Breaking down the TNA roster

[Guest Coffey]

Alright, basically, I wanna see what y'all think of each member of the roster. Just a little comment about each person. I copied the roster from TNAwrestling.com and then cut Jerry Lynn, Sean Waltman, Shocker, Johnny Fairplay & Jimmy Hart because they haven't been around in awhile. I left Nash on because I'm curious what people think of him as her pertains to TNA.

 

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A1 ~ He doesn't seem to bring anything to the table. He's, basically, the biggest jobber in Team Canada, although you could make an argument for Eric Young. He's just another nameless face in TNA that no one seems to care about. I've seen some Orlando fans bringing A1 steak sauce to the shows, I guess because they want to get hom over the same way they got Hoyt over. I hate the Orlando fans.

 

Abyss ~ I like Abyss but I can certainly see why people would think he's a Kane/Mankind rip-off. It'll be hard for him to get past that stigma in the eyes of WWE fans that are just channel surfing. Still, I think he can bring a lot to the table.

 

AJ Styles ~ Styles can be entertaining at times. He's also very spotty and can't talk for shit. I still don't understand why he's the poster child for TNA. It just seems like someone else could be better in the "man of TNA" role. His finisher is too contrieved and he botches his signature spots all the time. I think he's good for TNA because of the X-Division but I'm a bigger fan of wrestlers like Samoa Joe and James Gibson than I am of AJ Styles or Amazing Red. I don't need a lot of high-flying moves...I'd rather just have innovative moves. The Styles Clash provides that even if I (and others) think it's too contrieved (just like the Canadian Destroyer).

 

Alex Shelley ~ I loved him in ROH. I think he's a great worker. He seems to have a shitty gimmick in TNA now but at least they're starting to use him again. He's better when he's working submission moves and a ground style than when he's trying to fly around and impress the Orlando locals. He's better than Bentley and Primetime.

 

"The Alpha Male" Monty Brown ~ Seems to be charismatic and has a great look. His finisher is ignorant and so is his gimmick. I think he's a big asset for the company but they should be heading in a different direction with him. iMPACT! squash matches over no-name wrestlers where he wins with a running shoulder block isn't going to get him over in the eyes of "marks."

 

Andy Douglas ~ I can't tell him apart from his partner. To be honest, I don't like The Naturals or AMW although I'm greatful that TNA have some tag teams. I like their tag team finisher though. They have an "old school" feel to them.

 

Apolo ~ No reason for him to still be on the roster. TNA don't seem like they're going to use him. He could be a cost-cutting measure. Last time I saw him, his entire offense was Diamond Cutters.

 

Austin Aries ~ It seems, thus far, as if he was better off just staying in ROH full time. If TNA starts to use him (which it seems they're starting to do) he can be a huge asset to both the X-Division and TNA in general. He has a good moveset.

 

BG James ~ Well, people remember who he is. Of course, he's still doing the shit they remember him from years ago. He's not a good wrestler. I don't know if I should defend him or not. Same with Konnan and Kip James. I just don't know if they bring enough to the table for TNA.

 

Bobby Roode ~ He has a unique look and during the earlier days of TNA, he stood out to me. Now he's just another nameless face. I think he'd be better off if he weren't in Team Canada. Certainly above Eric Young and A1.

 

Cassidy Riley ~ Well, at least he's doing something. Being Raven's lackey gets him on TV I guess. If that's all TNA are going to use him for though, they should cut him and save a little bit more money.

 

Chase Stevens ~ See Andy Douglas

 

Chris Harris ~ Eh, I don't like him or his partner. I guess it's because, personally, I don't really like the "old school" style that they seem to bring to the table. Although, I'll be honest, I've been coming around on AMW since they've teamed with Jarrett.

 

Chris Sabin ~ I used to like him a lot but he seems to have "fell off" so to speak. He reminds me, looks wise, of Scott Stapp. The ex-lead singer of Creed. Heh. He's not as good as Styles.

 

David Young ~ He has an alright look but outside of that, he's just another vanilla jobber.

 

Eric Young ~ See A1

 

"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels ~ He's probably been the TNA MVP this year. He's come a long way. He's good in the ring, has a decent enough character and has some intensity in his promo's. His finisher is simple but effective. I like Daniels a lot.

 

Gail Kim ~ Eh, she's attractive enough and has some face value. I don't think she hurts anything. She doesn't need to hit any Lita style spots though. She just fucks them up like Lita did.

 

James Mitchell ~ Great talker and can help get wrestlers over. I think he's a big asset.

 

James Storm ~ Is this the one that got the single's push for awhile? Pardon my ignorance but I just don't remember. Anyway, I feel about him the same way as I feel about his partner. They're starting to grow on me in every out-of-ring aspect. In-ring, though, they kinda bore me. I hate their finisher.

 

Jeff Hardy ~ Big name, shitty wrestler. I hate Hardy but I can't deny that he brought a lot to the Bound for Glory PPV. That shit got people talking. I think he's an asset because of his name value and because he's willing to do shit like that. Word of mouth goes a long way.

 

Jeff Jarrett ~ The majority of the flak that he gets has all been warranted. I don't think he's a main eventer. I still think he could bring something to the company but he shouldn't be anywhere near the top belt. He's a name but not a big name. People aren't thinking about Jeff Jarrett. He's an average worker and an average talker. He needs to realize that he's just average. There's not anything wrong with that, especially if you're a role player. He's not as big as he seems to think he is. Right now, he seems to be one of the only knocks that people hold against TNA.

 

Jerrelle Clark ~ He sure can flip a lot.

 

Johnny Devine ~ I forgot he existed. I guess that makes him worse than A1 and Eric Young. Team Canada is a joke right now. It's just random dudes slapped together with D'Amore. Roode should go solo, D'Amore should stick with Petey and get rid of the rest.

 

Kevin Nash ~ Personally, I don't think he brings anything to the table anymore. Especially after what went down at Bound for Glory. His name value isn't worth it.

 

Kip James ~ See BG James. If they're going to reunite the New Age Outlaws, get it over with. It'll just be seen as another WWE rehash though so I'm not seeing the potential. Konnan is better than both James' but you wouldn't know it from what he's show in 3LK.

 

Konnan ~ I think Konnan could be big. He hits a demographic and he has a name value and a good look. He has a decent moveset when he's not throwing his shoes and people and rolling for no reason.

 

Lance Hoyt ~ Trash. I don't know why the Orlando fans got behind him. He has a generic big man look with a generic big man moveset (with a plancha and a moonsault thrown in) and is even worse when talking. Fuck Lance Hoyt.

 

Matt Bentley ~ Holding Traci back. He's a jobber. One of the most generic looking bastards on the roster.

 

Petey Williams ~ Basically the only brightspot in Team Canada. His finisher will make people "pop."

 

"Primetime" Elix Skipper ~ Has always been overrated. Has a Mike Tyson voice and botches WAY too many spots. He's on Amazing Red's level. That's not a compliment. Simon Diamond sees something that I don't.

 

Raven ~ He just looks haggard now. He looks worse now than he's ever looked. He was my favorite wrestler for a long time too. He can still give good promos and he has a great mind, so you know his storylines will be entertaining. Unless his match is a garbage ECW style brawl though, it'll probably be painful to watch. Can certainly still make for entertaining TV though.

 

Rhino ~ I think the quick title reign hurt him but it at least made people remember he was on the roster. He can be an asset but I don't think he should be a main eventer.

 

Roderick Strong ~ Has some innovative moves. He never stood out to me in ROH so if he shows me anything in TNA, it'll be the first time he's shown me something. That's not to say that he's not good or doesn't have gems in ROH, I just haven't seen them. He has a really generic look unfortunately.

 

Ron "The Truth" Killings ~ 3LK is holding him back. He has, probably, the best look in the entire promotion. He's a decent enough talker too. He needs to stop dancing and stop flipping for no reason. He could be huge. Get rid of the jewelry and piercings too.

 

Sabu ~ ECW fans will recognize him. His body is so broke down, I actually feel bad for him during his matches. He's a crazy bastard, that's for sure. I don't know if he's an asset or not though. He was in the best match at Bound for Glory, I know that.

