Dot Net Members will be listening to the Dot Net Weekly audio show later today with information on a TNA wrestler who recently asked for his release, plus more thoughts on Hulk Hogan signing with TNA. You can sign up for Dot Net Membership for only $5 per month by visiting the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

TNA Impact Hits

Hulk Hogan footage: Very good hype throughout the show for Hogan's signing. I'm anxious to see whether the news of Hogan's signing spread enough to pop a rating despite going against the World Series and the usual tough Thursday night programming. The big flaw in all the hype is that they didn't give us a hook for next week or the Turning Point pay-per-view. It's possible that Hogan won't be there next week because of his book tour, but they should have teased something for next week and beyond.

Updated commentary: Great move by TNA. It would have been awkward if they had simply inserted the Hogan footage at the end of the show and not had the announcers talking about it. I'm not sure why they had Mike Tenay acknowledge that the show was pre-taped, though. Sure, it seemed a little odd that the wrestlers weren't talking about Hogan, but it wasn't a big enough deal to kill the illusion that some viewers have regarding the show being live.

Samoa Joe: Finally, Joe was portrayed as something other than an angry meathead. I loved the way they showed him getting inside the minds of A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels. This was a big upgrade over the knife wielding lunatic that screams and yells about everything. By the way, Daniels wearing that suit every week leaves me wondering if he's on his way to the pool hall. It's cool that he dresses like a professional, but that look screams pool shark, not cool athlete.

Matt Morgan vs. Rhino: A quality three-minute match. These two work well together and I'm impressed with the new and improved Rhino even though he lost the match. I'm still not crazy about his dated look, the gore, or even his name. Nothing has changed about him since the ECW days. It would be different if he'd achieved superstardom, but he's relying on an act that has had him stuck in the mid-card since ECW folded. That said, his mic work is better than ever and he's a few tweaks away from becoming a player.

The Motor City Machine Guns vs. Team 3D: The match was entertaining while it lasted. Obviously, this hit is not for the horrible urinage spot that injured Chris Sabin. Kevin Nash was wrong to cut a promo in the ring about the way the injury was handled, but the message was right on.

TNA Impact Misses

Desmond Wolfe vs. Kurt Angle: What a difference a week makes. Wolfe was all the rage last week with his hot debut on Impact. This match would have received all the buzz coming out of the show had it not been for Hulk Hogan signing. Sadly, TNA opted to put the Hogan footage at the end of the show and it completely overshadowed the match. The Kurt Angle stretcher job should have been a meaningful moment. Instead, it packed zero punch because they had to rush to get the Hogan footage in. What a shame.

Desmond Wolfe promo: I expected more from Wolfe. I loved the laid back demeanor he showed last week when he spoke calmly and confidently. His delivery last night didn't mesh with the image created during the first week. He yelled and ranted and delivered a typical pro wrestling promo that made him seem like just another wrestler rather than a standout star. By the way, what about Wolfe has given the announcers the impression that someone else might be pulling his strings? Sure, they know where the storyline is headed, but it seems silly that they're jumping to this conclusion when he hasn't said or done anything that I've caught to make them suspicious.

Eric Young vs. Bobby Lashley: I hated the way this match was just thrown out there. Title matches should always be treated as special even if there's no plan for a title change. Mike Tenay may as well have just told us that Lashley wasn't winning the title when he stated that it's only a matter of time before he's wearing gold and then half heartedly added, "Tonight may be the night." I'm happy they scrapped the Legends Title concept, but they haven't addressed the real issue. No one cares about the belt because it was introduced by a wrestler who deemed himself champion. Can't they just take the loss, scrap the belt, and have a new one made? They can go with Young as the champion, but show him earning it and other wrestlers coveting the belt so that fans have a reason to take it seriously.

Lacey Von Erich: Pull the plug on this experiment. She was in the ring for 10 seconds and she managed to look awkward and completely uncoordinated. Is there a petition I can sign to encourage the United States government to grant Angelina Love a pardon?

World Elite: Rumor has it that they finished their in-ring promo and then headed directly to a nearby arena where they were defeated by the Harlem Globetrotters for the 10,000 consecutive time.

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