TNA Bound for Glory 2011: Will Robert Roode Be TNA's Catalyst for Change?
By Bleachers Report
I have to say, this is still a little hard to believe.
Robert Roode is facing Kurt Angle for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on Sunday, and even though we’ve had a few weeks of hype for this match, the fact is that it’s still hard to believe.
Not because Roode isn’t a talented performer, or that he perhaps does not deserve this kind of push. He is very good in the ring—one of the best technicians that TNA has, and he is more than worthy of the spotlight that he is currently enjoying.
But, this is TNA. This is the company that is notorious for highlighting and pushing previously established talent, namely guys who have built their careers under Vince McMahon.
Sure, TNA’s homegrown talent are featured on TV and get their fair share of high-profile matches, but, when it comes to the World Title, the company always tends to fall back on the veterans.
It’s a simple strategy that has been used in the business for years.
You put your main title on the guy who can sell tickets. That worker needs to draw the fans in, and the only way he can do that is if fans know who he is.
For example, Sting, although 52 years old and obviously not the performer he used to be, is a legend in the industry. He is known the world over and he has instant name and face recognition with fans of all ages and every walk of life. He is a proven commodity and a bankable draw.
However, many fans argue that the man at the top of TNA should be AJ Styles, the guy who brought them to the dance to begin with.
I love AJ—he is one of the most talented, most athletic workers the business has ever seen and deserves all of the accolades he has received in his career. But, he’s not Sting.
No disrespect intended. As I said, I am a fan.
But, there is a reason why TNA constantly feels the need to hand the World Title to someone other than the guys who put them on the map in the first place. No matter how valuable AJ, Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe are, Sting and Kurt Angle are usually the two guys who end up trading the belt back and forth.
Utilizing a wrestler who they feel will be the best choice to generate ticket sales and fan interest, while completely understandable, does not leave room for anyone else, unfortunately. Therein lies the problem.
If TNA does not feature the younger talent who have not yet had a true chance at the top, then there will be no opportunity at real growth for them. No growth for the newer workers means the same guys will always be given the spotlight, and any chance for the company to have a future will slowly fade away.
In other words, the only way to know if a guy is ready is to actually give him a shot.
But, by the same token, if they do take a chance on a virtual unknown to carry the banner for them, then what if the already stagnant ratings begin to drop? Could TNA go to a city that perhaps has never seen them before, without a Kurt Angle or Sting as the World Champion on the marquee?
That brings us back to Robert Roode and his unlikely main event at Bound for Glory. Does he really have a chance at walking away with the gold?
When TNA looks at Roode, do they see a star? Do they believe that their fans want to see him with the World Title over Kurt Angle?
More importantly, do they feel that new fans—people who ordinarily may never watch their product—would choose to tune in because they know Robert Roode is the champ?
The comparisons between Roode and Arn Anderson have been made before, so much so that perhaps the analogy is wearing a bit thin. But, the fact is, it’s very appropriate in this case.
Arn was one of the best workers that the business has ever seen. He was great in the ring, he was phenomenal on the mic and he had an intensity that set him apart from every man he ever stepped into the ring with. He is a true legend.
But, he never won the “big one.”
A major reason for that is the fact that, while he was always recognized as being a solid talent who could put on a great match, he was never thought of as a headliner.
That spot belonged to his best friend, the greatest of all time, Ric Flair.
But, Arn could have done it. There’s no question that he was fully capable of carrying the NWA World Title. The only issue was, would he have been a draw?
Will Robert Roode put butts in the seats? Will he bring attention to the TNA product, causing fans to not only tune in, but to keep tuning in?
There's only one way to find out.
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