I hate the fact that I’m going to devote another post to a wrestling angle that I think is complete crap, but I once again finding myself sitting down to write about TNA’s Aces & Eights. I was listening to my favorite wrestling podcast on my way to work this morning (The FTW Podcast… if you don’t listen to them you should definitely check them out… you’ll be glad you did) and they were having a discussion about the future of the angle.
They were talking about what’s next for the Aces & Eights. There have been a variety of rumors floating around about who the remaining masked members are, who the leader is, etc. Quite frankly all of the rumored folks suck. Eric Bischoff, Jeff Jarrett, Dave Bautista, D-Lo Brown, etc. Yawn. As I said in my previous post, these are guys that quite frankly… nobody cares about.
FTW co-host Garvin mentioned the what the Aces & Eights are currently lacking is someone that can be a world title contender. And I completely agree. The guys that they have in the ring now (Briscoe, Bischoff, Kenndey… er… Anderson, D-Von, etc.) simply aren’t main event guys. And as fellow FTW co-host Harrison pointed out, the free agent talent pool is pretty weak as well when it comes to main event talent. Let’s face it… if John Morrison makes a debut in TNA as an Aces & Eight member… is anyone REALLY going to care after the initial shock wears off? Nope.
Christian?
MVP?
Shelton Benjamin?
No… no… and no. With the not-so-secret return of the Undertaker to WWE the other night, the biggest potential “American Bad Ass” is now completely off the table to head up Aces & Eights (not that Undertaker was EVER going to leave WWE). So that leaves TNA with guys they currently have on the roster.
What really got me to thinking about this idea is something that Harrison said. He stated for this to really work, Aces & Eights would not only have to unveil a main event player, but ALSO to “steal” someone from the TNA roster. That’s why when Hogan turned to the NWO all those years ago it was so impactful (no pun intended). Not only did he turn heel but he also took away someone from the WCW roster.
And I give you Bully Ray.
For months now, Bully Ray has been trying to earn Hulk Hogan’s trust. He’s gone so far as to marry Brook Hogan. He’s bent over backwards to prove himself time and time again. He’s made himself look like an asshole by putting on the Sting face paint. And now it finally seems as Hogan has taken to trusting his new son-in-law by giving him the WTF moment of the week and lining him up as the #1 contender to Hardy’s title even though Bully is hurt.
Wouldn’t it be just perfect if Bully won the title and turned out to be the next member of Aces & Eights?
This would immediately give Aces & Eights not only the main eventer they needed, but in one fell swoop the world title as well. It would take a group that really hasn’t won anything, and immediately give them legitimacy. This seems like just the kind of swerve that TNA / Bischoff / Hogan love to give us. And the more I think about it, the more I think this is the way they’re going.
Either that… or this is still just a shitty angle.
