James Storm Will Never Beat Bobby Roode...

[Rayne]

...at least not for the TNA/IW title.

If there's been one item taken as gospel amongst fans, it's that James Storm will eventually become a challenger to Bobby Roode and defeat him. While people were expecting that to happen at Lockdown, now, they view the BFG series as the culmination of the Roode/Storm cycle. Here's why James Storm won't be winning a title from Bobby Roode anytime soon.

People simply expect James Storm to win the TNA/IW title from Bobby Roode. There is no "will he or won't he" from the fanbase; it is simply assumed as a matter of course that James Storm will prevail over Bobby Roode. Good over evil is a fundamental part of American storytelling, but who says it has to happen anytime soon? Bobby Roode's title run is far from out of gas; he can easily hold onto the belt for another six months, if not longer. If James Storm beats Bobby Roode, it's merely the expected result. People rail about predictability- often for the wrong reasons- but it's quite apt in this circumstance. James Storm going over Bobby Roode does nothing but get a good one-night pop, and a continuation of the same Storm/Roode cycle. Meanwhile, a James/Storm rivalry can be a recurring leitmotif for TNA/IW for a couple of years still. There's no need for the hero to beat the villain yet.

Now, if James Storm beats Bobby Roode for a championship, in decisive and cycle-ending fashion, where does he go from there? The feud opportunities are pretty slim; there's the obligatory Bully Ray match that would result, an unexciting Mr. Anderson match and likely a one-off with AA. After that, we're flopping people back over to heels. James Storm really wouldn't have much to do as a world champion; as someone perpetually chasing the belt, he's got a big upside.

But if not James Storm, then who? That's the beauty- when someone beats Bobby Roode for the TNA/IW title, it's going to be a complete surprise to people. Bobby Roode's reign is starting to be taken as somewhat of an automatic, and for good cause. (If you ever thought RVD was going to go over Bobby Roode, bad.) When it does end, it won't be through the climactic match that ends one story while leaving another to be developed; it'll be through the development of the current Roode/Storm story into a different one.

There's money in James Storm chasing a world's title, but not much in him holding it. When Bobby Roode does lose his championship, James Storm won't be the guy picking it up.

 

[Pera]

Now, if James Storm beats Bobby Roode for a championship, in decisive and cycle-ending fashion, where does he go from there? The feud opportunities are pretty slim; there's the obligatory Bully Ray match that would result, an unexciting Mr. Anderson match and likely a one-off with AA. After that, we're flopping people back over to heels. James Storm really wouldn't have much to do as a world champion; as someone perpetually chasing the belt, he's got a big upside.

There would obviously be a Roode/Storm rematch in there somewhere but after that, I'd absolutely love to see a prolonged feud between Ray and Storm. I honestly would love to see Ray with a world championship around his waist later down the line and he'd be perfect in role of chasing the title. Many people say Ray doesnt need the belt. That's true in a sense but I think the stories he has been put into have been great in the last year and a half and if you have the World Title in the main picture during these stories, it makes it mean all the more. You can then maybe have an Austin Aries going after Ray in a world title chase etc. The possibilities are endless.

But if not James Storm, then who? That's the beauty- when someone beats Bobby Roode for the TNA/IW title, it's going to be a complete surprise to people. Bobby Roode's reign is starting to be taken as somewhat of an automatic, and for good cause. (If you ever thought RVD was going to go over Bobby Roode, bad.) When it does end, it won't be through the climactic match that ends one story while leaving another to be developed; it'll be through the development of the current Roode/Storm story into a different one.

Well the Roode title run now makes the winner of his World Title into a superstar. So if not Storm, it has to be someone up and coming with a very bright future. In that case, Anderson, Hardy, RVD, Angle etc can be counted out as the win wouldn't mean anything. Someone like an Aries would turn him into an absolute superstar. I said it in another thread, you just sometimes have to strike while the kettle is hot and Aries is that man if they want a MASSIVE title change.

 

[Lowdown]

Its still very possible that Storm will beat Roode, but you bring some valid points. One of the things that has botheed me with TNA is the shifting of face to heel and back. While they've stayed the course recently, it wasn't too long ago that Angle was a heel and now he's a face yet again. Now let's entertain James Storm as champ. You mentioned Bully Ray at the forefront of contenders, which is valid. But factor in Roode constantly nipping at his heels to get "his" title back. Who else as a heel could challenge Storm? Maybe Crimson being that Storm was the one to break the streak. And it seems that maybe another heel turn is in the works for Samoa Joe as well. Or, and this is a longshot, a returning Jeff Jarrett. So that's about five possibilities for Storm to defend against if he were to beat Roode for the strap.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I still think TNA's going for the feel good Storm win but I defintiely see your side of the story and you're correct.

