Highlights
- Bobby Roode had a successful run in NXT, standing out with his traditional style and character work, becoming an instant star.
- WWE made a mistake by debuting Roode as a bland babyface on the main roster, stripping away his charisma and unique in-ring style.
- Roode's main roster career was a failure, as he remained in the midcard and lacked opportunities to showcase his potential, despite attempts at a heel run.
Bobby Roode was a fine-tuned veteran by the time he arrived in NXT, and his run in the developmental brand seemed to set him up as someone who would have a bright future in WWE. He had the look, style, and talents of a potential main eventer, even with his age, by the time he signed with the promotion. However, fast forward several years and Roode is now working as a backstage producer and his in-ring career is over, and throughout those years spent as an active superstar, it is safe to say that his time on the main roster was a failure, and there are several reasons as to why that was the case.
Bobby Roode Had A Great NXT Run
After a lengthy spell in TNA, Bobby Roode was snapped up by NXT, which at the time was one of the hottest brands of professional wrestling on the planet and attracting a sea of big name free agents. The likes of Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Drew McIntyre were brought in at a similar time, and it made the brand incredibly exciting. Given that Roode didn’t have the same sort of style as some of those who were stealing the show in fast-paced and hard-hitting matches, there was a chance that he would get lost in the shuffle, but in actual fact, his more traditional style and focus on character work and mic skills made him stand out in his own right, and it made him an instant star.
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His heel persona led him to be one of the most memorable NXT Champions of all time. The presentation was spot on, with his robe and music playing a part in making him the full package. He had big time main events at TakeOvers, worked with a variety of different individuals, and instantly became the number one star on the brand. Even with him being older than many in developmental, he still had years ahead of him, and several of those in WWE at the time were of a similar age anyway. However, even after a really strong run in NXT with pretty much no downsides to it, things started falling apart once he made his main roster debut in 2017.
WWE Made Bobby Roode A Bland Babyface
In the week following SummerSlam, Bobby Roode was introduced to the main roster crowd, who erupted when they heard his iconic “Glorious” entrance theme. There was something up with his debut though - something which didn’t quite match up with his NXT run. He debuted against a heel opponent in Aiden English, and followed this up with another victory over a lower card heel in Mike Kanellis. In a completely baffling move, WWE had Roode debut on the main roster as a babyface. Gone was his cocky charisma, his arrogant style, and methodical in ring work, and he suddenly had to develop his style to be faster-paced, even getting up on the top rope a lot more. It just looked quite odd in truth.
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A feud with heel Dolph Ziggler made it clear that WWE saw the response garnered by his entrance song and decided to run with it, making him a good guy without any other reason. It was reported at the time that despite this, Roode was considered to be among the top names on SmackDown, and WWE did in fact see a main event run in his future. Perhaps an introduction as a face and then a heel turn a month down the line was the plan, but as is ever the case in the last decade, Vince McMahon did not have a long term plan for Roode.
He continued with his bland babyface run, which offered no personality or any real chances to stand out as a potential star. Even if WWE had viewed him originally as a top name, this didn’t come to fruition. Roode remained as a bland and basic babyface, reigning as United States Champion in a nothing reign and then became Tag Team Champion with Chad Gable in yet another run which didn’t set the world alight. He slotted right into the midcard and stayed there, and fans were caring for him less and less.
Bobby Roode’s WWE Main Roster Was A Failure
WWE did attempt a heel run for Roode, but it was too little too late. Fans had got to know Roode as just another member of the roster and a renewed start as “Robert Roode” didn’t do anything for him. He would align with Dolph Ziggler in what was perhaps the highlight of his time on the main roster, but the “Dirty Dawgs” didn’t get much backing from WWE creative overall and just wandered around without too much notable to look back on.
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Per PWInsider Elite, Roode was removed from the active roster as his in-ring career would come to an end in 2022 due to having neck surgery, and he entered the role of a producer. For Roode, his in-ring career will always be a case of a big missed opportunity on the main roster. He had so much potential but WWE’s booking completely screwed things up for him.
