[Lockdown 2013] Bully Ray v. Jeff Hardy (C) [World Heavyweight Championship]

[It's Damn Real!]

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Lockdown 2013
Bully Ray v. Jeff Hardy (C)
Steel Cage Match
TNA World Heavyweight Championship

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All discussion here.​

 

[Mitch Henessey]

This would be the perfect opportunity for Bully to turn heel at one of TNA's big pay per views. Bully could've been the sneaky snake, who slithered his way into a trusting relationship with Hulk by marrying his daughter, so he can earn another world title shot. Bully wins the championship, and turns heel by revealing himself as a member of Aces & Eights. I know it's just fantasy booking, but the happy friendship between Bully and Hulk has that "too good to be true" vibe.

I'm not 100% confident, but I think Hardy will walk away with the strap here. TNA is trying to solidify him as "the guy," and Jeff is easily TNA's most popular wrestler on the roster.

 

[conrad405]

im hoping we see a bully heel turn im sick of him being baby face

imo its kind of boring

This would be the perfect opportunity for Bully to turn heel at one of TNA's big pay per views. Bully could've been the sneaky snake, who slithered his way into a trusting relationship with Hulk by marrying his daughter, so he can earn another world title shot. Bully wins the championship, and turns heel by revealing himself as a member of Aces & Eights. I know it's just fantasy booking, but the happy friendship between Bully and Hulk has that "too good to be true" vibe.

I'm not 100% confident, but I think Hardy will walk away with the strap here. TNA is trying to solidify him as "the guy," and Jeff is easily TNA's most popular wrestler on the roster.

i agree and you know what i think there's a big chance it will happen will are talking about tna and they love doing that kind of thing and i for one would love to see it. bully works better as a heel

 

[MWRedskins]

this is a heel turn that I hope does NOT happen as it would make Brooke Hogan look like the biggest moron in wrestling and it would also make Hulk Hogan look stupid for just giving Bully the title shot when he wasn't even in the discussion and of course listening to his daughter. now if it's revealed that BOTH Bully and Brooke are heels, then i'm ok with it as it would make Brooke and Ray both sneaky snakes and I think Brooke's character would be best as a heel anyway, but in the end, I predict that Ray will turn and Brooke, Hulk and Sting will all 3 look stupid for trusting him.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

this is a heel turn that I hope does NOT happen as it would make Brooke Hogan look like the biggest moron in wrestling and it would also make Hulk Hogan look stupid for just giving Bully the title shot when he wasn't even in the discussion and of course listening to his daughter. now if it's revealed that BOTH Bully and Brooke are heels, then i'm ok with it as it would make Brooke and Ray both sneaky snakes and I think Brooke's character would be best as a heel anyway, but in the end, I predict that Ray will turn and Brooke, Hulk and Sting will all 3 look stupid for trusting him.

That's the point. It would make them look like idiots which would draw more heat on Bully for conning a legend and joining the A&8s.

 

[Papa Pillman]

This would be the perfect opportunity for Bully to turn heel at one of TNA's big pay per views. Bully could've been the sneaky snake, who slithered his way into a trusting relationship with Hulk by marrying his daughter, so he can earn another world title shot.

This part I'm all-in with you on. I think the foreshadowing is there to indicate that the likely outcome is Bully winning, and revealing that everything with Brooke and Hulk was a con job.

Bully wins the championship, and turns heel by revealing himself as a member of Aces & Eights.

This is the part I'm not as sold on. I think we could see Bully execute the heel swerve without him being the leader of A&8s. The amount of physical contact he has had with the gang makes it tough for me to 100% reconcile with him being the leader.

However, I am starting to lean toward a theory that all the remaining members of A&8s will be ECW-related, to follow the theme with Taz and Devon. It could be revenge for how Immortal used and abused EV.2. With that said it could still be the likes of Raven, Dreamer, Sandman, Douglas, or others and not Bully. But if this is the case then it definitely positions Bully to be possibly involved as well.