Actually Roode was in the same position last year when he was chasing Angle. People were hot for him, chanting Next World Champ and everything. Thankfully Hogan saw in him the same things you see about Storm. There's no money in it after he wins it. He accomplished his biggest goal and it's all either downhill or coursing from here on out.

The only way he can have a memorable run if he's met with huge challenges by great heels. Thankfully TNA has those like Ray, Roode maybe even Daniels.

Either way, I've learned to never doubt TNA anymore. They always pull some good stuff out of nowhere so we'll see where it's headed.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

I completely agree with this. Especially the part about there being more money in Storm chasing the title, rather than him holding on to it - at least for any extended amount of time. And even in the short term, having them flip-flop the title will probably do more harm than good. James Storm is a good talent, but I truly believe Roode is the better man to come out of Beer Money. Storm has the fan support, but I don't see that "it" factor that Roode claims and reperesents every week. I'm not saying he couldn't develop it, and he's sure as hell more entertaining than half of pro wrestling's roster right now, but I'm not sure if I ever see Storm rising past the levels of a guy like RVD or Jeff Hardy, while on the TNA roster.

I'm actually working on a Wrestlezone column, weighing the pros and cons of all the men who could take the strap off Bobby Roode. His title reign reminds me a LOT of JBL. While their characters are completely different, there's the obvious tag-team-to-singles-success comparison, and the way they are booked at PPV's is extremely similar. But most of all, Roode and JBL were/are two of the best pure heels in the business. What happens when you allow a great heel to hold the title for a very long time is, the fans start to TRULY hate them. And I'm not talking regular fan heat, I'm talking "we're going to kill somebody if this guy doesn't get taken out soon...but maybe not TOO soon..."

JBL's massive heat produced the super star that is John Cena. I'm sure WWE could have turned him into a megastar in some other way, but this is the route they chose. JBL needed to be beaten, and even though their WrestleMania match was terrible, one of my favorite moments will always be the up-and-coming Cena getting that pin and winning the WWE title for the very first time. One of the last title wins that truly MEANT something to the business.

Now TNA has the chance to do something very similar. Its effect won't be the same as Cena's rise to immortality, but on their own scale it could do wonders for the product. They just need a young, up-and-coming talent that the fans can get behind, that they haven't really over-pushed yet. Storm is NOT that guy. In my opinion, that'd be like WWE bringing back Ron Simmons to defeat JBL for the title - would have been cool, but ultimately it would have meant nothing to the landscape of the company. Storm winning would be cool -- the fans would certainly get that sense of justice and retribution -- but TNA's landscape would stay largely the same. Storm's not going to become a huge star from it, he's just gonna be World Champ and have the spotlight for awhile before getting screwed over by TNA's inability to keep a face on top for longer than a few months...

The only man currently on the TNA roster that I truly believe deserves it, and can execute the changing of the guard properly is Austin Aries. Yes he's a smaller guy, but combine TNA's small-ish landscape with the recent rises of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan in "the other company" and I doubt that matters. Aries has the fan support; does a recent heel-turned-face-by-the-fans not sound eerily familiar to anybody else? I'm not saying that Aries is the next John Cena. That would be stupid. I am saying that they could run the same program they did with Cena/JBL and truly do Roode's title reign justice. Have Aries win the Bound for Glory series, get the fans momentum behind him for the next three months, and then throw him into the title picture at Bound for Glory and let somebody FINALLY take the strap off Bobby Roode.

 

[HBsam31]

I agree with your points totally, as Storm is definitely better in a chasing the title role, and would quickly run out of things to do as champion. The person that beats Roode is going to get a major rub from doing so, and I think AA would be the perfect guy to do it down the road. I still can't help but think TNA will go for the feel good moment and have Storm take the title from Roode at some point, but I think his title run would be lackluster in comparison to Roode's. All in all TNA has really been entertaining me lately and I am actually excited to see what route they take in who eventually takes the belt from Bobby.

 

[MB1025]

It is hard to say when you are 4 months out to say where do they go from there. They have 4 months ( with a better creative team ) to build heels for James Storm and I have no doubt they will. Lets not act like the title switch will be happening in 2 weeks and the roster is the same.

 

[Rayne]

Who else as a heel could challenge Storm? Maybe Crimson being that Storm was the one to break the streak. And it seems that maybe another heel turn is in the works for Samoa Joe as well. Or, and this is a longshot, a returning Jeff Jarrett. So that's about five possibilities for Storm to defend against if he were to beat Roode for the strap.

