By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

Former TNA agent/producer Scott D'Amore says he officially left TNA earlier this week because his heart wasn't into working for the company, as he was being pulled in the direction of heading up the newly-merged Maximum Pro Wrestling promotion in Canada.

D'Amore left TNA in 2009 and says he came back in the summer to "help with the transition" to Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan, but decided he didn't want to be involved with TNA if he wasn't 100 percent committed.

"There are a lot of hungry people whose hearts and souls are in that company. While I love TNA and I wish it the best, my mind and my energy were starting to drift elsewhere," D'Amore told Mauro Ranallo on the Fight Show radio show yesterday.

D'Amore also talked about the current TNA product headed up by Hogan, Bischoff, and Vince Russo. He said it's hard to argue against the product mix right now, with TNA having its highest-ever Thursday night rating last week, but he doesn't agree with the emphasis on storylines first and wrestling second.

"My philosophy on wrestling greatly differs from Russo's and probably differs from Eric's. There are certainly some positives to the product; it just boils down to a philosophical difference in some ways," D'Amore said. "I prefer a more wrestling-first product; I like to see athletic ability featured. I like to see in-ring talent featured. I like storylines, but I like them to start and end in the ring. We're a wrestling show, we do it in a wrestling ring, and until someone tells me differently, we're trying to put on a wrestling product."

D'Amore then plugged the new MPW wrestling company, which he hopes will give Canada its own identity for a wrestling promotion that people can be proud of. D'Amore also briefly mentioned a possible news item down the line that WWE has expressed interest in a developmental territory in Canada.

Link: Listen to D'Amore's complete interview on The Fight Show that airs on Sirius Ch. 98.

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