Grilling JR - Jim Cornette [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Jim Cornette

James E. Cornette was born September 17th, 1961 in Louisville, Kentucky. He originally got started in professional wrestling taking pictures, ring announcing, timekeeping, and working with magazines at the age of 14. The world is completely different now and rules and regulations but his capacity to do this at this young age showed not only a passion for the business for an extreme skill. When did you first hear of James E. Cornette or Corny as he’s been called all of his career?

In 1982 James E. Cornette debuted with the CWA as the manager of Sherri Martel. His gimmick was that of a rich kid turned inept manager whose clients kept firing him after one match. Dutch Mantell & Crusher Bloomfield (One Man Gang) were the most notorious ones. Cornette worked as a co-manager alongside Jimmy Hart in Memphis in July of 1983 where his career would change forever.

Bill Watts and Jerry Jarrett made a trade. Watts was looking to spice up Mid-South Wrestling and Jarrett invited him to Memphis to watch his TV and to see who he liked. Watts took Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson as The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and also took two singles wrestlers, Dennis Condrey & Bobby Eaton, and paired them with this brash young manager Cornette to form The Midnight Express. Watts said at the time “He was so obnoxious I wanted to slap him” and “I knew he was instant box office if he could get me that riled up.” 

Did you go with Watts to Memphis to view everything or did Watts keep you abreast of everything that was going on? What do you remember Watts telling you about Cornette? How did you feel about the talent trade where Rick Rude & Jim Neidhart went to Memphis? Obviously knowing what we know now that Watts got the better of the exchange but was there any hesitation or second thoughts at any point in time?

When did you meet Jim Cornette and what was your first impression of him?

Walking into that territory it’s been said that the Midnight Express & Rock ‘n’ Roll Express were the smallest men in Mid-South Wrestling. Did any of them voice any of those concerns or did any of the talent already there think they were too small?

Cornette has talked about some of the fans giving him nuclear heat and him having to load his tennis racquet with a horse shoe. Was there any fear at any point for the heels in those days especially with Cornette?

The first real hot angle that drew major money with Jim Cornette was Cornette & the Midnight Express celebrating their tag team title victory that was interrupted by the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express shoving Cornette’s face in a cake (surprise there.) Cornette got hot about Bill Watts replaying it on TV and Watts slapped Cornette during a promo. Cornette & the Express bloodied Watts drawing him out of retirement. This seems like a simple angle but back in 1984 this was a big deal. How good were the promos and angles and who put everything together...was it Watts? Would this have worked with any other manager in the business at this time besides Cornette in your opinion?

Over 5 weeks of doing the Last Stampede tour they shattered attendance records at the Sam Houston Coliseum, over 20k in Tulsa & Oklahoma City in the same day and 23,000 at the Superdome. This leads right into the Midnights and Rock ‘n’ Rolls feuding which leads to 1984 being the most successful year of Mid-South and really pushed the Midnights and Cornette to superstardom. Talking with Cornette at the time do you think he ever got to stop and enjoy it?

As a package was Cornette and the Midnights the best heels in the business?

What led to Cornette & the Midnights leaving for WCCW? Was it the travel...pay...Watts?

Do you know of anyone ever getting heat or being annoyed by Jim to the point of blows?

What was your first memory of seeing your first Cornette blow-up? Was it in Mid-South or much later on?

Did you consider yourselves friends?

You join Jim Crockett Promotions after Cornette & the Midnights arrived. Do you think Cornette had gotten better from his time in Mid-South? How did it feel to reunite with Corny?

Cornette becomes your partner in 1989 in the booth for Saturday night. Who’s idea was it for Cornette to join you and what did you think of the move?

Was it tough to transition to being a broadcast partner of his? What were his strengths and weaknesses?

Around this time Cornette is also added to the booking committee in WCW. What are your memories of this?

Cornette is well known for his thoughts on Jim Herd. Were you in the room for any of those heated discussions and did Corny use you as a sounding board for his frustrations with Herb?

Cornette quit shortly after Halloween Havoc 1990. Did you know it was coming or was it a shock to you?

Corny began Smoky Mountain Wrestling in 1991. Did he ever come to you with the idea and did you offer up any advice?

Cornette came to the WWF in 1993 as a heel manager after you made your debut at WrestleMania 9. He comes in as the manager of the Heavenly Bodies. How do you remember this deal being put together and were you part of it?

Not long after, Cornette is paired to be the voice of Yokozuna along with Mr. Fuji. Who’s idea was it to pair Cornette with them and how do you think he did in the role?

It’s an odd thing for WWF booking where you have Jim Cornette as a representative of SMW and the Heavenly Bodies as also at the time managing the WWF Champion Yokozuna. Was this a shock to the system for Vince?

At Survivor Series 93 Smoky Mountain Wrestling promoted a tag team title match between The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and the Heavenly Bodies. What a change of pace this is for not only the WWF but Vince McMahon. How surreal was this?

You’re out of the WWF in early 1994 but Cornette has his MSG debut at WrestleMania 10. Was MSG a big deal to Cornette and having his MSG debut and WrestleMania debut being at the same time that you know of?

Not long after you’re fired by the WWF you become a part of Smoky Mountain Wrestling. What was it like working for Cornette and did you see any similarities between Watts & Cornette?

Did you reach out to Corny or vice versa?

What was Smoky Mountain like? Was it like a throwback to the old school days of terrority wrestling?

You return to the WWF and then leave again and work with Corny again at SMW...was the relationship between you & Cornette ever affected by him staying with the WWF?

Did Jim ever discuss with you the problems with running a promotion in 1994-1995 and how many times do you think Smoky came to closing?

How did Jim let you know he was finally shutting it down?

