Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 I'm trying to remember how that all came about. I think Jim Cornette was behind it. Why did they have that match between Jarrett and Windham for the NWA North American Title? And what was the point of bringing in the Rock & Roll Express? Were they actually planning on having an NWA vs WWF feud at some point? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 The storyline was that Cornette wanted to bring back wrestling to the WWF. It was presented to Cornette under the guise of something to placate him, but was in fact the brainfart of Super Booker Vince Russo, who wanted to 'prove' that wrestling was old news. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted February 24, 2005 It was terrible. I remember wondering why they had a federation within a federation with a roster of about four people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 Yeah, that's why I didn't get it...it seemed like they had no long term plan for it at all. I thought maybe they were bringing in the North American title to have another midcard belt (since their roster had gotten fairly big by that point, with a pretty good amount of "over" midcarders), but I think the European belt was already around by that point anyway... I think I remember rumors that they were going to bring in Nikita Koloff to be part of it, though that probably would've been a massive failure. I did mark out for the "New Midnight Express" though. I thought Bart Gunn and Bob Holly actually made a really good team, and it made sense to stick them together since they weren't doing anything solo (ahem...maybe WWE should do stuff like that again???). They had a very good match against the NAO at a PPV, too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Hass of Pain Report post Posted February 24, 2005 Was this actually endorsed by the NWA does anyone know? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 Yeah, I think Dennis Coraluzzo (sp?) actually appeared with Jim Cornette on air when the angle started. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JST 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 I could swear on my left foot that even Tommy Young showed up to ref some matches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Styles 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 I think it was actually all a rib on Cornette, and if I recall he hated it. I'm sure he talks about it in one of his many shoot interviews out there... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Si82 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 Yeah, I think Dennis Coraluzzo (sp?) actually appeared with Jim Cornette on air when the angle started. He did indeed appear on Raw back in 1998 (taped in 1997) along with Howard Brody to present the winner of a match between Barry Windham and Jeff Jarrett, which Jarrett won, with the NWA North American Championship. And that is how you spell is his name. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Arnold_OldSchool Report post Posted February 24, 2005 Cornette really liked Bob Holly back in 94, and wanted to make him a Heavenly Body instead of Del Ray - or something like that, I'll dig up the shoot recap I read on that Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Arnold_OldSchool Report post Posted February 24, 2005 Who was the best guy who never made it big? Cornette says Bob Holly (who was in his first year in the WWF as "Sparky Plugg"). Says he can't think of anyone off the top of his head. Brian Hildebrand tosses out the name Terry Taylor. Back to Bob Holly, who was supposed to be one of the Heavenly Bodies, but his girlfriend convinced him to stay close to home. Says he's sorry to see him as Sparky Plugg, but as soon as it fails, he'll have Bob Holly back. http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/videos/a...p?videos_id=974 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Betty Houle 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 I could swear on my left foot that even Tommy Young showed up to ref some matches. He did! You get to keep your foot! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Arnold_OldSchool Report post Posted February 24, 2005 I thought Young had a career ending neck injury in 1989? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cawthon777 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 He did. And he still holds a grudge against Tommy Rich because of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumMan831 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 What happened exactly? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 The only thing I remember from this was the New Midnight Express and the wrestlers that were in the lightweight tournment. I was wondering maybe WWF had a developmental deal with some fed from the Nashville or Memphis area that involved Smokey Mountain or USWA or Music City. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jericholic82 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 I could swear on my left foot that even Tommy Young showed up to ref some matches. yes he did! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jericholic82 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2005 I did mark out for the "New Midnight Express" though. I thought Bart Gunn and Bob Holly actually made a really good team, and it made sense to stick them together since they weren't doing anything solo (ahem...maybe WWE should do stuff like that again???). They had a very good match against the NAO at a PPV, too. that match was at King of the ring 98 and yea it was pretty good (with a goofy finish with chyna lowblowing cornette) They did make a good team and at least when they did face the outlaws JR made mention of the brothers gunn fighting each other Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted February 25, 2005 That article has Cornette looking really racist right now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2005 That article has Cornette looking really racist right now. Which part ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Trivia247 Report post Posted February 25, 2005 Well Cornette despite the ribbing and bad angles with the WWF was given a nice cushy existance with them. the SMW stint with the WWF and the NWA invasion. keep in mind outside of the new Midnight express the real Rock n Roll Express, Barry Windiam and a few other alluims did show up to the WWF during this period. Most of which was past their prime. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest netslob Report post Posted February 25, 2005 well, he did give the world the Gangstas and their infamous skits. in front of KKK members in the crowd no less. