WWE News: Update On TNA Star Bobby Roode And NJPW Star Kota Ibushi Possibly Signing With WWE
WWE NXT Takeover: Dallas was considered one of the best NXT shows of all time. To some, it may be the best. It was stacked with a great card from top to bottom. The worst match on the card was Baron Corbin vs. Austin Aries, and it was a very good match. That said, you can see how good the quality was all night long. Going into the event, we heard various rumors regarding NXT stars currently on the roster from Bayley to Samoa Joe.
However, none of those rumors held up to others that hit the ‘net. We saw a picture of Kota Ibushi hanging out with Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura on Friday, which started a ton of rumors. Many assumed Ibushi was in town due to appearances he was making during WrestleMania week. However, it was interesting that such an amazing performer was in Dallas hanging out with two other WWE performers.
It was then said TNA star Bobby Roode was in town as well. We knew he had no appearances scheduled for the week, which was interesting in its own right. To then find out he was in the area the same night NXT was having their biggest event of the year was even cooler. Both Roode and Ibushi appeared on camera during the NXT Takeover event, which made fans in the arena very happy to see.
That brings us to the question, are both Roode and Ibushi signing with WWE soon? It is the question we’ve all had since the moment we saw them on Takeover. It appears it is a yes and no answer. WWE did let us in a bit regarding both men, saying the following on WWE.com.
“NXT TakeOver: Dallas had no shortage of action inside the ring, but there also was plenty of intrigue beyond the ropes. During the live WWE Network event, Kota Ibushi was seen sitting amongst the capacity crowd of NXT fans. Is the Japanese Superstar the next highly-acclaimed competitor to bring his talents to NXT? Let the speculation begin.
“The decorated grappler could have been taking in another action-packed NXT TakeOver, like the thousands of other fans in attendance at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. However, there’s also the possibility that he’s scouting his future competition. If it’s indeed the latter, who in NXT might Ibushi have his sights set on? Does the man they call “Golden Star” have plans to enter his name into the recently announced Global Cruiserweight Series? What dream matchups could be in store for Ibushi?
“As if the sight of Kota Ibushi at NXT TakeOver: Dallas wasn’t enough to get the rumor mill rolling, another highly acclaimed grappler was revealed amid a sea of NXT fans. Former World Champion Bobby Roode was shown watching the live WWE Network event very closely from his seat in the capacity crowd. But why was the veteran competitor at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas?
“Just like with Ibushi, WWE.com can only speculate at the moment, but there are immediate thoughts of dream showdowns between Roode and the NXT roster’s elite. Perhaps Roode was just there to watch the hottest show in town. Or maybe he was there to scout potential future opponents. Going by the reaction of the NXT Universe when Roode was shown in attendance, fans were certainly excited by the prospect of the latter possibility.”
Bobby Roode is a former TNA World Champion who has been the subject of many WWE rumors for years now. He has the look, mic work, and in-ring skill to become a major star with WWE. The problem with Roode is that he was always set with TNA and never wanted to leave. However, after things began to go downhill with that promotion, Roode and others left and felt that they could earn more money in other places.
It looks to be that a WWE NXT run is possible for Roode. Some felt that he could be part of the Global Cruiserweight series, but this seems unlikely as Roode is around 240 pounds. He has slimmed down a bit, but he is nowhere near able to work at that weight class. It appears WWE will be signing Bobby Roode, but it might take time to see. Some believe he could show up on the next round of NXT tapings set to occur in about a month.
NXT has been recording shows at WWE Axxess this past week, so they will be fine with programming for a bit. Therefore seeing Roode in NXT might take time. As for Kota Ibushi, there has been a lot of reports surrounding how WWE will handle working with him. WWE obviously wants him, but it appears he will just be doing the Global Cruiserweight Tournament for now. Shinsuke Nakamura was key in getting him to take part in fact. While it does not seem to be concrete, Ibushi very well could sign with WWE by the end of the tournament. The former NJPW and DDT star has wanted to be free of a long term deal though, so we’ll have to wait on that one.
[Image via WWE]
