By Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

This is part two of my TNA Roster Hitlist. 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 have added an On The Bubble section for those wrestlers who are either too new to decide, or for those who are talented but totally misused.

ROSTER HITS

Kevin Nash: This Hit for Big Kev is based on his performances in multiple backstage segments over the last few years, and his potential to be a mentor, manager, or more preferably the new color commentator. If he continues to actually wrestle, he will no longer be a Hit. Nash is funny, can be very creative with his character, and can help TNA, but not in the ring.

Kurt Angle: Angle is the opposite of Nash. His help to TNA should be more in the ring, less back stage. He is one of the best in ring workers ever. I worry about his health and well being, but he seems to be holding up well. He can still deliver great matches. I don’t know of anyone who would dispute that. He also can be very good on the mic. He plays the comedy role better than the serious badass role, which is detrimental to a top heel. But if well written, his comedy bits should be good. TNA has to book him more logically, and even as a comedy act, he can’t be a wuss or a chicken, like he has been in recent weeks. Also, he can’t be on nine times a week. It is too much. He should be seen in the ring more than in the back with Jeremy Borash. If he doesn’t have a match, let him cut a promo, or be in one or two back stage segments. He is still a Hit even though he has been misused, because of his incredible skill.

Robert Roode: Right now, Roode is the only heel in TNA who is more interested in playing a straight heel, than trying to be a cool and popular heel. That is one of the reasons he is in the Hit column. His character is one dimensional and nothing we haven’t seen many times before. But, he plays the character well. His promos have improved in the past few months. He can improve more, but he is doing better. His in ring work is solid. He is never going to be a guy to have match of the year candidates, but he can be in good solid mid card matches.

Samoa Joe: Of course, Samoa Joe is the type who can (and has) had match of the year candidates. He hasn’t gotten the monster push that so many have called for, but he has brought an intensity to whatever TNA has booked for him. His in ring work is very good. His promos are solid. He can definitely improve here, but he is far from bad on the mic. He is worthy of a top spot on the roster, and a run with the TNA World Title.

Sanjay Dutt: He is a marginal Hit for me, because he clearly has good in ring ability, but is lacking in terms of character and mic work. He is doing better in those areas with the Guru gimmick, but it is not yet where it needs to be. With better writing, and continued improvement to his character and on the mic, he can be a major player in the X-Division.

Sting: Sting is also a marginal Hit as I have never been that big of a fan. That doesn’t mean I have anything against him, or that I don’t respect his skills or importance to wrestling. But, I don’t see him as being the all around performer that wrestlers like Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels are. He is a good worker, and despite being past his prime he is still having good matches. With better writing, he can deliver on the mic. He should not hold the Title at this point, but he can be used in various feuds, and can help put over younger talent.

Tomko: Based on what we saw of Tomko on Raw back in the day, I never thought he would be a Hit on a roster report card. I have been proven wrong. He isn’t good in the ring. He is decent. But, he is good on the mic and has charisma. His character needs to develop. It has been problematic in his back peddling of his anger towards Christian. But, he is entertaining. His work with AJ Styles is good, and they are starting to form good chemistry in the ring to go along with their chemistry outside the ring. He has a big upside if used properly.

ROSTER MISSES

Karen Angle: Karen needs to go. She has been o.k. in small doses. Perhaps if she had been used less, in a less in your face and obnoxious and poorly written way, she wouldn’t have overstayed her welcome. But, she has. A lot of this Miss is because of TNA creative. Her constant bickering with Kurt is very tiresome. Perhaps she could be a plus to the roster, but I am sick of her. She hasn’t done enough to show why she deserves to be on the roster.

Kyp James: What I said in Part 1 of the Roster Hitlist about BG James can be applied to his Voodoo Kin Mafia partner Kyp. He brings nothing interesting or worthwhile to the table. Every moment he is on air is a moment that should be going to someone else.

Lance Hoyt: Hoyt has been around from just about the beginning of TNA. Perhaps that long run should come to an end. He is decent in the ring, but not that good. He doesn’t have the charisma or mic skills of a Tomko. His storylines have never been interesting or compelling in any way. He is just taking up space.

Matt Morgan: Morgan is a WWE castoff who shouldn’t have been signed. He looks big and impressive, but never showed anything in the ring. He can serve the purpose of a silent body guard, but that should be it for his role. Having him a member of TNA management is a mistake, as evidenced by his bad promo last week. He can’t wrestle or talk, so he is a Miss.

