Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru Episode 45
Release date: March 19, 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 – Intro features a back-and-forth about Family Guy, other TV shows and Nikolai Volkoff’s singing ability as well as Tim Horner’s lack of singing ability, complete with an example from SMW. Horner’s currently running for a local government position.
7:48 – Jim’s asked about Fabulous Moolah. Jim defends Stephanie McMahon because he doesn’t think she was aware of the complete story but naming a battle royal after Moolah was “a bad idea from the start.” In every interaction with Jim, Moolah was like a “sweet old grandma” but Cornette can’t refute the stories that are already out there. Jim talks about the importance of Mildred Burke in women’s wrestling and her actual drawing power compared to the myth of Moolah as well as the dastardly behavior of Burke’s husband and manager, Billy Wolf. In Louisville, Kentucky, Mildred Burke wrestled Elvira Snodgrass over a one year period and drew around 6,000 fans each time. Jim goes over the stories about Moolah taking a large share of talent’s money, sexual exploitation, charging rent, ingratiating herself with the McMahons etc. Jim’s unsure if Vince McMahon knew everything about Moolah because he doesn’t pay close attention to other wrestling companies.
24:49 – Brian asks Jim if he’s ever heard that Moolah was drugging her wrestlers and/or pimping out her girls/forcing them to sleep with promoters. Jim hadn’t heard anything about the drugging but he had heard about sexual exploitation through the Sweet Georgia Brown story on the internet about ten years ago, “(that was)off the f*****’ charts,” and “wouldn’t put anything past anybody.” No direct examples, no context but can’t refute. Girls would often “roll their eyes” if you mentioned Moolah but that’s more to do with the money.
29:41 – Jim and Brian discuss a newspaper article from November 21, 1956 regarding Moolah forcing her 15 year old daughter to wrestle without pay despite a recent appendectomy.
33:18 – Discussion about Moolah’s annual wrestling conventions, allegedly to pay for a wrestlers’ retirement home “located on Moolah Drive.” Jim attended one in New England in 1997 along with Killer Kowalski. There was a show that night and a 70 year old Mae Young wrestled on the show, taking a slam off the top rope! All fascinating insight and a fair analysis of all involved. Jim: “(these days) the fans do more research than the people running the businesses” but these stories “should not be any surprise” to people working in the business at that time.
37:34 – Jim’s asked which member of The Midnight Express was Bobby Eaton’s favored partner. In short: pros and cons to both!
39:40 – Was Jim ever a victim of Bobby Eaton’s ‘burp and blow’ like Arn Anderson. One time, Arn Anderson was driving and Eaton blew his burp at him but Eaton had been drinking and vomited on Arn, who vomited as well, Eaton vomited some more and ring announcer Tony Gilliam was laughing so much that he wet himself! Jim then tells story of him, Bobby Eaton, Stan Lane, and Big Bubba (Bossman) all jumping out of a car to vomit at the same time! Some stories about Eaton’s legendarily weak stomach.
45:51 – Jim tells story of pitching Aunt Esther (from Sandford and Son) to accompany Flash Funk to the ring during his WWF tenure. The office actually contacted her representatives but she’d long since retired. They then talk about Shelton Benjamin’s ‘momma’ and Judy Bagwell.
52:02 – Jim tells story of wearing a bulletproof vest in Little Rock, Arkansas near the beginning of The Midnights’ Mid-South run. It was given to him by a police officer who’d got a new one! Lots of heat back then!
58:05 – Jim is asked about Jerry Jarrett inventing the banana bicycle seat when he work at Schwinn as mentioned by Steve Keirn in a recent shoot interview with The Fabulous Ones but Jim can’t elaborate. First he’s heard of it.
1:00:16 – Jim’s asked about any Barbarian stories he has. He’s talked about him on various podcasts a few times and recalls Gene Anderson being able to bring Barb to his knees with a nerve hold! Jim then tells a story about being in a limousine with The Midnights and Barbarian in New York, lost. Should’ve gone further but Jim muses that perhaps he was typecast as a tag team wrestler.
1:07:16 – Outro
Rating: 8/10
Very funny in parts and incredibly interesting, particularly the discussion about Fabulous Moolah and women’s wrestling. Strong episode.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
7:48 – Fabulous Moolah
29:41 – Newspaper article about Moolah as a mother
33:18 – Moolah’s wrestling conventions
37:34 – Bobby Eaton’s favourite Midnight
39:40 – Bobby Eaton’s ‘burp and blow’
45:51 – Flash Funk/Aunt Esther
52:02 – Jim wears a bulletproof vest
58:05 – Jerry Jarrett invents bicycle seat?
1:00:16 – Barbarian
1:07:16 – Outro
About Paul:
I’m just a guy, from England, who watches wrestling and listens to podcasts!
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