole Suicide character and in all they've had several more over the years. Therefore TNA does see the need to have spot ****es, and then you seem to have lost the defintion of a spot ****e.

You said that in my comparing Robert Roode to Mistico - I would seriously like, and I endorse any dumb fuck to come out and tell me in this thread that Robert Roode is an all around better wrestler than someone like Mistico. Because if anyone states that they must be high as fuck.

Robert Roode's problem is he isn't unique. He's generic. What's the difference between Robert Roode and Gunner? Same build, two normal guys, no real gimmicks; at least in Roode's case its anymore. This isn't a problem with TNA, this is a problem with wrestling, gimmicks have been disposed of to make way for wrestlers having personas and quite sadly, even though as I have said I am fan of his, Robert Roode has a boring as fuck persona.

Thanks for the red rep and no challenge at all. Next time grow a pair so you won't get shown up.

Nice way to pull two competitors that I never even mentioned into the conversation... and yes I will stand by my statement of Robert Roode being far better than some idiot who does nothing than flip around the ring all day and sells jack squat... that would include Amazing Red and Suicide. In Roode's matches he plays the psychological roll to perfection and his technical in-ring skills are spot on.

All I've seen from this "Mistico" guy is a bunch of flips and no selling. Now tell me, where else but a shitty second rate promotion like CMLL or AAA are you going to find a high flyer be pushed to the title by doing nothing but flips and twirls? And before you answer, AJ and Rey Mysterio BOTH have terrific technical in ring skills that allow them to be perfect world title candidates.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

All I've seen from this "Mistico" guy is a bunch of flips and no selling. Now tell me, where else but a shitty second rate promotion like CMLL or AAA are you going to find a high flyer be pushed to the title by doing nothing but flips and twirls? And before you answer, AJ and Rey Mysterio BOTH have terrific technical in ring skills that allow them to be perfect world title candidates.

I wouldnt call the biggest wrestling promotions in Mexico, which is one of the hotest countrys for wrestling right now, second rate to be honest.

But I agree that Roode is better than Mistico/Sin Cara. While he is very entertaining and exciting to watch, he doesnt have the technical skills and the in-ring presence of Roode, and not even 1/10th of his charisma.

Roode is a big name player in the making, and I think if he was in WWE he would have been pushed a long time ago, as they are looking at new talent right now. In TNA, they seem to refuse to look at anyone other than the established bigger names, and I think thats a shame, as Roode would put on far more entertaining main events than most of TNA's headliners with the exception of Angle and Styles.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Yeah I'm officially off of the Robert Roode bandwagon. He's a good worker than can be used in almost any situation, but you would be hard pressed to convince me that he is great at anything other than being a Tag Team specialist. There's nothing wrong with that though. Many a legend in this business have been tag team guys.

He is solid in the ring and he has a decent look. However, his look isn't one that will lend to any kind of character who doesn't have to get over by talking and I believe that's his downfall. He's not a bad talker by any means, but he's nothing special. He's just an average talker and that's not going to lead to greatness.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I've become a fan of Robert Roode over the years. I think he has a good look, I enjoy his promos, he does have charisma and he's good inside the ring. Would I call him one of the 5 best in wrestling right now? Not a chance. As much as I like the guy, he hasn't shown nearly enough to be thought of as one of the best. I do think he's got potential, I know some people hate that word but there it is, and he could be a break out star in TNA.

In my view, TNA desperately NEEDS a break out, homegrown star. It's something they haven't had in many years and it's one of the things that gets them consistently labeled or thought of as a poor man's WCW or a haven for "WWE rejects". Roode is someone that's got a very good, all around package that he brings to the table. However, if it's gonna happen, then it's time to end Beer Money.

Like most other people, I've been a fan of Beer Money. For a long time, Beer Money has been one of the few aspects of TNA that I've enjoyed but it's time to move on. They've slowly but steadily been losing steam for a long time, their latest title run has been incredibly lame, they've done all they can possibly do as a tag team and it's just time to pull the trigger. Thankfully, TNA does seem to be moving in that direction what with Alex Shelley filling in for the injured Roode by teaming with Storm as they've been on a losing streak since it's happened.

But one of the best? Not by a long shot. He has a very, very long way to go before I can look at Robert Roode and say that he's one of the best. He doesn't have the credibility as a singles wrestler and the fact that he has no real accomplishments as a singles wrestler coupled with him being in his mid-30s, he's probably not going to be thought of someday as an "all time great".

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I've become a fan of Robert Roode over the years. I think he has a good look, I enjoy his promos, he does have charisma and he's good inside the ring. Would I call him one of the 5 best in wrestling right now? Not a chance. As much as I like the guy, he hasn't shown nearly enough to be thought of as one of the best. I do think he's got potential, I know some people hate that word but there it is, and he could be a break out star in TNA.

In my view, TNA desperately NEEDS a break out, homegrown star. It's something they haven't had in many years and it's one of the things that gets them consistently labeled or thought of as a poor man's WCW or a haven for "WWE rejects". Roode is someone that's got a very good, all around package that he brings to the table. However, if it's gonna happen, then it's time to end Beer Money.

