Bully Ray Heel/Title Run

[leinz]

What does everyone think of Bullys turn and title win at Lockdown? I saw it coming from a mile away but they needed to do something and TNA can run with a Bully/Aces and 8s and Hogan/Sting/TNA fued for quite some time. I expect to see Sting being Bullys first title defense after Hardys rematch.

[McBain]

Could be the best thing that's happened to them since this whole thing started, but not gonna get my hopes up too much.

Hopefully now they're gonna be on the road now too this angle may start to pick up some steam. Just not sure if it really has the ingredients to succeed. If there's one guy that can take it from crappy to potentially great it's heel Ray though so let's wait and see.

[chatty]

If only they'd did this at BFG then it would have saved six months of shit TV and A&8s would be seen as quite the team of jobbers they sort of are. Pulled the plug to late on this but still hoping it can lead to them getting back on track.

[chatty]

I wonder if they are going to explain the whole Bubba/Devon feud as a coax or just pretend it didn't happen and Bully must be a committed guy to take a stone pillar in the face and multiple beat downs for the cause.

[McBain]

Didn't the feud with Devon happen before the angle started? If so, it's easy to brush over.

If they've feuded since then I must've missed it.

Either way I'm sure he'll address his relationship with Devon at some point. Even if it's just a "we're brothers, blood is thicker than water", or whatever. Are they still classed as actual brothers these days?!

[chatty]

Well it sort of happened around the same time - they seemed to be on/off feuding and then had a spat after BFG when Devon was revealed in the Sting/Bully v A&8s match.

[lotjx]

I think they waited too long to pull this trigger. Yet, Bully is an amazing heel and his win may restart the angle in a positive way. If he cuts some of the fat after Aces lose, it may help. Still it feels like six months too late. I would like to see him threaten Aries and Booby to make it less face vs. Heel.

[Jacknife]

I don't think Bully Ray fooled anyone.

[GtheMVP]

I'm sure they dragged things out to try and trick us, however, I can't imagine anyone being fooled by Bully's turn. Hopefully Bully can turn things around, I'm looking forward to his heel run!!

I can't imagine any faction being booked more poorly than aces&8's, however, as Bully is basically the leader of a bunch of losers, at least, that's how TNA's booking makes us perceive them.

[Jacknife]

Do you think this was long term booking or do you think TNA had to change things quickly to avoid the angle sucking more?

[Goratrix]

Hello all, I just had a couple of questions. I don't follow TNA currently, but have thought about getting into it.

Is this going to end up with Bubba and Devon as a tag team again? Is it short term?

I've heard excellent things about singles Bubba (heel, at least). How is Devon doing, other than this whole A&E thing?

Also, to GtheMVP, is this really being booked worse than say, the Nexus, or were you just talking about TNA?


edit - I almost forgot. Did Jeff really get a concussion from the same Bubba Bomb that he's taken roughly six trillion times before? Did Bubba drop him awkwardly? Sorry about all the questions, as you may have guessed, I really miss WWE's early 00's tag division.

[Jacknife]

Bubba turning will be news for a week until next week when look a swerve and Chavo is revealed to be the financer of Aces and Eights.

[Bagel]

Bubba turning will be news for a week until next week when look a swerve and Chavo is revealed to be the financer of Aces and Eights.

Doubt it. They would probably bring him in as the housekeeper.

[Bill Casey]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJbmB9k2Y88


Aces and Eights is actually being used to elevate Bully Ray to World Champion Uber Heel status...

[Cold_Hearted_Truth]

I can't imagine any faction being booked more poorly than aces&8's, however, as Bully is basically the leader of a bunch of losers, at least, that's how TNA's booking makes us perceive them.

Agree with this. They've jobbed this group to hell the past 4+ months.

Glad to see Brisco beat Angle. I think both Brisco and Garrett Bischoff have potential so glad they're not just being jobbed out. I hope Bully ends up trimming some fat from the A&8's. Really wouldn't mind them killing off Knox. Really wouldn't mind seeing Parks be under a mask and later revealed as legal advisor.

[chatty]

I can see it either getting dwindled down in the coming months or them just putting more people in in vein hope of getting it over more.

I could see Knox and DoC getting kicked out for being jobbers. Anderson just doesn't seem to fit the bill with them either. I think Bishoff and Briscoe have potential to do well in the mid-card. Devon works better now as his bro is the leader so he can play of him.

