Bully Ray

[Doog]

Just finished watching iMPACT! and Bully Ray was featured prominently again, pinning RVD to win the cage match, so I'm wondering what are everyones thoughts on him?

 

Apparently he's getting a sustained push at the minute as a "replacement" for Jeff Hardy, but even before that I was enjoying his singles feud with Devon.

 

Personally I'm really into him at the moment, I loved the Dudleyz, his singles feud in the then WWF was poor, but he played a face during that, his best work IMO, as evidenced at the moment is as a heel. His mic skills are fantastic IMO, he has it in that department, in ring maybe not so much, but he has enough to get by.

 

Hell the other week when it seemed he'd be Stings next challenger for the TNA Title, I bought it. Obviously at this stage in his career there probably isn't a lot more he'll do other than play an intimadatinh heel, hired gun, midcarder, but damn I think he's on fire at the moment.

 

Not sure how many people watch TNA so don't know how this thread will fare, but IMO Bully Ray is a credible heel at the moment and fits in well as a singles star etc.

 

Thoughts?

[thefallenangel]

brilliant with immortal although no one is gaining as a heel, rob terry has even dropped off the radar.

 

Abyss, Ray, Hardy, Flair vs. Daniels, Beer Money and Kaz should be fun at Lockdown but i would like to see Ray get the win and go on for a title match shortly after. Sting needs a fully heel opponent.

[reychampion]

Amazing at building heel heat, he's got the actions and the speach skills to project his hate for opponents and the crowd. In ring skills aren't amazing but TNA are hiding them well by using him in many multiman matches where he can hide for parts.

Long term he's never going to be a main eventer but with lots of group interaction, he stands out because he's clearly building on his actual personality which is when great characters are created.

[Vito]

It's probably because he has a reputation for being a massive prick in real life but he's a natural and believable heel.

[Happ Hazzard]

Stick the belt on him. He's over, and a fresh star as a single wrestler. TNA desperately needs fresh names on top of the card.

[CTXRussomark]

He needs to stop wearing bloody shorts! Any goodwill he earns through his promos/angles is immediately rendered null and void when walks out with legs an anorexic albino would be embarassed by. But yeah, his promo work is easily top 3 in the company right now.

[tiger_rick]

I've been talking about his promo work for a looooong time. He's been outstanding on the mic for the past 10 years.

 

I like, always have. I think he's believable and can back himself up. He's fresh as a single too. It's a pity Immortal are shit though. That'll hold him back.

[Sexy Dad]

I thought his AJ table powerbomb was badass. This character has been building since the feud with Jesse Neal which started almost twelve months ago. Ray's done a great job and he should be credited. I never thought I'd enjoy either of Team 3D as singles wrestlers, but due to Bubba being so vocal and alround dickheadish he's pulled it out.

[Tim R-T-C]

I think he is a solid wrestler and deserving of a push. Not good enough as a singles player to be challenging for the title I think, but would make an excellent manager within Immortal.

[steve rayson]

Seen a few promos and they were really good promos, but can't see him as someone with the main title (not even in a small indy promotion) - he just screams tag team wrestler, mid-carder and nothing more.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Seen a few promos and they were really good promos, but can't see him as someone with the main title (not even in a small indy promotion)

He isnt in a small indy promotion though.

 

Give him the belt. His promos are excellent. He's one of the best in the business at the minute as far as his interviews go. He's believable in his roll and he can work to a standard. He's far better in the roll than RVD or Kennedy would be.

[aaron]

Seen a few promos and they were really good promos, but can't see him as someone with the main title (not even in a small indy promotion)

He isnt in a small indy promotion though.

 

He didn't say he was though.

[Magnum]

Assuming they could go more than a month without fannying about with the lineup, he'd be more than useful as a mouthpiece/enforcer-type character for Immortal in a similar role to Arn Anderson in the Horsemen. I wouldn't have him anywhere near the world belt as he has neither the look nor the ring skills for that role (for my money, Jeff Jarrett deserves to be Immortal's #1 man for now after his work and reactions over the last few months), but as has been said he's a heat magnet, a genuinely dislikable character with not a drop of the 'cool heel' in his persona, and has some of the best mic skills in the business. He could definitely be relied upon as a gobshite thug to sustain a credible feud with an Angle or an Anderson for a PPV or two to keep them away from whoever Immortal's chosen one ends up being.

[Carbomb]

I agree with Magnum. Without Hardy, Immortal's only star-power resides in Jarrett at the moment, and he's been ace so far. After this Kurt feud, they should really think about building Immortal around him. Bully Ray would be perfect as Jarrett's Tully or Arn.

 

At the moment, I think Bully Ray is fucking mint, but I don't think he's world champ material - more a main-event threat, really. However, I'm more than prepared to keep an open mind: with his mike abilities, I can well see the possibility that he might capture the imagination enough for a main event run.

[Just Another Victim]

Been great on the stick since ECW. The Dudley's fifteen minute plus match opening promos were some of the best heat generating material in the company. Granted they were laden with swearing and close to the bone insults that they'd never get away with in WWE or TNA but it was the same basic theory as what Bully's doing now, just a toned down version. He's definitely at home in the role of a complete prick schoolyard bully that in a long feud looks superb being shown up by an underdog or previous victim. Not entirely convinced he's a World Champ but wouldn't discount it completely. Definitely got great potential as a threat who could main event two or three pay per views trying to get his hands on it. It's nice to see someone who's been around a long time doing basically the same act finally find a niche of his character that allows him to thrive and self elevate as a singles worker, especially as his career has been utterly defined by tag work.