By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

TNA blew it last night. Absolutely blew it.

I remain stunned by last night's offering, which was one of the most important shows of 2013 following the two lowest-rated Impacts of the year.

The interesting thing is TNA actually had momentum going for them. It wasn't like they were coming off horrible TV shows, but actually built up a concept - which hero(es) will arise to challenge Aces & Eights? - that could have given TNA even more momentum last night.

It was what I've been pointing to since March's Lockdown PPV - since the ratings began declining before falling below a 1.0 the past two weeks - that TNA needs strong babyfaces and a #1 star to rise up and challenge A&E if TNA is intent on keeping the A&E program going past its expiration date.

Instead, TNA dipped back into the Sting bag-of-tricks to have the 54-year-old singlehandedly run through Aces & Eights. It was a flashback to when A&E was a joke before TNA attempted to flip the switch with Bully Ray at Lockdown. This, while 59-year-old Hulk Hogan attempted to strut and pose in the ring.

I get it. Sting is one of the only true stars in the company, he's paid a lot of money, so TNA wants a return on the investment, and Sting was ultimately the main wrestler betrayed by TNA World champ Bully Ray.

But, when will TNA take a step forward into this century instead of flashing back to 1997 WCW Nitro with lights out, Sting in the ring pointing the bat at Hogan, Sting clearing the heels, and Sting silently leaving the ring?

Coincidentally, this took place on the same show where potential 2012 hero James Storm took yet another A&E beating, where past TNA hero A.J. Styles continued to brood in the crowd standing next to fans (not a good visual if you want someone to come across like a star), where Samoa Joe, Magnus, and Kurt Angle were missing in action, where TNA buried the lead on a major storyline item that "Jeff Hardy is considering walking away from wrestling," and where potential 2013 hero Matt Morgan was simply discarded by Hogan after months and months of build-up to a major in-ring confrontation.

So much potential, momentum, and opportunity tossed aside. When TNA and Spike TV get nervous, they tend to fall back on the big-names being spotlighted. Yet, it keeps the pattern going because future stars are routinely positioned as secondary to Sting, Hogan, et al.

Kurt Angle had an exchange with Pittsburgh radio host Mark Madden earlier this week capturing this concept.

Madden: What I want is more Kurt Angle. It should be you battling Aces & Eights, not the guy who can't walk anymore (Hulk Hogan). C'mon!

Angle: "You know what, I've had talks with Creative and, yeah, we've been going back and forth. I've been the staple of the company the last five years until, I would say, the last year. I believe they've been trying to use the younger talent."

Madden: Right, like Hogan!

Angle: (laughs) "You know what, that's a touchy subject. I love Terry, but you're right, it is about bringing up the younger talent. And the way to do it is having them wrestle veterans like me in the main events. Hopefully in the future they'll start doing that more often."

Now, the "hope" that Angle presented at the end of his comments is that TNA believes mixing future stars with established stars will eventually make new, headline stars. Of course, TNA has pitched this throughout company history. Yet, on April 25, 2013, it was the Hogan & Sting Show after Sting "returned from an absence" for approximately for the 25th time. Talk about Law of Diminishing Returns.

Ultimately, though, will this week's Impact be viewed as a rough-patch on the road to a long-term payoff that will make a new headline star? Perhaps. But, how long will the audience stick around to see this latest chapter play out before losing interest? How much faith does the audience have in TNA to deliver once they reach the destination? Even if TNA has a great payoff at the end of the journey, will it make a difference or simply draw polite applause?

Most viewers will go along for the ride because they just want to watch the wrestling show on Thursday nights, but all that's done is get TNA to a permanent 1.0-rating average.

If TNA's goal is simply to stabilize the rating with Hogan & Sting as centerpiece stars in response to scoring the two lowest ratings of the year, then go for it. But, don't tease viewers with the idea of new heroes rising up.

TNA blew that chance last night.

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