Bully Ray: World Heavyweight Champion?

[three count bout]

It was December 16th 2010 when Bubba dudley squashed the Amazing Red and declared himself Bully Ray. As time progressed I distinctly remember the outfit change complete with a Douchey scully hat, and Bully emblemed jacket. Rays personality and accent were more brash than ever and I was completely dumbfounded at the thought that anybody would want to see either member of Team 3-D at this phase of their respective careers in single activity.

Slowly but surely this "bully" character started to actually take shape and I realized Ray was consistently being involved in some of the better segments of the night. Ray was one of the few heels in the dreaded Impact Zone who seemed to garner a genuine reaction, his old school heat drawing heel antics were working. After trudging though an obligatory Devon feud, Ray found himself in Immortal immediately making an impact by powerbombing AJ Styles from the stage and giving him a kayfabe injury. While battling Fortune Ray continued his personal rivalry with Styles which culminated in their awesome Last Man Standing match which IMO due to Rays excellent job of selling AJ Styles offense he made AJ look like a powerful brawler to match his obvious speed and athleticism.

Ray became a pseudo mouth piece for Immortal during the onset of the groups demise, often offering up other members in hilarious fashion to do his bidding he was too cowardly to do. Ray also cut some underrated promos, he delivered one to Sting where he told him he couldn't hold Hogans jockstrap and how he was living in his shadow for two decades to summarize.

Ray is 41 years old, in absurdly good shape compared to how he was pre-bully era. When IW realizes they have a face who doesn't have any momentum going they pair them with Ray, look at Anderson, abyss or even Jeff Hardys return match they realize people generally want to see Ray LOSE.

Daniels, Pope, Gunner, Hernandez, JJ (in Mexico), Steiner, Robbie E and T, Kash and Aries (X Divison) and Samoa Joe are IWs Heels. Roode is the champion and Kurt Angle is easily our most recognizable Heel.

My point: Bully Ray had a very solid 2011, and was a great asset to the company. He was in the finals of the BFG series and came very close to challenging for the world belt.

My question: Can Bully Ray win the world title in 2012? Kurt Angles status will be up in the air with the olympics and after Roode there isn't many current main event level heels to challenge the face who inevitably dethrones Roode. I know Ray isn't a young, attractive easily marketable guy but hes smart knows how to work a crowd and is dependable. Trust me I would've thought this question was ludicrous a year ago as well but Ray was one of the most reliable guys in the company in 2011, and Impact Wrestling is going to NEED a good heel. Also if not Ray, who else could what other Heel could you imagine rising up to become a World Champion in 2012?

 

[Botchamaniac_2012]

i cant see bully ray being a world champ for the sole reason he isnt that marketable. i dont think people would be as interested in him to pay money to watch him for a few months in ppv main events. i dont think he is up to the quality of having a 25 minute singles match that will offer anything special to the fans. i could see him entering the title picture and challenging the likes of jeff hardy or aj styles if they became champion because bully ray has a history and has feuded with these two in the past. but i really cant see him winning the gold. i think tna would rather push some of their younger guys threw like crimson, morgan , gunner or storm to take the strap ahead of bully ray.

 

[sajsSAMynwa1892]

i dont know if i could see him as champion though i will say i love the bully ray character, i dont watch tna as much as wwe but everytime i put in on he is my favourite part of the show. i think he has been wrestlings best heel in 2011

 

[AmerikanWolves619]

I for one would like to see Bully Ray become TNA World Champ this year. He has definitely set the perfect heel diagram for any wrestler to follow. His tactics are very old school and quite refreshing for this day and age of the "reality era", as mentioned before he is in phenominal shape, awesome cutting promos, and gets a crowd reaction. The best scenario to elevate him IMO would be to have Kurt Angle win the title before he heads of to the Olympics, then have Bully double-cross him in a heel fashion to become champion and sent Kurt off kayfabe injuried/packing for the Olympics. Whether he has a short or long reign, Bully is very well deserving of a World Championship now. I kinda see him at this stage as when JBL did his entire 360 change from a beer brawling Acolyte to the New Yorker Millionaire from Texas who became champ. Though, Bully's heel build has been a nice slow brew that we all have come to look forward towards.

