In 2011, IMPACT Wrestling introduced a new type of tournament called the Bound for Glory Series. Competitors would compete in a series of matches, earning points along the way. The more matches you won, the more points you’d earn. However, it wasn’t just about getting the win, it was about how you did it. 10 points were awarded for a submission victory, 7 for a pinfall, 5 for a countout, 3 for a disqualification victory and 2 for a draw. If you lost by disqualification, that earned you a points deduction of -10! Whoever had the most points at the end of the Bound for Glory Series would earn the right to challenge the IMPACT World Champion at the biggest pay-per-view of the year!
At No Surrender 2011, the Bound for Glory Series had reached its finale. The four points leaders were Bully Ray with 49 points, Gunner with 42 points, Bobby Roode with 42 points and James Storm with 40 points. Two singles matches would take place and whoever had the highest points total at the end of the night would go on to headline Bound for Glory 2011! First up, Bully Ray defeated James Storm by disqualification after Storm inadvertently spit beer in the referee’s face! The win brought Ray’s point total to 52 and dropped Storm’s to 30, eliminating him from the Bound for Glory Series. If Bobby Roode or Gunner wanted to tie Bully Ray, they would have to win their singles match by submission. After a grueling battle, it was Bobby Roode who pulled out the submission victory over Gunner with a devastating Crossface.
What now? Bully Ray and Bobby Roode were tied with 52 points each but only one could challenge Kurt Angle for the IMPACT World Championship at Bound for Glory. Management announced one final singles match between Bobby Roode and Bully Ray with the winner being crowned the Bound for Glory Series champion! After the dust had settled, it was Bobby Roode who stood tall in victory when he pinned Bully Ray with a huge Spinebuster!
The date was set. On Sunday, October 16th, 2011, the main event of Bound for Glory would see Kurt Angle defend the IMPACT World Championship against Bobby Roode. The match was considered as one of the best Bound for Glory main events of all time. It looked as though Bobby Roode was about accomplish his dream of claiming the IMPACT World Championship – but disaster struck. Having a recent change of attitude just a couple months prior, Kurt Angle resorted to cheating. Angle hit Roode with his signature Olympic Slam and pinned Roode while holding the ropes for leverage to retain the IMPACT World Championship at Bound for Glory.
After countless matches and months of dedication, possibly the greatest opportunity in Bobby Roode’s career was gone. Bound for Glory 2011 came to an end and he was not the IMPACT World Champion. His loss to Kurt Angle that night would change the history of Bobby Roode was we know it and send him spiraling out of control – but that’s a story for another time.
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