| Beer Money, Inc. | |
|---|---|
 Bobby Roode (left) andJames Storm (right) | |
| Tag team | |
| Members | Robert/Bobby Roode[1] James Storm[1] |
| Name(s) | Beer Money[1] Beer Money, Inc.[1] Robert Roode and James Storm[1] Fortune |
| Billed heights | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) - Roode[2] 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) - Storm[3] |
| Combined billed weight | 470 lb (210 kg)[2][3] |
| Former member(s) | Jacqueline (valet)[1] Ric Flair (manager) |
| Debut | June 12, 2008[1] |
| Years active | 2008–2011 2016 |
Beer Money, Inc. was aprofessional wrestlingtag team which consisted ofRobert "Bobby" Roode andJames Storm in theprofessional wrestling promotionTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where they are record-tyingfive-timeTNA World Tag Team Champions, while also holding the record for the longest single reign and longest combined reigns as champions. From 2008 to 2009, the team was managed by Storm's continuing managerJacqueline.
James Storm and Robert Roode had teamed up on several occasions over the years prior and following the end of their alliances inAmerica's Most Wanted andTeam Canada respectively, but it wasn't until the second quarter of 2008 that they started to become a regular tag team. On the June 12, 2008 episode of TNA's primary television program,TNA Impact!, Storm and Roode challengedThe Latin American Xchange (LAX) (Homicide andHernandez) for theTNA World Tag Team Championship.[4] Storm and Roode were successful in winning the match following asuperkick from Storm, which he named the Last Call, to Hernandez with a leather-belt wrapped around his boot.[4] LAX's manager,Hector Guerrero, was at ringside and informed the referee about what happened and the match was restarted. LAX ended up retaining the titles after the restart.[4] After the match, Storm, Roode and Jacqueline handcuffed LAX to the ring posts, and then proceeded to whip them with leather belts.[4] Later that night they challenged LAX to retaliate.[4] The next week onImpact!, LAX challenged Storm and Roode to aFan's Revenge Match atVictory Road for the titles, which would involve the two teams fighting in a ring surrounded by legitimate fans of the promotion armed with leather belts.[5]
Furthering the feud, the following week onImpact!, Homicide challenged Roode to a Parking Lot Brawl, which he accepted. Although both Storm and Hernandez were meant to be barred from the area, Storm interfered during the brawl, and the two dragged Homicide back into the arena and attacked him, until Hernandez saved him.[6] At Victory Road, LAX retained the titles.[7] AtHard Justice, there was a rematch where Beer Money defeated LAX to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship.[8] In the rematch atNo Surrender, Beer Money defeated LAX to retain the titles.[9] Two weeks later, onImpact!, they faced LAX again in a Six Person Mixed Tag Team match with the two teams managers also competing, in which the losing team would lose the services of their manager. Beer Money won the bout, and as per the pre-match stipulation, Guerrero could no longer be LAX's manager.[10] After that Beer Money retained the tag team titles atTurning Point againstThe Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley andChris Sabin).[11]
Beer Money, Inc. later engaged in a feud withMatt Morgan andAbyss, retaining the titles against them atFinal Resolution. On the January 8 episode ofImpact!, they lost the titles toJay Lethal andConsequences Creed after Lethal cashed in hisFeast or Fired briefcase.[12] AtGenesis, they won back the TNA World Tag Team Championship by defeatingMatt Morgan andAbyss and Lethal and Creed in a 3-Way Dance.[13] Beer Money faced Creed and Lethal again atAgainst All Odds, with Beer Money retaining the championship.[14]
On the February 19, 2009 episode ofImpact! Beer Money began a weekly segment they called the "Off the Wagon Challenge", where the stipulation was that any two wrestlers could challenge them and they would put the World Tag Team Championship on the line, however, if they were able to retain their belts the wrestler who was pinned or made to submit would be released from TNA. They were first challenged byEric Young andPetey Williams, in which Williams was pinned.[15] The second challengers wereThe Rock 'n Rave Infection (Lance Rock andJimmy Rave), who were defeated when Rock was pinned.[16] On the March 5 episode ofImpact!, LAX challenged Beer Money, but were unable to regain the titles as the champions got themselves disqualified. After the matchTeam 3D (Brother Ray andBrother Devon) saved LAX from a beatdown and announced that they would accept Beer Money's Off the Wagon Challenge atDestination X.[17] At Destination X, Beer Money got themselves disqualified, howeverJim Cornette restarted the match and made it a No Disqualification match, in which Roode walked out with Storm draped over his shoulder, resulting in acountout.[18]
