Originally Posted by ags_rule:
“You're still overlooking one key fact - if Hogan had enough stroke in TNA to change the ending of the main event of their biggest PPV at the last minute, then what happened to all this stroke when the belt was put on Roode 2 weeks later?
You wanna talk about illogical? It is illogical that people think Hogan changed the ending of the main event of BFG at the last minute for supposedly not thinking Roode was ready, only for Roode to get the belt 2 weeks later. So one of two things happened. Either:
a) Hogan changed his mind, which seems highly unlikely given that Roode displayed nothing at BFG in his match with Angle that suggested he was main event material
The decision was made the weekend of the show. Before then, TNA were going to put the title on Roode. As for Roode showing nothing in the match against Angle, it doesn't matter who was wrestling Angle, he's f*cked. He reportedly lay on the floor after the match because he's so physically beaten. That's why the Storm won in a minute.
or
b) Hogan was overruled by higher powers who decided they were going to put the belt on Roode anyway. If this was the case, it calls the entire BFG Hogan screwjob ending into serious question, because you don't change the ending of your biggest PPV main event and then get overruled on an episode of Impact.”
“You're still overlooking one key fact - if Hogan had enough stroke in TNA to change the ending of the main event of their biggest PPV at the last minute, then what happened to all this stroke when the belt was put on Roode 2 weeks later?
You wanna talk about illogical? It is illogical that people think Hogan changed the ending of the main event of BFG at the last minute for supposedly not thinking Roode was ready, only for Roode to get the belt 2 weeks later. So one of two things happened. Either:
a) Hogan changed his mind, which seems highly unlikely given that Roode displayed nothing at BFG in his match with Angle that suggested he was main event material
The decision was made the weekend of the show. Before then, TNA were going to put the title on Roode. As for Roode showing nothing in the match against Angle, it doesn't matter who was wrestling Angle, he's f*cked. He reportedly lay on the floor after the match because he's so physically beaten. That's why the Storm won in a minute.
or
b) Hogan was overruled by higher powers who decided they were going to put the belt on Roode anyway. If this was the case, it calls the entire BFG Hogan screwjob ending into serious question, because you don't change the ending of your biggest PPV main event and then get overruled on an episode of Impact.”
TNA originally booked with Roode as the Babyface, but Hogan wanted Storm as the Babyface and Roode as the heel.
The decision was made the weekend of the show. Before then, TNA were going to put the title on Roode. As for Roode showing nothing in the match against Angle, it doesn't matter who was wrestling Angle, he's f*cked. He reportedly lay on the floor after the match because he's so physically beaten. That's why the Storm won in a minute.
This is TNA.
Here's the passages from the last weeks WONewsletter:
Quote:
“Almost everything happened as planned from the start with one very notable exception. Hulk Hogan at the last minute came in and decided against Roode winning the title. The original plan was for Roode to win the title, and build to a Roode vs. James Storm program down the line. Instead, Kurt Angle pinned Roode in a flat finish holding the ropes, and two days later, Storm pinned the injured Angle in 1:00 at the Impact tapings in Orlando to take the title. While nothing overt was done, they are still headed in the same direction, with Roode vs. Storm. Hopefully they don’t rush it and tell a compelling story, but don’t bet on it. Honestly, whether Roode or Storm is champion isn’t going to make a difference. You can argue about it. Roode is the better worker and can work as champion better. Storm is awesome in a tag situation but recently in singles (with the notable exception of a great match with Angle a few weeks ago), you see weaknesses that the tag team hides. Storm is an excellent promo. Roode is a very good promo, but Roode’s promos are better for a world champion and Storm’s are better for the brawling match that isn’t for the title. Both aren’t the guy who is going to turn things around, but that guy doesn’t exist. I don’t think which of the two is champion or challenger will make a difference when it comes to business. The reality is, their program is going to be secondary to Hogan’s anyway. If there was going to be any rebuilding and creating of stars, they have to be the most pushed act, and that’s not going to happen because the company has no confidence in doing that.
But it’s mind-boggling the extent the company focused on Roode, with the vignettes of the family, to have him lose on this show. It took what was to me a thumbs up show, and made it more a thumbs in the middle because of the flat ending. Plus, Storm winning in what was a non-match due to how badly hurt Angle was, may not work as well as Roode winning in the main event of the biggest show of the year. Plus, and this is the big one, you give the title change on free TV days after a PPV where you don’t change it only tells people that bought the show for the main event that they wasted their money, and tells the people who didn’t buy the show that they made a wise choice. This comes after promoting Flair vs. Sting last month for PPV, and then moving it to free TV.
It was noted regarding the decision making that going with Angle over Roode was purely a Hogan call, and it was noted no matter what name is in what position and what is said publicly about Bruce Prichard, Vince Russo, or even Dixie Carter, that the major decisions are all Hogan and Eric Bischoff. On this one, when Hogan made the call, even though almost nobody agreed with it, the key people didn’t even try to put up a fight. There was a lot of unhappiness among the wrestlers because Roode was seen as an original with TNA and it was felt the TV had given him some momentum for a launch point of something different. But even if he won, there would be nothing different. But a lot of the unhappiness was more based on it being done at the last minute, and perhaps the reasons or lack of reasons why, particularly because the word was that Hogan said he felt Roode wasn’t the right guy. Hogan had done a radio interview a few days earlier outright saying Roode wasn’t the guy, he was a great athlete, and that A.J. Styles, who is popular among the wrestlers because he’s hard working, was given a chance and nobody reacted or cared, while pushing Jeff Hardy as a guy who has it, and also pushing Storm.”
