How Does Maria Kanellis Fit In TNA's KO Division?

I have said before that TNA was in a position to beat the WWE at their own game when it came to their women's division. The WWE runs a division where they like to have a glamorous, sexy eye-candy diva be their centerpiece. Last year, TNA had both Brooke Adams and Taryn Terrell on their roster. If TNA wanted to, they could have pushed one of those women as their true centerpiece. They had a nice group of credible female wrestlers to act as a foundation to carry the division. They could run periphery angles or secondary feuds for other women. They could really run a diva-like women's division. Given how horrible and lost the WWE has been with their women's division in recent years, TNA could easily beat them at their own game. Problem is, both Brooke and Taryn left last year.

Enter Maria Kanellis. She has debuted in TNA with her husband, Mike Bennett. Given how TNA juggles around their men and never settles on a true centerpiece, I will probably never focus on him in anything I write. But you have two eye-candy women, both of whom came from the WWE, gone from TNA, then have another eye-candy woman, who also originated from the WWE, show up. Can Maria fill the void of Brooke and Taryn?

Maria was in action this week on Impact. As a wrestler, her performance was nothing to get excited over. Of course, you have to understand the story of the match. They were selling that she was scared of Gail Kim. Gail Kim isn't afraid to smack around a woman or a man. Maria got a fluke win over her in that tag match. She definitely did not look like a former WWE eye-candy diva that could follow in the path of Brooke and Taryn last night.

Maybe you cannot go too much by last night's match. Wait for a singles match between Gail and Maria? Maria was never a great wrestler in the WWE. Even by the WWE's recent standards, where they allow eye-candy divas with solid wrestling ability to get jobber and filler pushes, I do not think Maria was good enough to legitimately earn a title reign off that kind of career. She has had some matches since leaving the WWE. But she still does not look that amazing. I won't say she's down there with Eva Marie in terms of wrestling ability, but she doesn't look like she's become solid enough to deserve a title reign like Brooke and Taryn got. You have to wonder if she even deserves a feud with Gail Kim.

TNA's women's division isn't dead with their recent loss of women. They still have Velvet Sky, their own version of a WWE diva for the longest while. The Dollhouse is still around. That group is made up of two actual wrestlers. Rebel would be in the same group as Maria when it comes to wrestling ability. I like Rosemary. That's an actual gimmick there. They can run an interesting periphery, something the WWE has not been doing well recently. And there is still Gail Kim. She still has a few years left. Before it is all said and done, she might get back her record for longest reign with the KO title and might break the record for most major women's titles. She's talented and she is beautiful. But a lot of other women are not getting proper opportunities. One of them might be a legitimate long-term centerpiece for TNA. They might actually get very over. I do not think that is Maria Kanellis. Once again, you have to wonder if she really deserves the push she is getting. It could go to someone more deserving that is already solid in the ring.