TNA News TNA NEWS: Bobby Roode Conference - hints at character tweak, have roster cuts affected his mindset?, TNA's "next step," becoming a household name, Sabin's title victory, more
Jul 31, 2013 - 4:51:42 PM
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By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor
TNA star Bobby Roode was this month's TNA conference call guest promoting the next "One Night Only PPV," which is the 10-year Anniversary PPV premiering Friday night. The main points from the conference call were Roode wanting to get his character back on-track as a main-event player after starting the Bound for Glory Series with a string of losses, wanting to be World champion again, and not being affected by recent roster cuts because he's been through it before in TNA.
- Roode hinted at a character tweak stemming from his outburst on TNA Impact two weeks ago. "I think it's come to a cross-roads," Roode said about his character needing to "get serious again."
Roode added, "I need to be World champion," and his character will be "more focused and more aggressive" going forward after letting his guard down when he was granted a BFG Series slot instead of earning it.
- Later, Roode talked about wanting to be a "multiple-time World Hvt. champion." Roode said, "I had my first run - eight-months long - but I want to be the Top Guy again; I want to main-event PPVs again." Part of that is "becoming a bigger star; becoming a household name. Hopefully getting another World Title run, competing in main event situations, being in top storyline situations."
Roode added that he believes he and other roster members can become household names as part of TNA going on the road with TV tapings.
"Getting on the road was a huge, major, major step for our company," Roode said. "We just kind of got the ball rolling. We're going to concentrate on that and make the show bigger. I think company and product awareness is our next big step." Roode said he believes in TNA's product and their roster, so it's "just making people know who they are."
- Roode said he personally does not sense any tension in the TNA locker room following recent roster cuts, stressing that he's been through it before during TNA's 11-year history.
"Some of the cuts were unexpected, but I think it makes a lot of us want to work harder. We want to step up and show the 'powers that be' that we belong and are a big asset to the company," he said. "It's part of the business. It's tough, though, because you're on the road so much that you almost become family."
On the opposite end of whether TNA needs to bring in more top-level talent, Roode said he doesn't think so because he believes in their roster and thinks it's a matter of "making bigger stars out of the talent" already in the locker room.
Roode added that he hasn't even worked a real, concrete program with Samoa Joe in TNA and he would like to work with Kurt Angle in an official program. He also identified other combinations of wrestlers currently on the roster that TNA can explore on TV.
- Roode talked in-depth about not having the TNA World Title match with James Storm at last year's Bound for Glory PPV when everything seemed to be building toward that point.
Asked if was frustrated by the turn of events, Roode said, "Yes and no." Roode said they were still able to have a stand-out Street Fight at BFG 2012, but, "yeah, it was frustrating to a lot of fans looking forward to that, frustrating for Storm, and somewhat frustrating for me." Roode added, "It would have been a lot sweeter if the World Title were on the line."
- Roode addressed fellow TNA Original Chris Sabin winning the TNA World Title this month, saying he is "happy for him" and he knew Sabin had the drive to eventually become champion.
"Everybody in the locker room would tell you they want to be the top guy," Roode said before addressing the Beer Money and Motor City Machineguns quartet from 2011. "We all felt like we were World Championship material, but our focus was on tag team wrestling (at the time)."
- Regarding the next break-out TNA star, Roode said it's "really hard to pick one guy" from the roster, but he likes Robbie E.'s upside. "As quirky and as dorky as he is, I think he would be a money guy if given the right opportunity."
- Regarding the "August 1 Warning" mystery reveal for Thursday's Impact, Roode said he's "anxious to get to the building and see who's hanging around."
- Asked if he has any side interests or career aspirations outside of wrestling, Roode said, "No. Actually, I don't. Honestly, I live, breathe, eat wrestling. Other than my family, it's really the only thing I care about."
[ FYI: TNA's "TNA 10 Reunion" PPV premieres Friday, August 2 on inDemand and other PPV providers. Roode is scheduled to face James Storm in one of the featured matches. ]
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