BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

(NEW: Follow me on Twitter - @keller_wade)

-These are my random thoughts in chronological order on tonight's big episode of TNA Impact on Spike TV. A full detailed report on this show is available at PWTorch.com and the PWTorch App.

-They opened with Hulk Hogan pacing backstage with a baseball bat. Eric Bischoff tells him there's a time and place for baseball bats, but this isn't one of them.

-Show's title: "The Network's Revenge." The Network's Revenge could be ominous foreshadowing if Spike decides to go a different direction with the format of the network and do more reality-based unscripted shows.

-Karen and Jeff are one of my current guilty pleasures in wrestling. They are so shameless, yet not entirely unlike some real people we all know. They are over-the-top, yet they play it so straight and sincere that it works. Like when Kurt Angle walked out when Jarrett offered a truce, Jeff put his arms behind his back as if that would prevent him from taking a cheapshot against Kurt.

-Good opening segment in terms of the performances and hooking viewers, although it's part of the heavy Soap Opera driven aspect of Impact that strays too far too often from having anything to do with matches and titles.

-The over-under for the word "skank" being said on Impact today was at the 22 minute mark. They made it to the 26 minute mark (Tara to Madison Rayne). I will celebrate the week that TNA manages to get through two hours of programming without a Knockout being called a "skank."

-When Tommy Dreamer told the roving camera that he's on the phone and it's "his time," I have a feeling he's had to say that to hundreds of fans over the years. Tommy's got a rep for being nice outside of the ring, but some fans don't know boundaries. By the way, never approach wrestlers when there's food on their table at a restaurant. Maybe before their arrives, certainly as they're packing up to leave, but never when they're still eating. Never ever.

-TNA deserves more credit for the roving backstage camera gimmick they do. It's different than what WWE does and as time goes by they're getting better at utilizing it effectively. It creates a documentary-type feel in contrast to things being arranged, scripted, and produced.

-Boy, that backstage lighting isn't doing anyone any favors, including Tara and Styles. These HD close-ups backstage are giving us a look at every blemish and pore.

-There was a time where I thought Chris Harris of America's Most Wanted was a potential breakout singles star for TNA, but he got disgruntled and gained some weight and just got off track. I think he's someone worth bringing back if he's motivated and in shape as there is a nice backstory between him and James Storm.

-Okay, Storm doesn't look exactly thinner. He does look like the long-lost twin brother of Constantine from American Idol.

-Sangriento looked more dazzling this week than in his mediocre debut last week against Suicide. I can't wait for Sangriento & Amazing Red vs. Suicide & Christopher Daniels.

-Mick Foley is good when he has something to talk about and the booking gives him a reason to be out there. His speech about wrestling be all that matters doesn't really match up well with declaring a battle royal to determine the new no. 1 contender. I know the Royal Rumble has this flaw, too, but what does winning a Royal Rumble have to do with proving who the best "wrestler" is when you can be ganged up on and tossed out before you even have a chance to "wrestle." It's one of the dumbest ways to determine top contenders. I would have been more impressed if Foley said: "To show we're getting back to wrestling, no more gimmicks, no more stips, no more battle royals, no more things hanging on ringposts or above the ring. We're going to start finding out who the true top wrestlers are by getting back to one-on-one wrestling matches."

-People would have paid to see Chyna for the first time on PPV. I think in this case TNA would have been better off revealing it was Chyna, but making fans pay to see her. She looked close enough to her old self that it didn't come across as someone totally washed up. Karen's selling of the Chyna reveal was pretty funny.

-Chyna's value is going to be 40 percent nostalgia, 50 percent what she can deliver in terms of her demeanor and contributions, and 10 percent her history with Jeff Jarrett. As long as TNA keeps that in mind, she's always had an X Factor that can be exploited. She's been away long enough that there could be some curiosity in seeing her again for those who remember her, but a lot of Impact viewers are too young to have watched her live before. She's going to have to prove she's able to contribute as if she never had TV time before and not live off her 1998 accomplishments and exposure. Did TNA do their due diligence in making sure her "issues" aren't going to cause TNA and Spike TV major problems? It certainly continues to cement TNA's rep as the landing pad for people that WWE won't touch.

-A more efficient booking approach could have built the wrestling aspect of this show around a 15 minute main event of Samoa Joe vs. Crimson vs. Abyss. Instead, less than three minutes with Joe jobbing after a Black Hole Slam. I liked Crimson's stiff-looking kneelifts to Joe's face. Crimson has something going for him. Hopefully more than Sean O'Haire, one of my previous Best Bets many years ago.

-I liked the image of Joe frothing and seething behind Crimson as Crimson celebrated his win.

-Another nice production touch showing all 25 battle royal competitors lined up and warming up backstage before the commercial break.

-Tenay notes during battle royal that "Mick has officially changed the name to Impact Wrestling." Name of what? TNA the company or TNA Impact the TV show? Oh, he clarifies: "From now on, it's Impact Wrestling on Spike TV." IWS? Too bad it's not Current TV. TNA could become the IWC!

-Douglas Williams and Magnus eliminated in opening seconds. Douglas posts on Twitter: "Given my miserable performance in the Battle Royal I'm going to sit down and reflect on my career. Will let you know my thoughts in morning." Funny.

-In small doses and right context, I get a kick out of Eric Young. Thinking he won TV Title by eliminating TV Champ in Battle Royal was funny. He eliminated himself after dumping Gunner (or was it Murphy?) and then celebrated his way to the back with the TV Title.

-Mick Foley joins Tenay and Taz on commentary 13 minutes into battle royal. Can he avoid self-referential phony self-deprecation and put over the product? Hopefully he got that out of his system in his last book.

-Foley said deep down every bully has an insecurity. He says he wants to win world title to prove he wasn't just a tag team guy. Good. That's what we're looking for.

-Anderson after Battle Royal Win: "I am to Sting what the U.S. Navy Seals are, or should I say was, to Osama bin Laden." He said he's "locked, loaded, and ready to go!" Crowd chants "USA! USA!"

-Good final picture with the main event wrestlers of Sunday's Sacrifice standing face to face backstage - RVD and Sting.

-Good show. No big complaints. My full audio review and analysis coming up on the PWTorch VIP website. (http://www.pwtorch.com/govip).

Please Recommend or Like This Article on Twitter or Facebook

KELLER BLOG: Paul Heyman alliance with C.M. Punk - where does it go from here?

KELLER'S WWE SUMMERSLAM PPV BLOG: Results and analysis throughout the show including Lesnar vs. Triple H, Cena vs. Punk vs. Show

KELLER: C.M. Punk is not best utilized as a tweener, despite a recent reader poll; he should be all out heel

Comment on this Article Below