Bully Ray & Devon Leaving TNA?

[Zaahir3000]

If Bully Ray were to return to the WWE. I think he should be paired with Lord Tensai. Tensai and Ray both failed as singles in the WWE. The WWE should be able to conceal Bully Ray's previous life alot better by having him wear a Mask.

 

[ltrav1984]

I think it wud b a big shame if bully ray was 2 leave TNA because he's worked so hard 2 get his main event status and if he was 2 go 2 another company I.E. WWE theres no guarantee they will use him right and the work he's doin in TNA right now is the best stuff TNA has ever produced IMO

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Since Shelley and Sabin left TNA, TNA has pushed Daniels and Kazarian as wrestlers through a tag team which is working quite well at the moment. I think when a wrestler or wrestlers leave a promotion it creates space for new talent to be pushed (which might as well be better then your previous ones).

With Ray and Devon gone, TNA will get space to build talented wrestlers like Brutus Magnus, Doug Williams and Rob Terry by pushing them as heels through a British Invasion stable or something and have them feud with a face stable of RVD, Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe.

Sabin didn't leave TNA, only Shelley did. Sabin just got hurt again, destroying his other knee having just returned from a serious ACL (I believe) tear in the first not a year ago or so.

I do agree in principle with what you're saying though. It's not as though TNA is devoid of depth. We often hear from a lot of users here that feel their roster is actually too large as it is, so stars leaving simply means others step up when given the opportunity to fill a void.

 

[richunclescrooge]

I think it would make sense for WWE to sign Bully and Devon together as the Dudleys to build the tag division for a decent amount of time, while keeping Bully as the mouthpiece doing the same gimmick he's doing now but fit it to a tag team. ex: "Do you know who WE are?" Later on he can go off on his own and do a singles run and Devon can stay or leave, whatever

 

[Notorious718]

I feel like I'm one of the few who do like Devon. He's really not as bad as people paint him to be. He's solid on the mic, has gotten into better shape in the past year or so, and isn't bad in the ring despite his size and age. Overall, he's one of the more underrated guys on the TNA roster. That said, his departure is nothing that will affect TNA in the grand scheme of things. Bully Ray being gone will likely leave a bigger void in the roster than Devon being gone. I would hate to see Ray leave as I feel like he's found his true calling as the bully heel singles wrestler which is something I didn't think would happen when he initially went with this gimmick. I'm not sure if one will re-sign with the company without the other even if they're no longer a tag team but if that's the case, I sure hope TNA re-signs the both of them.

 

[GrandSword]

At the end of the day, I think most companies survive when any talent leaves them. Look at Batista. Arguably the second biggest name in the biz, and just hit his starps in terms of his mic work and becoming an all round great perfomer. He left, and the WWE moved on without blinking. Bully Ray has been caught in this Joesph Park deal for months if he left the company would TNA lose any viewers? No, he is a good cog in the machine but it wont really mean anything.

Same goes for Devon. He has brought legitamacy to the TV belt and is over at least with the acsual fans. They love this guy. But once again, he puts over whoever, Daniels, Crimson, etc. for the TV belt and moves on.. TNA will still keep going.

TNA has too big a roster at the moment any way. Trimming those who are not consistently on tv needs to happen. When you have Hardy, Storm, RVD, Joe, Styles, Angle on your roster but they aren't on every show you need to start freeing up space for the guys who bring in ratings...

 

[RjTheChamp619]

Well, if they are going to leave, then I think the WWE should pick them up. WWE is trying to rebuild a tag division, and I think they would really be able to help push talent farther in maches in terms of getting a team over.

 

[Headman]

If the WWE does bring them back it probably wouldn't be long before they broke them up again and allowed Ray to resume his singles career. It would be a nice short term fix for the tag division and after that Ray would have a bigger stage for his "Bully" character.

For TNA, I'm sure resigning Bully Ray is pretty high on their agenda. If Ray and Devon leave it won't be because TNA didn't try. It will be because Ray and Devon feel it's time to go some place else. Who knows, maybe they want another big run at "The show" before it's time to hang up their boots.

 

[HBK2221]

Losing D Von is like WWE losing R-Truth. They are both old, they both are noticeable in the ring, but they both don't alter the landscape of the show one bit.

They're not old. WTF are you talking about. They're 38 years old.