AtLockdown, Beer Money lost the TNA World Tag Team titles to Team 3D in a match where Team 3D'sIWGP Tag Team titles were also on the line. On the May 21, 2009 episode ofTNA Impact!, Beer Money came to Team 3D's aid againstThe British Invasion (Doug Williams,Brutus Magnus and their bodyguardRob Terry) and shook hands with 3D afterwards which turned themface. Beer Money then entered Team 3D'sInvitational Tag Team Tournament, where the winners would receive a tag team title shot against Team 3D. Beer Money made it all the way to the finals, and they beat The British Invasion atSacrifice on May 24, 2009, to face Team 3D for the TNA World Tag Team Titles.[19] In the weeks leading up to Slammiversary, Team 3D assisted Beer Money in fending off The British Invasion however, Beer Money didn't return the favour. In the last week before Slammiversary, Beer Money brawled with Team 3D after making crude remarks. AtSlammiversary, Beer Money defeated Team 3D to win the TNA World Tag Team Titles for the third time. Two weeks after Slammiversary,Booker T andScott Steiner ofThe Main Event Mafia defeated Team 3D to win the right to face Beer Money for the titles atVictory Road, thus entering into a feud with the two. At Victory Road, Beer Money lost the titles to Booker T and Scott Steiner.
The two teams would see their feud intervene with that of Team 3D and the British Invasion, causing a 4-way war that would last the next 3 months. Beer Money would go on to lose to the British Invasion in an IWGP Tag Team Championship match atHard Justice,[20] win aLethal Lockdown match atNo Surrender (teaming with Team 3D against MEM and the Invasion),[21] and lose a 4-wayFull Metal Mayhem match atBound for Glory for both the TNA and IWGP Tag Team Championships, with Team 3D winning the IWGP belts and the British Invasion the TNA belts.[22] Beer Money were permitted one last title shot the followingImpact!, where they fought the British Invasion in aSix Sides of Steel match. Brutus Magnus would have his team disqualified by punching the referee, causing him and Doug Williams to retain the championships.[23] On the November 12 episode ofImpact! Beer Money defeated the British Invasion in a non-title match to join the Motor City Machine Guns in the TNA World Tag Team Championship match atTurning Point.[24] At Turning Point, the British Invasion managed to retain their titles afterKevin Nash nailed Storm with theTNA Global Championship belt.[25] AtGenesis Roode and Storm scored an upset victory overThe Band of Kevin Nash andSyxx-Pac.[26]
WithHulk Hogan andEric Bischoff taking over TNA at the beginning of 2010, Beer Money's TV time was significantly reduced.[27] Upon their return toImpact!, Beer Money turnedheel on the March 8 episode ofImpact! by first volunteering to faceJeff Jarrett in a handicap match and then defeating him after a low blow and the DWI, claiming it was the only way they were going to get noticed by the new management.[28] Roode and Storm have since acted as Bischoff's henchmen, taking on wrestlers he's had problems with, often in two-on-one situations.[29][30] AtDestination X Beer Money challenged Matt Morgan and Hernandez for the TNA World Tag Team Championship, but were unable to dethrone the defending champions.[31] AtLockdown Beer Money, along withSting andDesmond Wolfe, represented Team Flair in the annualLethal Lockdown match, where they were defeated by Team Hogan (Abyss, Jeff Jarrett,Rob Van Dam andJeff Hardy).[32] They then started a feud with the newly formed team of Jeff Hardy andMr. Anderson, known collectively as The Enigmatic Assholes, who would go on to defeat them atSlammiversary VIII.[33] On the following episode ofImpact! Ric Flair, who had aligned himself with Beer Money, A.J. Styles, Desmond Wolfe andKazarian, announced that he would reform theFour Horsemen under the new nameFourtune, stating that each of them would have to earn their spots in the group and that in order for Roode and Storm to earn their spots, they needed to become theOle Anderson andTully Blanchard of the group.[34][35] After the TNA World Tag Team Championship was vacated in June, Beer Money entered a four–team, two–week-long tournament to decide who would get to face The Motor City Machine Guns for the titles atVictory Road. Beer Money advanced to the title match at the pay-per-view by defeating Team 3D andInk Inc. (Jesse Neal andShannon Moore).[35][36] At Victory Road Beer Money was defeated by the Motor City Machine Guns in the match for the World Tag Team Championship.[37]
