Jim Cornette: Worthy or Not?

[TheOneBigWill]

James Mark "Jim" Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. Cornette is the former "Commissioner" of Ring of Honor and current "Management Director" of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

In 1986, Cornette became the color commentator for Jim Crockett Promotions' nationally-syndicated NWA television show, and later took over the same role on the Saturday night TBS broadcasts alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Ross. Years later, after leaving World Championship Wrestling (WCW) (the new name for Jim Crockett Promotions after its purchase by Ted Turner) for the WWF, the announcing team of Cornette and Ross was reunited for several WWF shows.

In 1989, Cornette became a member of WCW's creative team, also known as a booker. As a booker for WCW, Cornette helped write storylines and shape the format of its television shows. Due to friction and animosity between himself and WCW head Jim Herd, Cornette quit the company after Halloween Havoc 1990.

A firm believer in "old-school" territorial wrestling, Cornette began the Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) promotion in 1991. SMW promoted shows in Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas. By this point, however, the nature of wrestling in the United States had already changed irrevocably, leading Cornette to seek a working relationship with the WWF in 1993. This did not change the new national perception that regional promotions were "minor league." The move also did not help the federation's finances, and Cornette closed SMW's doors in November 1995. Cornette later said that he chose the wrong time to start a wrestling federation because the business as a whole was in a recession.

Cornette went to the WWF in 1993 while serving as promoter of SMW. As he had in other promotions, Cornette wore many hats in the WWF, including manager, color commentator, and booker. Cornette's most notable managerial role in the WWF was as the "American spokesperson" of WWF Champion Yokozuna.

Cornette joined the WWF full-time in 1996 after the demise of SMW, and had a major role in scouting and developing new talent. On screen, he led a top heel stable known as "Camp Cornette," which consisted of Vader, Owen Hart, and The British Bulldog.

In 1998, Cornette lead an NWA "invasion" with a stable including Jeff Jarrett, Barry Windham, and The Rock 'n' Roll Express, based on the old Crockett Promotions territory. Later that year, Cornette managed The New Midnight Express.

Behind the scenes, he served as booker for several years before being removed from the creative team after frequently butting heads with head writer Vince Russo.

Cornette later became lead booker and part owner of OVW, WWE's Former lead developmental territory, run by "Nightmare" Danny Davis of Cornette's hometown of Louisville. As a talent developer, Cornette helped discover current and former WWE Superstars Kane, D'Lo Brown, Sunny, Al Snow—all of whom had previously worked in SMW—and others.

Cornette returned to WWF television for one night at the WrestleMania X-Seven pay-per-view in Houston, Texas, where he took part in the "gimmick battle royal". Cornette was telling the people in the OVW crowd that Randy Orton signed a deal with the WWF and The Prototype (John Cena) didn't like that and challenged him and Cena won. Cornette was suspended for several weeks in May 2005 as a result of a backstage altercation with Kevin Fertig, and released by WWE in July 2005 due to another incident shortly after returning from suspension for slapping OVW wrestler Anthony Carelli (who would later be called up to WWE as Santino Marella) for breaking character and laughing at wrestler The Boogeyman. In the spring of 2008, Marella, on a Canadian radio program, publicly challeneged Cornette to a match, despite Cornette working for WWE rival TNA. Cornette bluntly responded that at this stage of his career, Cornette didn't need to wrestle a career jobber with a drinking problem.

In 2006, Cornette joined TNA Wrestling as the new face of TNA Management. He holds the title of "Management Director" according to the press releases following his premiere at the Slammiversary PPV event on June 18, 2006 in Orlando, Florida. After a brief speech, he departed, but returned at the end of the show in light of the "Orlando Screwjob," taking the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt after Jeff Jarrett, Larry Zbyszko and Earl Hebner successfully executed a screwjob on Christian Cage and Sting.

Cornette is seen by some as "bringing the NWA back to TNA"; although, this has never been officially stated. During Cornette's first TNA Impact! appearance, he got into a verbal confrontation with Jeff Jarrett. Remarkable comments from Cornette included "This is the NWA!" and "This is the NWA Title!" He also referred to Jeff Jarrett's family, discussing his father and grandmother. His shouts of the NWA could have been a simple mistake on his part as a common mistake made by many people is still regarding TNA as "NWA: TNA."

As the figure head "Management Director" of TNA, Cornette does not usually take up more than ten minutes of the show, which can be attributed to both his quick tongue and TNA's lack of desire to create another Mr. McMahon. Matt Morgan had also became Cornette's on-screen bodyguard to prevent harm to his physical being, until leaving that post to become a full time wrestler. Part of Cornette's gimmick is that when multiple situations build up at once, he often takes care of them all swiftly by getting all the TNA wrestlers to come out to the iMPACT Zone for a "company meeting" to hear his decisions, or exasperatedly deals swiftly with people who barge into his office. The following is a list of all the Professional Wrestlers that Jim Cornette has managed, followed by the list of accomplishments he's had.

