World Wrestling Entertainment made it a point to put its cameras on Bobby Roode in the crowd at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center at NXT TakeOver: Dallas nearly two weeks ago.
But at the time, we really didn't know why the former Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling World Heavyweight champion was in attendance for the April 1 event, just two nights before WrestleMania 32. Although live WWE Network cameras kept their lenses on him, Roode's mere presence in the crowd was pretty vague, other than imminent action in a WWE ring. Why else would the company highlight a reputable wrestler in the crowd?
Still, a day removed from the event and WWE.com did its best to keep the mystery going.
"Just like with [Kota] 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," WWE.com said. "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."
Well, two weeks later and there's some light being shed onto the moment and Roode's appearance at a live WWE event.
In recently speaking with the Peterborough Examiner, Roode revealed: "I'm not officially signed yet. The Internet has blown up over it, and I mean, I'm close, but I don't want to spoil anything or ruin anything. I want to wait until it's official. I don't want to jinx anything either."
So, who's Roode? Well, for starters ... one tough grappler.
His roots trace back to Canada, before becoming a celebrated TNA champion, holding every strap from the promotion's World Heavyweight title to its King of the Mountain belt in addition to being a multiple-time Tag-Team champ.
Just look at his show of strength up against former WWE Superstar Bobby Lashley back in a 2014 match.
Interestingly enough, Roode has wrestled dark matches for WWE in the past.
Now, as he alluded to, he's close to having a different role with the company altogether. Would a return feud with AJ Styles be in the cards? Perhaps a battle with Samoa Joe in NXT first?
The possibilities are endless, but it seems like Bobby Roode is more than ready to make a dent in WWE.
