Who is TNA's Most Under Appreciated/Underrated Performer?

[It's Damn Real!]

Hogan's recent interview with sports.vibe saw him make note of a guy the majority of fans would likely never have expected to have been heralded for his work considering his position in the company and his age — Christopher Daniels. Yet heralded he was, and it got me thinking… we do these "MVP"-type threads all the time — "Who is the MVP of TNA?", "Who is the Best Wrestler in TNA?", etc. — but we rarely if ever see threads dedicated to the lesser appreciated/underrated performers, so that's exactly what we'll do here.

TNA has a roster chock full of mid-card talents, many of whom people feel can be main event players or even World Champions at some point, so why not give them some of the spotlight, even if it's briefly?

Guys like Daniels, Magnus, Samoa Joe, Matt Morgan, Gunner, Pope and even Eric Young would all fit the bill here, IMO, and should all be taken into consideration here. The list is certainly not limited, to them, however.

So who is the most under appreciated or underrated star in TNA, and why?

 

[ABMorales787]

Eric Young. I cannot stress it enough. That man shined brighter than lighting out of John Cena's ass in 2007 & 2009 and has gone nowhere for his work. People see John Cena constantly perform feat's of amazing strength like place 2 guys on a Fireman's Carry, when EY's done the same. Minus the bodybuilder build.

Name the role too. Face, heel, tweeter, comedic, serious, badass, entertainer, seriously. He's worked it. No matter what, he's always over. Reports of loud "We Want EY" chants have come in from the Wembley tapings. And the man is barely used. This guy is a Cena-lite waiting to happen but TNA would rather keep him as a comedy guy who could've made the TV title mean something, but was too busy hunting Scott Baio.

 

[MrHashasheen]

Eric Young.

I can see that. Eric's been a pretty good trooper from what I've seen of him over the last two years.

 

[IHW]

Matt Morgan.

He is huge and he can wrestle. He has the it factor and the look. He has some room to tweak his promos, but they certainly aren't the worst.

Why is he not in the main event consistently i don't know, but im sure his time will come.

 

[Papa Pillman]

I think that a great case can be made for EY, but Killjoy has done so quite well already.

I also think Hogan is right about Daniels who is at times criminally underappreciated.

Some of the other names IDR listed are good candidates too, especially Joe, who is on the very short list of the most elite competitors between the ropes in the entire industry.

But the choice for most underappreciated is IMO quite clear...

Frankie Kazarian. Until the last three or four Impacts it appearred that creative had no desire to find any use for Kaz. Since being inexplicably removed from the X-division scene in mid-2011, he went essentially MIA aside from an occasional meaningless cameo involving a Fortune storyline where he was simply a background player. He was the only Fortune member not in the BFG series, which would have made sense if he was actively involved in a different division, but he was not.

Not using Kaz is a monumental waste. The guy is consistently entertaining in every match he is booked to compete in, regardless of the opponent.

TNA has three divisions that could greatly benefit from Kaz's presence. He could have given Aries the meaningful opposition that he had been missing prior to Shelley's return. He could have given some credence to the TV-title picture as an over opponent for a joke champ like Robbie E to make the title seem a bit more credible, or conversely taken the belt himself and re-established it as more than a comedic prop.

Luckily, TNA appears to be on the verge of doing the right thing and entering him into the other division that could use his assistance- the tag divsion. As a tag team with Daniels TNA would be adressing several issues. First they would be adding a team of high quality, over performers to a division in desperate need, second they would be moving Daniels out of single's fueds with guys that he is never going to be ultimately put over against(like AJ and RVD), and third they are putting Kaz's talents back on full display.

TNA already seems to be getting the clue on some of these under-utilized guys. They put Joe and Magnus together, which is suprisingly working, and it's a welcome sight, if for no other reason than it keeps both guys on my TV in relevant story situations. Now they are teasing doing the same with Frankie and Chris. Feuds and matches between the teams of Kaz/Daniels, Joe/Magnus, and eventually MCMG is the exact recipe to revive their once heralded tag ranks.

