Its hard to say. I hear what you're saying in regards to Brooke being better in the ring, and that might be due to her being teamed with Tara. At the same time TNA tries to put Velvet at the forefront as being the favorite among the male demographic. I don't have statistics to support this like others may claim they have. From what I've seen on Impact whenever she steps into the ring, she seems to get the most cheers (primarily for her entrance). This next point is purely my personal opinion, so correct me if I'm wrong. From the backstage segments and any match that she's involved in, to me it looks like they're trying to portray Velvet as an underdog among the KO's in general. Like recently she was the recipient of a 2 on 1 attack at the hands of Angelina and Sarita, until Mickie came and made the save.
Something else to consider. When was the last time Tessmacher has been seen on Impact? I don't think I've seen her in at least a month or more. In fact last I remember seeing her on TV was when she was competing in that Hooters contest. As you would guess in order to be pushed up the division, you should be present. Again, TNA went in the opposite direction when Gail Kim returned and immediately took the KO strap off of Velvet. But I digress. To answer your question, I don't think Tessmacher should be in Velvet's spot. Much like Velvet she's eye candy for the fellas, but not as over IMO. Hell look at Mickie, she's already held the title more than once, yet Velvet only held it barely a month and she's still the main face of the division.