8 Times TNA Turned Trash Into Treasure
5. Bully Ray: From Mr. Brooke Hogan To President Of Aces & Eights
Bully Ray (the former Buh Buh Ray Dudley) was trying to make a name for himself as a singles star, but bad booking left him short of the upper-card status his mic work and wrestling really deserved.
When the biker-themed invaders of Aces & Eights appeared, Bully Ray led the call against them, only to find himself in a secret romantic relationship with Hulk Hogan's daughter Brooke. They actually ended an episode of TNA Impact with Brooke, Hulk, and Bully staring silently at each other in a sad attempt at cliffhanging dramatic tension. Hogan then suspended Bully Ray for, I don't know, dating his daughter?
TNA followed this with Bully and Brooke's wedding (ugh), a Tazz heel turn that accomplished nothing (since Tazz was too fragile to ever take a bump), and Hulk Hogan reinstating Bully Ray in time for him to score a World title shot.
And that's when things finally took a turn for the better.
At Lockdown, Bully Ray won the TNA Heavyweight Championship, then revealed himself as the president of Aces & Eights, becoming the top heel in the company. (Yes, I know, I'm ignoring the utter ridiculousness of Bully getting his ass kicked by the group for MONTHS before being revealed as its leader.)
After a hellacious run as champion, defeating Jeff Hardy, Sting, and a very game Chris Sabin, he lost the title to AJ Styles in one of Bully's best-ever singles matches. Along the way, he remained the highlight of the slowly imploding Aces & Eights storyline.