I hope that a tag team run with Daniels, or perhaps even with AJ depending on how this angle plays out, is what TNA is planning to do with Kazarian. If not, the likelihood is that he may fade back into relative insignificance, and that is just not acceptable for a wrestler of his caliber.

 

[shattered dreams]

Hogan probably appreciates the old school style heel character Daniels is doing good with right now. Historically the most under appreciated wrestler in TNA is Abyss. He has done a lot for TNA and done it well. Right now might not be his shining moment though. When I look for a talented guy not getting a push in TNA I think of Pope. He had that one push towards the main event then he got hurt at a bad time and he was practically out of the company it seemed like.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Christopher Daniels certainly. He puts on great matches and promos but is always cast aside to make way for inferior talent. Daniels has been as big a part of TNA as either Styles or Joe. Both have gone on to become stars on the account of huge pushes but Daniels has not been treated in the same manner. Of the three musketeers of TNA( Joe, Daniels and AJ), Daniels is probably the best promo cutter and I would not say that he is noticeably any inferior to either of the two as wrestlers.

It probably has something to do with the fact that he has always been a heel in his big feuds, especially in his feuds with AJ. He hasn't won too many of them either which always makes a difference to how the fans perceive him. All in all, I feel TNA is content in using him and he is himself content in being a team player rather than the major player of the company. If he weren't content, he would have never done anything like Curry Man, which was funny, but surely a novelty gimmick. He is content to lose his feuds to push young talent over. All this has led to the fans feel that he may not be as good as he really is.

 

[GrandSword]

There are many in TNA, which have been mentioned here. Christopher Daniels is indeed on top of the list. His movest reads like an encyclopedia of wrestling. More importantly he knows when and where to use them all in a match and is always so crisp and fluid. His promos are amazing when given the chance and everytime he is given the opportunity he has a MOTYC every year. And yet he gets nothing.

What interests me is Hogan's comments. He tweeted early last year that Daniels was the man and now this interview, but what is he going to do about it? Come on Hulk, give the man the ball, he'll run with it he is that damn good.

Another is of course the Pope. This guy is crazy over given the chance to shine. And then there is Samoa Joe... should he be in this catergory? It's a shame what they've turned Joe into, but atleast he is on tv. Alex Shelley is amazing in the ring and on the mic but apparently without his partner who can't cut promos, he is worthless??? Without Sabin, TNA should have allowed Shelley to go and do what he does best, but TNA has to give time to other things due to tv time constraints and sometimes pointless vigenettes we've seen before and stories about Bischoff's son. Magnus is another, I'm happy he is back on tv, he has a hundred times the charisma and ring skills of Crimson... thank god Crimson is only on tv once a month. Magnus is a big guy, he stays in amazing shape which is rare for a TNA performer, and is brilliant on the mic.

Any of the mentioned guys above given the TV title could really transform it into something special, if they are afforded a title defence every second show and take it to the prominence the X title was 5 years ago.

 

[LegendKiller716]

Normally I'm all for defending EY in threads like this, but a few people have already mentioned him, so I'll go with Kaz.

Kaz has a good look, he's great in the ring, and the fans like him. A few years back he was in the main event and put on one hell of a match with Angle. I really thought this guy was the future until Suicide happened. The only real downfall to Kaz, in my eyes, are his mic skills. That being said, I thought he was a lot better as the cocky heel when he was first recruited to Fortune. I think Kaz should go back to that gimmick, and have Flair dump Gunner and manager Kaz. I think with with Flair by his side Kaz can be a main event player in TNA.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Hogan probably appreciates the old school style heel character Daniels is doing good with right now. Historically the most under appreciated wrestler in TNA is Abyss. He has done a lot for TNA and done it well. Right now might not be his shining moment though. When I look for a talented guy not getting a push in TNA I think of Pope. He had that one push towards the main event then he got hurt at a bad time and he was practically out of the company it seemed like.

