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By Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

Torch reader and Hitlist fan Chris Hart wrote me to suggest I do a roster report card for TNA. TNA has a huge roster, so I am breaking it down into two halves alphabetically. This is part one of my TNA Roster Hitlist. The second half will be coming soon. Also, in the near future I will be doing the same for all three WWE brands. My Hits and Misses are based both on the caliber of the wrestlers, along with the way that they are being booked by TNA creative. In addition to the normal Hits and Misses, I am adding an On The Bubble section for those wrestlers who are either too new to decide, or for those who are talented but totally misused. (Note: I took this roster from TNA’s website. It does not include most of their Knockouts, their announcers, and part time performers like Scott Hall. It also does not include Booker T, but I have added him to make the list more complete).

ROSTER HITS

A.J. Styles: As I have said before, AJ Styles could be used in a better way than as Christian Cage’s side kick. However, he plays that part well and it has been entertaining for the most part. He is one of the best workers in the company. His heel comedy work has let him work on character development and cutting promos, which he was lacking in the past. If he can shake the stigma of this character, continue to develop his mic skills, and get involved with higher caliber opponents in a properly pushed X-Division, he would be a top star in this company.

Alex Shelley: Shelley is one of several under utilized X-Division Stars. He was one of the first to really step up and develop a personality and a character. His work in the past with Paparazzi Productions shows that he can handle himself on the mic. He clearly has good in ring ability, and like Styles could be a huge star if pushed properly. His team with Chris Sabin has a ton of potential, if they can actually come out of this feud vs. Team 3D with good credibility.

Booker T: I almost put Booker in the On The Bubble section as he is just too new to TNA to get a clear cut understanding of how he will be booked. Also, I am concerned that he is over 40, his better days are behind him, and he has gotten burned out on professional wrestling multiple times over the last few years and contemplated retirement. But, I am a big fan of his since his days in Harlem Heat. If used properly he can be a great addition to TNA’s roster. He has great name recognition, and unlike others who have been brought in, he was a major player in WWE as recently as August.

Chris Sabin: He is in the same position as Alex Shelley. A few years ago I thought he should be the first X-Division star that WWE should consider when thinking of wrestlers to sign to bolster their Cruiserweight Division. It took a heel turn, but he was also successful in developing a personality and character. He is fun to watch against the right opponent, and like Shelley, he could be a major player depending on how this feud vs. Team 3D goes.

Christian Cage: Not much has to be said about Christian. I was a huge fan of his in WWE. He is great on the mic and good in the ring. He adds credibility and name recognition to the roster, while staying cool. He is just a big plus to any roster that he is on.

Eric Young: Eric Young is enjoyable to watch, has great charisma and personality, and really connects to the audience. His goofiness gets a bit redundant at times, and he isn’t featured in enough matches to remind the audience that he is a good worker. But his comedic scenes have been very funny, and he has a major upside if they let him wrestle more often.

Gail Kim: Kim is one of the best women wrestlers. She was always impressive in being innovative and adding high flying offense to the traditional women wrestlers’ repertoires. She was a worthy choice to be the first TNA Women’s Champion.

Hernandez: I am not as high on Hernandez as some other Torch writers. Yes, he is big and impressive looking, he can do very good power moves, and he is agile and mobile for a man his size. He does strike me as a bit reckless at times in the ring. I worry about his opponent every time he does the Border Toss. I think a neck injury similar to what happened to Droz is a possibility. I hope I am wrong. He also in an unknown commodity on the mic, as he never gets a chance to talk. But, he has a big upside and is good enough to warrant being in the top team in TNA (where LAX should be). That doesn’t mean he should be pushed to World Title contender.

Homicide: Homicide has a lot of what Hernandez has positive going for him (other than size), without a lot of the draw backs. He is very talented in the ring. He is very exciting to watch. He has had more of a chance to talk and has done a good job. I would probably ban the Gringo Killer for the same reasons I would ban the Border Toss. But, he has so much potential that adds to LAX deserving a bigger push, and is a sign that he could break out as a singles star.

James Storm: Storm is a marginal Hit for me. He has done a pretty good job in developing his character since the end of America’s Most Wanted. He is a decent worker, and has shown he can have good brawling matches. He has undeniable charisma and personality. He needs to be involved in more than just beer drinking contests, but the potential is there.

Jay Lethal: Lethal does a great Randy Savage impersonation. That much is clear. It is also clear that he is a very good in ring worker, and at his age should only get better and better. But, the Black Machismo gimmick will be detrimental in the long run. It is particularly bad that it has never been made clear if he is doing an impersonation, or if he actually thinks that he is Randy Savage. At least it has given him a chance to talk more, and develop his character skills to help ultimately take him to the next level.

