5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Jan 19)
1. Poor Jim Johnston
Only slightly less depressing was an interview conducted by Sean Mooney with Jim Johnston, WWE's erstwhile, legendary theme composer, who confirmed the manner of his WWE exit. It's a ruthless and sad tale.
This is a man who captured individual wrestling personas to perfection. Goldust's theme was as majestic and unsettling as the enigma for whom he wrote it. Even when indulging his generic rock stock-in-trade, Johnston conveyed something bespoke about the subject. Steve Austin's 'I Won't Do What You Tell Me' was a 'Bulls On Parade' soundalike - but the inspiration was pitched perfectly, given Austin's anti-authority persona. The extended intro to Mr. McMahon's 'No Chance In Hell' inspired precisely the sort of lurching dread the subject himself inspires to this day. 'Medal', originally penned for the Patriot, is the aural translation of the glory of accomplishment. Even his B-sides - like the Ringmaster's 'Circle of Doom' - were tremendous.
In short: Johnston was a genius in his field, soundtracked more than one generation, did so much to get so many megastars over, and has left his imprint in the minds of fans everywhere - and because there is no longer as much use for him, he was let go after a brief, terse-sounding phone call with Vince McMahon following what Johnston described as clandestine plotting to oust him from his position.
Stories like this really force you to confront the sort of man Vince McMahon is. Johnston should have been thanked profusely for his decades of service, and inducted into the Hall of Fame. Instead, having no TV credits to his name, he's starting in the wider entertainment sphere from scratch.