RECAP AND REVIEW: Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru on if Madison Square Garden is the most important arena in wrestling, one of his favorite bumps, Kane becoming mayor, Don Jardine (Ep. 65)

Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru Episode 65

Release date: Aug 6, 2018

Recap by: Paul Briody

Top stories/moments of interest:

• Brian Last asks Jim Cornette listener questions about current wrestling and wrestling history with great chemistry between the two.

0:00 – Intro. Jim does not like the upgraded version of Skype.

10:17 – Jim talks about The Midnights’ matches in Philly, especially 1986 when JCP was new to the area and the crowds were hot before “everybody got smart.” Corny cites facing the Road Warriors at the Philly Civic Center in January 1987 in a scaffold match as a personal highlight because it broke the attendance record at the venue. Corny and Brian then meander into a discussion about the difference in pitch between Road Warrior pops and Rock ‘n’ Roll Express pops and then onto Road Warrior pops in general and how much excitement they generated back then.

28:15 – Jim talks about one of his favorite bumps he ever took at Crockett Cup ‘87 against the Road Warriors involving Jim, Paul Ellering, Big Bubba, and Animal. Jim: “It’s like we’re falling for fifteen, twenty seconds… that was the kind of s*** you couldn’t plan… the whole match was chaos.”

32:16 – What does Jim think about Kane becoming mayor of Knoxville? The character/person dynamic amuses Jim and Brian with him being elected into public office and Brian recalls seeing Bill Apter putting Kane in the figure four in the parking lot after Summerslam ‘95. Jim: “How many opportunities has he had to f*** up royally as big a star as he’s been for so long? He must really be a nice guy.”

36:13 – What does Jim think about wrestlers losing either a forename or surname when they get called up to the WWE main roster? Jim: “I just don’t understand. I have no earthly idea.”

37:31 – Jim is asked about a Brian Christopher/Hardcore Holly match at a Sunday Night Heat taping for which Jim was on commentary where the match finish was a complete fiasco. Funny debacle. Jim: “I think I remember that happening and I remember thinking about the same thing as Brian was thinking: I don’t know what happened.” Jim states that he never thought about bringing Brian Christopher into SMW for financial and logistical reasons and also because Corny tried to avoid using the Memphis guys who didn’t have history/name recognition in Knoxville.

41:25 – Does Jim think that Madison Square Garden has lost its status as the most important arena in wrestling? Jim: “I don’t know that it’s been the most important arena in wrestling for a while now because so little wrestling takes place in it.” Jim finds it “encouraging” that ROH is being pushed enough to run the the building by Sinclair. Jim: “The Sinclair legal department got that date… let’s hope they don’t Jack Pfeffer the place.”

45:25 – What are Jim’s thoughts on Chris Nowinski? Jim: “I liked Chris, he was down here in OVW for a while and he had some potential. I’m probably pretty sure at this point that he has been more successful in his life using his great brain and superior intelligence and effort to help people with the concussion thing in real-life endeavors.”

46:27 – Who had more personality, Jim Crockett Jr or Mike Furnas? Jim: “Jimmy Crockett had a little bit more personality because he could hit a dry line every now and then and he paid you a lot of money.”

48:16 – Any memories of Don Jardine? Corny never met him, worked with him or even saw him wrestle live. Jim: “He wasn’t a big bumper but he did good looking s*** and he was impressive… when he put the mask on, and kept the mystery, he drew a lot of money.”

51:34 – What does Jim think about the lead up to, and match, between Ric Flair and Jerry Lawler in Memphis in 1983? Jim: “I was disappointed… I just felt like the time that Flair and Lawler got in the ring it should’ve been at the Mid South Coliseum.” It was a ten minute studio broadway and it should’ve been in front of a big crowd. Jim: “Everybody’s promos was great but I just think that it was the wrong way to have done that but they were thinking there was gonna be a return to the Coliseum with a big grudge match and it didn’t happen.”

57:18 – Any Great Kabuki stories? Corny talks about being super kicked by Kabuki in WCCW! Good stuff. Corny and Brian then discuss Jim’s wardrobe throughout his career.

1:07:31 – Outro

Plugs: Twitter: @TheJimCornette, @GreatBrianLast #CornyDriveThru; CornyDriveThru@gmail.com; JimCornette.com; 605pod.com; kfrpod.com; tinyurl.com/cornyyoutube; the law offices of Stephen P. New: newlawoffice.com; tinyurl.clm/cornyinphilly for tickets to see Jim at the Keystone Comic-Con.

Rating: 7.2

Timestamps:

10:17 – The Midnight Express in Philly
32:16 – Mayor Kane
36:13 – WWE shortening wrestlers’ names
37:31 – Brian Christopher vs Hardcore Holly
41:25 – Madison Square Garden
48:16 – Don Jardine
51:34 – Flair vs Lawler, Memphis, 1982

About Paul:

I’m just a guy, from England, who watches wrestling and listens to podcasts!

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