But how many of those sound the least bit exciting?

Forget about Samoa Joe. He's as dead as dead gets in TNA/IW. They bring his corpse out every once in a while in some Weekend at Bernie's farce, but he's got no build on him and no foundation for that build right now. I'd be shocked if his contract is renewed, or if he expresses interest in renewing his contract. Crimson is far too undeveloped to be in the world's title picture right now, which is why that streak was broken. It had turned into an albatross to carry along, rather than something promotable. Jeff Jarrett, well, you say it yourself. If he shows up to contend, they're pulling names out of the ether for the sake of giving James Storm something to do as champion.

Well the Roode title run now makes the winner of his World Title into a superstar. So if not Storm, it has to be someone up and coming with a very bright future. In that case, Anderson, Hardy, RVD, Angle etc can be counted out as the win wouldn't mean anything. Someone like an Aries would turn him into an absolute superstar. I said it in another thread, you just sometimes have to strike while the kettle is hot and Aries is that man if they want a MASSIVE title change.

Does it now? The story doesn't have to be about who the new champion is; the story could very easily be centered on Roode not being the champion. Whoever beats Roode isn't necessarily going to become a superstar; this is part of Bobby Roode's build into a foundation for TNA/IW. Why not a transitional champion to hold the belt for a couple of months until Roode can 'steal' it back?

The championship win doesn't have to 'mean' anything. Titles are props in stories, and a title change doesn't always mean that a story has reached its climax. In that vein, I can totally see Mr. Anderson going over Bobby Roode tomorrow night; it frees up Bobby Roode for the BFG series, which will be the major storyline going forward. Hogan gives Roode his title rematch, Roode gets gypped somehow, and Hogan says "earn another shot, brother". In the meantime, Anderson has a couple of easy sell PPV matches with Angle or Hardy; he doesn't even have to remain champion. His purpose wouldn't be to hold the belt, it would be to take it off Bobby Roode and land it somewhere else, if only for Roode to take it back.

As far as Austin Aries goes, it is the WRONG time to make him into a world champion. He's hot as shit right now, but wrestling fans are fickle and get bored quickly. If he shoots right to the top, then what? He sits there? He reaches his peak early in TNA/IW and burns out from there. Instead, you get fans invested in his rise, which is what's happening now. AA is still at least a year out from a world's title run. I wouldn't be surprised to see him put in the world's title picture in one way or another during that time, maybe even get a reign of a couple of nights, but it's far too early for him to carry the championship, and there's no reason to rush him into it. Austin Aries can be a pillar for TNA/IW going forward, but he won't be if they get fans sick of seeing him.

 

[DeathClutch]

What TNA could do is have Storm beat Roode in non-title matches like tag team bouts or maybe some kind of stipulation non title bout on Impact but when it comes to the big one Storm some how can't prevail.

Personally if I was on the booking team I would have had Crimson go undefeated until BFG with the winner of him and Storm in a new number one contender bout with the winner facing Roode later in the night. I would have had Storm literally dominate Crimson in a 2 minute match to really make Storm look like he's on a roll...

 

[three count bout]

Very astute thinking here. I think part of the issue is the depth of the heel/face ratio in Impact. On the Main Event side we have the following faces: "AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, RVD, Sting, Anderson, Storm and Austin Aries whose stock is steadily rising. In terms of top level heels you have the current Champ Roode, the magnificent Bully Ray and then Daniels. I tend to think any Face champion may be hurt by the current disparity of opponents long term. Alas, I see the company letting Storm go over Roode for the DVD moment but then again I surely thought Roode was going over Angle at Bound For Glory hmmm...

 

[Metalcrack]

A^2 would be great, but I see using him to build the TV title. Maybe have Pope win it off Devon (THERE IS A STORY THERE SOMEWHERE WITH HISTORY....), after Devon notices his kids are acting out of sorts even more (due to Pope of course). Have him on TV for a month or two, then have A^2 win and hold that title for a solid 6 months to bring to bring it to prominance, and give Pope, Crimson, and Gunner some rub off of TGMTEL. Then go after the World Title.

 

[Rayne]

What TNA could do is have Storm beat Roode in non-title matches like tag team bouts or maybe some kind of stipulation non title bout on Impact but when it comes to the big one Storm some how can't prevail.

I really think that would be the best way to go here. James Storm should continue to look like he's going to be the guy to take the belt off of Bobby Roode, but he shouldn't be that guy. Bobby Roode should be running scared of James Storm, but when the big one is on the line, always seem to slip away. Barely. Book James Storm to be better than Bobby Roode, but don't give him the prop that confirms it.

