THE TREE THAT FELL IN THE FOREST
No less a sage/seer than Bruce Mitchell of PWTorch.com has suggested that TNA appoint Jim Cornette head of creative. If you consider Cornette’s background, experience and wrestling expertise, he’d be a sound choice.
Sure, Cornette couldn’t make Smoky Mountain Wrestling work, but that was because of bad business decisions, not bad booking. (Well, OK, maybe he DID make a few bad booking decisions – not delivering on a hair vs. hair stip; importing WWE talent, thus diminishing the star power of his in-house headliners; the overt racism of the Gangstas…wait a minute, didn’t I start out supporting Cornette? Art imitates life. At any rate, the Gangstas winning via two-counts because of affirmative action was HILARIOUS.)
Getting back on track, Cornette doesn’t want to do rewrites for “Two-and-a-Half Men.” He proved in SMW and Ohio Valley Wrestling that he’s as sound as anybody when it comes to producing focused wrestling TV that builds to a payoff. He’s a rasslin’ guy. That’s exactly what TNA needs.
Except for one problem – Cornette is a disaster waiting to happen. And history shows we probably wouldn’t have to wait long.
*In OVW, Cornette slapped an employee – the artist now known as Santino Marella – when Marella made a mistake.
*There’s a YouTube video of Cornette wreaking havoc at a Dairy Queen when the service wasn’t to his satisfaction.
*In SMW, Cornette destroyed an employee’s car over a disagreement.
*Cornette’s backstage blowups are numerous and legendary, including one with WWE producer Kevin Dunn, Vince McMahon’s right-hand man and one of the most powerful and influential people in the business.
TNA isn’t the Mid-South territory, or Tennessee in the ’90s. For better or worse, wrestling has become more corporate. Dixie Carter and Panda Energy can’t put a ticking time bomb in charge. I’m surprised Carter feels she can employ Cornette at all. Federated wouldn’t. AT&T wouldn’t. ESPN wouldn’t. Donald Trump has fired many, but slapped none.
Cornette won’t change. He doesn’t want to. Some hail Cornette as one of the greatest wrestling minds ever. I say he’s the tree that fell in the forest. I say his acumen and knowledge have largely gone wasted.
Nothing personal, Jim. Just the facts.
