By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

TNA writer Vince Russo wrote a lengthy blog on Facebook earlier this week describing his feeling of exhaustion after TNA wrote the January 4 live Impact over a six-week period, describing TNA's inability to "get over" young talent, and calling out Vince McMahon for not taking TNA seriously.

Torch editor Wade Keller analyzed Russo's blog point-by-point in his VIP-exclusive Hotline on Friday. Keller and Torch columnist Bruce Mitchell also covered the blog in the PWTorch Livecast/Bruce Mitchell Audio show. Both pieces of analysis are available to Torch VIP members. (Find out how to listen to the VIP updates.) For the record, here are highlights of Russo's blog reflecting on the week.

-- Russo acknowledged his dislike for Eric Bischoff prior to Bischoff and Hulk Hogan joining TNA, but he spent several paragraphs praising Bischoff's work preparing TNA for the January 4 Impact opposite WWE Raw.

"No, Eric and I did not like each other," Russo said. "We were oil and water, we were just two different guys with two different mindsets and two different styles. At WCW we were BOTH put in positions that neither one of us wanted to be in. We were forced to work together--when we couldn't. Dixie Carter forced me to work with Eric Bischoff again. I didn't want to, but I had no choice."

Russo continued: "The more, and more I worked with Eric, the more, and more he started to remind me of somebody. ... A guy that was once so driven so determined and so MOTIVATED that he had me giving my life to him on a silver platter. He had me putting him before my entire family. A guy that oozed bravado - his favorite word. Eric reminded me so much of Vince McMahon 10 years ago that it was surreal."

-- Russo referenced McMahon throughout his blog, almost begging to get a reaction out of McMahon. The end result is empowering McMahon when the next-closest competitor won't stop talking about him.

"Vince McMahon is at that same place again (thinking he doesn't have competition). There was no effort on Monday night - because in his mind - there is no competition," Russo said. "I'm talking about the Vince McMahon who had the passion to win at any cost. The Vince McMahon who didn't want to rest on his laurels. Eric made it clear to me by his actions...that he wasn't there to take Dixie Carter's money. He was there to win."

Russo added: "Eric provided hope that TNA could be the #1 wrestling company in the world. And, when he talked about it, I believed it. I believed it because of his passion - the same passion that you witnessed Monday night; the same passion that "Raw" greatly lacked; the same passion that Vince McMahon lost a long, long, time ago."

-- Russo talked about the lack of new stars that have been made in TNA. He put the focus on the younger wrestlers for not having experience in the wrestling business.

"Now, you can say whatever you want about me - love me or hate me, but you watch any TNA show and there are stories going on for everybody," he said. "Stories that build 'character.' ... Effort goes into everything we do. Our challenge has been that we have so many young, inexperienced guys to get over at once, but that just takes time - we WILL get them over. But we're trying - we're trying for you the fans."

Caldwell's Analysis: I'm just going to look at this last point on the young talent. When evaluating the last year of TNA Impact TV, the main criticism has been too much happening to where no one gets over because no one stands. Or, the stories are over-written - wrestlers seem to change from heel to face every month and the matches on TV don't matter because the audience can't follow the storylines. It's been a classic case of putting too much effort in the wrong places. Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan say they are coming in with a mentality to return to basics and slow down the pace to make the characters and storylines stand out by establishing the motivations for the wrestlers. These elements are what's needed, not more over-written storylines while focusing on the young wrestlers being "too inexperienced." Less is more in this situation.

[Torch photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch.com]

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