 

Samoa Joe ~ The future of TNA. Not a great talker but he makes up for it with his ringwork. Same for his physical appearance. TNA should hammer home that they aren't about looking pretty or talking hype but about getting it done when the bell rings.

 

Shark Boy ~ I don't think he hurts anything. He provides some comedic relief and is good for the kids watching. Especially the local Orlando kids in the crowd. He's really not a bad worker either.

 

Simon Diamond ~ At least he got his name back. I thought he was the best when he was teaming with Johnny Swinger. Now Swinger is up north and MNM stole their tag team finisher. Sticking him with Primetime and Young wasn't the answer. Like I said, at least he got his name back. I think guys like Siaki, Diamond and Strong could make a decent midcard.

 

Sonjay Dutt ~ I hate him. I hate how he thinks he's a comedic relief worker now too. The "sprinkler" is the worst spot in the company next to Konnan's shoe chuck. He sure can flip a lot...and botch whatever it was supposed to be.

 

Sonny Siaki ~ If he wasn't so determined on acting exactly like The Rock (except for lacking the charisma) he wouldn't be that bad. He has a decent look and some good moves. He can't talk though, so he'd need a mouthpiece to ever be taken seriously. His career highlight so far is making Goldylocks laugh when he said Ace in the Hole is a corporation. Actually, his TNA debut match as a Flying Elvis was really good. He's not a bad worker. He shouldn't be a jobber.

 

Team 3D ~ They've already been worth it to TNA in my eyes. They've done a lot in the little time that they've been there. They put over AMW big time when they gigged and bled everywhere for 'em. They're still putting them over in promos. Hell, the funeral skit would've never happened if the Deadlyz weren't around. They still have the best tag team finisher of all time and they bring name value to TNA. Great pickup.

 

Traci ~ Bentley is holding her back. She could be huge and make a lot of money for TNA. I say give her her glasses back and put her in a role that matters other than escorting some jobber to the ring.

=====

 

I'm wanting to know whom y'all like and dislike. Whom you'd like to see TNA get rid of or use more effectively.

 

EDIT: Can a mod add an "s" to "thought" in the sub-title, please?

EDIT2: Guess we don't have a mod?

[World's Worst Man 0]

AJ Styles - AJ is a fairly average worker, but due to the nature of his strengths, many fans believe him to be some super worker. The good thing is, psychology can be improved. He has a lot of in-ring charisma, even though he has no mic skills to speak of. His fans often tend to be very defensive too.

 

Alex Shelley - This guy is a decent worker. His strengths are his great mannerisms and selling. The guy just puts over his opponent's offense really well, and plays his character really well. He tends to be good in the early portions of a match, but not so good later. He has a bright future I think.

 

Austin Aries - Like Shelley, Aries has great mannerisms in the ring. He's an explosive worker along the lines of an AJ Styles, but he's stronger overall due to his superior selling. This is another guy who's a few improvements away from being a great worker, and I believe he'll be a future cornerstone of the X-Division.

 

"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels - A lot of charisma. He's also a decent worker. Tends to be a good storyteller in the ring, but occasionally goes overboard with spots later in the match. Daniels is a dynamic peformer due to the fact that he can play his character and cut a promo, to go along with his in-ring ability.

 

James Mitchell - Mitchell's great on the stick, but he's overdoing it lately. His role seems so forced these days. I think he really needs to be a bit more subtle on the mic.

 

Jeff Hardy - He can do some nutty spots, that's about it. It's amazing how many people actually think this guy is good. It goes back to the idea that "spots = good wrestling" that a lot of.."casual".. fans subscribe to.

 

Jeff Jarrett - JJ isn't a terrible worker. At his very best, I'd even call him decent. The problem is the politics, along with the fact he shouldn't be the cornerstone of the promotion. Give him a supplementary role in the main event scene and it's good. Make him the main guy and it's bad.

 

Roderick Strong - Roderick is quickly becoming a very good worker. Unfortunately, he doesn't really bring anything else to the table. (Which is fine by me, but to get really over, he'd need more.) He'll do well in the X-Division, but he'll never be super over.

 

Samoa Joe - Joe is probably the best worker in the US. He can structure a match, has credible, believable offense and is still able to put over his smaller opponents very well. I don't think he'll ever reach huge heights in the US, just because he's lacking the look and the mic skills. I tend to think he could do very well in Japan, if given a push, just because he's so talented. It's going to be interesting to see where Joe's career goes. If TNA goes mainstream, he'll probably stick with them, and be a moderately over main event type guy. If TNA doesn't work out, it's hard to say where he'll end up. New Japan and NOAH don't seem interested, and Zero-One wasn't working for him. Obviously there's ROH, but it would be a shame if that's all he's left with.

[Guest]

I'll put most tag teams together and I'll make a comment only on what I do know.

 

A1-He can go somewhere. Totally useless and has no character background.

 

Abyss-I like Abyss a lot. He's a guy that does the garbage wrestling when it's needed and he can always work the David vs Goliath matches very well. Music is probably one of the better pieces TNA has.

 

AJ Styles- Can't talk, real spotty and his springboard reverse DDT almost never seems to be a little botched. I can see why he's the posterchild, because his in-ring work is everything that WWE's is not.

 

Alex Shelley- Great worker with great heel mannerisms. Needs to be used in a bigger capacity than what he is used in now. Don't know where he's headed.

 

"The Alpha Male" Monty Brown- The future of the company. He has the look and the personality to draw in people. His finisher sucks a lot, but it's much better than the Gore or any other type of spear. Cuts very interesting promos and should be the NWA champion sooner rather than later.

 

AMW- I used to like their work a lot more than I do now, but I think that it's good for TNA to have one distinct tag team that can be recognized as the face of the tag division. A breakup is inevitable, and I don't know where either would go if it were to happen.

 

Apolo- Sucks.

 

Austin Aries- I totally reiterate what Coffey said. Fans seem to like him quite a bit.

 

BG James- Recognizable for people that are just tuning in. "Hey, I haven't seen Road Dogg in a long time" could get someone to watch for at least a few minutes and be attracted to what TNA brings to the table. Don't like him, but he's necessary.

 

Cassidy Riley- Don't know where TNA is going to take him as Raven's lackey.

 

Chris Sabin- There are so many guys in the X Division that it's almost hard to find a place to put him. He should be a big part of the division though.

 

"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels- Don't know where he goes after this possible thing with Samoa Joe happens, but I'm sure that I would like to eventually see him as a player in the heavyweight division. Needs to ditch the collar.

 

Gail Kim- Don't care.

 

James Mitchell- Great mouthpiece, but kinda overdoes it. Abyss needs him a lot.

 

Jeff Hardy- I think his time with TNA is near to be over. There isn't a lot that he can do unless he goes to the X Division and that's definitely something I don't want to see. Brings a lot of followers with him, so it would be tough for TNA to lose him.

 

Jeff Jarrett- Time in TNA is about up. There is nowhere for him to go once he's out of the title picture, and there is no real way that I can see him sticking around without the belt. Should be putting Monty over really soon.

 

Kevin Nash- He's gone. Can't trust him.

 

Kip James- See BG James. Should put over AMW with BG, then fall into tag division.

 

Konnan- People like him. Has a really good personality that the fans like, and he can cut a pretty good promo. Best used as a leader of a stable.

 

Lance Hoyt- I hate his ass.

 

Matt Bentley- Generic as hell. There isn't anywhere to put him.

 

Petey Williams- Finisher is over huge. Has great first time shock value. Real spotty though.

 

"Primetime" Elix Skipper- Don't really know why I like him, but I do. I can't explain it.

 

Raven- I don't know how much longer he's gonna be around. Looks really unhealthy, and there wouldn't be much direction for him after one more title shot. I love the guy, but he's almost done there.

 

Rhino- He needs to wear an elbowpad. That spiderweb tattoo sends the wrong message to anyone that is tuned in that can actually understand what it stands for. Title reign was definitely surprising, but he shouldn't have been the guy to get a hotshot reign.

 

Roderick Strong- Don't know too much about him, so I won't say anything.