And there's a ton of reason to appreciate it. It's an artform that's not easily reproduced or replicated because it takes tremendous skill to be able to truly buy into it. Daniels has been around the block and cut his teeth enough to have really learned the right way, IMO, which is why he gets the nod from me here.

A prime example of how good he is: Sean Morley/Christopher Daniels feud. Fans are booing Morley (who is the face) because they hate that "Val Venis" is in TNA now. Daniels' music hits, and he's cheered, despite being the heel in the matchup. Daniels sort of revels in the moment for a brief instant, and then immediately turns on the fans, who are cheering him and everything he has to say by calling them "sheep" (or something to that effect). Tide turns and the fans immediately begin to boo Daniels again.

Fast-forward today and you've got Daniels/AJ in prime position for a solid mid-card feud here. Daniels is playing that old school cowardly heel to a T and nailing it.

 

[Ryberg]

He's right about Daniels but Hogan should just really say the ENTIRE X-DIVISION since I got there. That was TNA's bread and butter until Hogan and Bischoff ruined it. Same with the DIVA division before they got there they were HUGE and very under appreciated. Unlike in the WWE, the girls ACTUALLY WRESTLE.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

I couldn't choose just one wrestler, as TNA only have 2 hours of TV so quite a few guys fall into the under appreciated/underrated category. I think some of the most under appreciated guys on the roster are Mr Anderson, Rob Van Dam and Matt Morgan. While some of the most underrated would have to be the Pope, Gunner and Robbie E.

Mr Anderson was on fire at one stage and really should've held the World Title for longer than he did. He was getting by far the biggest reactions and then TNA kept switching him, then just forgot about him. Mr Anderson is a main eventer all day long in my book and should be on the show.

Rob Van Dam has been in filler feuds, for what seems like a long time now, while he could be used a lot better IMO. His feud with Jerry Lynn was great but then after that he's just been winning matches, matches that ultimately mean nothing.

Matt Morgan seems to be on the brink of success, once a year, and then gets cut down for some reason? I don't know how TNA haven't realised what they have in Matt Morgan yet. Perhaps they have but they just want fans to wait? Morgan is a 7 foot giant who can legitimately go in the ring, that says it all IMO.

The Pope has only really had one decent push, to my mind, and he done pretty well with it. But Pope hasn't been given much since then, for some reason, and has just slid down the ladder. I don't know if something's happened with Pope (behind closed doors) but it's a strange situation to me.

Gunner is someone I just believe is a wrecking machine waiting to happen. I'm pleased TNA have made him more aggressive and ruthless recently. Gunner just looks like a nutter you wouldn't mess with and he's one of the brightest lights on iMPACT for me.

Robbbie E has run with what he's been given and done a good job IMO. With a few tweaks Robbie E could be a top mid card guy. He has tons of charisma, is good on the mic and seems to do alright in the ring with the little offense he gets in.

 

[a0161613]

I'm a big fan of Matt Morgan. The guy has a great look, is agile and is good on the mic. He gets ripped on for his mic skills, his voice but he is comprehensible and he at least has some personality when he speaks. He also works well and has had a number of great matches during his time with TNA.

I'm so surprised he hasn't been given a top run. He would be an ideal TV champ at worst. I'm not too sure what he is up with Ring Ka King but he should thrive there.

 

[Rayne]

Two names spring right to mind.

The first is Mr. Anderson. I just don't know what issue it is that keeps him from being thrust in front of people, dead center, every week. The man has the entire toolkit that a professional wrestler needs to have. He's quick-witted, which is a very underrated but important skill to have- he plays organically with the crowd, rather than so many performers who come out, read their lines, do their flips, then run backstage. He's athletic enough; honestly, how pretty you make a dropkick look just isn't important unless you want to open up a sparsely attended wrestling school.

