Dot Net Members are listening to my 56-minute audio recap of last night's live TNA Impact show. You can score access to all the perks of membership including the first look at Dot Net original news on the ad-free version of the website by signing up for $5 per month membership via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

TNA Impact Hits

Sting turns heel: We can question whether it's logical for TNA to put so much of the spotlight on another older wrestler, but the Sting segments were strong. They didn't go with the "is he or isn't he" tweener crap. Rather, he was an all out heel for the first time in ages. He put his hands on Dixie Carter, took cheap shots at Hulk Hogan and Abyss with the baseball bat, and followed up later in the show with another attack (that wouldn't end!) on Rob Van Dam and Hogan. It was also nice to see TNA take their time and recap the Sting attack on Hogan and Abyss and follow up with the backstage angle with Dixie rather than just race on to the next match.

Jeff Hardy: A big return moment at the end of the show that closed the night on a fun note. Unfortunately, the timing of the show was off and they ran out of time before Hardy could hit the big Swanton at the end of the show. It would have been a cool way to close the night and it felt awkward after all the hype the announcers gave to Spike TV letting them run long. A reader questioned how I could praise Hardy's return given that he will be going back to court to face drug trafficking charges soon. Although it's a serious issue, it didn't cause me to enjoy the show any less.

Overall show: There was no filler on the show as every segment had a purpose. The show moved at a fast pace, yet also spotlighted most of the major angles nicely. I was entertained throughout the night and never developed the "hurry up and get this over with" feel that pops into my mind during bad shows. Again, we can question the direction and the decision to put the spotlight on so many older wrestlers, but the actual show entertained me. The fatal flaw was that they did nothing to promote next week's show. They didn't bother to advertise any matches, nor did they push next week's show as a major event. Meanwhile, WWE is countering with three advertised matches and some guy named Steve F'n Austin.

Hulk Hogan and Abyss vs. Ric Flair and A.J. Styles: A minor hit. The company failed if the goal was to showcase Abyss and Styles in any meaningful way. They were just sidekicks to the real stars in this match. The selfish wrestling fan in me enjoys blood when it enhances a match. In this case, Flair has set the bar so ridiculously high for bloodletting over the last two weeks that a basic blade job will seem like a sissy scratch. Tone it down, Naitch.

Kurt Angle and Ken Anderson: The use of the military members was well done and Anderson made me laugh out loud when he referred to the soldiers as "high school dropouts." Angle lays it on pretty thick with his pro-military comments, but he is clicking as Mr. Patriotism given his track record as an Olympian. The big problem here is that they need to do something to give Anderson his heat back at tonight's taping because this felt like the end of their program because Angle and the soldiers got their revenge on Anderson.

The Beautiful People win the tag titles: Quick and painless. The match was kept short and TNA delivered it's required dose of T&A. I'd love to think that the backstage champagne celebration is a sign that TNA is going to make a big fuss over their title changes. However, my guess is that it was just an excuse to get the women and Jeremy Borash wet.

TNA Impact Misses

Rob Van Dam: A hot debut for one minute that turned into a beatdown angle that just wouldn't end. I was really hoping RVD was going to return later in the show to leave viewers with a better final impression of his first night in TNA. Sadly, we never saw him again.

Destination X hype: Why would anyone think that Abyss is going to win the title when all the hype is geared toward Styles vs. The Pope at Lockdown? Worse yet, TNA delivers a free show filled with star power and then expects people to pay for a show that currently doesn't include Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, Sting, Hulk Hogan, or Ric Flair wrestling. Perhaps that will change as the card is finalized, but it feels like they gave away a show that will cater to the masses more than their pay-per-view lineup does thus far.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Beer Money: I'm all for Beer Money turning heel, but I have zero interest in seeing them work with Jarrett and Mick Foley if that's the plan. Foley just doesn't mean anything right now and his throwback moment to the homemade referee costume was another reminder of how long it's been since Foley has felt truly relevant. After the charm school skits, I could have used at least a month away from the "I'm so adorable" Foley character. The finish of this match was just plain silly. Mike Tenay was right there assume that Eric Bischoff sent Slick Johnson to the ring to make the three count, but it just came off looking corny.

Doug Williams vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Daniels: The pre-match message that they are rebuilding the X Division is nice, but seeing is believing. We've heard this so many times in recent years that I need to see it before I'll believe it. Williams was much better than usual on the mic, but Kaz felt out of place when he was talking about being a pioneer of the division. Daniels put him in his place so perhaps that was by design. Daniels loses to heavyweights, he loses to X Division wrestlers, and I'm beginning to wonder whether they'll bring him in to lose to Meatball on the Micro Championship Wrestling television show. They had to start somewhere with rebuilding the division and I get the sense I'm in the minority when it comes to disliking this segment, but the division has been buried for so long that none of these guys felt like stars.

Shannon Moore: What was it about the crickets that Moore heard throughout his run with the punk character that made him feel like he should bring that look back for his latest run in TNA? I dug Shannon as Matt Hardy's "Little MF'er" and he did some nice work as a tag wrestler before he was cut by WWE, but his punk look didn't click in either company. I'll give it a chance to play out, but I can't help that I groaned when I first saw him.

Bubba The Love Sponge: Maybe I'm underestimating the popularity of his show around the country, but I really wonder how many casual viewers ask themselves who in the hell he is. I read a lot of Brooke Hogan hate in the Dot Net Members' forum today, but at least people know she's Hogan's daughter, whereas Bubba just comes off like some random lackey. The only way Bubba getting this much camera time makes any sense if the idea is to use him as a heel manager. He obviously knows how to get on the nerves of viewers. That said, Bubba has no business working as a manager when a guy like Jim Mitchell isn't working for one of the top two promotions.

Eric Young and Kevin Nash vs. Sean Waltman and Scott Hall angle: I'm notoriously tough on Young, but it's not like I don't think they guy has talent. It's just that TNA has a tendency to shove him down our throats and make him out to be a bigger deal than he is. He showed really nice intensity last night and the live crowd was receptive. Ultimately, though, this angle set up a match that I don't give a damn about simply because the stipulation is flawed. If Hall and Waltman lose, what's stopping them from showing up at the Impact Zone without contracts like they always do?

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