Wednesday, March 21, 2007

TNA: Bobby Roode


Robert "Bobby" Roode (born in 1977) is a Canadian pro wrestler, currently wrestling for TNA Wrestling and on the independent circuit.

Bobby Roode was an avid hockey player throughout high school. After graduating, he attended community college for one year, studying Law and Security with a view towards becoming a correctional officer. At the age of twenty two Roode decided to leave college and become a professional wrestler, and was trained in his hometown of Peterborough, Ontario, by fellow Ontarians Val Venis and Shane Sewell. He completed his training after a year and wrestled his debut match against Pete Rock, then went on to work for various Canadian independent promotions, as well as appearing for the Puerto Rican World Wrestling Council.

Roode began working for Real Action Wrestling in 2001, where he formed a heel stable known as The Kardinal Sinners along with Kingman and Mike Hughes. He went on to work a series of dark matches for WWE between 2001 and 2004, and was briefly part of the WWE developmental program.

In May 2004, Roode was brought into Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) by Scott D'Amore, the owner of Border City Wrestling, a Canadian independent promotion which Roode had worked for on occasion. Roode debuted in TNA as part of the Team Canada stable, and took part in the World X-Cup, which was won by Team USA. Team Canada went on to feud with 3Live Kru and America's Most Wanted. As the biggest and most powerful member of Team Canada (until the addition of A-1 in May 2005), Roode acted as the "enforcer" of the group, a role popularised by Arn Anderson. In early 2006, recognizing his comparisons to Arn Anderson, he made the request that he be called "The Canadian Enforcer" from that point onward, and began coming to the ring in sequined robes reminiscent of the Four Horsemen and Rick Rude flashy style in the late '80s.

Roode began a feud with Dustin Rhodes in early 2005, losing to him at April's Lockdown pay-per-view in a best of three falls Steel cage match, with the third fall a blindfold match. After that Roode feuded with Lance Hoyt, who he defeated at Slammiversary, and The Naturals throughout the summer of 2005. After defeating Jeff Hardy at Unbreakable in September, Roode and the remainder of Team Canada resumed their feud with 3Live Kru.

While in TNA, Bobby Roode also wrestles at Border City Wrestling in Windsor, Ontario and at NWA Shockwave in New Jersey. He is the former BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Champion. On March 18, 2006, he won the NWA Shockwave Internet Championship from Josh Daniels at an NWAS/New York Wrestling Connection cross-promotional event. Eight days later, on March 26, Roode won the vacant NWA Shockwave Heavyweight Championship at Disturbing the Peace 2006 in a four-way match. Roode held both titles until May 21, when he dropped the Internet Title and successfully defended the Heavyweight Title against Slyck Wagner Brown. Due the restarting of the company, all the NWA Cyberspace Champions (Now known as NWA Shockwave) were vacated including Robert Roode's Heavyweight Title.

At Final Resolution 2006, Roode began a singles career, while still being linked to Team Canada, by defeating Ron Killings. Five months later, on the June 29th episode of TNA iMPACT!, TNA Management Director Jim Cornette forced the break up of Team Canada, effectively forcing Roode into singles competition full time.

After the break up of Team Canada, Roode began referring to himself as "TNA's hottest free agent". Vignettes began playing with various TNA managers such as Simon Diamond, Jim Mitchell, and Shane Douglas putting over the idea of Roode being an NWA World Heavyweight Championship contender and stating their interest in becoming his manager, but he eventually dismissed them. Having chose not to work with a current TNA manager, segments began airing with Roode interviewing legendary managers for the position; Bobby "The Brain" Heenan on September 7, Col. Robert Parker on September 14, and Sherri Martel on September 21. He revealed his chosen manager, Traci Brooks, at Bound for Glory, and promptly changed his name to "Robert Roode", with Traci Brooks now being referred to as "Ms. Brooks". His first feud after the name change was against Eric Young, whom he became jealous of when he realized fans still weren't cheering him but would cheer Young's every move. After Young beat Ms. Brooks in a bikini contest he demanded that Brooks "sign" Young to "Robert Roode Inc.". Finally, at Against All Odds 2007 Ms. Brooks successfully seduced Young into signing a contract with "Robert Roode Inc."

technorati tags: tna, wrestling, wwe, pro wrestling, pro wrestling blog, impact, pro-wrestling, news, samoa joe, ecw, ppv

No comments:

Popular Posts