Buddy Landel
Johnny Ace
Briscoe Brothers
Dennis Condrey
Jimmy Del Ray
Shane Douglas
Bobby Eaton
Bobby Fulton
Robert Gibson
Hercules Hernandez
Owen Hart
Crusher Broomfield
Jeff Jarrett
Stan Lane
Mantaur
Sherri Martel
Matt Morgan
Ricky Morton
Ron Powers
Tom Prichard
Big Bubba Rogers
Tommy Rogers
The British Bulldog
Al Snow
Unabomb
Vader
Yokozuna
Mark Henry
Dutch Mantel
Ken Wayne
Danny Davis
Bombastic Bob
Bodacious Bart
"Scrap Iron" Adam Pearce
"King" Carl Fergie
Norman Fredrick Charles the III

Cauliflower Alley Club
Other honoree (1997)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI Manager of the Year (1985, 1993, 1995)

World Wrestling Federation
Slammy Award for Blue Light Special for Worst Dresser (1996)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Best Booker (1993, 2001, 2003)
Best Non-Wrestler (2006)
Best on Interviews (1985-1988, 1993)
Manager of the Year (1984-1990, 1992-1996)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

Jim Cornette: While I didn't follow Jim Cornette's career in anything other than his managing services through the W.W.F., and his current position in T.N.A., I did know of his power and 'stroke' through other promotions such as O.V.W. I picked Jim Cornette to be an option because out of all the managers not listed in the Hall of Fame thus far, I felt Jim Cornette may of been one of the shadows.

While he didn't do a lot, and he only managed a small period of time, the list of Wrestlers he has managed is a various list of who's who in Championship categories. Including, but not limited to, Yokozuna, Midnight Express, Rock n' Roll Express, Owen Hart, the British Bulldog, Jeff Jarrett, Vader, Sherri Martel & Shane Douglas.

When I think of Jim Cornette, I think of the classic tennis racket. I also think of his services during one of the most dominate Champions of the mid 90's, in Yokozuna. Add onto that, that I firmly believed 'Camp Cornette' was one of the better factions to have never won a Heavyweight Championship for Vader, I honestly believe Jim Cornette deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

Again, his W.W.E. mentions are few and far between, but they are there, and he has lead almost everyone he's managed within the company to a Championship. Be it the Heavyweight title in Yokozuna, the Tag titles with Owen Hart & the British Bulldog, or even the N.W.A. Championship invasion with Jeff Jarrett. What are your thoughts and opinions on Jim (James E.) Cornette being a Hall of Fame inductee? Worthy or Not?

 

[klunderbunker]

The more I think about it, the more the words Why Not come into my head. I mean really, why not put Cornette in the HOF? He did a little bit of everything: he got int he ring from time to time, he's been an authority figure, he's booked, he's announced, he's managed, and he's rarely bad. Not that often will you find someone with anything remotely resembling Cornette's ability on the mic. He's one of the most underrated promo guys of all time. The speed that he had with talking and some of the things that he could say off the top of his head were nothing short of mind blowing. Go watch some promos of his from his glory days of the NWA and you absolutely won't be disappointed. I'd put him in just for the greatness of his induction speech.

 

[Shocky]

Jim Cornette is fucking awesome. If Bobby the Brain Heenan is the bes tmanager of the modern WWF Era, then Jim Cornette is/was his NWA counter part. Everything from the terrible polyester suits, tot he tennis racket made this guy one of the most hated men in all of wrestling.

He has a great list of wrestlers he has managed, and managed to mostly championship gold. He does have World title status under his belt with the likes of Yokozuna in his corner.

To measure ones success, you have to see if that person is successful wherever he goes, and Jim Cornette has been successful everywhere. Whether it was with Jim Crocket, or in Smokey Mountain Wrestling, or the Big Leagues of the WWF, or down to the small times with TNA, the guy has been a success everywhere. Very few cut shoots like Jim Cornette, and his induction speach would be legendary.

 

[Slyfox696]

The answer has to be a resounding yes. In professional wrestling, the object of working is to make the fans care about you, and NO ONE did that better than Cornette. His promo ability was phenomenal and he had a heat seeking mind, always able to say the right thing to piss off the most people. In addition to getting himself over, he was always able to take whatever worker they through at him, and make that worker get over as well.

In the world of non-wrestling talent, there are very few that are greater than Cornette. He is Hall of Fame material.