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted February 25, 2005 Another person asks about criticism/backlash against him, which leads into a LONG discussion about what an asswipe Bruce Mitchell (of the Pro-Wrestling Torch fame) is. The whole thing stems from Cornette shouting a racial slur ("nigger" if you want to know) at an overly markish fan during an intense match. Mitchell criticized Cornette for using racial slurs to get heat. Cornette's excuse is that he wasn't in character at the time (which really doesn't make it any better). Keller then started beating the drum until Cornette says he had people from the WWF calling him and asking about the "race riot" he had in SMW. Keller tried to spin "the Gangstas" as a desperate ploy by Cornette to keep SMW from going under. Cornette says all he did was give them a name and turned them loose. Says he'd rather make money than please Wade Keller. Mitchell then wrote that he expected SMW to have the Gangstas show up eating fried chicken and watermelon. Ever the capitalist, New Jack showed up at the TV taping and asked if he could do an interview while eating fried chicken and watermelon. He then goes into a story about trying to explain to Mitchell why there were no black employees in SMW. Cornette says no African-Americans ever applied for the ring crew. He asks the group to name all the black referees they can think of. (Current SD GM) Teddy Long is the only one that comes immediately to mind. He says there are only five office workers running SMW at any given time and no blacks have applied. On why SMW didn't have many black workers — Koko B. Ware = fat & lazy, JYD = ditto, Ron Simmons (Farooq) wanted too much money, 2 Cold Scorpio wanted to be a babyface, which Cornette didn't need at the time. Also says Scorpio has no idea how the business really works because he spent so much time in WCW. He thinks he can make $500-$700 a night on the indy circuit, but it ain't happenin'. Cornette asks the interview crew if they think he has a "What color are you, motherfucker?!" line on his applications. This leads to talk about why he made the Gangsta heels. It had less to do with their color than their act. He says southerners do hate blacks, but they also hate mama's boys, bleached blonde pretty boys and all sorts of other people. Says Keller and his friends sit around expounding philosophically about what's wrong with the world and how wrestling relates to that. A bit of hypocrisy interjects itself here as Cornette starts saying what's wrong with the black community, which is exactly what he complained about Keller doing. He says the biggest problems with blacks are Al Sharpton, Snoop Dogg, and others like them. He says there's not a white person in the room that hasn't thought to themselves, "why doesn't someone shoot them in the head." I feel I should note that Snoop has mellowed a bit since his debut. More stupid fans. A fifteen year-old kid ran up to Dennis Condrey and punched him in the arm. Cornette brushed the kid aside, so the next time they come to town, there's a warrant for his arrest. Cornette says the kid claimed Corny hit him with his tennis racquet and he couldn't piss anymore. It cost Cornette $2,000 in attorneys' fees to be found not guilty. This cracked me up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2005 The article didn't give the whole story of what happened when Cornette called the fan a nigger, and it definitely did not stem from any racist views that Cornette may or may not have held at that time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted February 25, 2005 What's the whole story? All Knoxville knows about gangs is what they see on the news. That's what gets heat because the last thing the people of Knoxville wants is for gangs to move in. Says the angle can only go too far if they get taken off of TV. Someone suggests a black babyface team to take the heat off, and Cornette says he doesn't give a shit about heat. Says he only cares that people come in to see it. Besides, if you haven't figured out that there are good and bad black people, you're beyond help. Says white people get sick of turning on MTV and seeing blacks glorifying violence. Just found this too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2005 What's the whole story? The fan in question, who was a security guard for the event that this incident happened at, was a bit of a dick. Cornette was part of a 3-on-2 match, with him, Jimmy Del Ray and Bruiser Bedlam against The Bruise Brothers. Cornette was hiding behind a black security guard, daring one of the BB's to come and get him. The guard played along, but the other guard, who was called Marcus, and was on the opposite side of the ring, walked all the way around, and came up to Cornette and told him to, "Let the brother go". Cornette told him to get lost. At this point, Jimmy Del Ray comes across, thinking that something may happen, and gently pushes Marcus away from Cornette. Anyway, in short order, a melee ensues, which sees Marcus try to go for Del Ray or someone, and the match has totally broken down. Brian Matthews, the ring announcer comes over and asks Cornette what he should do. Cornette replies, "Get the nigger out of here, that's what I want you do." (At the SMW BBQ the following year, Jim would explain that he called Marcus a nigger because he wanted to piss him off over ruining the match). Marcus tries to go for Cornette, more bedlam ensues, and Marcus is taken away to his dorm room. A short while later, during the battle royal main event, Marcus returns with some of his friends and a knife (to carve apples(!)), and they place themselves right by the heel locker room. When Del Ray gets eliminated, he has words with Marcus as he walks to the back, which cause Marcus and co to jump down from the bleachers and make to go to the back. The Bruise Brothers saw this, and they went to stop Marcus and co from attacking Del Ray, and one final brawl erupted, which led to the SMW crew being escorted to the city limits by the police, and advised not to return. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted February 25, 2005 At the SMW BBQ the following year, Jim would explain that he called Marcus a nigger because he wanted to piss him off over ruining the match). So he called him a nigger just to offend him? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2005 At the SMW BBQ the following year, Jim would explain that he called Marcus a nigger because he wanted to piss him off over ruining the match). Say what? Cornette's views on an argument are that he wants to piss the other person off as much as he can, because that is, after all, the point of an argument. So, he'll say whatever will piss off the other person. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted February 25, 2005 Good to know that he'll call me a nigger if I ever piss him off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JST 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2005 I did mark out for the "New Midnight Express" though. I thought Bart Gunn and Bob Holly actually made a really good team, and it made sense to stick them together since they weren't doing anything solo (ahem...maybe WWE should do stuff like that again???). They had a very good match against the NAO at a PPV, too. that match was at King of the ring 98 and yea it was pretty good (with a goofy finish with chyna lowblowing cornette) They did make a good team and at least when they did face the outlaws JR made mention of the brothers gunn fighting each other I also laughed at Cornette and Tim White engaging in a round of fisticuffs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