Ken Anderson should be leading a promotion right now. What went wrong? Why's he playing video games in the back? Somewhere, someone- maybe him, maybe not, who knows- fucked up big and dropped a serious ball.


The other is Abyss. I had the privilege of meeting a fair amount of wrestlers in a previous job under more familiar circumstances than "canIgetyourautograph", and Abyss stood out to me because he is an incredibly intelligent person. He understands the science of the audience. I think he's just trapped in an unpopular gimmick right now, but is too far into it to be able to easily rebrand. He gets put in roles that the audience isn't willing to accept him in, and we get people turning on him instead.

 

[Tiger Chaos Theory]

Douglass Williams. Just a phenomenal in ring worker on par with the best in TNA from AJ Styles to Kurt Angle. All the folks mentioned so far in this thread have at least had a few shots above where they are now.

EY is at least on TV which is much more than I can say for Dougie Fresh. He's got all the tools needed to work a role in TNA but on last viewing he was fodder for a man not 1/10 as well versed in wrestling as he is. Prior to that he was in a go nowhere tag team with another underutilized talent in Magnus. The very few times they have given Doug chances he has excelled and delivered good-to-great matches and as X-Division champion showed a ton of personality.

I think of all the current TNA wrestlers that are underrated/underappreciated, Doug has to be at the very top of that list.

 

[josh4worldchamp]

i agree with all the names said but i gotta add sabin and shelley theyve both been with the company since the beginning and they can both go in the ring and theyre both good on the mic (shelley more though)and they could both hang with guys like joe aj daniels and maybe even kurt theyve both been huge parts of the x division and tag division and as much as i love and wanna see the mcmgs again id love 2 see them in the main event

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't think I can really pick one, though the names that spring to mind for me have already been named.

Eirc Young is a young guy that I think has a lot of talent. To me, he showed a lot of what he could do on the mic when he was leader of World Elite. He's got good mic skills and can be entertaining to watch inside the ring. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that Young is going to be mostly a comedy guy for the rest of his career in TNA. It's a shame as he does have a good deal of talent and I'm just over his brain damaged comedy stuff that he's been doing for so long now.

I also have to go with Chrisopher Daniels. He's shown real ability on the mic since going heel and we all know he can go inside the ring. Daniels is one of the older wrestlers on the TNA roster but he can still go. I know this might border on blasphemy in the minds of some but, personally, I'm kind of tired of seeing him feud with AJ Styles. I know they have really good matches, it's just that it doesn't feel the least bit fresh. It's becoming the John Cena vs. Randy Orton scenario of TNA in that we've seen them go at it sooooooo many times. It'd be interesting to see Daniels pushed further up the ladder rather than be a mid-card guy that's typically treated as though he's largely irrelevant with the exception of an occassional feud with AJ Styles.

Douglas Williams is someone that I've become a fan of when he went solo. Aside from Austin Aries, Williams is really the only guy in nearly 3.5 years to really make the X Division Championship relevant. Williams was a damn good champion all things considered, especially since the X Divsion had so little relevance in general during the time Williams had the title. Williams has shown good ability on the mic and also has a lot of ability inside the ring. Like Daniels, Williams is one of the older guys on the TNA roster and it's possible that time is running against him when you consider his age. However, Mark Henry has been a lesson that you really should never write guys off even if they're hovering around or are over the age of 40.

Another guy I'm going with is, beleive it or not, Bully Ray. Ray is someone I've never been overly impressed with inside the ring. He's pretty decent overall, with occasional glimpses of brilliance, even if his selling tends to stray over into the comedic realm at times. His mic work has been consistently impressive and he's gotten himself into really good shape, probably the best of his career. To me, it just seems like he's been too talented overall to waste on feuds with Devon or Abyss for playing the role of stooge for Bischoff. It wouldn't bother me to see Ray given a shot at the main event picture. It already seems a little crowded right now, however, with Hardy & Storm in the mix. For the time being, I'd settle for a good mid-card title run except that the X Divsion is for guys 220 pounds or less and the TV title is a joke and wouldn't do Ray any favors.

