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A letter from TNA's lawyers

Posted: Apr 15th 2010 By: mikeiles

No commentary this time, no opinion, no analysis or supposition--just the stone cold facts. Below is an exact transcript of a personal email I sent to my "friend" of 30 years, Terry Taylor, on March 19, 2010. I didn't send it to anyone else, or speak publicly about it's existence or content. That ends today after receiving the letter dated April 9, 2010, an exact transcript of which follows the email, and is the only response of any kind that I have received from anyone. I leave it to the world at large to form their own opinions.....

Email from Jim Cornette to Terry Taylor dated March 19, 2010:

TT,

I was going thru and deleting a bunch of old emails and found this last one from you. I don't mean to stir anything up, but I felt I had to write and get some things off my chest.

I have always liked you and we have never had a problem. I am sure you have heard some of my many commentaries on TNA and I wanted to make sure you knew I wish you no ill, nor do I wish anyone in TNA ill, including talent, TV crew, and office staff. If the "incident" had not happened when it did, I would have quit anyway a month later when the news broke that Hogan and Bischoff were taking over the company, and you know this to be true, because the only reason I was ever there was that I thought TNA would be the promotion to keep Vince from having a monopoly, and be an alternative to this bullshit sports entertainment. Obviously, with the new regime, that is not in the plans, and I would have made a (hopefully) graceful exit shaking my head and wondering why. But taking that out of the equation, I was glad I worked for TNA, it's just frustrating and disappointing to me that it couldn't have turned out better. If not for one thing, I could move on with no hard feelings. But that one thing is big, and is in danger of consuming my life if I don't just come out and say it.

I will say it because I am trying to quell the burning in my heart--I hate Vince Russo. I despise Vince Russo. I want Vince Russo to die. If I could figure out a way to murder him without going to prison, I would consider it the greatest accomplishment of my life.

I hate him for the money he's cost me. I hate him for what he's done to the business. I hate him for keeping TNA from being competitive to WWE. I hate him for the careers, even the lives he's ruined with his shitty booking and the irreparable damage he's done to every promotion he's been involved with. I regularly wake up from dreams in which I am in the act of murdering him. I literally burn whenever I think of him. I have sworn to myself that I will willingly go to jail if I ever see him in person again, and he had better pray to his fictitious invisible man in the sky that that day never comes. I intend to make it my life's work and mission to fuck with him and anything he ever has anything to do with in the wrestling business.

Why am I writing you this? One, I got the irresistable urge to explain to you the depth of my abhorrence for this abominable prick, and two, I want to make sure that you, and anyone you care to share this with, knows that I truly and genuinely wanted TNA to succeed and liked working with all of you. I am no longer a supporter of TNA as a company, I hope it goes under quickly and painfully because of the stupidity Dixie has exhibited in employing Russo and now the WCW murderers, and I apparently will see my wishes come true with the new direction, but I really did want to see it succeed. I still like everyone there, and am only mad at a few people--Jeff, for talking me into co-existing with that miserable waste of human flesh for 3 years to the point where I have trouble looking at myself in the mirror and not a day goes by that I am not ashamed of myself for abandoning every principle I ever had and speaking to the motherfucker; and Dixie, not just for employing that useless twat, but for lying to me about the reasons for my firing (never mentioning Ed Ferrara's name and acting like Russo had no part in it), and lying ABOUT me (letting some Russo stooge spread rumors that I was fired for acting unprofessionally toward him, then not putting her name on the retraction while knowing it wasn't true.)

Otherwise, I like everyone there and wish their hard work could be rewarded, and they could all make millions--but they won't, because of a lack of competence and judgement in their leadership. I have nothing to lose--I'm done with corporate wrestling, and I will never again have to occupy the same arena or even city with Vince Fucking Russo, but I still feel bad for everyone else who has labored long and hard in vain because of what he's done to the company's chances. I like you--I like Tenay, and West, and Mitchell, and Sahadi, and Ryder, and the talent, and the crew, and all the rest--even Penzer! And I don't want you or any of them to take it personally when I verbally roast TNA every chance I get--but as far as I'm concerned, Jeff should have WAY known better than to hire that asshole, and Dixie, as clueless as she may be about wrestling, should have been more careful in whom she entrusted her father's money, and more perceptive when it came to spotting imbeciles. I don't want any of you to be harmed or affected because of their stupid decisions, but as I said, it's now my life's work to fuck with anything Russo has anything to do with.

