They say timing is everything. Last week, one of the highlights of Impact Wrestling were a series of filmed vignettes where Bully Ray visited the Nashville offices of TNA in an attempt to confront Dixie Carter about her recent treatment of him. Then, on the latest One Night Only broadcast, recorded in Birmingham, England last February, Bully was involved in the most entertaining comedy match I've seen in years, proof that non-serious wrestling can work if the material and performers are strong enough. And the common factor aside from Bully? In each case his comic foil was Birmingham's own 'TNA chief of staff' Rockstar Spud.
In one way the clear chemistry the pair have is unsurprising, given that they are both quality performers who put everything into their performances. Bully Ray for a long time was one of the company's top faces. The former Bubba Ray Dudley could have easily settled into a comfortable rut satisfying fans with facile Dudley Boyz nostalgia. Instead, he turned on Brother Devon and completely re-invented himself as a monster heel, an arrogant smash-mouth villain with a ruthless streak. This was astonishing, and it's a testament to how the new character became over that his revelation as the leader of Aces & Eights breathed life into a flagging and over-extended angle. It is this writer's opinion that, with the possible sole exception of Paul Heyman, Bully is the best promo guy in wrestling today.
Meanwhile, Spud has really taken the chance he's been given in TNA with open arms and has run hard with it. Having won Jeremy Borash's 'British Boot Camp' competition in early 2013, his subsequent absence from TV screens was a major disappointment for many fans. It seemed that, like the failed Gut Check experiment (that ultimately produced only one long-term success in Sam Shaw), this was another dead end. In truth, the diminutive Englishman was gaining valuable experience in developmental territories, knowing that when he was ready, a place on the roster was going to be his. When he did make his full debut as a regular character late in 2013, he was immediately placed in the middle of the main storyline, as Dixie made him her chief of staff to facilitate her villainous plans. Immediately, his worth was clear, as he was given plenty of air time to show off his new character. His eager puppy-like devotion to his new mistress was borderline disturbing, and his taste for loud suits with omnipresent bow-ties was perhaps even more disturbing.
I already knew from seeing British footage that Spud is also a talented promo guy, capable of making a crowd hate his heel persona in thirty seconds flat. And he has instantly made a mark in Florida; his promos have established him as an insecure small guy shit-scared of most of the roster, but able to make short cuts to get his way. What I like is how he can always still work a crowd even when he's not the focus of a segment; when someone else is talking, he has a repertoire of gestures that he pulls out. In short, he's always worth watching.
How then to explain how two dissimular, if motivated, performers work together so well? Watching their work together, it strikes me that there are odd parallels to Laurel & Hardy. You have the enthusiastic but accident-prone scrawny Englishman alongside a physically imposing American who cannot believe his partner's stupidity, yet somehow ends up alongside him. In both shows, Bully was openly contemptuous of his partners antics and dress sense; his glowering contempt was eloquent enough in itself even when he said nothing. For his part, Spud hilariously tried to stand up to the larger man, but usually soon backed down. And there were also slight flickers of a curious mutual respect as well.
During the British Boot Camp broadcasts, once the four hopefuls reached Orlando, various TNA stars were asked for their opinions. Very noticeably, Bully produced an emphatic endorsement of Spud; outlining the ways in which the Brummie star was compatible with the Bully lifestyle, he concluded, "He could be my frickin' son!", This was very much delivered in character, but I believe the sentiments were genuine.
Given their obvious willingness to work together and the fact they make an effective chalk and cheese partnership, maybe TNA could consider putting them together as a tag team? Some adjustment might be needed, as Bully is now a face while Spud is a heel. But Spud is less evil than just misguided in his devotion to devious Dixie, so this wouldn't be too difficult to pull off. Certainly, TNA should find more ways to get them either in league or in conflict, as at the moment the pair are knocking it out the park.
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