Jim Cornette on How The Late 90's Wrestling Boom Would Have Affected Smoky Mountain
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- From Episode 185 of Jim Cornette's Drive Thru
Artwork by Travis Heckel!
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If Smokey Mountain was part of the attitude era, the fans would have found out Jim’s brilliance with 4 letter words like 20 years early
Realistically Smoky Mountain would of gotten their roster gutted by WWF and WCW like ECW's did during that time period.
They did, pretty much. It's WWF 101. They did it to the AWA, they did it everywhere else.
Came here just to say the same thing.
True, but as Jim said they could've used SMW as early developmental.
Vince sent guys down for shows already Taker and HBK I'm sure others. Those are the 2 I can remember.
Not a fair argument.
You fail to mention Paul Heyman is a conman and the definition of the term shyster.
His word was garbage just like the checks he would write.
Paul wrote bounced checks like clockwork and a scumbag.
Of course, talent would go where the actual money was.
Comparing Smokey Mountain to ECW is really short sighted.
Only Jim Cornette can have the Best Wrestling show today that has no ring, no ref, no network, no arena, no fans, and no wrestlers. Just a great Cohost, amazing thumbnails, and good old school fun. I'd rather listen to Corney talk about how much better old school wrestling was, than watch most pro wrestling today.
I agree 100% Cock sprocket!
I haven't watched wrestling in like 10 years but I find these old stories fascinating. Jim cornette is one of the best story tellers and we're lucky he was everywhere in his career. I'd seriously would love a netflix show about territory wrestling.
@@smurfx netflix would be amazing!
@@smurfx would you want it to be a documentary or a tv series
@@stephonwilliams5232 id take either but i think a tv series would be good if it follows a territory during its rise and fall.
It's unfortunate that Corny wasn't able to get SMW into the Western Carolinas. Like he said running the bigger shows in Asheville, Greenville and Spartanburg could have been sigificant money in the mid-late 90's. He could have drawn good spot shows as well in towns like Anderson SC and in the various small towns in Western North Carolina.
Wrestling was so hot back then that in my hometown (Marion NC) am outlaw show at the local armory was running 200-300 people monthly and sometimes twice a month.
In 95
Steve Austin was fired by WCW
Imagine if he could’ve gone to SMW instead of ECW
Then he never gets to give those epic interviews that give him the basis for being given mic time in WWF, and there is never a Stone Cold Steve Austin so WWF dies instead of WCW. Wait, I'd love for that to have happened. More than likely, wrestling would have been dead by 2003 as WCW couldn't stop beating their one idea into the ground even if Vince would have gone broke in 1997. At least Owen would still be alive though.
It was his intention to go to Japan when he got healthy. Made a pit stop in ECW and got signed by WWF. We're all the better for it...
@@scottsmartky
Also consider
If WWE hadn’t had the surge thanks to Austin
Then WCW wouldn’t have hired shitstain
Perhaps they could’ve turned it around in the 2000s
@@scottsmartky
Corny let New Jack cut epic promos
He could’ve easily let Steve do the same
Maybe not the same
Making fun of WCW skits
But I think Corny would be smart enough to see the talent that was there
@@scottsmartky Just imagine WCW beats and buys out WWE and ECW, then AOL/Time Warner still pulls the plug.
More SMW content is always welcome 👍
I know he doesn’t want to but I wish Corny would restart Smoky or a new promotion
Old school southern wrestling hasn't been big since the 1980s. I don't think a return would work now. Maybe at some point in the future.
Too much time, too much money. Running a wrestling company is a huge cash pit.
@@DIESEL0759 I know he has enough money to run a territory like Smokey mountain again. He just can’t be bothered with all that stress though
@@murrlandmac6340 Well, as long as you know! I don't do his accounting, whereas you do!
So tell me, how much does he make in a year? 1 mil? 2? more?
@@DIESEL0759 😑
Jim has an amazing memory for details I can't even remember if I flushed after my last dump.
Attitude era SMW ???
Can U imagine Jim booking TLC matches between Rock n Roll and the Midnight 😂
He'd hate himself
Though a Bobby Eaton knee off the top of a ladder would've been cool to see
Jim's better potential to expand would have been into Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and further East in Virginia, not further South. Basically combine the turf of SMW with what he later ran in OVW, plus a few more cities in Virginia.
I lived in Northeast, Ohio and we got Smokey Mountain Wrestling so it wasn't as regional as people believe. We also go Memphis TV.
New Corny Order made me snort. Travis kills it every time.
Wtf really?
Same 😂😂
I'd buy that t shirt.
