9 Things We Learned From Jim Cornette On The Ross Report
Put two old timers on a podcast and this is what comes out.
Whether you love him, like him, hate him, are ambivalent towards him or don't even know who he is, it can't be denied that Jim Cornette is a legendary name in the wrestling business.
Over the course of his 30+ year career Cornette has been a manager, commentator, promoter, booker and more, working for every major company (and TNA) in the process.
The list of wrestlers that Cornette has managed throughout his career is impressive to say the least. It all started with Sherri Martel and would go on to include Big Bubba Rogers (The Big Boss Man), Vader, Yokozuna and more. Cornette is probably best known for his stint as the manager of the Midnight Express, frequently regarded as one of the most influential tag teams of all-time.
Cornette also started Smoky Mountain Wrestling, the promotion that gave guys such as Chris Jericho, Bob Holly and Glenn Jacobs (Kane) their first exposure on the national stage. Regardless of your opinion of the guy, Cornette's CV takes some beating.
Immediately following WrestleMania Cornette made an appearance on 'The Ross Report', the podcast of Good Old JR, to discuss all things 'Mania, NXT and a whole lot more.
A conversation between two of wrestling's most intuitive yet old-school minds was always going to provide nuggets of interest, and they didn't disappoint.
Here are 9 things to take away from Cornette's appearance on the Ross Report.
9. Wrestling Needs To Stop Trying To Top The Untoppable
Understandably, a lot of the chat centres around WrestleMania 32, and the various takeaways from the show.
Cornette is quick to bring up the Hell in a Cell match between Shane McMahon and Undertaker, making some extremely valid points regarding the spots and bumps taken in the match. Of course, it is Shane's insane dive from the top of the cell that gets the most attention.
Cornette points out the issues that many already had regarding Shane's dive, most of which started to arise when the match was announced in the first place. As soon as Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker was booked for 'Mania, many began to speculate just what insane bump Shane would take.
Shane-O Mac's in-ring career has been all about jumping off high things, and it was unthinkable that this match would pass without such a spot.
As it transpired, the spot came and got the expected reaction. The problem is that, in many ways, the audience is numb to it, and it puts an unnecessary pressure and strain on the performers themselves. There is a limit to what the human anatomy can take, and that line may very well have been crossed in Dallas.
Cornette and Ross bring up the comparison of Mick Foley being thrown off the cell years ago. That moment was so iconic and has stood the test of the time because no one saw it coming, including JR, who was announcing at the time. The response from the crowd was organic, and the pop lasted long after the match ended.
With Shane, as he scaled the cell many watching (myself included) responded with an 'Oh, so that's going to be his crazy spot'. The effect is undoubtedly lessened. Everyone expected it, everyone got it, and it meant less because of it.
Cornette asks the question of when is enough enough? Wrestling needs to stop trying to top the untoppable, to stop trying to set itself an impossible standard.