James Storm doesn't need the championship right now. He gets far more out of chasing it then he will by possessing it.

 

[Huey]

I would like to see drag it out similar to the Dreamer/Raven feud.

Play on their history as a tag team. Roode pulls off the "I'm better than you" better than most and that would only help Storm as the face chasing the belt. Mix up a tag match on tv, run ins during each other's matches or interviews. PPV match Roode wins with some underhanded tactic. Build some some space between the physically but have them acknowledge each other and the animosity. Roode loses belt to someone else with possible Storm interference. Storm wins belt from someone else with possible Roode interference because he wanted to beat Storm for the belt and prove he's better once and for all. Roode wins belt from Storm by cheating again. Roode says storm could never beat him, Storm says Roode could only win by cheating then do a NO DQ/Cage match/Street fight/redneck beer brawl/texas match of death and destruction with a beer bottle on a pole or whatever they want to call it with Storm getting the win and the belt.

 

[Cereal Killer]

I think it's obvious whats gonna happen, everyones known it since roode won the championship. Storm wins the BFG series 2012 and then beats roode at BFG 2012

 

[ABMorales787]

I'm not denying your opinion. But if not Storm, then who? Jeff Hardy and Sting have been made to look totally inferior to Roode. If either one would win, it would be far less productive and anti-climactic than James Storm. Anderson? I'd need gloves to touch that. Kurt Angle? Been there, done that. Fact is right now, other than Roode and maybe Austin Aries, James Storm is the next big thing to go with. Because unless Randy Orton gets fired and jumps to TNA 3 months later, Roode's just gonna beat people until Bound For Glory. At which point Austin or Storm are the most likely to pick up the gauntlet depending on who's hotter.

Predictability isn't always a bad thing either.

 

[shattered dreams]

While I agree with a lot of what you are saying, I think you are overselling your point. James Storm will beat Bobby Roode, I think it is highly likely he will beat him for the title at some point. Will Storm be the one to end this reign? It definitely is not a given like some people are making it out to be. The idea that it is a certainty that Storm will win the BFG series and then beat Roode is silly. It is still possible though. A lot can happen over time. I could actually envision a scenario where Storm defends the title against Roode at BFG for instance.

You cite the predictability of the BFG scenario as a deterrent. I agree but what if you can make it unpredictable? Everyone thought they had it figured out for Lockdown. Wrong. That doubt is there no matter what now and there are plenty of ways to build on it. You act like if Storm wins then the feud is over. That isn't true. If you draw it out too long you run the risk of diluting the moment. The real reason that Storm might not be the one to end this reign is simply that the Storm-Roode feud doesn't really need the title, although I think it would be best to include it at some point.

 

[BenChillin]

Storm will beat Roode once Roode loses the title to Aries.

I mean, I think it's blatantly obvious that Aries will be the one to finally defeat him. Roode beat all the main event level faces, cause they were used to put Roode over. Now Roode will put over the up and coming face. It's set up well actually. We just have to get there.

Before we get there, we get some classic matches with Aries and many others, like Styles, Angle, RVD, etc.

Only a matter of time.

 

[IT Factor]

That logic[if you can even call it that], is not valid. One of the things about IW lately is inconsistency. They never stick with plans long-term and Bobby Roode's title reign has been an exception to that rule[thankfully]. But, having Storm win the title off of Roode isn't a bad thing. Both guys are phenominally gifted performers who are getting their rightful recognition for the top guys they've always been. Don't overthink it here. Just enjoy whatever TNA can provide that will actually HELP the product as far as quality is concerned......

 

[Self High 5]

Interesting and thought-provoking OP. I've always thought that though Storm is bound to be World Champ eventually, he cannot sustain the kind of reign Roode has. If he wins it at BFG, there's no way in hell he can hold the belt past Lockdown.

TNA are between a rock and a hard place with Storm/Roode. Roode's reign has been fantastic, but the pay-off has to be Storm exacting his revenge and pinning Roode 1-2-3 in the middle of the ring. But it's all just a bit predictable now, and after that, what comes next for both?

Storm is basically a lock to win the BFG series, but TNA will have to do something to keep things interesting between now and No Surrender. They also have to juggle Storm's re-building with keeping the rest of their top stars looking strong and relevant.

A-Double is the elephant in the room here too (well, he's been mentioned plenty but you catch my drift). It would be a bold, exciting move to put the belt on Aries. It would change the landscape of the company, get everyone talking and be a better long-term move than Storm. So how does one sensibly get the belt from Storm to Aries?

