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Chatting with Cornette

Posted: Mar 19th 2010 By: mikeiles

Jim Cornette is rejuvenated, refreshed and ready for a change in the professional wrestling world.

While Cornette is best known for his work as manager of the Midnight Express, Yokozuna, Owen Hart and countless others, he would love for his legacy to be helping change professional wrestling for the better.

He is the current executive producer for Ring of Honor (ROH). For those who don't know, ROH is a Philadelphia-based promotion that has a weekly show on HDNet on Monday's at 8 p.m. ROH is holding a show in Mississauga at the International Centre on Airport Road on Sat., Mar. 20.

"I want to be remembered to have helped sports entertainment have an alternative," Cornette said in an interview from his home in Louisville, Kentucky. "It's (ROH) rejuvenated me as far as enjoying the wrestling business again."

He said he enjoys working with good people who are looking to make positive changes.
He took the job with ROH shortly after his exit from Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling last year.

Cornette said he's tired of the bathroom humour, ridiculous gimmicks and lack of in-ring action on wrestling programs.

"They've made the matches meaningless," he said.

Cornette wants to see wrestling that is hard-hitting, athletic and credible, just like it was when he started in the early 1980s.

Cornette worked in some successful territories including the Memphis territory, which was run by Jerry Lawler and Jerry Jarrett, Mid South Wrestling run by Bill Watts and Crockett Promotions run by Jim Crockett.

He said TNA is using too many stars from the past that are past their prime in an effort to compete with Vince McMahon and the WWE.

"They can't get off trying to copy Vince's cartoon world," he said.

Cornette said ROH is full of athletic and talented wrestlers, who offer a professional wrestling alternative to sports entertainment.

"These are young guys with a fresh style. I know they are young because I don't understand what they are talking about," he joked. "If the wrestling profession is going to exist, it's got to change and give people more of what they want."

He said the wrestlers in ROH also have personality and aren't afraid to show it off. He believes it's a perfect fit for fans that like Mixed Martial Arts and athletic competition.

Cornette has heard good things about the crowd in Toronto and hopes to attend an upcoming show in Toronto this summer.

Cornette is currently involved in promoting The Big Bang, which takes place at the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sat., Apr. 3.

The show will be headlined by a world title match between Tyler Black, Austin Aries and Roderick Strong and will be available on internet pay-per-view on www.Gofightlive.TV

"We want it to be Ring of Honor's coming out party," he said.

"We're trying to do more with the internet."

Cornette expects things in ROH to get better and better in the coming years but said it will take time.

Cornette said ROH is also keeping its eyes on the independent scene for the next big star. Ontario wrestling veterans Tyson Dux and The Flatliners, among others, have wrestled for the promotion in the past.

He said Ring of Honor is looking for more than just a pretty face.

"We want to keep track of the top indy guys," he said. "That's (independents) the place where I would go to find a prospective wrestler if I'm running a wrestling company. I look at the independents to see whose coming."

Cornette also spoke about his career, which has spanned some 30 years. He said Memphis, Mid South and Crockett were his three favourite places to work.

"I loved Memphis, because I grew up watching Memphis wrestling. Mid South is where I learned the most working for Bill Watts. Crockett is where I made the most money and had the most fun."

He said the Midnight Express - which was originally Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey before Stan Lane was added - was great because they worked hard and always wanted to "tear the house down."

"They worked at it. They worked at making the matches good," he said.

Cornette also managed former WWF (now WWE) champion, the late Yokozuna. He said Yokozuna was a great wrestler and person and remembers he and the Undertaker having great matches.

"The first time I walked into Madison Square Garden I was managing the WWF (Now WWE) Champion in the main event of Wrestlemania," he recalled.

For more information on ROH visit www.rohwrestling.com. For more information on Jim Cornette visit www.jimcornette.com

Tags: Jim Cornette, Midnight Express, TNA, Jerry Lawler, MSW, Bill Watts, WWE, Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey, WWF