From Team Canada to the World Title and a wonderful feud with Kurt Angle. So it can be summed up, very briefly, the path of more than a decade of Robert “Bobby” Roode by the then called Total Nonstop Action (TNA) and now known as Impact Wrestling, between 2004 and 2016, before heading to WWE. It was a highly successful time for Bobby Roooooooooooooo…
Born on May 11, 1976, in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, Robert Francis Roode Jr. His real name debuted in the ring on June 19, 1998, when he was 22 years old, having started by wrestling in some independent Canadian promoters and participating in several WWF/E dark matches between 1998 and 2004.
In May 2004, he signed for TNA, having joined Team Canada (along with Petey Williams, Johnny Devine and Eric Young) which participated in the World X-Cup. In October he won the company’s first title, the NWA World Tag Team Championship, twice won alongside Eric Young.
In 2006, Team Canada was disbanded and Roode began a solo career that would be interrupted in June 2008, when he started teaming up with James Storm, forming Beer Money, considered one of the best tag teams in TNA/Impact history. Wrestling is also one of the best in the world during its existence, having won the TNA World Tag Team Championship five times.
After three highly successful years alongside Storm, Roode again ventured solo in 2011, this time with more success as he won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship (twice) and the TNA King of the Mountain Championship (twice).
In March 2016, he left the company, 12 years after he arrived, and a few weeks later signed with WWE, where he still works and has had success in NXT and formed a moderately successful tag team with Dolph Ziggler. So it’s worth remembering Bobby Roode’s 10 Best TNA matches, in chronological order.
Sacrifice 2012
Ladder match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship :
Bobby Roode (c) vs. Rob Van Dam
At Lockdown, Bobby Roode beat James Storm in a Steel Cage match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. In the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Rob Van Dam defeated Jeff Hardy and Mr Anderson in a triple threat match to become the leading contender for the title. Three days from Sacrifice, on the May 10 episode, as a result of a brawl between Roode, RVD, Hardy and Anderson, General Manager Hulk Hogan scored a four-way match between the four, with the following stipulations: whether Anderson or Hardy if they won, they replaced RVD in Sacrifice; if Roode won, he could choose his opponent; and if RVD won, he could choose the stipulation for the title match. And Van Dam won, having chosen to face the champion in a ladder match.
Impact Wrestling (May 24, 2012)
TNA World Heavyweight Championship :
Bobby Roode (c) vs. AJ Styles
At Sacrifice, Bobby Roode beat Rob Van Dam in a ladder match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, General Manager Hulk Hogan scheduled a series of matches to determine that four wrestlers would be matched for a title match the following week. That night, Bully Ray beat Rob Van Dam, AJ Styles won a Battle Royal, Jeff Hardy won Mr Anderson and Kurt Angle defeated Samoa Joe. A week later, Hogan gave Ray, Styles, Hardy, and Angle the chance to argue why they should face Roode for the title. After listening to the four of them, the Hulkster eliminated Bully Ray from the equation. He later also eliminated Jeff Hardy, having announced that AJ Styles would fight for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship immediately before the title match.
Destination X 2012
TNA World Heavyweight Championship :
Bobby Roode (c) vs. Austin Aries
At a time when he had become the longest-reigning X Division champion in history, Austin Aries asked General Manager Hulk Hogan for a TNA World Heavyweight Championship match against world champion Bobby Roode at Destination X.
Hogan gave Aries a week to decide on the proposal to relinquish the X Division Championship if he wanted to fight for the world title, as the Hulkster did not want a fighter with two belts. A week later, Aries agreed, with the caveat that all future X Division champions would have the same opportunity every year at Destination X, a proposal Hogan accepted.
Hardcore Justice 2012
Last Chance match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship :
Austin Aries (c) vs. Bobby Roode
At Destination X, Austin Aries won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship by beating Bobby Roode, who had been champion for 256 days, which is still a record in terms of duration. On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Roode appeared emotionally distraught in the aftermath of the loss, felt that Aries’ victory had just been a fluke, and asked for a rematch with TNA General Manager Hulk Hogan. On the August 9 episode, during the signing of the contract, both Aries and Roode agreed that after they faced each other at Hardcore Justice, neither Roode would receive a rematch nor would Aries be entitled to a rematch if he lost.