As for some of the others mentioned, such as Abyss & Gunner, I just don't really see it. Some probably will say the same about some of the other picks, different strokes for different folks and all that. To me, Abyss used to be moderately interesting years back but the Abyssamania era just really, really ruined the Abyss character as a whole for me. Gunner is a guy that I just don't see anything that stands out. He's not much to speak of on the mic, there's nothing at all special about him inside the ring, his "intensity" amounts to him slapping himself in the face a couple of times and he still comes across like a low level stooge that can't accomplish anything without someone helping him.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

Eric Young. I cannot stress it enough. That man shined brighter than lighting out of John Cena's ass in 2007 & 2009 and has gone nowhere for his work. People see John Cena constantly perform feat's of amazing strength like place 2 guys on a Fireman's Carry, when EY's done the same. Minus the bodybuilder build.

Name the role too. Face, heel, tweeter, comedic, serious, badass, entertainer, seriously. He's worked it. No matter what, he's always over. Reports of loud "We Want EY" chants have come in from the Wembley tapings. And the man is barely used. This guy is a Cena-lite waiting to happen but TNA would rather keep him as a comedy guy who could've made the TV title mean something, but was too busy hunting Scott Baio.

This. Everybody I know will scream A.J. Styles, but I tell you right now that no one is more versatile on that roster than Eric Young. Sorely underrated because people don't like comedy in wrestling, but he's way more than that. I just think hes missing one small piece of the puzzle to make it into the main eventer that he very well could be. His look is hurting him.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

I know Bully Ray is getting his cheers so I will refrain from picking him and will say Christopher Daniels for sure.

I absolutely loved him in his feud with AJ Styles. He was always given that Fallen Angle gimmick and kinda restrained his promo skills, but he has been so witty and good on the mic since he's dropped the holy spewage, it's unbelievable. The man, for me, was better than AJ last year, and like 4th on my list of best TNA stars of 2011 ( after Roode, Storm and Aries).


I can't strees enough how much EY makes me laugh with his humor.



One name I would like to say is Brutus Magnus. He is charismatic and is just all-round cocky. He is someone who can keep the crowd entertained and I think he does have ample credentials to be a great heel champion.

And fuck me for saying this but Robbie E. I have been harping about him since I saw him in the ALL-Champion Spin Cycle. He was abgs of hilarious and someone who is far superior to the limitations that his gimmick will restrict him to. He is a great seller, funny as the obnoxious heel. I hope he transcends the Jersey gimmick but keeps the funny.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Eric Young. I cannot stress it enough. That man shined brighter than lighting out of John Cena's ass in 2007 & 2009 and has gone nowhere for his work. People see John Cena constantly perform feat's of amazing strength like place 2 guys on a Fireman's Carry, when EY's done the same. Minus the bodybuilder build.

Name the role too. Face, heel, tweeter, comedic, serious, badass, entertainer, seriously. He's worked it. No matter what, he's always over. Reports of loud "We Want EY" chants have come in from the Wembley tapings. And the man is barely used. This guy is a Cena-lite waiting to happen but TNA would rather keep him as a comedy guy who could've made the TV title mean something, but was too busy hunting Scott Baio.

Without a doubt he is the first person who come to mind in TNA who is vastly underappriciated. The guy really can pull off any role he wants to and he doesnt get enough credit for that. I hear people talk about him being a joke right now, that's the goddamn point folks, he plays the goofy joker well and in a way that I enjoy ever week. As much as I enjoy what he's doing now I really hope he gets a chance to shine as a true performer sometime in the near future because if the people give him a chance they will be blown away.

