10 Fatal Mistakes That Destroyed The TNA Brand
8. Beer Money Buried
There were numerous growing pains for TNA during the period between their historic Spike TV deal in 2005 and Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff's arrival in 2010, but it occasionally fostered acts that emotionally connected in such a way that the entire organisation looked bigger for their presence.
Arguably the company's most successful tag team project ever, Beer Money Inc (later shorted to Beer Money) were a hugely over babyface combo organically established from the graveyards of America's Most Wanted and Team Canada.
Both Bobby Roode and James Storm were in the midst of passable singles run, but were cancelling each other out as heels somewhat when they began teaming together alongside Storm's manager Jacqueline in 2008.
The pair were, for the want of a better phrase, WWE-ready. They had established catchphrases, t-shirts and moves, and were constantly credible despite TNA typically chaotic booking.
That was until Hogan and Bischoff's aggressive new reshuffle, when inattentive writing completely froze them out of major plans. A forced heel turn made them look like petulant children desperate for Hulk's attention, and the formation of Four Horseman retread Fortune alongside AJ Styles, Desmond Wolfe and Kazarian made all the hardworking stalwarts look painfully second rate.
Their collapse mirrored TNA's steep decline from the company it was trying to be, and the omnishambles it would perpetually become.