Genesis 2013
Three-way elimination match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship :
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode
At Turning Point 2012, Jeff Hardy retained the world title by defeating Austin Aries in a ladder match. At the same event, James Storm beat AJ Styles and Bobby Roode to become the main contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
In the ensuing episode of Impact Wrestling, Storm was ranting about overcoming adversity when he was interrupted by Roode, who manipulatively caused Storm to stake his title shot. As a result, Roode beat Storm and became the leading contender for the title at Final Resolution. At the pay-per-view, Jeff Hardy beat Bobby Roode for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, despite Roode having made a commercial deal in exchange for the help of Aces & Eight, who ultimately failed to fulfil their part. On the December 13 episode, Roode demanded answers, having learned that Austin Aries had given the Aces & Eight a better offer.
On the other hand, Hardy was critical of Aries’ attempt to get the group’s help to regain the title, having proposed defending the title the following week. During the match between the two, Roode interfered and cost Aries the defeat. A week later, Aries and Roode faced off in a duel to determine the main contender for the world title, but the feud ended in a double disqualification after they both attacked the referee, prompting Jeff Hardy to attack them both.
On the January 3, 2013 episode, Jeff Hardy announced the 2012 TNA Wrestler of the Year, but Roode and Aries disagreed with this distinction, which led Hardy to state that he was going to defend the title against the two at Genesis.
Bound For Glory 2013
Bobby Roode vs. Kurt Angle
At Slammiversary XI in June, it was announced that Kurt Angle would be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame on Bound For Glory weekend .
Four months later, on the October 10 episode of Impact Wrestling, Daniels and Kazarian announced that Bobby Roode would be inducted into the Hall of Fame for their faction, The Extraordinary Gentleman’s Organization (EGO), prompting Roode to say that he should have chosen to the TNA Hall of Fame instead of Kurt Angle. However, Angle returned to TNA programming after a hiatus of more than two months, wrestled the three members of EGO and challenged Roode to a match at Bound For Glory .
The following week, Angle expressed his displeasure at Roode mocking his induction into the Hall of Fame and told the Canadian he was going to make him drop out of Bound For Glory. Roode responded with an attack on Angle, with the help of Daniels and Kazarian, forcing Angle to fold through a Crossface, in a precursory act before the match.
Impact Wrestling (October 31, 2013)
Bobby Roode vs. Kurt Angle
At Bound For Glory, Bobby Roode won a somewhat fortuitous victory over Kurt Angle, as he made the victorious settlement after suffering an Angle Slam from the top rope because Angle landed on the back of his head following the blow. On the episode of Impact Wrestling that followed four days later, the two had a verbal confrontation. Although doctors had not declared Angle fit to compete, the 1996 Olympic champion said he would make no excuses and so challenged Roode to a match that night. However, the match did not take place until the following week.
Impact Wrestling – Genesis (January 23, 2014)
Steel Cage Match: Bobby Roode vs. Kurt Angle
On the October 31 episode of Impact Wrestling, Kurt Angle was once again defeated at the hands of Bobby Roode, after the referee stopped the match due to an injury to Angle .
More than a month later, Roode cost Angle a loss in a Last Man Standing match to Magnus in the semifinals of the tournament for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, on the December 5 episode.
The following week, Angle challenged Roode to a match, but the Canadian said he had already beaten Angle, who in turn claimed he could beat Roode twice, which led to a two out of three falls match between the two at the Final Resolution. In that event, Roode took the lead again, winning 2-1.
However, Kurt Angle demanded a Steel Cage match against Roode on the January 9, 2014 episode, but was instead placed in a match against Daniels and Kazarian, and emerged victorious. In parallel, Roode beat Sting in a Steel Cage match having won after interference from Rockstar Spud. After the matches, a Steel Cage match between Angle and Roode for Genesis was announced.
Impact Wrestling – No Surrender (September 17, 2014)
TNA World Heavyweight Championship :
Lashley (c) vs. Bobby Roode
At Hardcore Justice 2014, Bobby Roode and Eric Young were the co-winners of a Six Sides of Steel match to determine the main contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, by simultaneously escaping the cage. On the August 27 episode of Impact Wrestling, COO Kurt Angle announced that Roode and Young would face off in a match the following week and that the winner would become the main contender. And Roode prevailed, earning the right to face Lashley in the No Surrender event.
Impact Wrestling (October 15, 2014)
Four-way elimination match to determine the #1 contender
TNA World Heavyweight Championship :
Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries vs. Eric Young vs. Jeff Hardy
At the No Surrender event, Lashley beat Bobby Roode following a Spear. However, Roode continued to chase Lashley and the world title. On the October 8 episode of Impact Wrestling, it was agreed that Roode would be given another opportunity if he beat MVP and Kenny King, but that he would not fight for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship if he lost. Roode won, but COO Kurt Angle announced that the Canadian would still have to compete in a match to determine the main contender. At the beginning of the following week’s episode, Angle announced a four-way elimination match between Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, Eric Young and Jeff Hardy that same night to determine the main contender.