“Almost everything happened as planned from the start with one very notable exception. Hulk Hogan at the last minute came in and decided against Roode winning the title. The original plan was for Roode to win the title, and build to a Roode vs. James Storm program down the line. Instead, Kurt Angle pinned Roode in a flat finish holding the ropes, and two days later, Storm pinned the injured Angle in 1:00 at the Impact tapings in Orlando to take the title. While nothing overt was done, they are still headed in the same direction, with Roode vs. Storm. Hopefully they don’t rush it and tell a compelling story, but don’t bet on it. Honestly, whether Roode or Storm is champion isn’t going to make a difference. You can argue about it. Roode is the better worker and can work as champion better. Storm is awesome in a tag situation but recently in singles (with the notable exception of a great match with Angle a few weeks ago), you see weaknesses that the tag team hides. Storm is an excellent promo. Roode is a very good promo, but Roode’s promos are better for a world champion and Storm’s are better for the brawling match that isn’t for the title. Both aren’t the guy who is going to turn things around, but that guy doesn’t exist. I don’t think which of the two is champion or challenger will make a difference when it comes to business. The reality is, their program is going to be secondary to Hogan’s anyway. If there was going to be any rebuilding and creating of stars, they have to be the most pushed act, and that’s not going to happen because the company has no confidence in doing that.
But it’s mind-boggling the extent the company focused on Roode, with the vignettes of the family, to have him lose on this show. It took what was to me a thumbs up show, and made it more a thumbs in the middle because of the flat ending. Plus, Storm winning in what was a non-match due to how badly hurt Angle was, may not work as well as Roode winning in the main event of the biggest show of the year. Plus, and this is the big one, you give the title change on free TV days after a PPV where you don’t change it only tells people that bought the show for the main event that they wasted their money, and tells the people who didn’t buy the show that they made a wise choice. This comes after promoting Flair vs. Sting last month for PPV, and then moving it to free TV.
It was noted regarding the decision making that going with Angle over Roode was purely a Hogan call, and it was noted no matter what name is in what position and what is said publicly about Bruce Prichard, Vince Russo, or even Dixie Carter, that the major decisions are all Hogan and Eric Bischoff. On this one, when Hogan made the call, even though almost nobody agreed with it, the key people didn’t even try to put up a fight. There was a lot of unhappiness among the wrestlers because Roode was seen as an original with TNA and it was felt the TV had given him some momentum for a launch point of something different. But even if he won, there would be nothing different. But a lot of the unhappiness was more based on it being done at the last minute, and perhaps the reasons or lack of reasons why, particularly because the word was that Hogan said he felt Roode wasn’t the right guy. Hogan had done a radio interview a few days earlier outright saying Roode wasn’t the guy, he was a great athlete, and that A.J. Styles, who is popular among the wrestlers because he’s hard working, was given a chance and nobody reacted or cared, while pushing Jeff Hardy as a guy who has it, and also pushing Storm.”
Also
Quote:
“Hogan was on Sirius radio before the PPV and downed the idea of Bobby Roode as the top guy: “Nah, he’s not ready. He’s not the next guy. They might think he is. Dixie Carter might think he is. The whole world might think he is. He’s not the next guy. If I had to bet money on anybody, and really be serious about betting money on anybody, I’d say Jeff Hardy is the next guy if he keeps his act together. This is much more than being a wrestler, this is crossing barriers, medias, media barriers and entertainment barriers of all kind, getting your character down verbally has 90% to do with getting over.” He was more positive on James Storm, saying, “I’d go with James Storm all day long. Mainstream, brother. Cowboy hat, beer drinking, middle America, NASCAR, Walmart, County Wester, I mean all day long. It’s a no brainer.
Bobby Roode’s a tremendous athlete I would change. I’d bill him from Venice Beach, California or Omaha, Nebraska, instead of Canada. I love him to death.” He said he thinks Roode would be a great heel but he’d choose Storm over Roode. Regarding A.J. Styles, he said they pushed him really hard and they thought it would get him over and “nobody responded to it. So, I don’t know at this point."
Styles wasn’t too happy about that one, writing: “Frustration setting in when your own guys bury the company that you have worked so hard for...brother.” Hogan then claimed he was only working, even though in playing his character, it would have made no sense at that moment to put over Storm and Hardy and not Roode.”
“Hogan was on Sirius radio before the PPV and downed the idea of Bobby Roode as the top guy: “Nah, he’s not ready. He’s not the next guy. They might think he is. Dixie Carter might think he is. The whole world might think he is. He’s not the next guy. If I had to bet money on anybody, and really be serious about betting money on anybody, I’d say Jeff Hardy is the next guy if he keeps his act together. This is much more than being a wrestler, this is crossing barriers, medias, media barriers and entertainment barriers of all kind, getting your character down verbally has 90% to do with getting over.” He was more positive on James Storm, saying, “I’d go with James Storm all day long. Mainstream, brother. Cowboy hat, beer drinking, middle America, NASCAR, Walmart, County Wester, I mean all day long. It’s a no brainer.
Bobby Roode’s a tremendous athlete I would change. I’d bill him from Venice Beach, California or Omaha, Nebraska, instead of Canada. I love him to death.” He said he thinks Roode would be a great heel but he’d choose Storm over Roode. Regarding A.J. Styles, he said they pushed him really hard and they thought it would get him over and “nobody responded to it. So, I don’t know at this point."
Styles wasn’t too happy about that one, writing: “Frustration setting in when your own guys bury the company that you have worked so hard for...brother.” Hogan then claimed he was only working, even though in playing his character, it would have made no sense at that moment to put over Storm and Hardy and not Roode.”