 

[HBsam31]

Bully would be a loss for sure. Devon not as much, but I have to agree with the poster that said these losses are starting to add up. Two more would not be a good thing, and Bully has shot up the ranks very fast. No one ever thought Bully Ray would have been this good on his own. It seems to me TNA needs to grab a hold of this situation, or it could possibly mean bad things for them. I am a huge fan of TNA right now, and I would not want to see them lose to many more people.

 

[Pedigree1]

First as chris sabin goes destroying his other knee that is just a damn shame. But on to the topic at hand if bully ray and devon leave imo Bully ray will be missed more than devon.
The whole Bully ray gimmick works wonders and he is currently the top heel in the company.

Bully ray should have been champion by now. He has the look the build the mic skills to have the crowd against him. If he leaves thats a huge hole TNA has to try to overcome. It seems as of late,people are jumping off the TNA ship. We all know who has left or thinking of leaving. But TNA has alot of depth bully ray leaving if he does will hurt but they will recover.

Devon on the other hand will not be missed. He just doesnt have that singles look about him cant really talk on the stick and is not as good as bully ray in the ring. IF both of them leave and go to the E with the younger generation,no one will know who the Dudley Boyz were or are. But Devon leaving if he does,will not be missed as nearly as bully ray will be.

 

[GameOver]

Don't really care for either as singles wrestlers but i admit Bully has atleast made himself a big fish in that pond and is always there so that would be noticeable. D'von not in the least though they lose there television champ, maybe that's why they gave it to him to try and convince him to stay or soften the blow when they didn't re-sign him

If they are done, they are done in US mainstream, surely WWE wouldn't want them back, they would add to the tag division but to what extent would it be believable if they lost to guys who aren't even a "tag team" last time they only wanted D'Von to stay due to his good attitude backstage and Bully was not wanted hence why they left but neither of them are gonna go any further then they already have, so bye bye 3D, they could always go back to touring random promotions.

 

[harrythem]

Losing Bully would be a blow to TNA but a massive bonus to WWE. He's in the best shape of his career, top draw on the mike and Bully seems to really be on top of his game in the ring too, actually making those feuds he has mean something. He's a great upper-card heel/stepping stone in TNA and, with his full on heel potential being realised, I could easily see him taking up the place that Tensai was meant to take as a main event heel.

With that said, I could seriously see Bully being tempted back to WWE. Money talks and, the lure of a bigger (or at least matching) contract and the chance to be a main level heel on the biggest wrestling stage of them all (or at least deffo being the top heel on Smack Down. Bully Vs Sheamus has some serious appeal to me at least) could result in him being tempted. Would be a crappy loss for TNA because he's been the best thing (A double aside) in the company. Hell, I'd even say he's been the most interesting character anywhere in wrestling over the last 6-10 months (possibly longer).

As for Devon? Hell, who cares? He's crap. He'll either be crap in TNA or elsewhere before retiring to a massive round of nobody giving a crap, and working backstage.

 

[PEP3]

In my opinion, losing either Bully Ray or Devon would be a tremendous blow to the TNA roster. Both have respectively busted their asses to get over with audiences (and done so successfully!) and are now solid veteran performers 100% willing to commit to angles, lend name recognition to the company and put over rising talent whenever asked.

Were I to rank the importance between the two, clearly Bully Ray takes the advantage. Less than 18 months ago, the guy was a seasoned wrestler who was starting to show signs of displeasure with his status as a tag team specialist. He appeared stagnant and bored. Seemingly to appease him, TNA offered him a solo opportunity. It's been an incredible pleasure to watch what's happened since that time.

TNA not only allowed him to explore and develop a new character, he ran with the ball! Slowly the company built him into a marketable, totally credible and utterly believable World Heavyweight Championship contender. Despite originally being a skeptic, now I can buy Bully Ray going over Jeff Hardy, Mr. Anderson, James Storm, RVD or any of TNA's other top-tier talent. In fact, at this point, I could totally back a Bully Ray title run!!

For TNA to invest so tremendously in Bully's character, getting him over so believably with audiences, then let him go would be foolish and short-sighted. It would also be a shame for him -- because, even if he was signed to WWE (and he would be), he wouldn't get the kind of opportunities he's receiving in TNA.

