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What's the story?
Current SmackDown LIVE superstar and former NXT champion Bobby Roode recently spoke to ESPN at the WWE archive where, amongst items from some of the wrestling greats like Bruno Sammartino and The Undertaker, he talked about hoping to have a bright future in the WWE.
In case you didn't know...
Roode, who is perhaps best known for his 12-year tenure in TNA, first appeared on WWE programming in August 2016 and quickly established himself as a top heel within NXT getting wins over Andrade "Cien" Almas, No Way Jose and Tye Dillinger.
In just over half a year Bobby Roode then dethroned then champion Shinsuke Nakamura to become the new NXT champion and the oldest champion ever in the title's short history. Roode held the title from January to July, defending it against Kassius Ohno, Hideo Itami, Roderick Strong and Nakamura before eventually dropping the title to Drew McIntyre.
He then moved up to the main roster 'gloriously' debuting on SmackDown LIVE where he currently finds himself engaged in a feud with Dolph Ziggler after the latter mocked his 'glorious' entrance and said that was all Bobby Roode was.
The heart of the matter
During his interview with ESPN, Roode discussed what it was like to go from being an established wrestler for another company into the WWE's 'machine' and how not debuting on the main roster right away has actually helped indie guys like himself garner some success.
"Being a part of NXT has definitely helped the casual fan or maybe the fans who never tune in to NXT. Guys like myself, Joe and Finn, it really helped us get our feet going and make a push in the right direction with the familiarity of our characters."
Roode also spoke about being pushed towards the NXT title so quickly after his initial debut and how it felt to be trusted by the company to carry the yellow brand as its champion, being the focal point of NXT.
"Being the focal point, being the guy who was put on the posters and having a good championship run, and being the guy they had faith in to carry the company and be in the main event every night, that was such an incredible feeling for me to come here, coming from a different place, and 19 years in the business is a long time. I had a lot of experience, but I wasn't sure, kind of, what to expect."
What's next?
Roode will be taking part in his first main roster pay-per-view when he faces Dolph Ziggler at Hell In a Cell. Whilst I like Dolph Ziggler I think it's pretty clear that to start building any longstanding momentum for Roode that he needs a win, or at least needs to put in a good showing and who knows maybe from there he can build towards the WWE Title, I mean if Jinder Mahal can win it, why not Roode?
Author's Take
I've really enjoyed Roode's work in WWE so far and that's not just because of his entrance, although it is admittedly glorious. He has a classic heel look and acts like the same from the good old days. I hope he does get a decent shot at success in the WWE and doesn't slip into obscurity.
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