 

Ron "The Truth" Killings- Favorite character in the promotion. Can cut a great promo and has a good moveset. He and Monty Brown probably should feud for the title as soon as either one wins it.

 

Sabu- Don't really like him too much. Takes up space that could be used for others.

 

Samoa Joe- Doesn't really have the look, but when he's in the ring you get the immediate feeling that he's an asskicker. Moveset appeals to most people because that's why people usually tune into wrestling. To see a guy kicking someone else's ass to the best of their ability.

 

Shark Boy- Comedy worker and the kids like him.

 

Sonjay Dutt- Sprinkler spots and nickname suck badly. TNA does need someone to reach into an international market, so I guess that he's going to be their guy. Not really a place for him though.

 

Sonny Siaki- Don't like him.

 

Team 3D- They've done a lot for the company already. Within the next few months, they will have become a necessity to TNA. They've put AMW over huge, which is exactly what I want from BG and Kip James when they finally reunite. Big asset.

 

Team Canada- Totally misused. They haven't been made to look like much of a threat, and I think that the only ones that have any future with the company are Eric Young and Bobby Roode. They get the crowd going too.

 

The Naturals- Another team that can be put over by the likes of the James Gang and Team 3D. Very young, athletic and have a really good finisher.

[jwpeer 0]

I just need the echo the sentiments: Ron Killings is my favorite worker in TNA and I want to see him be placed at the forefront of the company. I think he can take them somewhere. I love his style, his in ring charisma, he can talk, and he can wrestle. Something about him just screams SUPERSTAR, and if they don't push him soon they may regret it.

[Guest [censored]]

A1 I don't understand why he is in the company plus I hate his name. I'd like to see him in the ring to make a final judgement but he seems like you standard vanhammer, test, etc type of guy who never ever goes anywhere. Perhaps he has value as an Iron Mike Sharpe, Broklen Brawler type of named jobber.

 

Abyss Good name, and is the perfect type of big man for TNA. However his look could use some work. I think he should go less Chainsaw masacre and more Goth, S&M route. Does anyone remember Machine from 8MM. I thought that look was cool and could work with Abyss.

 

AJ Styles He's the face of the company and regardless of his faults he earned it. Look he's not as good as some people want to make him out to be but he's still good and the fans love him. I thought he character was much more interesting as cocky heel young lion though and I'd like to him go down that route again with a manager along the lines of a Cyrus perhaps?

 

Alex Shelley I'd love to see more of him and I think he can bring some different things to the x division table. Sort of similar to what Dean Malenko brought to the WCW cruiser weight division many years ago. Needs to work on his look though. Something as simple as ditching the black trunks ( which seem to be in vogue) for something more colorful would help.

 

Monty Brown Great look, great energy but I haven't seen much of any progress in his in ring work instead it looks like he's settling into a standard formula. My gut says he's going to end up being a bust, but I hope i'm wrong.

 

The Naturals I really like this team, very athletic. Reminds me some of the midnight express. I thought putting them with Jimmy Hart was a good idea.

 

Apolo Basically a named jobber which is good. I like jobbers and think they have a definent use in wrestling.

 

Austin Aries I haven't seen much of him. My initial impression was another nondescript x division wrestler. Was very impressed with him this week though. Still he needs a character and a rival.

 

I'll comeback with the B-Z in a few

[Guest [censored]]

BG & Kip James I'm putting them together because they should and probably will be together. Have a natural feud with The Dudley's and AMW and then hopefully at somepoint used to propell a team like the Naturals. This is a good situation for the NWA. A singles wrestlers though they come off as scrubs which frankly they are.

 

Team Canada The problem isn't scott D'Amore, the problem is the NWA crowd is the same week after week and after awhile his antics come off as cartoonish. The team of Bobby Roode and Eric Young is a good one and for example looked much better than The Dudley's this week. Roode has the most potential and I expect a break up and singles run at some point. He has the talent and look to be special. Petey Williams is the best in the group right now has a solid place as an X division mainstay. Johnny Devine it someone I consider to be a special talent and maybe bigger than Williams at somepoint provided he can get and stay healthy. Good look, charisma, can work and has better size than williams.

 

Cassidy Riley Let's face it he's a jobber and is always going to be one. I'm not sure why the company is wasting time on developing yet another persona for him when there are many guys waiting for their first shot. I like jobbers though and would be happy if he would assume his role as one.

 

America's Most Wanted Basically on par with AJ Styles. The only problem I see here is they have wrestled most of the existing teams. The Dudley's and hopefully The James Gang will freshen things up though. I liked the heel turn. The one thing that needs work is developing individual personalities. I can't really even tell which one is storm and which is harris and really does it even matter? Look at all the great teams and they had individual personalities.

 

Diamonds in the Rough Good villian semi jobber team sort of like the old Bolshavics from WWF. David Young has talent which is too bad because something is holding him back. I think this team has a place though, but that place is not PPV level events. I'm not including Elix Skipper as he should be freed from this team ASAP.

 

Christopher Daniels NWA's wrestler of the year for 05. Shouldn't be too far from moving out of the X division. I'd like to see him join forces with jarret and AMW only to then take control of the group and kick Jarret out. Basically do what should have be done with Orton and HHH last year, where Daniels takes leadership of the group and stays heel. regardless he is awesome. However his look needs a bit of tweeking. The color needs to go by the wayside once he removes the coat and the anti-priest look needs to be more profound. He needs a full priest like robe similar to undertaker's original coat. Also the color bar needs to be more profound so you can see it better. His color scheme should either be mostly black with red or even more pimp all white with black accents. Throw in the sun glasses and the cross thing and he would be perfect.

 

Chris Sabin Needs to be involved in actual singles matches where he can show his stuff. Needs to have something about him which makes fans care. Wouldn't hurt for him to win once in a while either. I like him but he needs work ASAP.

 

Gail Kim Perfect type of pick up for the NWA. She's hot and still very fresh. I like her in the Jarret, AMW group but also think she could have been used to get talent over who needs it. In any event she definently has a place and can be used in a few different ways.

[Guest [censored]]

James Mitchell Classic old school manager and a good fit for Abyss.

 

Jeff Hardy I'm not why there is so much hatred for the weird one. He is what he is a dare devil. I guess I look at him as stricly an asset the the NWA portfolio. He attracts fans and different fans than work rate freaks. He also from what I can tell puts out one hell of an effort which I respect. As for where he goes next. I'd think a tag up with one of the fresh face X division wrestlers and a rehash of the Dudley's TLC matches with say The Naturals thrown in would be a good start. Turning Sabu sadistic and going after Jeff would also play nicely if Hardy is willing to bleed.

 

Jeff Jarrett Desperately wants to be Ric Flair. I like Jeff but I think his act is getting old. He needs to change things up from his standard formula. Say what you want about him but he's the only heel on the roster who draws actual heat from the fans. Needs to put someone over and leave him there at somepoint. When flair was in his prime, when the good guys beat him it wasn't because of some fluke. Jarrett would be well served to keep that in mind.

 

Jerrell Clark Should probably be let go at this point as there is no room for him. Has a good look though and from what I know is talented. Better suited for RoH at this point in time.

 

Jerry Lynn My guess is he's a valuable asset back stage, the young up and comers could learn a lot from him. I also think he could really be of use in putting over some of these young guys by doing something similar to a "summer series" Perhaps with Alex Shelley. Something like a best of 7 where Shelley slowly refines his persona and becomes more familar with the fans.

 

Jimmy Hart What's up with him? I'm guessing he was dropped from the Naturals so they could be more of a face team. He could go along way in seperating 1 or 2 of the x divisioners. Perhaps the above mentioned jerrelle clark, Aries and Shelley? Really it could be any of them beyond Daniels, Styles and Joe.

 

Konnan I fucking hate Konnan. He's a joke and a goof and has been since he joined the NWO. WTF happened to this guy? He was awesome when he first joined WCW. I'd release him in a heart beat if I was running things.