 

[dman1373]

bubba ray has always been a great talker, i always thought that he was the shawn michaels of his tag team. But i think he didn't really scream world champion untill he became bully ray. I mean in wwe when he was face and by himself he was good, but he had never been by himself heel. Which he is a great heel, and I think that he could be a big star, if used right, even at 41. Look at ddp, i think he was 35 when he started wrestling.

 

[thebarber]

as a transitional champion, yes definitely but Bully Ray is never going to be the company flag bearer. Yes he has made brilliant strides over the past 18 months, but on the whole, his own attitude in real life as an egotistical jerk will haunt him for any good he does now. I do see him going back to WWE when his contract expires and I think Vince could even have him continue with this gimmick. Tag wrestling in WWE is dead

 

[This is the return of WTM]

While I can't see Bully Ray as the World champion yet, I could seriously see him holding the TV title. It would actually add some legitimacy by having him promptly destroy Robbie E and from there, he destroys every guy he defends the belt against.

 

[Alittude]

People saying he can't hold the title are absolute idiots and I haven't heard one good reason for it yet. Bully Ray is an amazing heel and makes people genuinely want to bash the shit out of him better than anyone else today can. That alone is a great reason to have him champion as he cuts some of the best promos today and all his antics in the ring and out always garner heat. I'd say after Storm eventually dethrones Roode have Bully Ray eventually take the belt off Storm. He is the best actual 'heel' in wrestling today so it would be stupid not to give him the belt and TNA know they have gold with him as they have steadily pushed him and he has already been close to a title shot so it will come this later this year most likely.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I'm with Alittude on this one — Ray is the top heel in the company, despite not being champion and could absolutely make good on that title, as well as the title would make good on him.

He meets all the criteria necessary:

1. Can go in the ring.
2. Can sell.
3. Can produce heat on the drop of a dime.
4. Can cut A+ promos.

Why the hell not?

 

[JJYanks121]

I'm with Alittude on this one — Ray is the top heel in the company, despite not being champion and could absolutely make good on that title, as well as the title would make good on him.

He meets all the criteria necessary:

1. Can go in the ring.
2. Can sell.
3. Can produce heat on the drop of a dime.
4. Can cut A+ promos.

Why the hell not?

So here's the thing: maybe he could, but he's not being shown to be a champion. He is the TNA version of 1999 Big Bossman. That guy got more heat than anyone on the roster that year by doing such ridiculous things that you had to hate him. However, you had the better, younger worker in the top heel spot (Triple H in WWF, Bobby Roode in TNA) so you could give him a title shot in the right feud but he's not going to get the title. That's fine as he can be useful in that hated heel who jobs to top babyfaces role, but that's as far as he'll go.

Now, if Roode had won the title as a face then I certainly could have seen a feud between the two happening and MAYBE him having a short run. He's an enforcer though so I doubt he ever touches Heavyweight gold.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

So here's the thing: maybe he could, but he's not being shown to be a champion. He is the TNA version of 1999 Big Bossman. That guy got more heat than anyone on the roster that year by doing such ridiculous things that you had to hate him. However, you had the better, younger worker in the top heel spot (Triple H in WWF, Bobby Roode in TNA) so you could give him a title shot in the right feud but he's not going to get the title. That's fine as he can be useful in that hated heel who jobs to top babyfaces role, but that's as far as he'll go.

Now, if Roode had won the title as a face then I certainly could have seen a feud between the two happening and MAYBE him having a short run. He's an enforcer though so I doubt he ever touches Heavyweight gold.

You're probably right, but I'm just approaching it from the perspective of looking at Ray as Ray (objectively), which doesn't factor in his surroundings as much as it probably should.