After Victory Road Beer Money entered a Best of Five Series with the Motor City Machine Guns, contested for the TNA World Tag Team Championship. Beer Money won the first two matches, aladder match and aStreet Fight, after knocking their opponents out with beer bottles.[38][39] On the July 29 episode ofImpact!, Ric Flair announced that Roode and Storm, who were just one victory away from becoming four–time TNA World Tag Team Champions, had earned the right to join himself, Styles and Kazarian to become the final two members of Fourtune.[40][41] However, Shelley and Sabin came back to win the two following matches in the Best of Five Series, asteel cage match and anUltimate X match, to even the score to 2–2 and set up a deciding match for the August 12 episode ofImpact!.[41][42] On the August 12 episode ofImpact! Beer Money, Inc. was defeated in aTwo Out of Three Falls match and as a result lost the Best of Five Series 2–3.[43] Later that night Douglas Williams and Matt Morgan were added to Fourtune, as the stable attackedEV 2.0, a stable consisting of formerExtreme Championship Wrestling performers.[43] In the weeks leading toBound for Glory, the stable's name was tweaked to Fortune to represent the expansion in the number of members in the group.[44][45] At Bound for Glory Roode, Storm, Styles, Kazarian and Morgan were defeated in a Lethal Lockdown match by EV 2.0 membersTommy Dreamer,Raven,Rhino,Sabu andStevie Richards, ending the feud between the two factions.[46] On the following episode ofImpact! Fortune formed an alliance with Hulk Hogan's and Eric Bischoff's new stable,Immortal.[47] AtTurning Point Fortune defeated EV 2.0 in a ten-man tag team match and, as a result, EV 2.0's Sabu was released from TNA.[48] The following month atFinal Resolution, Beer Money, Inc. returned to the TNA World Tag Team Championship picture by defeating Ink Inc. in a number one contender's match.[49] On January 9, 2011, atGenesis, Beer Money, Inc. defeated the Motor City Machine Guns to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship for the fourth time.[50]
On January 31 at the tapings of the February 3 episode ofImpact!, Fortune turned face by attacking Immortal, when they interfered in aTNA World Heavyweight Championship match between Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy.[51][52] Ric Flair, who did not take part in Fortune's turn due to being out with a torn rotator cuff, returned at the February 14 tapings of the February 17 episode ofImpact!, turning on Fortune and jumping to Immortal.[53][54] On April 17 atLockdown, Roode, Storm, Kazarian andChristopher Daniels, who replaced an injured A.J. Styles, defeated Immortal representatives Ric Flair, Abyss,Bully Ray andMatt Hardy in a Lethal Lockdown match.[55] In early May, Roode returned to using the first name Bobby, which he had previously used during his days as a member of Team Canada.[56] On May 15 atSacrifice, Beer Money, Inc. successfully defended the TNA World Tag Team Championship against Immortal representatives Matt Hardy and Chris Harris, Storm's old tag team partner who had made his surprise return to TNA on the previous episode ofImpact!.[57] On the following episode ofImpact Wrestling, Immortal assaulted Roode, sidelining him with a storyline shoulder injury.[58] Two weeks later, Eric Bischoff attempted to strip Beer Money, Inc. of their TNA World Tag Team Championship due to Roode's injury, but was interrupted by the champions' former rival Alex Shelley, who agreed to take Roode's spot in the title defense against the British Invasion atSlammiversary IX.[59] At the pay-per-view, Storm and Shelley were successful in their title defense.[60] Roode made his in-ring return on the June 23 episode ofImpact Wrestling, in a tag team match, where he and Storm were defeated byCrimson and Matt Morgan.[61] On July 13, Beer Money, Inc. became the longest reigning TNA World Tag Team Champions in the title's history, breaking the previous record of 184 days set byA.J. Styles andTomko in 2007. On August 7 atHardcore Justice, Beer Money, Inc. successfully defended the TNA World Tag Team Championship againstMexican America (Anarquia and Hernandez).[62] Two days later, at the tapings of the August 18 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Mexican America defeated Beer Money, Inc. in a rematch, following interference from Jeff Jarrett, to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship, ending Roode's and Storm's record-setting reign at 212 days.[63][64]
