Though many older fans can't stand the sight of John Cena, it is undeniable that there is no other guy on the WWE roster that is suitable to be the face of the company. He has it all - the workrate, the promos, the looks, and yes, despite what the haters on Youtube comments feel, the wrestling ability (but that's another article all together).
What TNA is lacking right now is a strong lead babyface to take the company to the next level. It is something that has been done dating back decades in wrestling and TNA have had their guys in the past - AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle and even Hulk Hogan was the face of the company.
Right now they are building the World title scene around Bobby Roode, who is decent but not great in his heel role. His promos are lacking and though his storytelling in the ring is good, his moveset isn't dynamic enough to stand out from the rest of the crowd. A credible main eventer perhaps, but Roode certainly isn't face of the company material. But his ex-tag team partner James Storm could just be that very man.
If TNA are seperating themselves from WWE by being the "adult" company against WWE's PG output, James Storm is the perfect lead guy to take them to the next level. Sure, he hasn't got the name recognition as of yet, but in time he could be built up if given the chances the likes of AJ Styles and now Roode are having.
He has a natural swagger and charisma, a much greater confidence on the microphone than his former tag team partner and even one of the best catchphrases in wrestling right now - "Sorry about your damn luck!" Another great thing about Storm as well, is that he has the bad-ass edge of a heel that top faces need to have these days, if they want to be cheered by all sections of the crowd. The TNA fans are often split and undecided in their chants during matches, but at Genesis there were only "Lets go cowboy" chants for James Storm and "You suck" chants to Kurt Angle. Kurt Angle, one of the most respected wrestlers in the business. A credit to Angle as a heel, or perhaps more to how strong of a babyface Storm is?
Storm may not have the abs or the body that Robert Roode has, but this is a new era of wrestling and Storm stands out from the crowd with his look. His southern American charm is a contrast to all the other top stars in the industry right now, but his appeal goes beyond the South because of his uniqueness. Put the belt on Storm and you have a guy who is a beer drinkin' sports fan who beats people up for a living - a sharp contrast to the straight edge, comic book reading CM Punk of WWE.
His move-set in the ring is also dynamic and stands out with fan friendly moves - the Last Call Superkick as well as his backstabber and codebreaker, all much more dynamic than the likes of Roode's spinebuster or fisherman's suplex.
Can he be the company guy who goes and does all the media work? Absolutely. I recently listened to an interview with him on the PWTorch Livecast where he sounded absolutely credible as a top star, with no sign of nervousness whatsoever in an hour long interview. He can also shift merchandise, and even stated on the PWTorch interview that he came up with all his own T-shirt slogans so far, including all of Beer Money's. The "Beer Hunter" pun on "Deer Hunter" was particularly memorable, during the end of Beer Money's run.
Overall, James Storm is retro but new. His beer drinking is reminscent of another strong lead face in Stone Cold Steve Austin, but his style goes back to the likes of Michael Hayes and other classic wrestlers. It would be a dare for TNA, but I think one that would bare fruit in the long run. Jeff Hardy can't be that guy, Kurt Angle is too old to be that guy, AJ Styles doesn't have the right personality to be the ultimate guy. Bringing in a WWE guy to be the face of the company just makes TNA seem small-fry. They need a home-grown talent for this role and James Storm just needs a title run, prolonged exposure in the main event scene and a couple of catchy slogan t-shirts to be that man. He had a lot of momentum when he won the World Title, but the rug was quickly pulled out from under him when they decided to put the belt on Roode. If Storm goes over Angle in the final match of their feud however, he could well be on his way to being this guy, if he beats Roode for the title somewhere down the line.
Now hit my damn music *drops mic*
Truth Truth Truth!
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