TNA Unfinished Business – Storm vs. Roode

Last week TNA announced that they would be launching a new series of one hour shows which would be titled ‘TNA Unfinished Business’. Here in the UK we got to see the first episode last night (13^th June 2012) before Slammiversary X aired. If you missed the show you can catch it again on ChallengeTV after Impact Wrestling on Sunday 17^th June 2012.

The series promises to take a look at “some of the most heated rivalries and feuds in TNA’s recent history.” In the debut show we looked at what is considered by many to be the biggest rivalry in professional wrestling today as two best friends, who were as close as brothers, became sworn bitter enemies.

The show opened with the same promos which we saw in the run up to the Lockdown Pay per View as we were told that we would be taken on a journey which showed us the real story behind “a new age rivalry”.

Roode reminisced about trying to make his way in the business and Storm said that they were paired up and had to work double time as nobody knew who they were. They both agreed that it was a battle at the start. Kurt Angle said that the ex-tag team partners had proven that they deserved to be in the main event at Lockdown as they have taken on the likes of him and Hardy etc, and beaten them.

We were then shown more of the promos which we saw before Lockdown where we were told that what once had been a common goal for the two men had become a reality. Clips of the guys in their Beer Money days showed us how their name came about with Storm having said, during a backstage interview, that beer and money were the two things that make the world go round and that it just clicked.

Roode and Storm had worked together to prove people wrong despite being from different worlds with the North / South divide. Roode said that they became like brothers and Storm said that Roode is the one that tarnished their relationship.

Storm went on to speak about the opportunity which arose with Bound for Glory and how they had decided to enter. They had agreed not to take any short cuts and had said “may the best man win”, and Roode won.

On 20^th October 2011 Angle stood in the ring and said that he did what he had to do and mocked Storm’s catchphrase of “Sorry about your damn luck”. After this Sting, who was General Manager at the time, called for a Storm vs. Angle match. Storm won this with a Last Call Superkick to take the World Heavyweight Title for the first time in his career and in his first World Heavyweight Championship title match.

After winning the match Storm said that he knew it would only be a matter of time before he faced Roode. Two weeks later the inevitable happened and the men were said to have said that they would fight as men and then shake hands at the end. We then saw clips of the speech which Roode had given after Storm had won the title with him saying how close he and Storm were, and how ‘The Cowboy’ had always been there for him and helped him along the way.

The infamous bottle shot which happened on November 3^rd 2011 followed and thinking back to Roode’s speech just a couple of weeks earlier, Tenay exclaimed, “That’s how you treat a brother?”


Some Memories are meant to be Forgotten

Storm recalled how he and Roode were like family and Dani, (Storm’s wife) said that Roode saw her husband more often than he did. Storm’s brother said that ‘The Cowboy’ had been left devastated after their fall out and Storm’s cousin, Devon, said that Storm had been betrayed by somebody who he cared about.

Storm said that as a result of his actions, the current World Heavyweight Champion, was spitting in the face of the company by throwing away four years of Beer Money and went on to discuss loss. He said that he has lost a lot of family members during his lifetime, including his Father, two stepbrothers, and his Grandmother; and although Roode has not died he kind of feels the same way as he did when someone had passed away. In one night he lost the Championship and his best friend. Storm’s family members were concerned for him and said that he trained night and day for Lockdown.

Roode said that he was upset that he lost in his match to Angle at Bound for Glory and Dixie Carter said that she was fed up with Roode’s behaviour, and so were his own family. Roode’s wife, Tracy, spoke about the behaviour which Dixie had been referring to and wondered how you tell a seven year old child that their Daddy cheated and acted wrongly.

Roode said that he ate Storm for lunch and he didn’t see it coming. His family want him to go back and win the Championship all over again, but they want him to do it the right way. Roode just thinks that people are jealous of him.

After a break we saw Storm training in his tree house like structure two weeks before his rematch against Roode. He told us about a piece of advice which his Dad gave to him; he had said “The world meets nobody half way; if you want something, take it.” Storm trained hard and wanted to earn things for himself and not have it handed to him.

On April 15^th 2012 we were to see the “War of Worlds’” finally come to an end. Storm said that Roode should be afraid going to the ring and Austin Aries sticking up for Roode said that he had worked hard and wasn’t going to give the title up.

Storm said that Roode disrespects people and should have never laid his hands on Dixie. Roode said that Storm should look at everything that he has overcome in the time that he has known Storm and said “Who carried you?” He claimed to have got Storm to where he was in the company and said that they were never really friends. Storm said that family and friends mean something where he comes from.

Next we saw the video which was played at the start of Lockdown where Storm welcomed us to his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee for the event. He was loading his bags in to the back of his pickup truck ready to make his way to the Municipal Auditorium. In this clip Storm had told us that the match was no longer business and was now personal for him too since Roode had brought his family in to the feud.

Roode said that Storm knew that he is the better man deep down and that Storm had never had him scared. He said once more that he made Storm who he is and has accomplished a lot since they stopped wrestling together. Roode told us that he will not hold back and will do everything that he can to keep the championship title.

We heard Storm say, “10 years to build a company, 4 years to build a friendship and 1 bottle to end it…the bullshit stops” before we saw highlights of his match against Roode at Lockdown where Storm mustered up all of his energy to hit Roode with the Last Call Superkick which carried him through the cage door and on to the arena floor to retain the title. A full review of the match and Lockdown can be found here.

To end the show another clip which we have seen a few times was shown where after the match a dejected Storm was sat in the locker room and told us how he had given it his all and didn’t know what to do. He wanted to go home and be with his family where he has remained ever since after he gave an emotional speech in the ring on Impact Wrestling.

And so that concluded the first story of the series about two former tag team partners who were at war with each other for over half a year. We have only really heard from Storm in videos on Impact Wrestling in recent weeks as he battled to make a decision as to whether or not to go back in to professional wrestling. Will we see a surprise return at Slammiversary? We’ll find out after the break on ChallengeTV.