With a little over a week away from TNA Wrestling’s biggest show of the year, Bound For Glory 2012, many of the TNA fans are wondering who will be revealed as the Aces and Eights. The outside stable debuted on Impact several weeks ago, and since their arrival, have reeked havoc on much of the TNA roster. Inspired by the popular television series “Sons of Anarchy,” the Aces and Eights storyline has been the company’s most popular storyline in years. It’s certainly the most popular angle they’ve run since Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s arrival in January 2010. Unfortunately, TNA has done what many people before them have done. They’ve painted themselves into a corner. The Aces and Eights storyline has become so popular and intriguing that, barring a huge surprise reveal, the end result may be anti climatic. This of course will result in fan backlash, and it certainly won’t help the sagging TNA ratings.
To their credit, TNA has done a great job keeping the storyline a secret. At least to the internet websites. Popular wrestling insiders are just guessing who will be involved in the major angle. TNA has dropped several hints over the weeks as to who is going to be involved in Aces and Eights. These hints can be viewed as foreshadowing, or they can be a part of a major swerve. Here are just a few of the possibilities of who is behind the Aces and Eights.
Hulk Hogan
Since his initial heel turn in 1996, Hulk Hogan has gone back and forth between the good guy red and yellow Hulk Hogan, and his alter ego Hollywood Hogan. In TNA, Hulk Hogan entered as a good guy, then turned bad with Eric Bischoff, then aligned with Sting feuded with Eric Bischoff, and now we’re back to Hulk Hogan being a good guy and fighting the heel Aces and Eights. If history is any indication, then TNA may turn Hulk Hogan on Sting for the billionth time in wrestling, and align with Aces and Eights. It would make sense, as Hogan is a well known biker enthusiast. In addition, at Bound for Glory 2011, when Hogan turned against his stable of friends, that stable included Eric Bischoff and Bully Ray, two guys who are also rumored members of Aces and Eights.
Eric and Garrett Bischoff:
Where there is spotlight, Eric Bischoff is not too far away. After being forced to leave TNA, we haven’t seen much of Bischoff. Which is why him being the mastermind being Aces and Eights would make sense. At some point, Eric Bischoff will come back. And he’ll come back in a big way. This may be the biggest way. Bischoff, like Hogan, is a biker enthusiast, so it would make sense for him to be associated with the group. In addition, a few weeks ago on Impact it was alluded that there was someone on the “inside of TNA” helping out the Aces and Eights. Well, Garrett Bischoff is on the TNA roster. And, in a bit of foreshadowing, Garrett Bischoff was clearly pissed off at Hulk Hogan when the Hulkster informed Garrett that he just wasn’t ready for a TV Title match. In addition, when Hogan and Sting were at the Aces and Eights Clubhouse, the leader, talking through a voice morpher, but still had serious Eric Bischoff word inflections.
Bully Ray:
Bully Ray is on an upswing in TNA, becoming a major focal point on television. Could his major push come when he is revealed as the leader of Aces and Eights. After all, Bully Ray has never gotten beat down by the attackers. And he certainly has benefited from their presence. Also, on the last Impact Wrestling, when it was announced that Mr. Anderson would be Sting’s partner, Anderson was immediately attacked and Bully Ray came out and made a case for himself. Does this not sound like Bully Ray is taken the proper steps to ensure that he will be able to turn on Sting with his Aces and Eights partners at Bound for Glory.
D’Lo Brown:
The reason D’lo Brown’s name has been thrown into the mix, despite just being a backstage agent, is because one of the Aces and Eights leader looks to be a husky black male, in the shape of D’Lo Brown. In addition, this past week, TNA acknowledged D’lo Brown’s “security” job within TNA and asked him how he could allow Matt Morgan, who has not been seen on television for months, to attack TNA wrestlers at house shows. This casts suspicion on D’Lo Brown that he is the “insider” allowing the Aces and Eights army to run rough shot on the company.
Matt Morgan:
Due to his recent actions at TNA house shows, Morgan is suspected to be a member of the outlaw faction. However, I highly doubt this, as none of the characters thus far has fit his description. However, his presence at house shows does draw some questions. Whether its part of the Aces and Eights storyline or not, it does make viewers question his intentions.
Jeff Jarrett:
One of the founders of TNA, Jeff Jarrett, hasn’t been seen on television in over a year, after losing a match to Kurt Angle. Many believe that the Aces and Eights storyline is the perfect way to get Jeff Jarrett back into a major angle in TNA. Much like Bischoff, a Jarrett reveal would be a huge disappointment because it’s been done before. In addition, Jarrett being associated with a bunch of bikers is a bit of stretch. The characters are polar opposites. I don’t see Jarrett being a part of Aces and Eights. Of course… there is one reason why it might make sense that Jarrett is heading up Aces and Eights. It is well known that Jarrett founded TNA, along with his father. And yet Sting, who has been targeted by and is fighting Aces and Eights, was named the first member into the TNA Hall of Fame. That certainly would be a good reason for Jarrett to hire some hitmen to go after Sting and the rest of the TNA roster.
Sting:
If TNA is looking to take Aces and Eights on a rollercoaster ride with a swerve, they might consider Sting as the leader of the group. After all, in the past, Sting has always been the victim in situations like this. So what better way to swerve the audience than to go the complete opposite way and make Sting the heel. In addition, with Sting going into the TNA Hall of Fame the night before, the fans will be ultra hot for the painted super hero. Having him turn heel may be on par to the 1996 Hulk Hogan heel turn. At least, that may be what TNA is thinking.
Regardless of who is revealed at the leader of the group, the angle has been white hot since its inception. And TNA has done a great job with dropping hints on who it could be. Through the weeks, they have thrown hints out there that it could be Bully Ray, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and many more. More than likely, whoever is revealed as the leader, it will be an anti-climatic finish. Wrestling fans are accustomed to big surprises. And unfortunately for TNA, they’re not good at keeping up on their deal of major surprises. But the storyline gives hope that the company is getting better at long term booking. And though the story isn’t exactly ground breaking (how many threatening factions have we had in the last 2 years), at least this one is being done correctly.
And finally, just to put my prediction out there. And I base this on nothing more than my 20 years of watching wrestling, I am going to predict that Bully Ray is the guy running Aces and Eights. Its the predictable answer, which is probably why it won’t happen. But I hope it does, because at least Bully Ray is a fresh character in the TNA main event.
MORE HEADLINES FROM THIS CONTRIBUTOR
Lillian Garcia Talks About Vince McMahon’s Sexual Exploits During Artie Lange Show
30 Minute Promo Hyping TNA Bound for Glory 2012