By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

Hulk Hogan's management strategy in his new creative executive role in TNA appears to be a work-in-progress based on comments made to Fanhouse.com in a lengthy interview.

Without any experience running the creative aspect of a wrestling promotion, it appears Hogan will need a "trial and error" period to figure out how to present pro wrestling in 2010 where the product tells complete stories, but doesn't lose viewers who have other options on cable TV.

"The more I watched it (TNA Impact), I don't know if it's because the universe is moving faster, there are so many choices on cable and satellite that you have to start a fight with Andre the Giant at 9 o'clock and the match has to be over by 9:45, because when I started a feud with Andre the Giant it was like a two-year long feud and then it ended at WrestleMania III," Hogan said. "So the programming moves so fast, the wrestlers are like robots, there's no more larger than life characters."

Hogan sounded conflicted on how to reconcile a new, fast-moving wrestling environment while sticking to the basics of telling stories with a beginning, middle, and end played out over time that allows viewers to anticipate match-ups and conflicts.

"I'm walking in there going, okay, guys, it's a new day, and I hope everybody here has something to contribute because I learn from everybody. I listen to everybody," Hogan said. "I mean, even my next door neighbor said something about wrestling last night, and it was one of the best ideas I've ever heard, so I listen to everybody."

Even ideas from Vince Russo are fair game to Hogan, who said he will have to balance inevitable political games that come with the territory of trying to run the creative aspect of a pro wrestling company.

"With Russo I come in peace, but history is not going to repeat itself here, and if you try to undermine me, or if you try to underwrite my story lines or you try to do anything to hurt me or sabotage me, I've got my eye on you. But instead of me just knocking you out, or me just firing you, I have an open mind in how good of a writer are you," Hogan said. "What do you really know about this business? What can you really contribute to this business other than just blocking out a two-hour show and doing the transitions and the inserts and the pre-tapes and keeping flow good enough to hopefully keep people interested? I mean how good are you really? So I mean, there's an issue there with him, which has to be addressed."

At the end of the day, Hogan says he's "in it to win it" and he's not viewing the TNA executive position as a walk-in-the-park looking to make a payday in the wrestling business. At the same time, he continues to say he could always pull out if his plans doesn't match up with TNA, which gives him an "out" in case the partnership doesn't work.

"This is 24 hours a day, you know, you can't actually put out a better product than Vince (McMahon) if you're going to vacation, go to the Bahamas, take time off. It doesn't work that way," Hogan said. "You're in it to win it. I'm guaranteed one Monday night. ... I've learned to stay on it and don't take my eye off the ball this time."

Caldwell's Analysis: Hogan is making it clear that he's open to ideas from everyone in TNA, which could be interpreted one of two ways. One is that he wants to seem wide-open and friendly to the talent - that he doesn't want to come across like a dictator (cough, Vince McMahon) telling everyone what to do. The other interpretation is that he doesn't have an exact idea of what his plan looks like right now, but he wants to hype his role in TNA ahead of January 4, so he's advertising "big changes" and "big things to come" once he gets settled into TNA trying to implement his plan. It's always interesting to put the pieces together and evaluate what Hogan is saying because it sounds good, marketing for his or TNA's behalf, and what he actually believes.

We suggest these recent related articles...

TV RATINGS: TNA Impact & ROH TV viewership - Week 19 on Dest. America - Impact surges post-BFG, ROH draws big audience

TV WRESTLING VIEWERSHIP - Week of Sept. 28: Full Break Down of last week's Pro Wrestling TV with DVR viewing

TNA NEWS: TNA announces TV tapings on January U.K. Tour