Meanwhile, Devon's run as TNA TV champion shows the company has faith in his ability to work with and elevate younger talent. They support his marketability and capability to provide quality, TV-worthy matches. He's turned their secondary title -- little more than a comedy act when worn by Eric Young -- into a legit championship, with defenses week-in and week-out. While he's not moving in and out of the main event picture like Bully Ray is, it would take little effort to place Devon in those circles as well. TNA knows this as well.

That said, neither of these men is "expendable." Both are doing their jobs in TNA to the best of their abilities, and the results are obvious. While I enjoy Devon less than I do Bully Ray -- despite long believing (probably quite mistakenly!) that Devon was superior in the promo/interview department -- that bears little on the value each presents to the company.

It would be truly fool-hardy for TNA to invest such a tremendous amount into these men, then simply let them waltz out. I, for one, hope management does all it can to secure both for another year to 18 months. The possibilities of what both can accomplish in that time excites me.

And, without question, I believe completely each is well worth TNA's investment.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

If it were not for the tag team division neither Ray or Devon would be known, these two guys before becoming a team were absolutely nobodys, than when ECW took them and made the Dudley Boyz, they worked very well ... granted they havent been in alot of matches against each other but they new how to balance each other out.

DEVON ............. GET THE TABLE
OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH MY BROTHER ..... TESTIFY!!

What the fuck does that have to do with the subject of this thread???

Anyway....

Devon would be no loss to TNA. They seem to quite like him there, as he has held the TV title for quite a while but I don't really think anyone would miss him if he went. He is pretty much irrelevant and there are 100 other workers that could fill his spot as TV champion.

But Bully Ray has become brilliant over the last 18 months or so. He has developed into a really good singles wrestler and I never thought he would. His ability to talk and get heat like he does plus being able to put on a decent match has made him one of the top heels in the business right now.

I think TNA need to do anything they can to ensure that Ray does not leave, he is quite capable of being a World Champ in the next year or so having got himself over in a major way, losing weight to get into the best shape of his career and becoming a star along the way.

Devon = No Loss

Bully Ray = Big Loss

 

[Zeven_Zion]

How come the title of the thread is not "Bully Ray and Devon STAYING in TNA?"

Why do we assume that the worst will happen just because there are negotiations? It is an outcome but people are already grooming them for WWE super stardom. We know WWE is dying to push Devon to the moon. And Bully too. It worked out so great for him the last time. When he was younger, and fitter. Maybe they could do one of those boring cheesy reunions where only half the crowd pops? Talk about a career defining moment.

Anyway, I have zero doubts that Ray will stay with the company. I doubt they were paying him any less than what they're offering now during his 3D days. It's natural, he's an asset now. Bully resigns, where the fuck is he gonna go? Back to the WWE? Please.

As far as Devon goes, I see it going either way. On one hand Devon is over (how? Don't know), and he would perhaps like to hang around despite the smaller pay. On the other ... the fuck is he gonna do if he stays? Devon is a temporary cast member, he doesn't have the qualities to be a mainstay like Ray.

Negotiations happen all the time, this is one of the rare occasions where it actually broke out and we learned about it. That's why they're negotiations. The only way I see Ray not resigning is if they really offer something lousy or Ray acts like a bitch, which I don't see happening.

Either way, cutting out the suckers instead of guys like Ray would be the way to go. Fuck Silva, Sabin, Crimson, Devon, Doug, Gunner, Bischoff, Haskins, Morgan, Robbie, Rosita and you're good to go. Company won't suffer long term if they lose these guys. Not one of them is irreplaceable.

Don't cut Daniels though. Never cut the face of TNA. Why would you cut someone who's undefeated? Come on ...

 

[New Hot Fed]

Maybe TNA gave Devon the TV belt to give him some sort of candy to keep him and Bully around? Because there can be no other reasons. The guy is so bland and boring and is reaching for air after 2 minutes. He is seen as a tough brawler but he doesn't do it well, he keeps bouncing in the ropes. You want a good brawler? Try soon to be TNA talent Mike Knox. I was pretty impressed by what i've seen of him in the WWE. No non-sense old school brawler that can really demolish guys and it's a threat to watch. Knox comes off like a predator, like JBL was when he was just "Bradshaw".

