On the last episode of TNA Impact Wrestling, a particularly strange tag match formed out of Kurt Angle choosing Gunner to be his tag team partner against Bobby Roode. Gunner, who currently holds the Feast or Fired briefcase to receive a TNA World Heavyweight championship shot, was originally in a tag team with James Storm. Storm and Gunner have been at odds ever since Gunner received the briefcase.
Storm cut an angry speech about how even though he’s a tag team specialist, eventually all of his tag partners leave him. He wanted to make a statement against Gunner, and that statement was made by forcing Bobby Roode to select him as his tag partner. Roode wasn’t happy with the idea, but once the two were in the ring, we saw the return of Beer Money.
It might have been for just one night, but you could tell the TNA audience was just warming up to the idea of Beer Money coming back in full force. They didn’t want to cheer Roode and didn’t want to be against the likes of Kurt Angle and Gunner, but it’s hard not to when you have Beer Money staring you in the face. At one point after Storm and Roode executed a double suplex, they stared at each other. You knew exactly what was going through their minds.
Now it’s quite possible this was just a one night reunion. Just a way for Storm to get back at Gunner. It’s quite possible TNA knows that Gunner is a terrible choice for a title shot and wants to instead have James Storm beat Gunner for the briefcase so he can face Magnus for the TNA World championship. But that scenario sounds quite… heelish if you ask me. Everything about Storm being jealous of Gunner is the marks of a heel, especially teaming with a heel. Even if the crowd loves Beer Money.
And that’s okay. Because re-forming Beer Money means they are going to be good guys because the crowd wants them but that doesn’t mean they have to be cookie cutter. They can form as bad guys but be endeared as TNA legends. They don’t have to join up with Dixie and eventually the fact they have chips on their shoulders and begin destroying the TNA locker room as a combined entity again will just allow them to be bigger stars than either have been for a while. And TNA needs this. With AJ Styles departing, they need a big homegrown name to return. Something with more strength than merely another James Storm push or a Bobby Roode face turn. They need Beer Money.
Beer Money would allow the two to go into the TNA Tag division and knock over the comedy team of Bromans and bring respectability back to the tag titles. There’s a built in feud between Bobby Roode and his former friends in Bad Influence. It’s okay if EGO do not agree with him working with James Storm. Bad Influence vs. Beer Money is a match of the night on any card in 2014. With Ethan Carter III holding the tag team title briefcase, he can get himself a tag partner and face Beer Money. That way Beer Money can help create a new tag team while also wrestling their asses off. Exactly what they are best at doing.
And if they do get over as heels, as it doesn’t seem like the crowds are ready to cheer Bobby Roode? That’s fine. As the veteran staples of the tag division, Storm can join EGO. It allows Kazarian and Daniels to finally work singles programs again. Someone needs to face Austin Aries for the X Championship (which now looks like TNA’s version of the Intercontinental Title. Which I completely approve) once he gets the strap back from Sabin and it doesn’t matter who. Could be both even.
But let’s go back to logic. Why should James Storm team with Bobby Roode? Because it’s clear that ever since he left Roode’s side, his career has never been the same. As Daniel Bryan proved on Raw a week ago, if you can’t beat him? Join him. Why would Roode take Storm back? It serves his ego and allows him to become a champion again. And with a babyface tag turn, it means once Beer Money breaks up again, he can eventually move to singles and face Magnus for the TNA World Heavyweight champion. Earlier, I posed the question about someone replacing AJ Styles. Beer Money is simply a temporary solution. A home grown talent with the best skills in the business? That sounds like AJ Styles, but it’s also Bobby Roode. This plants the seeds to allow TNA make up for Bound For Glory 2011.
If we get an official 2014 Beer Money Reunion Tour, sorry about your damn luck TNA. There’s no stopping them.
photo credit: simononly via photopin cc
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