 

Lance Hoyt I don't get it, but the fans atleast in Orlando seem to love him and that is ultimately what matters. He has a good look but his tights really suck IMO for some reason. I just wish promotions would work with these tall cats so they wouldn't keep stalling out skill wise everytime. Hoyt with some work could very easily adopt and Paul Orndorff style of wrestling that would be very effective. Same goes for Monty Brown. In fact both would be well served by getting a ton of Mr. Wonderful footage and copying everything they see.

 

Matt Bentley Seems to heel version of Michael Shane or perhaps he is a face now? who knows and that is the problem. Was much more interesting when he was teamed with Kazarian.

 

Elix Skipper My how he has fallen. For some reason I really like this guy but I don't think he is suited for the X division. He needs to exit this Diamonds in the Rough thing ASAP. He should team with Sonny Siaki who is another talented guy going nowhere fast. I see them as a sort of XXX team but with more attitude. Otherwise I don't see him going anywhere.

 

Raven as others have said he's not looking too good these days. I think his best role would be back stage on the creative team. Its time to start thinking about how he can best be used to further the product by pushing some others. Another Raven - Rhino garbage match doesn't excite me at all. But how about a Raven - Daniels match of old goth cult leader vs. a sort of new goth cult leader. The promos alone should be gold.

 

Rhino Should have a huge role in the NWA for many years to come. A legitimate world champ and there is a money feud with Monty Brown in the not too distant future. Would also be gold against Styles, Daniels and Somoa Joe.

 

Roderick Strong I'm sure he's talented but I really have no idea why he was even signed. The X division really needs to be sorted out.

 

Ron Killings The most under utilized member of the roster. Should be in the main event picture instead of wasting away with the lame ass 3LK. Needs to stop bee bopping and start kicking ass. Basically stop being hip hop and start being gangster rap. He has a completely different look, is interesting, good on the mic and a great style. Seriously what a crime this is.

 

Sabu Basically in the same role as Raven at this point. Isn't very interesting anymore at this point IMO. Like I said going back to being truly homicidal and trying to kill Jeff Hardy would be a good place to start. Otherwise time to move on and use the TV time for someone else.

 

Shark Boy Fills a great spot and a fan favorite jobber. A definent keeper.

 

Shocker a really stange name if you thing about it. Should be used as a jobber or let go.

 

Sonjay Dutt I'm starting to hate him. Should drop the goofy crap. The only good angle I could see for him is one where he becomes the protege of Sabu basically becoming a younger version of him perhaps as a tag team, which ultimately leads to him turning on Sabu and taking him out. Either than or cut him.

 

Sonny Siaki Much like Skipper, good look has some talent but stuck. I really like the idea of putting these two together. They could be alteast as good as The Natural.

 

The Dudley Boys Already have payed huge dividends for the NWA. Looked very sloppy this Thursday though. But still their name alone should pay huge dividends for the tag team division. Could bubba ray be replaced, perhaps by someone like Albert? just a thought.

 

Tracy She's a girl, she's hot and can actually wrestle which good enough to get on TV. Not sure she is being used effectively with Matt Bentley though.

[hyperchord24 0]

This is very useful to the TNA novice. And just for your information, spots does, in fact = good wrestling when you're subjected to the "wrestling" matches in WWE land.

[HandofFate 0]

I just have to say... Anyone who says that Christopher Daniels is a decent worker, then says that JJ is a decent worker at best loses credibility because JJ is nowhere near The Fallen Angel as a worker

[Mystery Eskimo 0]

Austin Aries ~ It seems, thus far, as if he was better off just staying in ROH full time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Aries is still in ROH fulltime. TNA dates don't clash with ROH shows...as yet. I think he's being used pretty well, not pushed too hard but allowed to show his skills.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

A1

Don't care for him at all, and definitely the weakest link of Team Canada (which is BAD considering how much Bobby Roode sucks).

 

Abyss

Currently the best big man in the business. His feud with AJ Styles in late '03/early '04 MADE him and helped AJ's career in TNA after that horribly botched World title reign, and I'm liking the feud with Sabu right now. I watched their match from Unbreakable on OnDemand the other day, and aside from a couple of botched spots (it's Sabu, so it's expected, and he makes up for it), it was a decent match with a really good finish.

 

AJ Styles

I don't see how the Styles Clash isn't a realistic finish. I've done it to people while goofing around at parties and it's knocked the wind out of them, so it's effective in that sense (which is why he usually goes right for the pinfall after it). Most DEFINITELY the single most deserving man to be in the main event in TNA. Why? Because he's been with TNA since the beginning, never politic'd his way through it, and has always been over. He's had some amazing matches with Jerry Lynn, LowKi, Red, Abyss, and Christopher Daniels, and I don't see how people can say his mic work is the shits when his heel promo's were terrific in '02.

 

Alex Shelley

Whatever people see in him in RoH isn't transitioning into TNA, unfortunately.

 

"The Alpha Male" Monty Brown

IMO, one of the biggest wastes of space on the roster. Is he over? Yes, so I guess he's not THAT big of a waste, but has he had a good match since returning to TNA in early '04? No. I like how the Pounce can be hit from anywhere, practically, but it's a fucking SHOULDER TACKLE. Few people sell it right at all, and it doesn't look NEARLY devastating enough for him to be considered anywhere near the main event with it.

 

Andy Douglas

Eh...pretty indifferent. Is a good tag worker, but needs a personality overhaul BIG TIME.

 

Apolo

One of the suckiest sucks to ever suck.

 

Austin Aries

See Alex Shelley.

 

BG James

Charismatic and a good mic worker, but the only time his matches are even REMOTELY entertaining are when they're garbage brawls.

 

Bobby Roode

I don't get the love for him at all, really. Is it because he's a big guy in Team Canada? Is it because he's slow, plodding, and has one of the most generic movesets on the roster (and not even the sense of psychology to make up for it)? No charisma, decent-at-best look, and dull.

 

Cassidy Riley

What Shane Douglas would be like if he were to try to be a cruiserweight.

 

Chase Stevens

Just like his partner, he's a good tag worker, but needs a personality.

 

Chris Harris

He's good at two things: brawling and creating some drama. For some reason the TNA fans have ALWAYS loved him until the recent heel turn, and his heel work is decent enough.

 

Chris Sabin

Spotmonkey that knows how to build his spots and tie them together pretty damn perfectly without going way over-the-top. I see a lot of Jerry Lynn in him.

 

David Young

I might be the only person who misses him teaming with Glen Gilberti, or who misses Glen Gilberti at ALL.

 

Eric Young

He can bump good...but otherwise I don't care for him.

 

"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels

Basically TNA's version of Chris Benoit. The man can work any style of match, just about, and make it worth watching. Good promo's, his look is unique, and he's definitely one of the few people on the roster who could have a good match with ANYBODY.

 

Gail Kim

Stop doing the Litacan'trana and start getting naked.

 

James Mitchell

My favorite manager, other than Paul Heyman and Joel Gertner, of the last decade. The man has terrific promo's, tons of charisma, and accomplishes something many other managers can't: he PUTS HIS WRESTLERS OVER.

 

James Storm

The workhorse of AMW, in my eyes. He carried the majority of the work in all of AMW's memorable matches, but I just don't buy him as anything other than a goofy cowboy.

 

Jeff Hardy

There just to put people over, do some crazy spots, and attract the few Hardy Marks that remain.

 

Jeff Jarrett

FUCK. JEFF. JARRETT. 'Nuff said, next.

 

Jerrelle Clark

Bad look, all he does is flips, boring.

 

Johnny Devine

He would be the most over member of Team Canada if he wasn't injured all the time and he was PUSHED LIKE HE SHOULD BE. Great look, looks to be the only member of Team Canada that knows how to layout a match, and has a decent finish (Frog Splash Moonsault).

 

Kevin Nash

Wasn't worth the money he was paid to show up and put TNA over.

 

Kip James

Outside of his shirt, "I'M KIP JAMES BITCH," he's got nada.

 

Konnan

THROW THE SHOES AND START DOING ONLY MANAGERIAL WORK.

 

Lance Hoyt

Hated him when he was teaming with the Notorious K-I-D (mostly because he somehow made Kash's matches SUCK, which is HARD TO FUCKING DO), and don't care for him at all now.