At the opposite end of discussion, losing Bully Ray would be horrible and a huge blunder for this company. The guy has become a must-watch wrestler because of his tenure in TNA. He blossomed like I could never imagine an old wrestler do, reinventing himself. And even for him, I doubt he would want to leave all this. All this progress to start over in the E? I know we've seen others do this like Christian who came into his own in TNA and left anyway because he was disappointed by whatever. But to me Bully is TNA-Bound and I would be surprised if he left. And if he did leave, then I would be the first in line to call TNA a ridiculous joke. Don't screw it up!

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

How come the title of the thread is not "Bully Ray and Devon STAYING in TNA?"

Why do we assume that the worst will happen just because there are negotiations?

Haha we all know why! For clicks of course! But yeah I think there is no way Bully will go, I just don't believe it.

 

[Alex]

This is a lot bigger than people realize. Ray and Devon have a wrestling school together and some of that talent ends up on TNA. What would happen if Ray and Devon decide to stop having their students get tryouts with TNA (yes most of their talent is kinda meh, but you never know) Its the idea that you could end up on TV because your teachers work for a televised company.

I really hope they stay around. Yes Devon is not as high up the ladder as Ray but he's a good asset, putting over talent and helping them out.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

i'm not that bothered if they both go. i think there is far more tallented wrestlers around that tna could sign to take there place and if ace's and 8's turn out to be all new talent being brought in then i dont see there being any need for them anyway.

 

[The Talon]

Bully Ray actually just tweeted a online petition of sorts for him to go back to WWE, so I think they might seriously be leaving. I'm conflicted about my thoughts on this whole story. On one hand, Bully Ray is easily the best heel TNA's got, but on the other hand, I'd love to see a Team 3D reunion in WWE. I support them in whichever path they choose, I guess.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Minor update from AllWrestling.com:

- The feeling is that Bully Ray and Devon are going to leave TNA soon, so don't be surprised to see Devon drop the TNA Television Title in the next few weeks. Ray has been doing most of the negotiations for their new contracts but he feels that TNA has not treated them with respect during those contract talks. The feeling is that losing Ray and Devon would be a major loss, especially Ray as he's been used as a top heel on TV and has been working backstage as an agent. No word yet if WWE is interested in picking them up.

As I noted earlier, the loss of Devon really shouldn't put too many folks at unease, despite the fact he's been a nice veteran presence, as he's a replaceable face for sure, similar to when WWE released Chavo Guerrerro, but Ray should be of major concern for them.

I get the sense that Ray is likely negotiating on both their behalves, meaning it's likely a package deal or nothing.

 

[Lowdown]

I thought I read last week that Ray had reached an agreement. Just my imagination I guess. Or was it that WWE wasn't interested? I figured they were both doing separate negotiations.

 

[shattered dreams]

I get the feeling all of this contract stuff in TNA recently is somewhat of a work. Maybe I am wrong though. Contrary to what people are saying in this thread, I don't think either would be a big loss and I am as big of a Bully fan as anyone. I would be surprised to see WWE be interested, especially since if I am not mistaken there may have been some heat between HHH and Bully in the past. I guess it is possible that they are more valuable than I realize based on stuff they do off-screen that I do not know about. There is only one person that I consider a big loss in the history of TNA and that was Christian. I think you could give Bully's tv time and role to someone like Anderson for example and not lose much overall.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I get the feeling all of this contract stuff in TNA recently is somewhat of a work. Maybe I am wrong though. Contrary to what people are saying in this thread, I don't think either would be a big loss and I am as big of a Bully fan as anyone. I would be surprised to see WWE be interested, especially since if I am not mistaken there may have been some heat between HHH and Bully in the past. I guess it is possible that they are more valuable than I realize based on stuff they do off-screen that I do not know about. There is only one person that I consider a big loss in the history of TNA and that was Christian. I think you could give Bully's tv time and role to someone like Anderson for example and not lose much overall.

You're probably right in that sense, but you're especially right in the sense of Christian, because regardless of whether or not he'd accomplished everything in his time in TNA, he sort of embodied everything about the company as it began it's rise to television. He was the first true ship-jumper, and that really means a lot considering he was still in his prime when he left TNA to return to WWE.

That said, losing Ray would hurt. I don't think there's a way to say otherwise, but the key would be in filling the void. If you can fill that hole, the hurt doesn't hurt as much.