Bobby Roode first came to the attention of a lot of wrestling fans through his work at TNA, where he first popped up as a member of Team Canada and then stuck around for the next 11 years, forming the popular Beer Money tag team with James Storm and then becoming a two-time world champion with the company. Since leaving TNA, he has found a new home at WWE, developing a rabid following in NXT in large part due to his one-of-a-kind theme song and accompanying meme.
Brian Fitz at the Sporting News got to talk to Roode recently about his new home in NXT, his #Gloriousbomb co-conspirators and a whole lot more, but one of the quotes that stood out was Fitz asking Roode whether it was easy to leave TNA when he did.
SN: Was it tough to leave a place you had been with for so long? You were with TNA for 12 years. Did that make it difficult to make the decision to leave there?
BR: At the time, not really. I don’t really have a negative thing to say about that company. I was treated extremely well there for 12 years and financially I was taken care of. Honestly, it was just time for me to go. I never really got into this industry for the money although it’s nice. I’ve been able to make a career and support my family for the last 12 years doing what I love to do. But that was just it. The last two years of that company, I didn’t love it anymore. I started to lose my passion which was concerning to me. I didn’t like being away. I didn’t like performing. TNA became a place where it was just a television product and I got into this business to perform and be on the road. There was a time in that company where you could do that. You could go on the road and do live events. I’ve always been about learning. No matter how long I’ve been in the business or where I’ve been in a company, I’ve always wanted to continue to learn. During those times in TNA when we were on the road doing live events, I would always ride with guys like Bully Ray or Kurt Angle, Christian at the time. Guys like that and sit under the learning tree and learn from these guys.
It got to a point those last two years there in TNA that we literally just went and did television and it wasn’t fun for me anymore. I had 12 great years and I just felt like at my age and at my stage in my career I wanted a different opportunity and that’s all I wanted. My first conversation with WWE was just that. I want opportunity and they’ve given me the opportunity and here I am today.
Given the recent reported woes for Impact Wrestling, it may be a good thing for Roode that he got out when he did. But if he wasn’t having fun any longer, well heck, we’re glad he’s tearing it up now in NXT as a dynamite character that’s sorely needed at the moment. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to listen to “Glorious Domination” another 20 times and weep with thankfulness.
Join us, won’t you?
