Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru Episode 46
Release date: March 26, 2018
Recap by: Paul Briody
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Top stories/moments of interest:
• Usual format in which Brian Last asks Jim Cornette email questions from fans about current wrestling and wrestling history with great chemistry between the two.
0:00 – Funny, riotous intro!
5:23 – Jim is asked about Daniel Bryan’s return to wrestling and if it will affect fan reaction to other top guys like Roman Reigns. Jim: “He’ll (Bryan) be over like God at Wrestlemania.” Cornette loves him as a person and is glad that he’s proved the doctors wrong. It could backfire again if the fans want Bryan and they’re given Reigns but Reigns turning heel on Bryan would be money. There’s no reason why they couldn’t put the belt on Bryan with a reduced schedule when Brock’s had the title for so long. It’s just a tremendous story that will resonate with people.
12:50 – Jim’s asked about Roman Reigns and his continued push despite negative reactions. Jim’s generally a fan of him but he was unlucky enough to come up when the fans really wanted Daniel Bryan. They need to turn Reigns heel before he can be a top babyface and constantly pushing him down fans’ throats isn’t helping. Brian: “It’s not that he’s not good ‘cause he’s really f*****’ good… they shoved him down everyone’s throat as the type of babyface that no one wants to cheer… all of a sudden he went from the badass in The Shield to being seen on TV sitting down reading books with his daughter and he’s smiling and he’s saying “Sufferin’ Succotash’… they didn’t embrace what got him over.”
21:09 – Jim’s asked why he thinks the McMahons insert themselves into the WrestleMania card each year. They actually are big stars and WrestleMania is their biggest event of the year so. The McMahons have had a lot of TV time over the years and they are recognizable so it makes sense. Shane vs. Undertaker was a big deal but that doesn’t “say a lot for their current star-making processes.” Triple H has a big ego but he’s also one of their biggest drawing stars.
23:54 – Jim’s asked for his thoughts on the upcoming John Cena vs Undertaker match at Wrestlemania 34. Jim: “It’s a dream match that people think they want to see until they see it.” They ended the streak too soon. If Undertaker loses it should be to a younger wrestler and the same goes for Cena.
26:16 – Why didn’t Brian Danielson ever join TNA? Jim doesn’t remember his name ever being mentioned while he was there. “TNA incompetence? Who knows.” Cornette runs through guys he pitched in TNA like The Bashams and Matt Morgan but was frustrated by TNA’s ideas and execution thereof.
30:13 – DX invading WCW… Jim hated it! It was everything that you were told not to do in a promotional war – childish, goofy, acknowledged competition etc. Jim: “The guy that was orchestrating all that was watching Jerry Springer all f*****’ day.”
31:27 – Bobby Lashley compared to Brock Lesnar as people? Completely different! Bobby is friendly, approachable, sociable etc and we’ve all heard the stories about Brock being pretty much the opposite over the years.
32:16 – Jim is asked about Happy Humphrey and Harley Race driving him around. Humphrey was an 800lbs wrestler from Georgia named William J. Cobb. He was, at one time, in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest man. He was often booked as “the big guy… for a battle royal or special attraction or whatever.” When Harley first got into the business, one of his jobs was to drive Cobb around because he had a specially adapted Cadillac car. He’d also have to hose him down outside in place of a shower because normal showers were impossible at that size.
36:26 – Did Glenn Danzig ever express an interest in wrestling in SMW since it was funded by Rick Rubin and Danzig was a wrestling fan? Danzig was touring when Jim first set up SMW and the stars never aligned. It was actually at a Danzig concert that Jim had the idea for the Headbangers gimmick.
39:14 – Jim’s thoughts on the Bret/Owen feud and dream opponents for Owen over the past fifteen years. Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Jay Lethal, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, Roderick Strong are all names that spring to mind. When Owen broke in, in 1986, Jim considered him the best rookie that he’d ever seen. The Bret/Owen feud was a high spot for Jim because it was like a Stampede match in the middle of WWF silliness. Bam Bam Bigelow also came through in ‘86 and the tape traders were very high on him, too.
44:05 – Who would win in a debate between Ultimate Warrior and Sid Vicious? Jim: “I don’t think there could be a winner in a verbal debate… because Sid would be speaking West Memphian and Warrior would be speaking planet Zambodian.”
46:25 – Jim’s asked about the Warrior Award. “The reason why it was created was to get good publicity and honor somebody… it’s a win-win.” Like the Moolah battle royal, it’s a good award named after a bad person. Jim isn’t sure that Vince and Stephanie even know about some of the disgusting things that Warrior said. The current Warrior Award isn’t even what Warrior wanted as he wanted an unknown employee to be honored. Brian: “Why not name the wellness policy after him?!”
51:20 – Jim talks about Buff Bagwell’s ring gimmick becoming his ‘real life’ occupation (“gigolo”) and if he can think of any other examples of this. Tony Anthony (Dirty White Boy, TL Hopper) actually became a plumber after wrestling because his dad owned a plumbing business. Big Bubba (Bossman) was a prison guard at the Cobb County Correctional Facility before his wrestling career. Buck Zumhofe always came across as “sleazy” to Brian and now… yeah. Story about an altercation between Buddy Rogers and Karl Gotch in a dressing room in the early ‘60s, resulting in a “broken hand or wrist” for Rogers.
56:35 – Jim’s asked about his opinions on smoking wrestlers throughout his career. Wasn’t really a problem as much as personal hygiene. “Wash your gear, Leon (Vader)!” Biggest smokers in wrestling according to Jim include Bobby Fulton, Fritz Von Erich and Sputnik Monroe.
1:00:14 – Jim’s asked about the Undertaker/Yokozuna casket match from Survivor Series ‘94 featuring Chuck Norris as enforcer and any interaction Jim had with Norris and if he considers Chuck Norris ‘Hall Of Fame-worthy.’ Jim thinks that Chuck Norris was involved because the USA Network was showing Walker, Texas Ranger at the time. The match involved Norris delivering a karate kick to Jeff Jarrett but he could get his leg up very far so it looked awful.
1:04:22 – Jim’s asked about ‘The Grappler’ Len Denton’s use of a ‘loaded boot’ due to being born with one leg longer than the other and any other examples of wrestlers overcoming a disability to have a wrestling career. Denton was just using the old ‘loaded boot’ gimmick that’s been used many times for heel heat. Jim’s heard that Ed ‘Strangler’ Lewis was legally blind by the end of his career.
1:10:22 – Outro
Rating: 7/10
The usual mix of humor, classic wrestling and today’s wrestling with more emphasis on today’s wrestling than usual. Worth a listen!
Time stamps:
0:00 – Intro
5:23 – Daniel Bryan’s return
12:50 – Roman Reigns push
21:09 – The McMahons at Wrestlemania
23:54 – John Cena vs The Undertaker
26:16 – Daniel Bryan in TNA
30:13 – DX invasion
31:17 – Bobby Lashley/Brock Lesnar
32:16 – Happy Humphrey
36:26 – Glenn Danzig
39:14 – Bret/Owen feud
44:05 – A debate between Sid and Warrior?!
46:25 – The Warrior Award
51:20 – Wrestling gimmicks become real
56:35 – Wrestlers smoking
1:00:14 – Undertaker/Yokozuna SurvivorSeries ‘94
1:04:22 – Overcoming disability in wrestling
About Paul:
I’m just a guy, from England, who watches wrestling and listens to podcasts!a
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