D'Lo and tazz aren't bringing anything to the table really, they could easily not have been in and nothing would change.

[Sparky]

I am happy as hell to see Bully finally get a run with the TNA title.

[Bill Casey]

I can't imagine any faction being booked more poorly than aces&8's, however, as Bully is basically the leader of a bunch of losers, at least, that's how TNA's booking makes us perceive them.
Worked for Raven...
Bottom line is Bully Ray has the world title and D-Von has the television title...

"Oh noes. My army of lackeys lost to former world champions. How will I go on?" *cries on world title*

[stylepoints]

Why all the over-thinking? Bully Ray is champion. Bully Ray is a heel again. All is good :cool:

Go with it, man. Just go with it.

[StoneColdWWE316]

I read they had plants in the San Antonio Crowd throwing the trash last night.

Im fine with Bully Ray being Champion but not being with Aces/Eights.

[AudioDynamite]

Kinda reminds me of the last leg of NWO in WCW.............1 person on top with a bunch of jobbers.

[stylepoints]

Really, only Doc and Knox have been booked like shit. Everyone else is fine. Would it stop everyone's crying if they got rid of those two for someone else?

[Bill Casey]

Or they could book DOC and Knox as a tag team and have them rack up a few wins in a division that needs more tag teams...
DOC and Knox fit the stable...

[McBain]

Sounds very workable. :yes:

[leinz]

Wouldn't be surprised if there were plants to throw trash into the ring. It made for good tv at Bash on the Beach when Hogan turned heel. Crowd reactions can make or break an angle in certain situations.

[OD50]

It was definitely instigated by planted fans.

[Vice]

Nothing wrong with that.

[Jacknife]

Do these planted fans need daily watering?

[Cewsh]

Yeah, not sure why that's an issue. Smart of TNA to manipulate that reaction.

[Federer]

It's ''dangerous'' these days to have a heel that is too good/popular. Wise move indeed, I'm really pumped for this, he was the best choice to lead A&8.

[McBain]

Yeah, not sure why that's an issue. Smart of TNA to manipulate that reaction.
Doesn't seem like he was complaining about it, just an observation.

[JRSlim21]

In terms of being a douchebag, I think you can make a good argument that Ray is better at drawing heat than even Punk. That alone is enough to give this angle a pulse, albeit a very slow one at this juncture.

Btw, it's not revisionist history. Aces & 8s have shown numerous times that they will sacrifice their own in order to preserve the group. The "armbreaker" knocked a guy out over the head with a hammer for christ's sake. I know it's staged but that visual is just insane.

[McBain]

I'm actually pretty pumped for his next promo.

[StoneColdChris]

This should lead to Bully Ray vs Mr. TNA, AJ Styles at Bound For Glory for the belt.

[Cold_Hearted_Truth]

This should lead to Bully Ray vs Mr. TNA, AJ Styles at Bound For Glory for the belt.

I like this idea if booked properly.

[OD50]

This should lead to Bully Ray vs Mr. TNA, AJ Styles at Bound For Glory for the belt.

I like it. Hobo looking AJ Styles returns from obscurity to save TNA. Kind of in the role Sting played vs the nWo in 1996/1997. :yes:

[OD50]

Nothing wrong with that.


Yeah, not sure why that's an issue. Smart of TNA to manipulate that reaction.

Don't think anyone said it was wrong or an issue.. Right?

[GtheMVP]

I like it. Hobo looking AJ Styles returns from obscurity to save TNA. Kind of in the role Sting played vs the nWo in 1996/1997. :yes:

Yeah, good point, I can see that working if done well. I like hobo looking AJ, he needed the shake up, much like Sting in the mid ninties. I can see AJ out biker ganging Bully in the end.

[McBain]

There's an article on PWTorch.com about who will go up against Ray...

http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/parksgregtakes/article_69297.shtml

Anyone seriously think Morgan has it in him to be a main event player? He's never shown enough for me in the times they've pushed him before.

[Cold_Hearted_Truth]

I don't want to see yet another program with Hogan aligning himself with another superstar (Morgan) he doesn't trust. And no reason to turn Morgan face. I think Morgan's improving but not to the point of main event vs. Bully.

They got to draw out this AJ program til October somehow. I'd be fine with a Sting/Bully program (with Sting failing vs. Bully/A&8's) in the meantime. Throw in a Hardy/Bully rematch program perhaps.