From June to September, Roode and Storm were two of the twelve participants in theBound for Glory Series to determine the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. When thegroup stage of the tournament concluded, both of them finished in the top four and thus advanced to the finals atNo Surrender along with Immortal members Bully Ray andGunner.[65] On September 11 at No Surrender, Storm was eliminated from the tournament after losing to Ray via disqualification. Meanwhile, Roode defeated Gunner via submission to set up a tiebreaker match against Ray later in the event, in which Roode managed to pick up the win via pinfall to become the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship atBound for Glory.[66] On October 16 at Bound for Glory, Roode failed in his attempt to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship when he was pinned byKurt Angle, after the referee failed to notice his arm under the ropes or Angle using the ropes for leverage.[67] On the following episode ofImpact Wrestling, after it was revealed that Roode was not eligible for a rematch with Angle, new authority figure Sting gave the next title shot to James Storm, who then went on to defeat Angle to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time.[68] On the November 3 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Roode defeated Storm to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, after hitting him with his own beer bottle, dissolving Beer Money, Inc.[69]
Storm and Roode reunited for the first time in two years on December 4, 2013 (aired January 2, 2014) atImpact Wrestling. Beer Money defeatedKurt Angle andGunner.
On February 2, Roode and Storm appeared as Beer Money in theTNA One Night Only Joker's Wild, where they were beaten byThe Wolves.
On January 5, 2016, on TNA's debut onPop, James Storm returned to TNA to help Bobby Roode fight offEric Young andBram. After Storm told Roode he wanted to "get back to having fun". Storm handed Roode a beer officially reuniting Beer Money, Inc.[70] On the January 26, 2016 edition of Impact Wrestling, Storm won feast or fired briefcase for future World Tag Team Championship. On February 9, 2016, Beer Money attempted to cash in their title shot against current champions the Wolves, however in their attempt to cash in, TheDecay stopped them and mysteriously asked them to join their path of Decay.[71] They eventually challenged the group to a match, but it ended in disqualification whenAbyss pulled the referee out of the ring and began choking him.[71] After the matchCrazzy Steve lowblowed Roode.[71] On the March 8, 2016, Beer Money officially cashed inFeast or Fired contract and defeated The Wolves to win the title.
On March 19, 2016, Impact Wrestling tapings,Decay defeated Beer Money to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship. After this, Bobby Roode left TNA, disbanding the team.
On February 15, 2009, Beer Money, Inc. made their debut forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling, defeating the team ofAkira andMasahiro Chono at theSumo Hall inTokyo,Japan.[72]
On May 29, 2010, Beer Money, Inc. made their debut for British professional wrestling promotionOne Pro Wrestling (1PW), challenging Fight Club (Kid Fite and Liam Thomson) for the1PW Tag Team Championship and winning the match via disqualification, which meant that Fite and Thomson retained their titles. On June 6, 2010, Beer Money, Inc. participated in the Mexican wrestling promotionAAA'sTriplemanía XVIII event. The team competed in a 4-way elimination match for theAAA World Tag Team Championship and outlasted both then championsAtsushi Aoki andGo Shiozaki as well as former championsLa Hermandad 187 (Joe Líder andNicho el Millonario), but were defeated byLos Maniacos (Silver Cain andÚltimo Gladiador), who won the championship.[73] The match was a result of a working relationship between TNA and AAA. On October 12, 2010, New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that Beer Money, Inc. would return to the promotion on October 22.[74] In their match Roode and Storm defeated IWGP Tag Team Champions,Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard andKarl Anderson), in a non–title match.[75] The following day Beer Money, Inc. continued their undefeated streak in Japan, by defeatingNo Limit (Tetsuya Naito andYujiro Takahashi).[76] Beer Money, Inc. returned to New Japan on January 4, 2011, atWrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, where they unsuccessfully challenged Bad Intentions for the IWGP Tag Team Championship in a three-way match, which also included Muscle Orchestra (Manabu Nakanishi andStrong Man).[77][78]