Very well said Jackhammer. I have already proclaimed my love of Roode in this thread but you are right, he is NOT one of the top 5 in the world yet.

It is 100% true that TNA need a homegrown star, and I really think Roode could be that man. The passion he shows in his promos where he talks about being one of the guys who built the company from scratch is so believable and he clearly has the fans support. They want to see this guy break out on his own and have a good singles run. There are very few people in TNA that I can see who have the potential to be "superstars". Crimson is one, Roode is another and I always thought Matt Morgan would move on to the next level but he seems to be stuck in limbo right now.

Roode is over 30, so he should be ready by now. TNA need to give him a push, as guys like Sting, Steiner, Angle etc cannot go on for ever, and who is there to replace them? Not many as far as I can see! Roode has all the potential in the world and it is time for him to unleash it. Beer Money has been a great team, but Bobby needs to go on his own now I think. Storm could always reunite AMW with Harris, or go single himself.

He hasnt got the stigma of being a washed up WCW guy, or a WWE reject and Bobby Roode could be the breakout homegrown star that TNA have been looking for. Apart from AJ who are there real success stories anyway? Anyone who shows any potential to be a main event level wrestler gets pushed aside (Samoa Joe being a perfect example)

Give Roode the ball and I really think he will run with it

 

[New Hot Fed]

I've always liked Roode. But here's the thing, I don't know if he's great or not since i've never seen him shine in single other than his EY feud and he's never been given a strong enough push just to see if he has what it takes to be "the" guy. As of now what he has brought is something old school like guys like Rick Rude and Arn Anderson and that is what makes him refreshing. But again that doesn't make him great, it's just that he has that element that make us long for another time in wrestling that wasn't full of spot monkeys and roided freaks. What he's shown so far as been that he's been good at the basics and he's been solid in tags and he shines as a heel, he can be a great jerk with a lot intensity. But it's difficult to progect how that could work to be able to be the guy of a whole promotion.

The one thing that may help him get to another level is find himself a character that's close to him and that is different. For example he's been promoted as someone that is about money. First of all that's not really him in real life and secondly we've had money-characters before. He needs to find his own thing like when Austin decided to be Stone Cold in 96, he took all the garbage away and went back to who he really was, a grumpy selfish redneck. Secondly- and that's something i've always found Roode lacked is creativity in the ring. The guy is incredibly sound technicaly but his moves are moves that most other wrestlers are doing or have done. Even his finisher is basically the Perfect Plex. When you had guys like Jake Roberts or Kurt Hennig coming in in the WWF in the 80s, they couldn't be more colorful than Hulk Hogan, but most of them had a variety of well designed moves that were interesting and only they were doing them. It gave them that extra element to make them special and stand out compared to the average jobber for example. There was a special manner the way Roberts would do clothslines and nobody would do them like he did. That's an example of the kind of thing I wish Bobby Roode would do. I think he should start from scratch as far as his weaponry of wrestling moves and come up with ones that nobody has done before. He shouldn't live in other wrestlers' shadows, I don't care if he's a fan of Arn Anderson and Kurt Hennig, stop doing the spine buster and perfect flex find your own moves, be your own man. He shouldn't be a human highlight reel of moves of guys he liked when he was a kid.

 

[NSL]

I'm going to agree with KB, but not entirely.

Roode is the best tag wrestler in the business today. I'll go that far. There's not really anyone that is continuously in a tag team, that can go out and perform the way he does.

As a singles wrestler...You're really reaching here, dude. He's good, and I liked his run he had pre-Beer Money, but he's not a top-tier main event talent. He's a top-tier mid-carder, which is fine, but entirely different.

I've heard this Bobby Roode is great talk for years now and I flat out do not see it. He's good, but making comparisons like these seem like a huge stretch. He had a brief singles run before Beer Money got started and it was one of the least interesting runs I've ever seen. He was out there with Booker who you know is going to give you at least a passable match and then with Eric Young who was one of the hottest acts in the company at that point. All of that run made me long for some Randy Orton chinlocks. I do not get these accolades he gets, and at age 34 I don't know how much longer you can wait to pull the trigger on him if that's what they're going to do. Not sure at all here.

I don't think that run was boring at all. Maybe I'm biased, being (possibly...it's been a while) the biggest EY fan on this forum. I'm not going crazy, saying they were Feud of The Year candidates, but they were certainly serviceable for what they were.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

Simply put...No. He's not even the most talented member of Beer Money. And i certainly wouldn't have Robert Roode in my top 5. Then again I wouldn't have Punk or this Bryan bloke in my top 5 either. AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam, Kurt Angle, Mr Anderson and Gunner are the top 5 wrestlers in the business at the moment IMO.

I'm not really sure why Roode is getting so much love lately to be honest. Gunner and Crimson have made more of an impression in 6 months than Roode has in the 3 years I've been watching TNA. I'm not saying Roode is bad or anything, he's just an average mid carder IMO. I don't see anything special in him and he doesn't stand out to me. I see much more potential in James Storm than I do Robert Roode.

And judging by the BFG standings, TNA also see more potential in Storm than they do Roode. The advantage Storm has over Roode is that he's a big character who draws your interest. If Roode could work on his character I think he could do alright as a singles guy. He's just a bit bland at the minute.