Raven: Raven has got to go. As far as I’m concerned (and I may be in the minority here), his character has been lame from the start. I can’t imagine anyone at least not agreeing that it has been stale for some time. He is far past his prime in the ring. He gives silly promos. His various attempts at recreating his WCW Flock have been failures. He adds nothing at this point.

Rick Steiner: Rick is another guy who is too far past his prime to deserve a spot. I feel bad for the guy if he can’t financially retire at this point, but that is what he should do. He could probably be a help to the roster as a trainer, or maybe an agent. He had a good and long career, but it should be over now. With so many young and exciting wrestlers being unused by TNA, there is no excuse for having this one time big star around any longer.

Ron Killings: Is he on any more? His return to TNA to team with Pacman Jones was pathetic. He does some cool moves in the ring, but he is over rated as a worker. His rapping ability is even suspect. He can give a solid promo, but he is just as likely to give a bad one.

Scott Steiner: While not as old as his brother, Scott is also past his prime. His promos are Hit or Miss. He is supposedly a babyface, but he does nothing but act like a heel (calling a female interviewer a “skank” is a heel move). At his age and with injuries piling up over many years, his in ring work isn’t what it once was. There is a reason WWE let him go a few years ago. Like Rick, he is taking a spot from a younger more deserving wrestler.

Shark Boy: If TNA gets rid of the Steiners only to give their time to Shark Boy, then I would take back everything I said about them. This guy is the very definition of lame. I never understood how he got a job in WCW, let alone how he was considered an all-star for WWA, or why TNA would use him either. If they need a jobber, o.k, but even at that they could do better.

Team 3D: I was a fan of the Dudley Boyz. I thought their early work in TNA was strong. But their in ring work is not what it once was. They are both out of shape, particularly Brother Ray. He can cut a good promo, but Brother Devon’s one line at the end has become way too cliché. They only turned heel because the fans turned against them. And, those fans had good reason to turn against them. They had value once upon a time, but no longer.

ON THE BUBBLE

Kazarian: Kaz is On The Bubble, because he has shown good in ring work (see recent matches vs. Christian), but he hasn’t shown much outside of the ring. TNA seems high on him to give him a sudden push, yet they haven’t given him much chance to talk. When given a chance to talk, he hasn’t delivered. He has no character. We don’t know anything about him. He has a chance with his wrestling ability, but he has to develop the other qualities needed to be a star.

Ms. Brooks: Ms. Brooks is not a wrestler. She should not be in matches. But, she does have value as an experienced manager. Obviously she has looks, but if her health is being jeopardized by her diet which is helping her keep her looks, then maybe those looks aren’t such an asset. She can be a boon to TNA as a manager, but she needs to be put in a better position than just constantly taking Robert Roode’s abuse which has grown very old.

Petey Williams: Williams is Part 2’s version of Christopher Daniels. He has great in ring ability, but has never been able to develop a character. Being Canadian didn’t count. TNA tried when he feuded with LAX and became an American patriot. But, that storyline failed. He can have exciting matches, but he needs a more believable finisher, and he needs to improve on the mic and show more charisma. Also, right now TNA is not pushing him at all.

Rhino: Rhino hasn’t been on for awhile. He had been involved in the ridiculous and offensive angle about being an alcoholic. That storyline, paired with the fact that he isn’t on right now puts him On The Bubble. He is a solid worker, can cut a good promo, and has a quiet intensity that works well. He got a monster push and the fans responded. But where is he now?

Roxxi Laveaux: She has the unfortunate role of being linked to VKM. That, along with this silly Voodoo Queen gimmick hurts her. She might be a good manager or even a good wrestler, but her role hasn’t helped her.

Senshi: Senshi is another like Daniels or Williams who has shown he can have good and exciting matches. But, can he talk? What exactly is his character? He is involved with XXX right now, but they are a second rate tag team at the moment. He clearly could be a positive for the roster, but right now he isn’t being used.

So Cal Val: Until the last week, I would have given her a Miss. She was only a pretty face who served no other purpose. I am fine with having sexy women on the roster, but they have to serve a purpose (wrestler / manager / interviewer/ etc.). She did none of the above. But, now they are moving in the direction of having her play Miss Elizabeth to Jay Lethal’s Randy Savage, so TNA is doing something with her. Therefore, she has been bumped up.

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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