 

[MWRedskins]

That's the point. It would make them look like idiots which would draw more heat on Bully for conning a legend and joining the A&8s.

i have no issue with conning the legend part of it as him conning Hogan would be what we would call easy, but i think it would be much better having Brooke in on it with Bully. have both of them in on this together as Brooke's not really a huge fan favorite anyway, so why not turn both??

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

The last time these two faced off was No Surrender, and to be completely honest I thought that match was awful. However that was mostly due to the nature of the way that match was booked. Both are good wrestlers, so this time around it should be a good one.

Bully is the only viable contender I see beating Hardy now, with Roode, Aries and Daniels failing to get him. So I would like him to win. Now as for Aces and Eights... I would love to have him in the stable but

The amount of physical contact he has had with the gang makes it tough for me to 100% reconcile with him being the leader.

They've fought so many times, at the wedding Ray was hit over the head TWICE with a stone pedestal! If he is revealed as one of the people pulling the strings... I am going to have a lot of trouble buying it. It'll just come across as a last minute thing.

Regardless of what happens there I still choose Bully to win!

 

[georgelfc123]

They've fought so many times, at the wedding Ray was hit over the head TWICE with a stone pedestal! If he is revealed as one of the people pulling the strings... I am going to have a lot of trouble buying it. It'll just come across as a last minute thing.

Regardless of what happens there I still choose Bully to win!

Remember when Abyss turned heel and started the whole 'They' thing, he Chokeslammed Jeff Hardy off the stage. You can't play that up and act like it didn't hurt, getting thrown off the stage would hurt no matter what.

Don't underestimate TNA, they'll just forget about that. They did when Hardy turned heel and joined Immortal anyway.

 

[lekkter_tha_lunatik]

This is the part I'm not as sold on. I think we could see Bully execute the heel swerve without him being the leader of A&8s. The amount of physical contact he has had with the gang makes it tough for me to 100% reconcile with him being the leader.

I was thinking this as well, but when you look at it, there has been a TON of physical contact between bully and the A&8s that has been avoided...I mean really, what is so intimidating about Bully Ray wielding a wallet chain to a group of like eight or nine? Yet, every week, when Bully rushes down to make the save, they ALL evacuate...not ONE time has Bully really gotten his hands on any of the members of the Eights. Plus, when you see Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Magnus and the like getting the hell beaten out of them, where is Bully then? Never to be seen.

There has been a bunch of times in wrestling history in which you see combatants join forces, using said combat as a "ruse," so to speak. I can see this happening here as well.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I don't think Bully Ray is going to win this, but I would love to see him do so.

If I was booking TNA, I would do what another poster has already suggested and have Bully win the belt, then swerve both Brooke and Hulk, revealing himself to be a member of Aces & Eights, and say something about using Brooke to get close to Hogan and earn himself a title shot. Bully Ray is far better as a heel, and I am getting sick of his face character now, its about time he got a title run but as a bad guy, not the guy who paints his face to look like Sting, or who licks Hogan's ass.

But, I don't see TNA taking the belt off Hardy, especially as he hasnt been on TV in a while.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

I'm gonna take Bully in this one. The big swerve of Bully turning heel is coming at Lockdown and I think that happens with Aces & Eights helping Bully take the belt. This one really could go either way though, But i'm sick of Hardy as champ and IF Bully IS in Aces & Eights then it'd be huge for him to have the belt come with him.

 

[Lowdown]

I'm gonna say as well that Bully goes heel again and joins A&8's to get the strap. My reasoning being that thus far the A&8's have done nothing but lose (with the exception of this past Impact), and an occasional attack. Plus, lately Taz has been pointing out a change in the aftermath of Lockdown. I think this might be the best move, especially considering that Ray has been chasing the title for the last two and a half years. I want him to win, but I wouldn't be surprised if Hardy wins.

 

[The Eighties]

It should be a good match first and foremost, these two know each other inside out and have been working together for close to 15 years. The cage stipulation suits them both but I hope Jeff comes up with something different to do off the top.

I just can't see them not pulling the heel turn with Bully, this farce with him clearly being insincere to Hogan and Sting can't run much longer, and while it it may seem too obvious I'd have him revealed as the leader of Ace & Eights because that group needs a proper main event guy in it, as right now it's a group working a main event program with mid card talent.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The Lockdown card, to me at least, isn't looking all that impressive. I expect it to be a pretty weak show overall, but this is a chance for TNA to salvage something and end the night on a high note by putting the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on Bully Ray.