[McBain]

While Sting makes logical sense in the short-term, I really don't want to see him anywhere near another title match. The guy is done.

[leinz]

Whether or not he is done I'm sure Sting is going to be in the title picture very soon. I don't see him taking it but give someone for Bully to fued with for the time being.

[Bill Casey]

They got to draw out this AJ program til October somehow.
They have the field of contenders for it...

http://www.impactwrestling.com/media/k2/items/cache/8451fae78b6a67a12ffed23a03c952ee_XS.jpg?t=13487931 26http://www.impactwrestling.com/media/k2/items/cache/774bb955a81e24ffe3f4f5e23f5de178_XS.jpg?t=13487925 38http://www.impactwrestling.com/media/k2/items/cache/7f667057df63fdd3bd2720c254caf46a_XS.jpg?t=13487925 12http://www.impactwrestling.com/media/k2/items/cache/f641f67efa680afb475bb32af1ab6c16_XS.jpg?t=13620883 20http://www.impactwrestling.com/media/k2/items/cache/0f4f3d9b01e664b52ec241da315f1972_XS.jpg?t=13487962 13http://www.impactwrestling.com/media/k2/items/cache/40b73d623fe9fca98a847f2a59bba32f_XS.jpg?t=13487962 69http://www.impactwrestling.com/media/k2/items/cache/60b645bc79a85e908e08f0f169fd8ecf_XS.jpg?t=13487962 52http://www.impactwrestling.com/media/k2/items/cache/f0bcc225d09eca8b7d1e26f319e38493_XS.jpg?t=13487920 77http://www.impactwrestling.com/media/k2/items/cache/3fc96581bce7d80aa5dbe47124c0e7e2_XS.jpg?t=13487920 15

[Cewsh]

They'd have a long way to go to make Samoa Joe a title contender at this point. A long, long way.

[Bill Casey]

Nah. All they'd have to do is have him be managed by Zeb Coulter...

[Matthew]

hahaha he questions samoa joe but joesph parks is AOK

im not complaining. cause joesph parks is badass

[Cewsh]

hahaha he questions samoa joe but joesph parks is AOK

im not complaining. cause joesph parks is badass

Well Joseph Park is actually getting pushed. Whereas Samoa Joe's last extended singles push was in 2009.

Joseph Park could actually make for a really fantastic title match. He wins a few matches, lucks his way through a number 1 contendership match, and then gets a title match where Bull Ray says he'll kill him. Then you have a similar match to the incredibly effective one they had last year and there you have it.

Samoa Joe carries Kurt Angle's bags at present.

[Bill Casey]

Seriously though...
All they would need is a storyline where Aces and Eights does something that makes Joe snap and it wakes up the beast...
Joe's bulletproof at this point. He's like Kane. He can be built up from jobber to godzilla status in a few weeks time...

[Matthew]

eh they could put him in some battle royal for a title match and win and it wouldn't even be questioned really.

[Vice]

Joe's bulletproof at this point. He's like Kane. He can be built up from jobber to godzilla status in a few weeks time...
This is actually very true. Every time they've had Joe go crazy with any sort of push where he's not carrying around a machete and threatening to murder people, he's instantly put on great matches again, and the fans are instantly totally back into his character, and they don't stop cheering and chanting for him.

[Cewsh]

Seriously though...
All they would need is a storyline where Aces and Eights does something that makes Joe snap and it wakes up the beast...
Joe's bulletproof at this point. He's like Kane. He can be built up from jobber to godzilla status in a few weeks time...

I agree that Joe is still over with the live crowds when given the opportunity, but he isn't the same Joe in the ring that he once was and there's no real sign that he'd be any good in a main event match now.

And even if we weren't talking about Joe himself, I think it's pretty clear that the current writers don't see Joe in that light at all.

[Rip]

eh they could put him in some battle royal for a title match and win and it wouldn't even be questioned really.

tbf it's TNA the way they book shit it's as likely they would do it with him as with Robbie E.

[McBain]

People were buying Joe as recently as the last BFG series, and he wasn't putting on terrible matches either. Yes, he's currently past his peak but still one of the top 5 guys they have (which granted isn't saying all that much).

[JRSlim21]

To further the Joseph Park point, Park/Ray was 1 of the most entertaining matches of last year they had. Obviously, it's not a PPV Main Event, but it's a good enough show that is highly entertaining.