What if Bobby Roode Won at BFG 11?

[owenmandias]

In 2011 Bobby Roode was in the main event of Bound for Glory, facing the champion Kurt Angle. I watched the match expecting a Roode win and was bitterly disappointed when Angle ended up keeping the title.

Hulk Hogan said that TNA were setting up Roode to be a failure:

On Bobby Roode winning the TNA Title at Bound For Glory, Hogan had the following to say:
“They were setting him up for failure. They had his parents and everybody saying what a great guy he was. You put the belt on him and he’s a good guy but he’s plain white milk toast and who is he going to work with? When I was sitting at home and I watched the interviews of his parents and his kids and his wife saying what a great guy he was I thought ‘You’ve got one of the greatest wrestling angles set up here that I have ever seen and you don’t even know it!’
Don’t let him win the belt, have him screw everybody, turn heel, put some heat on him, keep him heel for a long time, get him red hot, and then when you turn him babyface he’s got a chance to be a Rock or a Stone Cold or a Hogan. (I thought before Bound For Glory) the way you guys have him set up now he’s just ‘one of those TNA originals that has five-star matches that don’t mean nothing’. Give the guy a chance!”

My question is, where would Bobby Roode be right now if he had won at BFG 11?

I personally think right now, he is a fantastic character and wrestler and had a terrific run with the belt once he had won it, but what differences would we see if he had actually won at BFG 11?

 

[IWC's AntiChrist!]

In 2011 Bobby Roode was in the main event of Bound for Glory, facing the champion Kurt Angle. I watched the match expecting a Roode win and was bitterly disappointed when Angle ended up keeping the title.

Hulk Hogan said that TNA were setting up Roode to be a failure:

On Bobby Roode winning the TNA Title at Bound For Glory, Hogan had the following to say:
“They were setting him up for failure. They had his parents and everybody saying what a great guy he was. You put the belt on him and he’s a good guy but he’s plain white milk toast and who is he going to work with? When I was sitting at home and I watched the interviews of his parents and his kids and his wife saying what a great guy he was I thought ‘You’ve got one of the greatest wrestling angles set up here that I have ever seen and you don’t even know it!’
Don’t let him win the belt, have him screw everybody, turn heel, put some heat on him, keep him heel for a long time, get him red hot, and then when you turn him babyface he’s got a chance to be a Rock or a Stone Cold or a Hogan. (I thought before Bound For Glory) the way you guys have him set up now he’s just ‘one of those TNA originals that has five-star matches that don’t mean nothing’. Give the guy a chance!”

My question is, where would Bobby Roode be right now if he had won at BFG 11?

I personally think right now, he is a fantastic character and wrestler and had a terrific run with the belt once he had won it, but what differences would we see if he had actually won at BFG 11?

Well man, nice thread first of all...

Vince Russo had a plan with Booby Roode. He stated that in his latest RF Shoot video. They had him as the next break-out star and James Storm was set to be a cocky heel in that progress. Russo wanted to create the twist with Storm, but Hogan just "re-edited" it with Roode turning heel against his partner. Off Course that made a great carrier for Roode, but equally it stole Storm's charisma and his main-event future. It would been good for both men if Roode had won there. They had a full creative script written for the future, but Hogan ruined it. May be he ruined it for good to Roode's carrier, but it creatively damaged Storm in long term.

 

[owenmandias]

Well if that is the case, its such a shame for James Storm. He had so much potential a year ago, and just seems lost at the moment. I really don't like Russo but would be interesting to see the difference if his plan followed through.

Do you think Roode is a bigger star now because of how Hogan changed the plan, or do you think he could have been just as big and James Storm could have been up there with him?

 

[IWC's AntiChrist!]

Well if that is the case, its such a shame for James Storm. He had so much potential a year ago, and just seems lost at the moment. I really don't like Russo but would be interesting to see the difference if his plan followed through.

Do you think Roode is a bigger star now because of how Hogan changed the plan, or do you think he could have been just as big and James Storm could have been up there with him?

Well I think its Storm's damn luck that costed him. But I have to agree that Hogan saw the great HEEL potential of Roode. If the Booby would have not lost in BFG 2011, then we would have never got the best heel of the decade within him. Thanks to Hogan for that. But really Storm's career was lost in this swift. Even if they had Storm winning at LockDown 2012, things could have been different. But the new creative messed it up. Roode is the breakout star of TNA, no doubt about it. As for Storm - "Sorry about your damn Luck!"

 

[dakikko049]

At first I was really annoyed that Roode lost against Angle. I had only really started watching Impact a few months leading up to BFG but I had really taken a liking to Roode and Storm. Looking back though I wouldn't have changed the result of that match. The way he was so annoyed after losing, mad it so much more believable when he turned on Storm, which in turn gave him enough heat to last a long time.

Also I'm glad Roode did not win and stay face. Storm is better face than Roode in my opinion, and I can think of few heels in recent memory as good as Roode.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

It's difficult to say, because the Bobby Roode we know (and love) now, is a product in direct result of his being "screwed" out of the win. He ultimately turned on his long-time partner, and became the self-proclaimed "leader of the selfish generation" because he failed to win the big one at BFG 11. Had he won then, as a babyface, I find it really hard to believe he'd have the same momentum and place on the card he does now.

Hard as it may be to believe... Hogan made the right choice in waiting it out, and turning him, before giving him the run.