All I'm saying is Ray as champion isn't as laughable as some are making it out to be.

 

[JJYanks121]

You're probably right, but I'm just approaching it from the perspective of looking at Ray as Ray (objectively), which doesn't factor in his surroundings as much as it probably should.

All I'm saying is Ray as champion isn't as laughable as some are making it out to be.

I agree that it's not laughable at all. I wouldn't object to it as I think he'd actually be a better heel champ than Roode (and I'm or I was a Roode fan). That said, I was being realistic and I think his role is similar to Bossman circa 1999. No shame in it at all as he'll get consistent TV time but I just don't think in reality that he'll win the title. Heck, he hasn't really gotten a shot to this point so I'd think a realistic expectation is a title shot if he gets in the right feud but I won't hold my breathe on a Bully Ray title run.

 

[Alittude]

So here's the thing: maybe he could, but he's not being shown to be a champion. He is the TNA version of 1999 Big Bossman. That guy got more heat than anyone on the roster that year by doing such ridiculous things that you had to hate him. However, you had the better, younger worker in the top heel spot (Triple H in WWF, Bobby Roode in TNA) so you could give him a title shot in the right feud but he's not going to get the title. That's fine as he can be useful in that hated heel who jobs to top babyfaces role, but that's as far as he'll go.

Now, if Roode had won the title as a face then I certainly could have seen a feud between the two happening and MAYBE him having a short run. He's an enforcer though so I doubt he ever touches Heavyweight gold.

You can't just have one top heel though. What happens after Storm and Roode have their feud which will go on for a while. If Storm wins he's going to need new challenges and one of them will have to win the title eventually. Bully Ray would be a great champion as he will garner loads of heat and put over the face that beats him immensely, helping elevate them whether that be Storm again or Hardy or anyone else they want. It'd be a waste not to give him a reign. Look at Mark Henry, he was finally given a shot and booked well and became one of the biggest successes the WWE has and is now one of their best heels. Bully Ray could do this but even better as he can cut amazing promo's and can go in the ring all while making people legitimately hate him.

I think being asshole is natural to him which is why he plays the character so damn well, and he could do very good things in the main event scene for TNA.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Yes please.

How many champions have we seen on ANY wrestling show that are good enough to be near the top, or even at the top, but require great people to surround them so they continue to look strong? Bobby Roode, the current TNA World Champion is a great in-ring competitor and has been decent at drawing heat thus far. But if he didn't have Storm to turn on, and Hardy to beat up afterwards, would anybody care? Is Storm a guy who could get himself the top and stay there for a considerable period of time? There are a lot of guys out there on top of wrestling companies that can only draw heat because the audience loves their opponent. Bully is not one of them...

I love his character: he's one of the few guys who can go out there and sell a whole feud by himself. Of course, a good opponent is helpful, but Bully has this obnoxious, tool attitude about him that makes you want to hate him. He's a natural heel, and I'm not sure where this burst of awesome came from, but I like it. You give him the belt and let him run around on top of TNA for awhile, I guarantee you it will be entertaining. He can literally feud with ANY face on the roster and draw a good reaction for them. Bully is one of the few characters dynamic enough to be on his own as a heel and do a solid job.

I would love to see Bully Ray as champion in 2012. Screw all the "Bully Ray is talking all the younger guys' spots" comments and "he's not marketable" bullcrap. Who cares? Is Bobby Roode currently marketable? Has anybody on top of TNA in the last few years been overly marketable? Maybe Jeff Hardy... All I care about is that he'd be FUN to watch, FUN to hate, and I'd order a PPV just to see if he could win the belt.

Also, with the way they're building the title picture on Impact right now (not to go into the spoilers for the next two weeks or anything), but I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up seeing some sort of Roode v Hardy v Bully v Abyss match at...whatever the next PPV is. Victory Road? No, I think that's next month. Whatever, point is I think there's a real chance he'll start getting involved in that scene more and more as we get closer to Lockdown. We do need to resolve the Storm/Roode feud first, and that'll likely take awhile. But when they're done, I don't just think it could happen, I EXPECT to see Bully Ray as the TNA World champion at some point this year.