You’re back in the WWF as Cornette turns his focus to the WWF full time. What is Jim’s role at this time besides heel manager?

Let’s talk about Mantaur...worst gimmick ever?

Cornette is regularly used as a top level heel manager managing Yokozuna, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith among others. How good was Cornette at drawing heat and getting his charges over?

Did Cornette ever come out regarding creative and change something he didn’t like?

Did Cornette and Fuji get along? Were any of the guys he managed ever complain about working with him or their opponents?

Who’s idea was Clarence Mason and what did you think of him?

Cornette is the manager of Vader when Vader makes his debut. Was the pairing of him with Vader based around Vader’s success with Harley Race in WCW or because it would give Vader credibility towards the WWF audience?

Out of all the charges Cornette had up to this point - who do you think was the best combo?

Davey Boy Smith is programmed with Shawn Michaels regarding the WWF Title in 1996 in the storyline of Shawn & Davey Boy’s wife Diana being involved. Was this some of Cornette’s best promo work?

What do you remember about any heat between Cornette and Michaels during or after this program? Do you think they just personally disliked each other?

Jose Lothario and Jim Cornette did some “matches” on house shows and then on pay-per-view at In Your House Mind Games...was this a rib?

Did you go to Corny for any advice for your heel turn on cutting a heel promo?

Cornette does voice overs with you for WWF Superstars after Curt Hennig no-shows and was thought to be done with the company so the commentary had to be re-done. Why Cornette and what do you remember about that?

Rocky Maivia debuts at Survivor Series 1996 and it’s been long reported Cornette predicted he’d be at the top of the business within a short period of time. Do you remember Cornette making that comment and did he remind everyone once he started getting over?

In 1997 Cornette is added to the commentary team and works not just with you but with most of the announcers. Do you think Cornette had a tough time doing commentary for the WWF at the time because the product was turning into an edgier product?

Cornette was taken off TV as a manager and did some commentary but was more focused on his backstage role. What do you remember about 1997 with Cornette on the writing team with Vince McMahon, Vince Russo and the others? Who did he have the hardest time with (not named Russo)?

How quickly did you notice the discourse between Russo and Cornette?

Jim Cornette has long told this story on various shoot interviews about how he objected to the Patriot...who was brought in to be a top babyface...getting squashed and beat down in a segment in Nova Scotia by the Hart Foundation and how this was a dumb way to get a top babyface over and all Kevin Dunn wanted to talk about was the Sable segment and Cornette threatened to punch Dunn’s teeth down his throat. Were you in the room for this and what do you remember about it?

Jim Cornette debuts the Headhunters to attack The Headbangers and Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart...and then the Headhunters are never heard from again? What happened and why did Cornette refuse to work with them again?

In late 1997 Cornette did these “worked shoot” promos that supposedly he would do in production and writing team meetings talking about aspects of the business. He went in on Halloween Havoc 1997 between Piper & Hogan and called it “Aged in the Cage.” What did you think of these segments and do you think they were good TV?

Jim Cornette has now claimed “credit” to the Montreal Screwjob. Did Corny ever tell you this story before he said it on Dark Side of the Ring by Vice?

At the end of 1997 Jim Cornette led the NWA invasion and brought back the NWA North American Championship and he started managing Jeff Jarrett. What did you think of this and how much of this was to appease Cornette?

The New Midnight Express (Bart Gunn & Bob Holly) are put together with Cornette. Was this something Jim wanted and pushed for or was it something put on him?

The NWA angle fizzled out in 1998. Did Cornette just want to stop doing managerial work or did everyone figure out it wasn’t working and it was just time to cut bait?

What is Jim’s main role at this point of the Attitude Era? It’s assumed he’s part of the writing staff but after the Kevin Dunn blow-up and various contentious meetings with Vince Russo is he helping support you in Talent Relations more and more?

September 15th, 1998 is a TV taping at Sacramento, CA that becomes infamous from the movie Beyond the Mat. It’s shown with you & Cornette backstage watching Michael Modest & Tony Jones in a dark match. How often was this what you two did before shows or was it done just for the cameras?

Jim Cornette is off TV at this point besides a WrestleMania X7 cameo in the Gimmick Battle Royal. In 1999...tired of Connecticut and most of the staff members… notably… Russo & Dunn… he buys into Ohio Valley Wrestling. When did Jim let you know he was looking at buying in and was this his way out of Stamford?

Was the plan the whole time for him to buy in and have it become a developmental territory?

How important was it for WWF to have a developmental system and was it something you preached to Vince on a regular basis?

Cornette has complimented the working relationship you two had when you were running talent relations and the communication you had with him regarding talent being moved back and forth. What was it that made it easy for you two?

How instrumental was Cornette in the crop of stars including Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Batista & Randy Orton among many others?

How often did you & Jim communicate regarding things? Once a week, once a day, etc?

You had stepped down from the head of talent relations before Jim Cornette had his melt down. Did Jim reach out to you after the change from you to John Laurinitis with complaints on the way he was handling things?

What do you remember about Jim slapping Santino? Did you know when you first heard about it it was going to the end of Cornette and the WWE?

Do you think you stepping down from talent relations sped up Jim’s exit from the WWE?

What do you think was the biggest pitfall between Jim & the WWE at the time?

Jim’s anger is well known in the business. Did you ever feel the wrath of it?

You worked again with Jim for commentary for What Culture Pro Wrestling in England. What was that like?

You’ve had a professional relationship with Jim Cornette for almost 40 years. His comments regarding AEW and current wrestlers for AEW and the TV show are routinely degrading and publicly slamming them. What do you think of them and Jim’s current thoughts on wrestling in general?

What is your relationship with Cornette like currently?

How do you think Jim Cornette is to be remembered?