I wish you all good luck--I'm sorry if anything I say or do causes you any problems, and I hope one day to be in charge of a wrestling promotion with the funds to hire all of you to work in it--but just so you know, I will fuck with any company Vince Russo is involved with until I draw my last breath, and if there IS an afterlife I will return to haunt his miserable ass. Either that, or I'll will myself to live long enough to piss on his fucking tombstone. And hey--hatred is a helluva motivator!

JC


Response dated April 9, 2010 via Certified Mail:

Mr. Cornette:

This firm represents TNA Entertainment, LLC ("TNA").

TNA has recently intercepted a shocking and appalling email communication (a copy of which is enclosed) which was sent from your email address to the attention of TNA's talent coordinator, Terry Taylor at his TNA email address. Upon review of the content of said email, TNA was so concerned that they have turned the email over to this firm to take appropriate action in order to protect the safety and welfare of TNA's staff and talent.

Your email reads in part: "I despise Vince Russo. I want Vince Russo to die. If I could figure out a way to murder him without going to prison, I would consider it the greatest accomplishment of my life.... I regularly wake up from dreams in which I am in the act of murdering him."

The email goes on to say: "I have sworn to myself that I will willingly go to jail if I ever see him in person again, and he had better pray to his fictitious invisible man in the sky that that day never comes."

It is our view that the foregoing statements constitute "terroristic threats" under virtually every jurisdiction in the country, including under the US Code (18 USC 875) and Kentucky State Law (KRS 508.080). Generally, under both Federal and State Law, a person will be guilty of having made terroristic threats if such person willfully threatens to commit a crime which would result in death or great bodily injury to the victim and demonstrates specific intent to communicate such threat to the victim or to a third party who the perpetrator believes will convey such threat to the intended victim. Your email satisfies all of the foregoing elements and it is irrelevant whether you intended to actually carry out such threat or not. Nonetheless, we must assume the worst. Indeed, the language of the email is so specific, unequivocal and unconditional that Vince Russo (a TNA employee) has understandably experienced extreme fear for himself and his family. TNA management shares his concern, not only for Vince, but for all of it's employees, staff members and talent (some of whom were specifically named in your email as being targets of your anger).

Accordingly, be advised that we have taken action to notify all applicable Federal and State law enforcement agencies and have provided them with a copy of the email, together with your personal information, including your home address, social security number, and other pertinent information which would facilitate their efforts to investigate any violent acts taken against TNA employees, staff members, talent or any of their property. Any further threats to contact Vince Russo or any other TNA personnel (directly or indirectly) shall be viewed as acts in furtherance of such threats and shall be pursued and prosecuted accordingly.

On a related note, it is our understanding that you were recently employed by TNA as an independent contractor and talent and, as such, you had access to confidential/proprietary business information related to TNA (hereafter "Confidential Information"). Your email contained certain statements which discussed internal TNA management decisions and the circumstances surrounding your departure from TNA. Those matters constitute Confidential information. Accordingly, we are taking this opportunity to remind you that the Confidential Information is proprietary and is not to be revealed except as expressly permitted by TNA in writing. As a former talent of TNA, you continue to be bound by your legal obligations and duties to maintain the confidentiality of such Confidential Information in accordance with the terms of your various talent agreements. You cannot share Confidential Information with ANYONE (including current or former TNA talent) and TNA will vigorously enforce it's rights in this regard.

Please be advised that this letter is written without prejudice to any rights, actions or claims otherwise available to TNA (or any of it's employees, staff or talent) now or in the future.

Sincerely,
Guy S. Blake, Esq.
Davis Shapiro Lewit & Hayes, LLP
Beverly Hills, Ca.


JC's P.S.--- Boy, it's amazing what kind of response a little personal email between two old friends can generate from some people, isn't it? Be sure to keep checking this column, because I assure you, any further communication I receive on this matter will be posted verbatim right here, and my loyal fans will be the first to read it!!

Tags: Jim Cornette, TNA, Terry Taylor, WWE, WCW, Ed Ferrara