 

[Lowdown]

Its very possible that Ray will be the champ at some point this year. I haven't heard anyone else in TNA draw heat like he does. He can be quite the game changer when he interferes in other matches like he did last night. I've been a fan of his mic work since his ECW days can actually work a match and make his opponent look good. I say give him a shot at the belt and see where it goes.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

My biggest dissapointment in TNA in 2011 was the fact that Bully Ray didn't become the World Champion so I'm definately hoping he does it 2012. Which I think he will. The guy deserves it more than anyone. Not only is he the best heel in TNA, he's most likely the best heel in wrestling right now. If TNA let Bully Ray have a run with the World Title, I'd have no doubts about him doing a great job. If there's anyone you want to give promo time to it's Bully Ray. Looking at TNA's current roster, the best choices for World Champion in 2012 IMO, are Bully Ray and James Storm (maybe Jeff Hardy because of his immense fan support). Both Bully and Storm are excellent on the mic and as a World Champion, mic skills are probably more important than ring skills (unless you're Jeff Hardy). I would love to see Bully Ray come out every week, with the World Title on his shoulder, and cut 10-15 minute promos. Bully Ray can gain heat like no other wrestler out there and if he had the World Title, people would pay to see him lose that belt.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I can see it happening. His run as Bully Ray has gone better than I expected and he's good at getting people to hate him. If he became TNA World Champion then it would be a good way to help get a face over. The fans want to see Ray lose, so if he had a lengthy title reign then whoever defeats him would gain a ton of momentum. I don't like Ray myself, but I see what he can bring to the table as a heel champion. It probably won't be until later in the year if it does happen because Roode's reign should be ended by Storm, who then would deserve a long reign of his own. Ray could dethrone him to begin his reign in the end of summer or during the fall. Then a new face can be built up to defeat him.

 

[Alittude]

I can see it happening. His run as Bully Ray has gone better than I expected and he's good at getting people to hate him. If he became TNA World Champion then it would be a good way to help get a face over. The fans want to see Ray lose, so if he had a lengthy title reign then whoever defeats him would gain a ton of momentum. I don't like Ray myself, but I see what he can bring to the table as a heel champion. It probably won't be until later in the year if it does happen because Roode's reign should be ended by Storm, who then would deserve a long reign of his own. Ray could dethrone him to begin his reign in the end of summer or during the fall. Then a new face can be built up to defeat him.

That's exactly it man. I can imagine Ray having a similar reign to JBL's (maybe not as long) having people hate him more and more the longer it goes on which would make way for a face to get over huge when they finally beat him.

 

[GrandSword]

I see where you are all coming from... I just don't want to see it. Ray should be putting the next generation over, not himself at the moment, which he does too much of.

When I watch Bully Ray he tends to hijack segments. He tends to talk over other guys' promos, or insert himself into situations which don't seem to need any input from him. All trying to get himself over the planned outcome.

It's obviously working for a lot of people because they like what he is doing, and yes he is doing very well at getting people to hate him. But as Champion, guys like Storm and Roode should be allowed to keep their act going...

I'm not sure if Ray is much of a merch seller either. Are there any Bully Ray t-shirts? I'll have to check IW website..

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I see where you are all coming from... I just don't want to see it. Ray should be putting the next generation over, not himself at the moment, which he does too much of.

Which is best set up by a long title run and building up of legitimacy.

NOTHING wrong with an experimental run in the spring, heading towards mid summer, in order to pass it to whomever will ME BFG.

The guy is phenominal as a heel, and would drum up some pretty hot heat as a piece of shit loud mouth who gets wins through every chickenshit way imaginable. His matches are usually a highlight of every PPV, not things of beauty, but highly entertaining.