Another guy who I believe is underrated is Bully Ray, I know that he's constantly involved in things and he gets plenty of time in the big feuds but he is the best heel in the company IMO and I believe this will be his year to shine. I feel like people dont take him seriously as one of the top dogs but his matches and his mic work have quitely pushed him to the top of the heap, nobody draws the heat that this guy does and he doesnt even have to try. I like Roode but his song and dance is getting dry, Daniels is busy and he is busy lower on the card, it's time for Bully to get some recognition and take his rightful place at the top.

 

[shattered dreams]

I love EY but I must have been watching a different show than the rest of you when they took him out of a comedy role. EY is really good at what he does but he isnt as good at various other qualities he would need to be successful in top spot playing a less silly role. They tried to Kurt Angle him and it fell flat. It might not have been all his fault but he really did not show me much in that role.

 

[Lowdown]

I gotta go with Samoa Joe here. I like the push he's been getting with Magnus lately (another underrated talent btw), but up until now, he's been it a couple of bad feuds that went nowhere with Pope and Jarrett or missing from TV completely. He's one of the reasons I started getting into TNA a few years back. A badass gimmick and he (IMO) represents another big man that is agile and can go in the ring.

I would like to see more of EY from back in the day to see what folks are talking about. Not into the whole comedy relief part he's playing now but he shows some spark of talent in the ring. I'll have to check him out on YouTube.

 

[Alex]

Alex Shelley.

The guy has it all, promo skills, wrestling ability and a cool look. What do they do with him, they leave him off TV for several months because they want the Machine Guns back.

I'll admit the Machine Guns are kind of needed, but giving Shelley something to do would keep him relevant (they finally rectified this) I mean the guy could very well jump to the main event with a decent push. Heck he and Austin Aries are making the X-Division must see and he's only been back two weeks, imagine what could have been accomplished if he had been brought back sooner.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Pretty easy - Robbie E.

I really don't think the likes of EY, Daniels, Joe are underappreciated or underrated. Just because they're not World Champions doesn't mean they're underappreciated. If you look at their TNA track records and their current statuses you'll realize they've been featured on TV one way or the other, sometimes in very prominent feuds. They always got a good chunk of TV time, always won belts or were in storylines that were paid attention to. Not to mention that EY, Daniels and Joe have so many supporters and they've always been over in some shape or form. Especially Joe and Daniels.

A lot of people are overlooking Robbie E.'s actual talents due to his ridiculious gimmick that doesn't seem to do anything for anybody. The character aside, Robbie E. has a great build, a good look (if he shaved that thing off his head), he's athletic, agile, plays a great cowardly bitch heel inside the ring and does have a certain amount of natural charisma to him, and a potential "it" factor peeking around the corner. The problem is that a lot of people don't want to shine some light on his good sides because of how much of a moron his character is. Fuck it, I like the guy.

Robbie is underappreciated by the fans due to his gimmick and ridiculious over the top behavior and also underappreciated by TNA who just won't make this guy into a serious competitor which I have zero doubts he might and will be if he dropped the Jersey Shore bullshit and became an actual wrestling persona worth a fuck. I mean, really TNA, do you honestly think he's attracting a fanbase by being a Jersey Shore knock-off? If it worked that way then screw the Jersey Shore, have a football player gimmick - football's huge and by your logic a gimmick related to a certain type of product geared toward a certain audience automatically attracts that audience toward TNA. Oh wait, you have one, Jesse Sorrensen. Bet'cha all the college football players and youngsters with shitty tribal tattoos are watching TNA now, OH! OH! OH!

 

[Warrior]

Christopher Daniels(As my avatar shows) is my favorite wrestler of all time. He is the most under appreciated wrestler in TNA. He does ANYTHING TNA ask of him from Curry Man to Suicide. He has been in some of the greatest Tag teams of all time. From Triple X to Styles and Daniels, he has had the tag team division in the palm of his hand whenever he was in it. LAX,AMW, and The New Church( all amazing teams) have fought and had amazing matches with him. Then theirs the X-Division. He is hands down one of the best if not the best to ever step foot in the division, period. I hope that TNA gives him a least one world title reign and realize him for what he is. An elite by any means.