Perhaps via a short transitional Bully Ray reign? Nope. Not a big enough rub. Aries has already proven he can beat Bully cleanly.

Storm drops back to Roode, and Roode in turn to Aries? Better than Bully Ray, but it's impossible to say what Roode's character will be by this time. And having lost the strap previously, Roode loses the current aura he posseses.

Final option, and the best of the 3 in my opinion would be to for Aries to get the rub from Kurt Angle (maybe have Storm drop to Angle at Victory Road or Lockdown next year and only give him a 1 or 2 month reign).

Of course, it doesn't help that a lengthy, successful heel title reign has resulted in 90% of TNA's top stars being faces now.

Anyway, I'm becoming guilty of something a lot of TNA fans are these days, and that is making presumptions about how things will pan out. I actually have faith TNA can pull off a creative and satisfying title lineage over the next year or so.

 

[Cowgirl]

I really think that would be the best way to go here. James Storm should continue to look like he's going to be the guy to take the belt off of Bobby Roode, but he shouldn't be that guy. Bobby Roode should be running scared of James Storm, but when the big one is on the line, always seem to slip away. Barely. Book James Storm to be better than Bobby Roode, but don't give him the prop that confirms it.

James Storm doesn't need the championship right now. He gets far more out of chasing it then he will by possessing it.

I'm not denying your oppion. My oppion is James will win the title

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I'm glad that you made this thread Rayne, not because I agree with your opinion, but because you have now actually placed doubts in my mind as to whether Storm will actually beat Roode come BFG haha and in wrestling placing doubts in my mind is always a good thing!

If the top 2 for the BFG series end up as Aries and Storm I'd love it even more, these two could put on a stellar match!

Storm is NOT that guy. In my opinion, that'd be like WWE bringing back Ron Simmons to defeat JBL for the title - would have been cool, but ultimately it would have meant nothing to the landscape of the company. Storm winning would be cool -- the fans would certainly get that sense of justice and retribution -- but TNA's landscape would stay largely the same. Storm's not going to become a huge star from it, he's just gonna be World Champ and have the spotlight for awhile before getting screwed over by TNA's inability to keep a face on top for longer than a few months...

That's an interesting comparison with the Acolytes, but I think Storm is a league above Farooq, I think beating Roode will cement him as the top face, and I think it would be a celebrated moment, hopefully for years to come and one TNA could play in their montages!

As for guys he could face, well I think he would have great stuff with Ray, and perhaps a heel Aries. I also think Sting and Styles could give him a rub. But if the face heel alignments remain the same....it would indeed be troubleseome. A heel RVD I think would be a great competitor and he could put Storm over big time. Maybe a heel Anderson too.

 

[Indeed]

Roode v. Storm is the modern HBK v. HHH. As long as both are in TNA, they'll be trading title runs and feuding for years to come, which is great because they have some of the best in ring chemistry that you can see in professional wrestling today. But TNA needs to be smart - don't overdo it, keep both guys busy until that perfect moment and execute.

 

[Lancer]

Man, it's been a while since I posted.

I see the point of the OP. Once Storm wins the title and gets his moment, then what? You have, of course, the inevitable Roode rematch, And unless some new heels are produced, or current ones are built up between now and next year, Storm may not have that many antagonists. Unless they have some face/face title matches (RVD, Anderson, Hardy, Angle, Sting, Aries, etc.).

Let's take the current Roode title reign and put the shoe on the other foot. Assuming Storm wins the BFG Series and then wins the title at Bound For Glory, he carries the belt for a prolonged amount of time. The main story for Impact Wrestling over that time would now be Roode chasing the belt, still proclaiming himself the "Champion," aligning himself with fellow heels (perhaps a stable?) and using nefarious means to get title shot(s). He would still be as entertaining as he is today, just without the belt.

Whatever happens to Storm or Roode come Bound For Glory, this feud has the ability to become one of TNA's best feuds in their history, if not the best. It would be even more remarkable given the fact that the two are homegrown talent, whom TNA has bred into stars.

And for those who think Austin Aries is in the BFG Series, take a look (from the main site):

Spoiler

Complete TNA Bound For Glory Series Roster Revealed
by Josh Isenberg
June 14, 2012
SHARE THIS STORY

Here are all of the participants in the Bound For Glory Series:

- James Storm (20 points via Gauntlet Victory on Impact)

- AJ Styles

- Jeff Hardy

-Rob Van Dam

-Magnus

- Kurt Angle

- Robbie E

-The Pope

- Bully Ray

-Christopher Daniels

-Mr. Anderson

-Samoa Joe