 

[mlp420]

Hogan was absolutely right about Roode. He's much better off as a heel then he would have been had he ended up winning the title and TNA going with the "TNA original finally gets his due" routine. Because that's what would have happened. Roode would have never gotten his current gimmick without going heel again. He would have been basically an AJ Styles "Mr TNA Original" clone.

 

[Wolf Pac]

I remember being miffed about Roode losing the match, but if I had read what Hogan said at the time I wouldn't have been, he makes a ton of sense and they definitely went with the right decision. Though Roode could've won the title at BFG, then they could've started his heel turn the next month at Turning Point by having him defend the title against James Storm, who wins some #1 contender match on Impact, and Roode screws him because he'd do anything to keep the belt. Then again if they had done that, Storm wouldn't have won the title, and the feud between Storm and Roode might not have been as brilliant as it was as what made it so intriguing was Storm chasing him for nearly a year to get the belt back off of him and get his revenge for being screwed at the same time. That should've been the payoff at last years Bound For Glory, it would've made Storm's victory over Roode at BFG so much more sweet. If Roode had won the title at BFG '11 and he stayed as face, like IDR I also find it hard to believe he'd have the same momentum and place on the card he does now. Again, Hogan made the right decision in the end.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I can remember I was so very disappointed that Roode lost to Angle... but looking back Hogan was definitely right. If Roode had won, I think he still would've been good and at the top as champ but it sure as hell wouldn't have been for long. And I'm sure Roode would've eventually gotten lost in the shuffle with other faces.

Heel Storm at a main event level would've been interesting but again I don't think you could've been able to get as much mileage out of him as you did with heel Roode. Can you imagine James Storm going through the whole roster the same way Roode did?

In summary, Hogan Knows Best...at least in this case!

 

[JJYanks121]

Ultimately, talent shines through regardless of alignment. Roode could have won at BFG 2011 and been just fine. He's a talented guy.

That said, it's also on creative to give any champ good programs to work. Often that elevates a talent more than the talent himself.

Still, I believe that a talented guy will make it work regardless of what role he's cast in. Roode would have made it work as a face just as he did as a heel.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Ultimately, talent shines through regardless of alignment. Roode could have won at BFG 2011 and been just fine. He's a talented guy.

That said, it's also on creative to give any champ good programs to work. Often that elevates a talent more than the talent himself.

Still, I believe that a talented guy will make it work regardless of what role he's cast in. Roode would have made it work as a face just as he did as a heel.

I don't see it that way at all. Yeah, he'd have come through as a talent, but the Bobby Roode we are seeing right now? Not even close.

When's the last time you saw a face hold a title for almost a calendar year? I honestly can't remember. I guess John Cena? In TNA, I don't think they've ever had a face come anywhere close to that, nor would Roode be getting over as big or as fast as he did as a heel, were he a face in that run.

I just don't see it.

 

[ABMorales787]

I don't see it that way at all. Yeah, he'd have come through as a talent, but the Bobby Roode we are seeing right now? Not even close.

When's the last time you saw a face hold a title for almost a calendar year? I honestly can't remember. I guess John Cena? In TNA, I don't think they've ever had a face come anywhere close to that, nor would Roode be getting over as big or as fast as he did as a heel, were he a face in that run.

I just don't see it.

Rob Van Dam. Then again, that was dull as fuck. James Storm would have a far better run as a long babyface champion. But at the end, Hogan definably saw the bigger picture. And it's understandable. When Roode was set to face Kurt Angle, all he had going was that he was this talented guy who was pretty smooth on the mic. Hogan said no to that and 2 weeks later, TNA had one of the best self-produced heels in their company set for success. As well as a major feud. JJYanks says good talent shines through no matter what and that's true. But when creative helps you, you shine faster. And that's what happened. Bobby would most likely have landed in the role of the "It Factor" we see today, but after what? A potentially dull run as a babyface champion?

 

[JJYanks121]

I don't see it that way at all. Yeah, he'd have come through as a talent, but the Bobby Roode we are seeing right now? Not even close.

When's the last time you saw a face hold a title for almost a calendar year? I honestly can't remember. I guess John Cena? In TNA, I don't think they've ever had a face come anywhere close to that, nor would Roode be getting over as big or as fast as he did as a heel, were he a face in that run.

I just don't see it.

CM Punk this past year was a babyface champion from Survivor Series until the summer. Then he turned heel and all the steam of his run was lost. He found a character that worked and that people wanted to cheer, rolled with it, then turned heel so that 6 months later he could feud with The Rock as a bad guy. As we now know, we got 6 months of awful TV as a result. That said, the point is that until that turn, the title run was working and he was certainly doing just fine in that role.

If Bobby Roode is as good as people say he is, he shouldn't need the right creative to get over. It helps, but if he's talented, the proposed title win and feud with a heel James Storm would have worked quite well. Plus, I'm sure subsequent feuds with whomever else would work because he's a talented guy. If you think it would only work with Bobby Roode the heel then you are admitting that he isn't all that good. The truth is that it is much harder to be a successful face than it is a successful heel. Thus, the real talents in the industry can get over as a face which, especially in today's market, is not easy to do. If you don't think Roode would be successful in that role, you are saying he isn't a true talent. I'd like to disagree because I do think he's talented but it seems the rest of you don't nearly think as highly of him as I do.

 

[countryhearts4]

IF you remember when AJ Styles went off IMPACT WRESTLING Tv in December 2012 he had a Match where the stipulation was IF you get pinned you get won't get another TNA Title Shot Opportunity until TNA Bound For Glory PPV in 2013