 

Matt Bentley

He's come a long way since he debuted in TNA, but he really needs to be a part of a tag team to flourish.

 

Petey Williams

I hate his finisher, but he's a good worker, surprisingly. Again, come a long way since his TNA debut (where he botched EVERY SINGLE SPOT he attempted), but I still don't care for him too much. Relishing in the fact that he's a heel, which is GREAT since he's good at being a prick, but he should get rid of the damn Canadian Destroyer if he wants to ever be taken seriously instead of just some cruiser spotmonkey.

 

"Primetime" Elix Skipper

He was good in WCW, great in the early days of TNA, damn good in XXX v1, and then...wow. He's sucked since returning from Japan.

 

Raven

Best promo man still active in the business, hands-down. He hasn't given a damn about his match quality since Destiny, basically, and I don't blame him: every time he's been given the ball, it's been snatched away from him for no real reason besides Jeff Jarrett wants it back. The man shouldn't have TNA built around him, of course, but dammit: GIVE HIM HIS DUE SHOT. Raven/Jarrett III will be huge, in my eyes, as long as they promote it JUST right. Maybe save it for the first PPV of '06? Or hype it up for the New Year's special? They should try to do a similar build to how it was done the first time, only make it so that the finish is Raven winning and the interference adds to the match instead of detracting from it.

 

Rhino

BFG put him over as a nearly unstoppable monster. Definitely over enough to be in the main event, and should at the very LEAST be upper-mid due to the fact that his matches are almost always brutal.

 

Roderick Strong

See Alex Shelley.

 

Ron "The Truth" Killings

What? Get rid of the piercings and the jewelry?! Dude, that's part of his gimmick! He's a RAPPER, remember? He was a rapper before he broke into wrestling, raps on his own entrance theme, and actually, you know...can WORK, unlike the E's token rapper (fuck Cena). Deserves to be in the main event permanently, so fuck this random 3LK tag crap. If they're going to keep 3LK together, then make it so that Ron is in the main event, BG teams with Kip (the latter of which is NOT in 3LK, but is similar to the Candido/Storm team and the Triple Threat in ECW) in the tag division, and Konnan is either a manager or just works a couple matches a month against lowercard guys. Ron Killings vs. AJ Styles would be a GOOD main event, man.

 

Sabu

The man broke his body for the business, and is still going. Since returning from the surgery, he's been on fire, just about, and adds the HARDCORE element to the show that needs to be there for TNA to be a well-rounded promotion. I dig him, especially now that his matches aren't complete shitfests anymore.

 

Samoa Joe

Like every other person says: the FUTURE of TNA. Samoa Joe will be in the main event by the end of '06, says I, and will pull a great match (**** or higher) out of, say, Jeff Jarrett or Monte Brown by the end of '06 as well. He's being built up the best out of anybody on the roster, so TNA obviously knows he's going to be a big deal for them, and he already brings credibility with him to the ring by simply looking like a bad motherfucker. What Taz should have been.

 

Shark Boy

Good comedic relief, and he knows that. I miss the New Jack/Shark Boy skits, though. I mean...HULK HANDS, MAN~!

 

Simon Diamond

Eh...never cared for his work outside of ECW.

 

Sonjay Dutt

The only good matches I've ever seen him in were all from CZW, so...yeah.

 

Sonny Siaki

One of TNA's many decent-at-best workers who excels in tag matches. Give him a partner (maybe Bentley?) and let the two just be total degenerates. Try to have them be faces, but, of course, let the fans decide. TNA is flooded with heel tag teams, so a Bentley/Siaki team would add some faces to the mix outside of The Naturals, Team 3D, and 3LK.

 

Team 3D

They put over AMW better than anybody but XXX has. I just wish they weren't, you know, the WWE-ish Dudley Boyz as opposed to the uber-awesome ECW-ish Dudley Boyz (as in VIOLENT, SADISTIC BASTARDS).

 

Traci

Meh. I don't think she's that hot when she's not wearing her glasses, honestly, but hey.

[razazteca 0]

Ron "The Truth" Killings ~ 3LK is holding him back. He has, probably, the best look in the entire promotion. He's a decent enough talker too. He needs to stop dancing and stop flipping for no reason. He could be huge. Get rid of the jewelry and piercings too.

The man needs a complete gimmick makeover and should be chasing after some title be it the main event or tag or X division. And please stop doing the K-Kwick gimmick.....it has no business in TNA. I can see Ron Killings as another Ron Simmons type of character.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

So you'd rather Killings just go "DAAAAAMN" and drink a beer, or be all about the Nation of Islam? I don't see him doing the K-Kwik gimmick at all. I see him being RON KILLINGS, since I'm willing to bet he's like that outside of the ring, too. You know, since he DOES have a rap career, maybe he's just being the same in both fields?

[Guest Coffey]

No, not at all. Why does he have to have a stereotypical gimmick? I think it looks bad when he comes out rapping and dancing. Why can't he just be taken seriously and not be a joke? He should have Monty Brown's push.

[World's Worst Man 0]

I just have to say... Anyone who says that Christopher Daniels is a decent worker, then says that JJ is a decent worker at best loses credibility because JJ is nowhere near The Fallen Angel as a worker

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Anyone who can't comprehend the English language loses credibility. Seriously. Here, I'll spell it out for you. JJ at his peak (his best) was decent. He's about 8 years removed from his peak (his best). Daniels is decent overall.

[Guest ABOBO]

"The Alpha Male" Monty Brown

IMO, one of the biggest wastes of space on the roster. Is he over? Yes, so I guess he's not THAT big of a waste, but has he had a good match since returning to TNA in early '04? No. I like how the Pounce can be hit from anywhere, practically, but it's a fucking SHOULDER TACKLE. Few people sell it right at all, and it doesn't look NEARLY devastating enough for him to be considered anywhere near the main event with it.

 

Jarret/Brown was good, if not better than good.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I will forever find that hard to believe considering I've yet to see a Jarrett match with anybody, ANYBODY, but Styles, Killings, or Raven that was remotely worth watching in TNA. Okay, the 3-on-1 of BG James, Heavy D, and Christopher Daniels taking on Jarrett was decent, but that was because of the booking of it and Raven's debut at the end.

 

But yeah. I can't stand Brown and my hatred for Jarrett is well-known.

[razazteca 0]

So you'd rather Killings just go "DAAAAAMN" and drink a beer, or be all about the Nation of Islam? I don't see him doing the K-Kwik gimmick at all. I see him being RON KILLINGS, since I'm willing to bet he's like that outside of the ring, too. You know, since he DOES have a rap career, maybe he's just being the same in both fields?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No silly as the next black heavyweight champion, again I don't care for the dancing or his music career as it pertains to wrestling.....it just looks like bad comedy considering his partners consist of the blue collar redneck rapper and an extra from an 80s mexican gang movie. Ron Killings needs to be a monster heel not stuck in a lame comedy gimmick. Why can't 3LK breakup in the same manner as 3LW.....have them kick Ron Killings out because he isn't "redneck" enough and be replaced by Billy Gunn.

[Zack Malibu 0]

For all the complaints of Sonjay Dutt and how he's busting out this "goofy shit", it's nothing new, as he's starting to utilize his "Playa from the Himalayas" gimmick more. He's been doing the sprinkler bit for 3-4 years now, since the CZW days.

[razazteca 0]

I wish TNA would find an excuse to give Sonjay a mask so I can pretend that he is a luchador.

[Zack Malibu 0]

A1 ~ I get the fact that he's supposed to be D'Amore's enforcer and the requisite big man in the group, but he's the least developed of the four. I'd bring Devine back and scrap him, as at least you'd have a stable full of decent workers. I'm guessing there's a reason A1 hasn't seen much in-ring action. Would only keep him as part of a tag team.

 

Abyss ~ A welcome change from the punch/kick lethargic hoss that the WWE has come to love. Big man who is willing to sell and take some risky bumps, yet still come off as dominant. Can easily become a featured attraction for the company.