Very hateable, and would do a very serviceable job of putting over the next big face champion. I see no reason not to give the guy a short to mid length one with it, as an apex, then slowly go out putting over young guys.

 

[Alittude]

Which is best set up by a long title run and building up of legitimacy.

NOTHING wrong with an experimental run in the spring, heading towards mid summer, in order to pass it to whomever will ME BFG.

The guy is phenominal as a heel, and would drum up some pretty hot heat as a piece of shit loud mouth who gets wins through every chickenshit way imaginable. His matches are usually a highlight of every PPV, not things of beauty, but highly entertaining.

Very hateable, and would do a very serviceable job of putting over the next big face champion. I see no reason not to give the guy a short to mid length one with it, as an apex, then slowly go out putting over young guys.

Absolutely spot on. It would be an absolute waste to not give him atleast one run as he will undoubtedly garner heat and probably a huge amount of it as he already does without being the top guy. A good sized reign and then put over an up and coming face which would give them loads of momentum. It's smart business, it will work and there is no real reason not to so I can definitely see it happening hopefully later this year.

 

[The Eighties]

I think he's more likely to be the guy the face champion defends against in his first post title winning program, or the guy in the Jake role of preparing the face challenger who'll be going after Roode's title.

There's no doubt he could be a good champion though as his singles work over the last few months I've been watching has been excellent. I suppose it's not impossible he could get a run as he's one of only two main event heels TNA will have once Angle focuses fully on the Olympics, I just don't think he will.

On a side note I definitely think he could do the job of making the TV title worthwhile.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Marketable? Please! As much as I love Bobby and James, Bully would be FAR more marketable because he is a very recognizable face from the last great wrestling boom. Only thing is, he looks far better now than he did then!

He's 41? So what? If it isn't apparent in his in ring performances, age really is just a number.

Bully Ray has been the most consistently entertaining thing on IW for quite some time and is more than deserving of a title reign as reward...

Now to contradict myself; I don't want Bobby Roode to drop the title for some time, even to reward Bully. There is much mileage in Roode's reign with guys like Hardy, Storm and Sting and possibly Angle, Anderson, Abyss, RVD (if he's still with the company) and even Bully himself. I feel that Roode needs a good run to establish himself as viable (especially as he hasn't had any conclusive victories thus far).

As a longish vision storyline, having Bully Ray operating as a quasi bodyguard for Roode would work well until the inevitable fall out between the two. Only question would be; who'd be the heel? My choice - Bully; fans have often shown great affinity for the prodigal son who returns to the fold and it could be the icing to the cake in cementing Roode's bad guy credentials. If Bully suceeds as a singles face, great! If he fails? Well Edge never let his lacklustre face runs stop him, one quick promo and he always slipped straight back to bad guy shtick like he never left.

 

[UnBEARaBULLfan]

Bully Ray is the most over heel in wrestling at this time and I think it would be entertaining as hell to see him get a run with the world title. BR has the ability to get you to hate him but make you laugh at the same time with the things he says/does and just the way he carries himself, he plays his character as perfectly as anyone in wrestling does. He even became the mouth piece for Immortal when Hogan/bishoff weren't around cause he is that good on the mic.(yeah I know Immortal sucked ass)

His matches with AJ, Abyss, and Hardy have been desent, to good, to sometimes the best match on the card. He could at the least have a short test run with the title after Storm most likely takes it from Roode, and honestly I wouldn't mind seeing him and Storm in a fued they could cut some damn good promos against eachother and thier matches would be pretty entertaining, so yeah I wouldn't mind seeing Bully Ray getting a title run!.............On a side note I wouldn't mind seeing Mangus getting built up towards the mainevent picture, I think he has the talent and look to carry a world title sometime down the road.

 

[satanklaw]

The past year Ray has become huge as a singles wrestler, could he really be a World Champion after years as being part of one of if not The Best Tag Team in recent history?