ROSTER MISSES

Abyss: I know he has a lot of fans, but I have never been one of them. He always has struck me as a poor-man’s Mankind, and he has done nothing in the last five years to change my mind. He is a decent worker for a man his size, but in reality he isn’t that big. He works better as a heel, and this babyface run hasn’t been good at all. He is always going to be a guy who can take big bloody bumps, but he can’t connect with the fans the way that Mick Foley did.

BG James: He can still talk, but he could never wrestle. His act is too stale and too based on what happened in the late ‘90s. The Voodoo Kin Mafia has been a big bust. With the talent on this roster, James clearly no longer deserves a spot.

Black Reign: Dustin Rhodes once (actually more than once) created magic with Goldust. That magic is not there with Black Reign. The character is lame. Rhodes is too far past his prime to put on good wrestling matches. His appearances on Impact are cringe inducing. He should be shown the door.

Chris Harris: If I had done this report card this summer when Harris was getting a big push, he might have been in the Hit column. He had a great brawl match against James Storm, got in a good showing at King of the Mountain, and had a feud with Christian Cage. All of that seems so long ago now. He has been less than impressive lately. Creative isn’t giving him anything to work with, as his character is totally undefined. But when given a chance to shine against Christian recently on Impact, he came up very short in his performance.

Christy Hemme: She has pep and personality, but she can’t wrestle very well, and is very annoying to listen to. A large part of this Miss is for TNA’s writing of her character since she arrived. She was treated as a heel just because she wanted to be treated with respect. Her recent storyline with Lance Hoyt has been awful. This is largely creative’s fault, but she herself has done nothing when given a chance to show me why she should be kept around.

Elix Skipper: I never have liked this guy going back to his days in Team Canada in WCW. He can put on a good match, and do some high flying moves, but he isn’t known for being the all around worker like Christopher Daniels. He can’t talk. He has no personality. He brings nothing to the table but a few high spots per match, which isn’t good enough.

Havok: I don’t know why this guy is on the roster other than the fact that TNA needs to have some jobbers around. There is nothing good about him to warrant keeping him.

Jim Cornette: Jim Cornette might be a great wrestling mind, but his character and acting are too over the top. He does come out with some good one liners from time to time, but for the most part his on air persona is just annoying and inconsistent. It is so poorly written! Cornette might be better suited as a manager or color commentator, but not Commissioner.

Judas Mesias: This guy is a huge bust. He got a big and lengthy build up as James Mitchell’s new monster, but his brief run before his injury did not point to the possibility of him justifying that build. He does not have a good look. He is not particularly impressive in the ring. He was totally replaceable by Raven and Black Reign in the feud with Abyss, and that is not a good sign at all. Maybe he will prove me wrong when he returns, but I highly doubt it.

ON THE BUBBLE

Awesome Kong: She looks big and impressive and reportedly she is a good worker. But by having her just squash her opponents, TNA has not shown her ability. The squashed to build her up as dominant work well to make her an imposing threat to Gail Kim. But can she talk? Can she really work a good competitive match? Will Kim vs. Kong be a good PPV match? These questions are left to be answered and so I can’t put list her as either a Hit or Miss yet.

Christopher Daniels: He should absolutely 100% be in the Hit column., as he is a great worker. He has o.k. charisma and mic skills. But, his character development is nonexistent. His involvement with XXX is holding him back. A lot of this falls on the shoulders of creative for not giving him a character, and not booking him as a top X-Division singles star that he was at one time. The way he is used now, he can’t be a Hit, but he has too much talent to be a Miss.

Jackie Moore: Jackie is a good wrestler, but she isn’t wrestling much right now. Her character isn’t going anywhere. Her partnership with James Storm is starting to grow stale (which doesn’t mean I want them to have tension like all the other man-woman pairs in TNA!). With an influx of new, younger Knockouts, I’m not sure there will still be a place for her.

James Mitchell: I like James Mitchell. He is a good manager. When given the right circumstances, he can be a big plus to TNA. But as long as he is in this never ending, never going anywhere blood feud with Abyss, his character is stuck in the mud. His repeated attempts lately to physically attack Abyss from behind are laughable and have hurt his credibility. His various post-Abyss monsters have been very weak. He has been a Hit in the past, and could be again. But for now, he is on the bubble as to whether he is helping or hurting the TNA product.

Jeff Jarrett: I’m including Jarrett on the list because he is still listed on the website as being part of the roster. He hasn’t been on t.v. in several months. He has been a Miss more often than a Hit. But, it is unfair to list him there right now since he hasn’t been on for so long. Only time will tell if he returns, what his role will be at that point, and how he will perform.

Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com's Hitlist Specialist, providing his point of view in the Torch's hitlist format for Raw, Smackdown, ECW, and TNA Impact each week. Email him at jmezz-torch@sbcglobal.net.

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