 

AJ Styles ~ Heel or face, I cannot help but love this guy. Could stand to work on selling/psychology a little more, but other than that, I can't say a bad thing about him. Sure, he'll botch a spot on occasion, but that's not a problem relegated to just his matches, so it's stupid to begrudge him for that (unless it was a constant, recurring problem). Has been given the ball by TNA and ran with it, and showed great company loyalty by asking to be pulled from the ME scene in order to have great matches with his peers in the X Division, knowing that it is those matches that seperate them from the competition more than anything.

 

Alex Shelley ~ At least he's not the "Baby Bear" anymore. Needs a fleshed out character, otherwise he's just another face in the X Division shuffle.

 

"The Alpha Male" Monty Brown ~ Another man who seems to be willing to take what the company wants to give him and run with it. I'm in the minority who actually doesn't mind The Pounce as a move, but it should be more of a setup for a finisher. I also think a lot of it has to do with how the victim takes the move, as sometimes it looks very good, other times it looks like shit. Very charismatic and offbeat which seperates him from the rest.

 

Andy Douglas ~ Candido's death led to the most character development these two ever had, and sadly now that it's not fresh in our minds anymore, it seems that they're back to being a generic team.

 

Apolo ~ Besides busting out the occasional "OMG A BIG MAN THAT CAN DIVE!" spot, I see no reason why he should still be here. They've got people like Abyss and Hoyt for holy shit big man spots.

 

Austin Aries ~ Just like Alex Shelley, needs a personality development and he'll be set. I'd call for a Generation Next reunion in TNA, because then you can have a heel stable running rampant in the division, and giving way to some well developed feuds that give meaning to X matches.

 

BG James ~ Charismatic, always over. Can't work for shit but never really could. Best suited in a tag team, whether it's 3LK or the Outlaws rehash.

 

Bobby Roode ~ Will be given a major solo push within the next year, most likely by feuding with Petey Williams, as I think Petey will be turned babyface eventually.

 

Cassidy Riley ~ He's a lackey without a reason. No point to him, unless there are Flock rehash plans in order.

 

Chase Stevens ~ See Andy Douglas

 

Chris Harris ~ I've never been a big AMW fan, but I think that this heel turn was much needed, as the angle with Jarrett has pulled them off the treadmill they were on.

 

Chris Sabin ~ Great talent, needs a personality development, much like 95% of the X Division.

 

David Young ~ Decent look, decent worker, but will never be seen as more than a lower card guy thanks to his constant jobbing.

 

Eric Young ~ Can evolve into a great comedic heel, a la Candido.

 

"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels ~ Great worker, main-event level personality. Could easily represent the company as World Champion someday.

 

Gail Kim ~ The TNA for TNA. Wouldn't count on her as a mouthpiece, but as a piece of ass they've done a lot worse.

 

James Mitchell ~ Brilliant on the mic. Can get any person or match over. Hell, I wouldn't mind seeing him sit in with Tenay for a week or two.

 

James Storm ~ See Harris.

 

Jeff Hardy ~ Name value, willing to die to get a pop. He makes people take notice, that's all you can ask for.

 

Jeff Jarrett ~ Politics aside, he's best suited as a name putting over the stars of tomorrow, a la Hardy. Capable of above average matches without the required run-ins and guitar shots that are tokens of a JJ match.

 

Jerrelle Clark ~ Low level X guy, could get a chance to shine down the line, but not now. May be better off in a new tag team now that partner Mikey Batts bolted for WWE.

 

Johnny Devine ~ Possibly the most charismatic man in Team Canada. Dunno if he's due back anytime soon though.

 

Kevin Nash ~ If he could lose to Test on RAW, he should be putting over younger guys here, not feuding with JJ in a main event feud. Is entertaining on the mic, so could be well served to be an enforcer/OCCASIONAL match-worker in a DX-style stable with the James Gang and Waltman (if he returns).

 

Kip James ~ Better than BG in the ring, but it's not saying much, as he has less charisma. Still, put the two together and it was gold, so give it a shot.

 

Konnan ~ Good on the mic, crowd loves him, can still work a decent match. 3LK are the biggest merchandise movers in TNA, so he's had to have been doing something right.

 

Lance Hoyt ~ He's over, and he tries at least. Busting out the big spots don't do much to cover his weaknesses, but there have been worse workers pushed harder.

 

Matt Bentley ~ It's almost as if he lost what little personality he had when he lost his ring name. If Kazarian comes back, pair them up together again ASAP, as together they were a great cocky heel team.

 

Petey Williams ~ Decent worker, killer finisher. The Destroyer is what brings him to the dance, and I think it will force TNA to turn Petey babyface and break away from Team Canada within the next year.

 

"Primetime" Elix Skipper ~ Rushes too much, and therefore blows a lot of spots. He's a decent worker, but not on the level of other X guys, including guys like Aries who are new to the game. Has some charisma, but seems to be stuck in a rut despite hitting one of the biggest holy shit spots in recent history earlier this year.

 

Raven ~ Charismatic, capable of an energetic, bloody brawl. Has a great mind for the business so even if he calls it quits in-ring, TNA should keep him around for booking and creative ideas, as he has a knack for those types of things.

 

Rhino ~ I was never a huge Rhino fan, but he's more motivated now than ever. I can see why they gave him the title, but I don't think he'll get a transitional champion tag...I think it helped to further establish him as a threat to the casual fans.

 

Roderick Strong ~ Same with Aries and Shelley.

 

Ron "The Truth" Killings ~ I agree he's the most underutilized man on the roster right now. A heel turn might be a chance for him to turn his fortunes around, but again, with 3LK as hot as they are, I think that'd be a bad move. If the NAO reunion gets the expected babyface response, I'd think that Killings as a heel should be done, and the James' can help put him over on a path back to the top.

 

Sabu ~ Same stuff that he was doing years ago, but a worker like Sabu is needed for the bloodbaths and brawls that deviate from the X Division. He and Hardy are in the same boat. Name value, willing to take risks.

 

Samoa Joe ~ I admit that I never liked Joe in ROH; not after seeing him on DVD, not after seeing him in person, not at all. The push in TNA has warmed me to him, and while he's not an OMG favorite of mine, he's got a legitimacy to what he does, as nothing looks pulled. A star on the rise, and eventual World Champion.

 

Shark Boy ~ Decent worker, good for the opening match. Can't ask for much more.

 

Simon Diamond ~ Good on the stick and good in the ring. Diamond/Swinger were a great tandem, but I don't know if I'm feeling the Diamond/Young/Skipper dynamic. Maybe pair him with one of the younger X Divison guys? I also wouldn't mind seeing him attack Hardy or Sabu and do an anti-hardcore angle with them, as I think that could be OK.

 

Sonjay Dutt ~ Spot monkey personified, but better than when I started liking him in CZW. Like Skipper, another man who could stand to slow the pace at times, because when he rushes, it looks bad.

 

Sonny Siaki ~ Russo's attempt to make him into The Rock has killed him, IMO. Can hit some explosive spots but is nothing major in the ring. Easily expendable if they need to cut costs at any point, but he's been there since day one so don't look for that to happen anytime soon.

 

Team 3D ~ Much like Rhino, I was never a huge Dudleys fan either, but already in this run they're showing that they should be taken as a threat again. The change of scenery and the willingness to make the TNA homegrown stars get one over on them is great for the company, because when you see familiar faces like that get wiped out by new blood, it makes you take notice of the new faces too.

 

Traci ~ Let her do something other than stand there. If they reunite Kazarian/Bentley, keep her with those two, because they could make a nice trio again.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

So you'd rather Killings just go "DAAAAAMN" and drink a beer, or be all about the Nation of Islam? I don't see him doing the K-Kwik gimmick at all. I see him being RON KILLINGS, since I'm willing to bet he's like that outside of the ring, too. You know, since he DOES have a rap career, maybe he's just being the same in both fields?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No silly as the next black heavyweight champion, again I don't care for the dancing or his music career as it pertains to wrestling.....it just looks like bad comedy considering his partners consist of the blue collar redneck rapper and an extra from an 80s mexican gang movie. Ron Killings needs to be a monster heel not stuck in a lame comedy gimmick. Why can't 3LK breakup in the same manner as 3LW.....have them kick Ron Killings out because he isn't "redneck" enough and be replaced by Billy Gunn.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So you'd rather Ron Killings be all about "hey, I'm a wrestler," rather than be who he actually is? True, I think he should downplay the rap, but keep an aspect of it. Don't be like Cena where the whole gimmick is "HEY, I'M A RAPPING WRESTLER, LOOK AT ME DAWG," but just have it there. If he goes back to how he was when he made the transition from K-Krush to THE TRUTH, then I'm all for it, because I want to see The Truth as NWA World champion again in the next year or so. Dude deserves the World title since he was the only heavyweight in the whole company worth watching for its first, oh...4 months or so.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I was going to try and cover the whole roster...but instead I'll just pick out some highlights of things that either impress of irritate me.

