Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru Episode 49
Release date: April 16, 2018
Recap by: Paul Briody
DIRECT LINK TO LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
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 – lntro chronicling Brian’s house move and previous sound issues! Seemed fine to me! Also, a plug for the law offices of Stephen P. New and the upcoming Jim Cornette graphic novel by IDW Publishing.
12:38 – How will Triple H be remembered? He and Jim talked last year at one of the Axxess events and he was very courteous, as was Stephanie. Triple H’s guidance of NXT and employing lots of top indy stars will improve his legacy and the HHH/Steph vs. Angle/Rousey match at WrestleMania 34 was well put together. Jim wasn’t happy with him after the ‘Curtain Call’ incident, especially after he apologized but then went around telling people that he wasn’t really sorry and thought it was a good thing to do. Triple H has moved up on “the Ole Anderson scale” (he once said to Jim, “I used to think you were a dumbf*** but so many other dumbf***s have come along… that you’ve moved up the ladder”) because his recent contributions to wrestling have been a lot more positive.
15:26 – How would Jim handle Roman Reigns? “Of course I would make him a heel, look at him.” Jim would have him use his frustration at being rejected by the fans to heel it up, preferably over popular babyfaces. “If he gets booed out of the f*****’ building, and he’s a heel, great!” “If they won’t idolize him, make them afraid of him.” Brian: “WWE is not about making sense, it’s about making people smile, or whatever their tagline is.”
20:09 – Is there any truth to the rumors that Dusty purposely booked Ric Flair to lose against Rick Steiner at Starrcade ‘88 and if Flair tried to weasel out of it, Steiner could hurt him? Some! There was a rivalry between Flair and Dusty at that time, Dusty did suggest Flair dropping the title to Steiner but it was vetoed.
22:18 – Jim’s thoughts on the HBO Andre documentary? He loved it, especially the old footage. Jim: (on Hogan’s WrestleMania 3 stories, “I don’t mind it because it makes it kind of better for Andre.” Jim and Brian mock Hogan’s tall tales.
25:37 – Jim’s thoughts on Paige and her leaked videos, particularly the one with the belt, possibly disrespecting the wrestling business. “I don’t think that was nearly as disrespectful to the championship as putting it on David Arquette because at least it was actual professionals spunking on said belt instead of some a****** from Hollywood spunking on it figuratively.” Funny stuff!
30:34 – Who was the first wrestler to slap their shoulders before locking up at the start of a match? Jim’s not sure but it was probably at top guy whose mannerisms were emulated by other wrestlers. You don’t see it much anymore because matches rarely start with a lock-up.
33:21 – Who would be best to co-write a Vince McMahon autobiography? Will it ever happen? Probably not, and Jim can’t believe that an unauthorized biography has never been released. Maybe Vince always threatens to sue?
36:08 – Jim’s asked about Jack Pfeffer’s wrestling exposé in the New Tork Times In 1934. How far did it reach? It was picked up by wire services and did spread to other areas eventually (there were some wrestling radio shows and magazines) so after a while it did damage the business. Attendances were down and obviously weren’t helped by World War Two. The exposé led to The Fall Guys book, which also damaged the business. Pfeffer would often threaten to expose a wrestling office’s business if they didn’t “play ball” with him. He also pioneered the sound-alike wrestlers (“Bruno Sanmartino… Haystacks Muldoon”) and “became the prototype for every outlaw promoter for the next fifty years.”
44:38 – Jim’s asked about John Stossel’s 20/20 wrestling show, particularly Jim Wilson alleging that he was blackballed for not sleeping with a “homosexual promoter.” Wilson, a former college football star in Georgia, had a two-year career and just “didn’t take.” He was released by Jim Barnett but that had more to do with his ability rather than anything nefarious. Jim thinks he’s a “f*****’ idiot” and always heard that he was a “marginal performer at best with very little personality.’
50:57 – Did Vince McMahon ever explain to Jim the difference between sports entertainment and wrestling? No, and Jim didn’t ask because “why poke the bear?”
51:45 – Are Edge and Christian exceptions to Jim’s ‘funny equals no money’ rule? Jim: “they were regularly silly and funny on their promos, I don’t recall them stopping any of their major pay-per-view matches to break out into a dance routine.” Brian: “When Edge really took off and became a top guy the silliness really went away.” Jim recalls one night when The Freebirds and the Von Erichs were feuding, Buddy Roberts took his boot off to hit one of the Von Erichs and an “ounce of weed” fell out in the middle of the ring! Kerry Von Erich was arrested in 1983 at an airport, carrying drugs, and Fritz/ the Dallas wrestling office managed to convince wrestling fans that Michael Hayes had planted the drugs to besmirch Kerry’s good character.
55:31 – What’s the difference between a worker and a wrestler ? A worker is a person who knows what to do to simulate combat and has a good grasp of wrestling psychology. A wrestler can do a lot of the physical aspects but is limited in terms of putting a match together. A similar phrase in baseball is a pitcher vs a thrower.
57:54 – Jim’s asked about his feud against Cowboy Scott Casey in WCCW. Casey was “a heck of a worker” who laid it in but wasn’t dangerous. For that reason, Bobby Eaton liked to work with him. One night Casey grabbed Corny’s green jacket and kept hold of it and Jim mentioned it the next week on tv. The talent came up with that themselves because “Ken Mantell was no help as a booker.” Its a well-remembered angle and Jim was often asked about it throughout the years.
1:01:47 – What was Bill Dundee’s forearm tattoo of? Jim doesn’t know!
1:02:19 – What does Jim think of Cesaro as a potential top guy? He’s a fan of his, has seen him have some “blow-away tag team matches with Chris Hero,” thinks he’s an “excellent main event level heel” but not sure he’s quite at that level. You have to tick a lot of boxes. Certainly under-utilized. Cesaro (Claudio Castagnoli) and Kassius (Chris Hero) when teaming together in ROH as The Kings Of Wrestling were “the best modern-era heel tag team that I’ve f*****’ seen.”
1:06:38 – Jim’s asked about Jerry Lawler’s recent stroke. Miraculous recovery! “I wish the ‘King’ all the best and would hate anything to happen to him but actually I’m not really worried about him because it appears nothing can hurt him. Good luck, Jerry!”
1:09:12 – Outro
Rating: 7/10
Interesting and funny. I cracked up a few times this week, especially the Paige/belt discussion.
Time stamps:
0:00 – Intro
12:38 – Triple H
15:26 – Roman Reigns
20:09 – Flair/Dusty/Steiner, Starrcade ‘88
22:18 – Andre documentary
25:37 – Paige
30:34 – Wrestlers slapping their shoulders
33:21 – Vince autobiography
36:08 – Jack Pfeffer
44:38 – Jim Wilson
50:57 – Wrestling vs Sports Entertainment
51:45 – Edge and Christian
55:31 – Wrestler vs worker
57:54 – Cowboy Scott Casey
1:02:19 – Cesaro
1:06:38 – Jerry Lawler
About Paul:
I’m just a guy, from England, who watches wrestling and listens to podcasts!
Be the first to comment