I'm hoping that they really turn the heat up for this match in a major way on next week's go home show. In my opinion, the build for this match has been damn near atrocious. As for Jeff Hardy, Hardy has been a pretty weak champion in my eyes. I know he's wildly popular for some reason but he's constantly needed his opponents to carry him in the build up for his matches with them. He had great matches with Aries, no question, but, frankly, Hardy's lack of real personality, apart from his freaky face paint and tats, and the fact that he's been off TNA television for a month has hurt his title reign. Bully Ray is over whether he's a face or a heel. Even if it turns out that Ray isn't with Aces & Eights or doesn't turn heel, or whatever people are expecting from him at Lockdown, Ray as champ sounds fresh to me.

 

[IHW]

Wow, a lot of people are pulling for a Bully Ray win. I think it would be great, but I don't see it happening. Jeff Hardy is the face of the company, and is still drawing the most. His title run is going to go until people get bored with him. Thats how I see it, no matter how great Ray has been the last few years, his title run is long overdue, but it is just going to have to wait.

IHW's Prediction- Hardy wins, and nothing more is made of it. No heel turn. No attacks. Just a good ole cage match.

 

[HBsam31]

I think Bully is long over due to win the title. He may or may not be in Aces and eights, but even if he isn't I think he should turn. They have tried to hard to keep him face, and add in the fact that he got in with Hogan to get the title shot it just screams heel turn. I am predicting just that and Bully wins the title.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Like the majority in this thread, I'm going with Bully winning the title and being revealed as a member of Aces & Eights. Bully turning heel and joining A&8's might be the only thing that keeps people a little interested in the storyline. TNA loves to listen to the IWC so I won't be suprised if that's what ends up happening at Lockdown.

Like Hugh G. Rection, if Hardy does retain at Lockdown, I can't see who else Jeff Hardy can defend the title against in future besides James Storm, but we know how his push turned out. Slammirversary is coming up, and who has headlined TNA's second biggest PPV for the last 3 years since they got rid of King Of The Mountain? Sting. He'll likely headline this year again and I doubt we'll see Hardy vs. Sting again especially since they are both babyfaces now. Bully vs. Sting though is a fresh match, it's never happened before, and it would make a ton of sense if this swerve does take place at Lockdown. Sting and Hogan are best buds, he'd be the first person to defend Hogan's honor, and Bully and Sting do have a bit of history themselves, with them teaming against A&8's on some occassions and Sting lobbying for Hogan to overturn Bully's suspension in January, so after Hogan and Brooke (unless she's in on it with Bully), Sting would be next person to be the most betrayed by Bully.

On the other hand, I could see Jeff retaining because he hasn't been on TV much lately, but I personally hope they go with Bully winning due to this swerve and this leads to Bully vs. Sting at Slammirversary for the title. Would be epic.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I feel like a Bully heel turn could be really good. maybe the reason he became face and got Hulk's trust was specifically to get a title shot. maybe he felt disrespected because he never got a title shot when he was heel before, so he felt he need to go this route. I don't think he ever had a title shot while heel, right?
now I do also think him becoming Aces/Eights could help save that story line, but I just don't know if that feels right. he has had some altercations with Aces/Eights, but even more than that with Devon. he turned on Devon to become heel awhile back. so now he is going to turn heel to join Devon again?

something I've been wondering. if Bully turns heel and is revealed that he is Aces/Eights, HOW does it happen?
I would imagine Aces/Eights would have to help Bully win the title. but does TNA do that, but without actually making it obvious Bully is Aces/Eights? maybe that reveal would not come until Impact on Thursday. like Lockdown ends without knowing where Bully stands. he could win the title, but it's unknown whether he was working with Aces/Eights, or whether Aces/Eights helped him without him knowing.
or do Aces/Eights help Bully win the title, and then they all celebrate in the ring after the match, making it obvious Bully is Aces/Eights.