 

1. Ron Killings.

 

Someone (before 3LK dissolves into the James Gang and whatever Konnan is going to be doing) needs to save this guys career. Someone has to go up to this guy when he's dancing around and smack him in the mouth. Someone has to light the fire under his character and remind him that WAYYY back in the first 2 months of the company nobody (including Styles) ran harder with the ball. There was a time in the weeks before he won the NWA title and during the better part of his title reign that Killings was the most interesting character on the show. Now he's a shell of that. Someone ought to let him now. I maintain that Killings is always only one promo away from being a top guy in the company. Hell...after all the 3LK/Kip James garbage...the only reason the Kru hasn't imploded is that Killings in the voice of reason. Instead of having Konnan turn on James, or James turn on Konnan...why not have Truth matter again and his absence from the group be the reason for their downfall?

 

 

2. Monty Brown.

 

Sometimes charisma and look are enough to be a star. Not a good worker...but an absolute breath of fresh air to the NWA title picture. Jarrett, Raven, Rhino and Hardy are the guys circling the title right now with Brown. What these guys have in common (outside of being past their best and having the stink of failure elsewhere) is that their matches need every shortcut in the book to not get blown away by the rest of the roster. Brown is a different animal. First of all...I like his gimmick. I like it because it's simple. I like his promos. I like his squash matches. I like Monty Brown. I want Monty Brown to be NWA Champion. All of that is predicated on Monty Brown squashing people while he's the champion. TNA should lay out an edict: No Monty Brown match shall run longer than 7 minutes...until they have the guy who's going to knock him off the top...and that guy can take him past that limit and beat him. They should make it a little less about dominating guys we've never heard of...and a little more about more established guys trying to figure out how to survive a match against him. It's time to start pulling the trigger on Monty.

 

 

3. The X division mess.

 

The X division is split into 3 very obvious groups right now.

 

1. AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels.

 

They get the match time, the pushes and are the obvious top guys in the division.

 

2. Chris Sabin, Petey Williams and Matt Bentley.

 

The B team. Not a Bentley fan (can Kazarian please come back and team with him soon?), not a Petey fan unless he's facing Sabin. Sabin I like. Sabin I think is underrated.

 

3. Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Sonjay Dutt and Alex Shelley.

 

If you've only seen TNA during the Spike era...and never watched RoH...the only one you can tell from the others is Sonjay...cause he's Indian. Say it with me people...character development. Aries, Strong and Shelley are awesome btw.

 

 

I don't know how to fix this mess. Strong and Shelley can team up. Bring back Kazarian to team with Bentley. Give Aries some character. Maybe that's what I'd do.

[razazteca 0]

So you'd rather Killings just go "DAAAAAMN" and drink a beer, or be all about the Nation of Islam? I don't see him doing the K-Kwik gimmick at all. I see him being RON KILLINGS, since I'm willing to bet he's like that outside of the ring, too. You know, since he DOES have a rap career, maybe he's just being the same in both fields?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No silly as the next black heavyweight champion, again I don't care for the dancing or his music career as it pertains to wrestling.....it just looks like bad comedy considering his partners consist of the blue collar redneck rapper and an extra from an 80s mexican gang movie. Ron Killings needs to be a monster heel not stuck in a lame comedy gimmick. Why can't 3LK breakup in the same manner as 3LW.....have them kick Ron Killings out because he isn't "redneck" enough and be replaced by Billy Gunn.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So you'd rather Ron Killings be all about "hey, I'm a wrestler," rather than be who he actually is? True, I think he should downplay the rap, but keep an aspect of it. Don't be like Cena where the whole gimmick is "HEY, I'M A RAPPING WRESTLER, LOOK AT ME DAWG," but just have it there. If he goes back to how he was when he made the transition from K-Krush to THE TRUTH, then I'm all for it, because I want to see The Truth as NWA World champion again in the next year or so. Dude deserves the World title since he was the only heavyweight in the whole company worth watching for its first, oh...4 months or so.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Wait a minute so you are telling me that Ron Killings is living embodiment of the dancing jiving soul brother stereotype? Ron Killings is stuck somewhere in between bad parodys of Booker T, Jon Cena, Roaddog, Allen Iverison, Mystical. Maybe if THE TRUTH got more tv time to develop a character other than sidekick to James and Konnan I would care about him but right now he is a joke. There is so much potential in Ron Killings, the man has the "IT" factor IMO but it is being wasted by the stale gimmick of 3LK.

 

Ron Killings should be a leader not follower......and if he has to dance during his entrance get the man some pyro and a YTMD.

[Phoenix Fury Legdrop 0]

Anyone who bad-mouths Eric Young is soul-less. He is seriously one of the better men of our generation.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

Anyone who bad-mouths Eric Young is soul-less. He is seriously one of the better men of our generation.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mind expanding on that statement?

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Whether or not he's a good man outside of the ring isn't the question. Plus, everybody's complimented Eric Young on his strengths (ie. bumping). He just isn't that good of a worker otherwise.

 

Also, why change Killings' gimmick too dramatically? Everybody seems to think that when he first made the shift from K-Krush to The Truth that he suddenly dropped all aspects of the rapping wrestler. He didn't. He still rapped, he still danced, he still did everything he did as K-Krush/K-Kwik...just not nearly as much. The focal point was that he was held down in the WWF for being a black wrestler, and was sick of being passed over wherever he worked because of his race. Right now that argument wouldn't work too well because he's a TWO-TIME NWA World champion, but toning down the rap/dancing? Yeah, I fully agree with that. Just don't get rid of it completely, because part of the thing I like about him is that he'll do a dis rap against an opponent that, you know, is a RAP and isn't just a few sentences thrown together that rhyme (take note, Johnny C), and I admit fully to liking the dance he does before his sidekick/leg lariat/whatever you want to call it (the backflip, the James Brown split, and then the kick). I also like how he twirls his body around after making impact with any big strike where he leaves the mat, as it adds more show to the move and helps differentiate him from others that have a similar moveset.

 

I think Killings should be the man to dethrone Jarrett if Raven doesn't, in all honesty. All he would need to do is bring up how Jarrett could never beat him cleanly (he lost the title, and the rematch, to Jarrett due to interference by Vince Russo), and after he wins the belt? Hold it for a month or two, then see how Brown works as champion. Either that, or have Brown dethrone Jarrett (again, assuming Raven doesn't, though Raven taking the title off of Jarrett would be the best route, IMO), and then have Killings take the belt off of him to transition it to Joe later in '06.

[razazteca 0]

I also like how he twirls his body around after making impact with any big strike where he leaves the mat, as it adds more show to the move and helps differentiate him from others that have a similar moveset.

I request that Ron Killings quit dancing while he walks down the ramp. Some of the in ring stuff that he does is good to great but if it is just another "People's Elbow" or "Spinaroonie" ripoff then it needs to go.

[claydude14 0]

On Eric Young, he's been one of the guys who's caught my attention since TNA started on Spike. He seems to stay in character pretty well as the dumb heel, and has good facial expressions along with it. As noted, the bumping is there too so maybe he'd be better off face.

[King Cucaracha 0]

A1 ~ Apparantly, he was getting a lot of buzz when he was in BCW. Haven't seen a lot of him, but I have no real problem. Hate to use the 'casual fans' phrase, but Team Canada need someone like A-1 who's more physically intimidating if they're to come off as any sort of force. He'd be better in a bodyguard role with the occassional match, probably.

 

Abyss ~ Love the guy. The problem over being a Mankind rip-off is obviously going to affect how he's seen by newer viewers coming over from watching WWE, but that aside I'd have no problem with him as World Champion. He's decent in the ring at the very least, great with the right opponent. He's one of the few guys in TNA to even have a distinctive character.

 

AJ Styles ~ Thumbs up, just keep him off the mic. Sure, he's 'spotty', but he's entertaining.

 

Alex Shelley ~ They're wasting him. Shelley's proven he can be a great character as well as a great wrestler from the Generation Next break-up/excommunication in ROH. I think the only time they've done anything really worthwhile was the first match when he returned, with Shocker. He can be a dick heel. So, let him. It's not like the X-Division is over-run with them.

 

"The Alpha Male" Monty Brown ~ Ugh. Sorry, not a fan. I actually don't mind the POOOUUUNCE~! It's just the rest that I have no particular care for. I don't get the gimmick direction. I don't get the whole wiping the forehead on the ropes thing. His catchphrase sucks. His mic-work isn't great. And he's a less than stellar worker. Putting the World Title on him isn't going to do anything to help the 'we are the alternative' claims that TNA are making.

 

Andy Douglas ~ Like Coffey said, "I can't tell him apart from his partner." Hell, the other day, it took me the best part of a half hour to even remember their names. Not innoffensive, just there.

 

Apolo ~ Don't care.

 

Austin Aries ~ Really highlights the problem with trying to use the entire ROH roster as a sub-division. He's lost in the shuffle because he's competing for time with probably twice the top-line roster as in ROH, with less TV/event time. If they give him something to work with, he'll be big. One of my favourite workers in North America at the moment. Like Shelley, could be something big if they let him. Lose the Crucifix Bomb though.

 

BG James ~ Name value? The New Age Outlaw routine got stale 5 years ago, minimum. But, he's still popular with the crowd I guess. As long as the fans in the arena want a NAO reunion, they should keep him around and milk it until it dries out again.

 

Bobby Roode ~ Decent worker, decent look. Decent. Does no harm as part of Team Canada, but doesn't really need to be pushed too actively as a singles worker.

 

Cassidy Riley ~ That's Raven's lackey, right? Pass. Where's Stevie when you need him?

 

Chase Stevens ~ See Andy Douglas...

 

Chris Harris ~ I never, ever, got the hype on AMW. I've seen two legitimately good matches from them that I can remember and that's it. His singles run was dire too. Like The Naturals, only with more exposure and a magnetic grip on the Tag Titles.

 

Chris Sabin ~ Still a fan. He's kinda got the been there, done that vibe at the moment. A heel turn would do wonders, assuming he can work heel.

 

David Young ~ Meh.

 

Eric Young ~

Anyone who bad-mouths Eric Young is soul-less. He is seriously one of the better men of our generation.

He's probably, out of all of TNA, the guilty pleasure 'like him but not quite sure why' guy for me. Bit goffy when it comes to selling, but that's probably part of the reason I like him. Young and Roode as a team are more interesting than The Naturals and AMW as far as I'm concerned.

 

"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels ~ Christopher Daniels > Chris Benoit. What more do I need to say?

 

Gail Kim ~ The next Rey Mysterio! Oh...wait. Nothing wrong with having a cute Asian chick on the show I guess.

 

James Mitchell ~ Perfect manager for Abyss.

 

James Storm ~ See Chris Harris.

 

Jeff Hardy ~ He'll always bring in his own little fanbase. Whether that's good of bad is up to personal opinion I guess. He's clearly lost the passion for the business he once had and his body can't take the kind of punishment that got him over in the first place anymore. The way he walks now scares me. In that kind of 'man, he really shouldn't be doing this, he doesn't look healthy' kind of way. Does he really need to be a wrestler still? Dunno. Do TNA need him as a wrestler still? Unsure.

 

Jeff Jarrett ~ I'm not one of Jarrett's biggest detractors, but I'd never call him main event material. He's watchable, but not in the position that he's currently in unfortunately.

 

Jerrelle Clark ~ Bump-O-Mania! Never going to make it as big as AJ or Daniels...or even Sabin...but it doesn't hurt to have him around for spotz now and then.

 

Johnny Devine ~ Pass. Don't even remember the guy.

 

Kevin Nash ~ Can. Can him now and can him for good.

 

Kip James ~ Apparantly a legit, nice guy. Gets a lot more criticism than he really deserved and I always listed him as a guilty pleasure worker. Problem is, I wouldn't really miss him if he were gone. They need to hurry up on the NAO reunion while it's still wanted.

 

Konnan ~ Popular enough and never had a big problem with him but like Kip, wouldn't miss him where he to go. The SHOE~! owns The POUNCE~!

 

Lance Hoyt ~ The second coming of Test. That's not a good thing.

 

Matt Bentley ~ I really don't care anymore. I never had as big of a problem with him as Michael Shane as many seemed to, but he's not really needed as a face and Shelley can play a better dick heel.

 

Petey Williams ~ Love the finisher (yeah, I said it CC). Valuable to TNA and he's more than a one trick pony, which he never gets a whole lot of credit for.

 

"Primetime" Elix Skipper ~ Cage walk aside, he's always been 'the third Triple X guy' and nothing much more. Always be popular, if only for the cage walk. One of the few guys with half decent music.

 

Raven ~ Worth keeping if only for the promos. In terms of match quality, he needs to be put with someone who can carry the workload a little more than a Rhino or a Monty. He's certainly not a lost cause or ready to be thrown on the scrapheap though. There'll always be a role for someone like Raven.

 

Rhino ~ The title reign killed him.

 

Roderick Strong ~ Don't believe the hype, man. I dunno, I like Strong but in terms of comparing him to everyone else who's employed because they're 'awesome in the Ring Of Honor', I don't like him. As a singles wrestler, he's going nowhere fast in TNA because the X-Division's just too crowded and he'll always be behind certain others. Doesn't mean he's not a good worker. Watch his match with Aries at Unbreakable. Best course of action- HIRE JACK EVANS and stick them in the Tag Division.

 

Ron "The Truth" Killings ~ Never really bought into the hype as much as...well, 90% of the board seemingly. Entertaining, valuable member of the roster, should be doing more...agreed. I'm just not a massive fan. Definately not clamouring to see him as 3 time NWA World Champion. Hate to repeat myself, but HIRE JACK EVANS and let them feud over who can dance best or something.

 

Sabu ~ As long as his body holds up, I guess there's something for him to do. Needs Fonzie as a manager if they even plan on making him more than 'that guy you remember from ECW who's going to come in and go through some tables for your enjoyment'.

 

Samoa Joe ~ Best worker in North America. For a bigman, he's completely unselfish in terms of selling too. I'd keep him in the X-Division for a while so he can have some good matches before he goes after the World Title. He needs to turn face by then, because it seems the entire World Heavyweight Division is made up of monster heels, ECW garbage wrestler faces and Jarrett. Joe would freshen it up, but getting a stellar match out of it will be tough.

 

Shark Boy ~ Does no harm. That's all I've got.

 

Simon Diamond ~ You know, I'm not bothered and I never really was. I thought the "Simon Says" stuff was cute in ECW but other than that I've never really had a strong opinion either way.

 

Sonjay Dutt ~ Entertains me. At least he does something to stand out from the crowd, which is something he needs to if he's not going to get mic or character time (which, lets face it, he isn't).

 

Sonny Siaki ~ He's just kinda...there. Not bad but not all that great. Can't honestly see anything for him.

 

Team 3D ~ I still maintain that Bubba is one of the most underrated character guys there is. He plays a great heel and he's a very good face too. D-Von's always just been 'the other guy' as far as I'm concerned, at least until Bubba had the face run and it didn't work. They work in TNA because they're recognisable and they're clearly not selfish. The Tag Division isn't brimming with guys for them to work with and get great matches out of though.

 

Traci ~ Get her away from Bentley. Traci'd do Gail Kim's role just as well, if not better, than Gail Kim. As it is, they might as well use her as the counter to Gail and manage 3-D. At least that way she'll be doing something.

Edited November 7, 2005 by King Cucaracha