@@amalmuselmani1169 He's brilliant.
snort what? coke?
I miss the Monday Night Wars, what a crazy time for wrestling.
@Ultra Instinct 94 it really is, I blame WWE going public.
I ain’t care for it I was born in 2003 who cares
@@nate6930 you are goofy for even thinking like that
@@amalmuselmani1169 I'm goofy, lol. You weren't even born and have no knowledge of it why bother responding, lol. Also going public and corporate sponsorship means being dictated what you can do creatively, which is never good. Hence the business failing to be able to keep an audience
@@nate6930 yeah you a goofy if you not trying to make money who cares about that old crap.
Heyman was trying to start a national promotion without a national budget or talent roster. Cornette was trying to start a territory after the territory system collapsed. Maybe if Ring Warriors had successfully established itself in the US? I don't know. There were fans who still wanted territory wrestling but the big companies were doing their best to make sure they wouldn't get it.
Which is what big companies do...all made possible by tax cuts for the big ones...no wonder mc mahons and trump are buddies
Heyman never started a promotion at all. What became ECW in 1994 was started in 1990 as Tri-State Wrestling by Joel Goodhart. He sold the promotion to Tod Gordon in 1992, who renamed it Eastern Championship Wrestling, which in 1994 was renamed Extreme Championship Wrestling. Paul Heyman was hired in September 1993 as a booker, to replace Eddie Gilbert, but by then the promotion was already well under way, had TV Deals and showed larger events. Heyman then bought it in 1995, but Tod Gordon was still the financial backer until September 1997. Without Gordon and his millions of dollars (definitely a national budget), ECW would've not even survived past 1994, as the promotion always was in massive debt.
Jim's problem is the same problem we all have. We get older. In the entertainment business, which wrestling and every sport is, because it's on television, even though it's not "sports entertainment," you're always trying to target the same demographic of people around 13-40 years old. Smoky Mountain may have had some great actual wrestling, but the presentation was for a specific audience in the Kentucky/Tennessee/Carolinas area and with all due respect, they're at least 10-20 years behind the times, specifically the audience Jim was aiming for. ECW was popular because it tapped into what was going on culturally and it directly inspired the Attitude Era. Vince just found a way to do it where guys weren't getting brain damage and scars all over them on any given night and gave that style of presentation a more professional look and feel, as opposed to a tiny, dirty arena. SMW probably still would have had an audience of those core fans who wanted that dated presentation and rejected even the good stuff in WWF because it was too modern. But it would have definitely lost something. Having said that, as stated above, Jim was targeting a very different audience, whether it was the cartoony WWF of the early to mid 90s or the more adult audience of the late 90s and early 2000s. Personally, growing up in Canada, I loved Bret Hart and Steve Austin, but the teenager that I was at the time, did enjoy the hyper-realism of ECW, even if I was turned off by some of the really stupid, over the top stuff. I knew it was a work, so I didn't need to see a guy turn his brain into scrambled eggs. That's going too far. You can make something look real without killing the guy.
Thing with Memphis Evansville towards the end was no shows. My dad and I went every Wednesday when it was at the coliseum and even at the horse track across the river in KY when they ran there a few times and towards the end talent was advertised that never showed for whatever reason.
that'll mess up any business
I saw Smokey Mountain in Beckley WV. I wish they would have drawn larger crowds. The action was great.
I used to do a brokered radio show. Did some great shows, but couldn't find any advertisers for my weekly radio show. Trying to get advertisers was like working a full time job with no pay. I can understand to an extent what Jim went through. Getting advertisers for a show for just once a week for a niche audience is a bitch.
Smothers 3:16. I need that T-shirt LOL
damn I would have liked the opporttunity to hunt spnosorships for Cornette
The war wouldn't have had a clear winner if not for Jim's mind.....
The New Cornette Order!!!
4 Life!
Sound bad
I can't wait to hear what he has to say about Jericho appearing on Stone Colds WWE Network show 👀
Just another sign that the WWE doesn't fear rinky-dink AEW.
Stone Cold should tell Jericho AEW is shit.
I was there at Roberts Stadium and it was awesome Lawler getting a huge pop. I also was there on Wednesday nights for USWA. Was a early Rock vs Hogan moment to a smaller degree on Raw. Goldust getting booed being babyface and Lawler cheered being heal. And when the babyface got screwed with Lawlers feet on the ropes everyone popped.
tracy was a funny guy. i was a big mark for him for some reason or other. aew needs a tracy smothers
Cameron Grimes/Trevor Lee is close. At least he was on the indies with those scathing promos still online.
Underrated for sure.
They need a Dr D.
Every company needs a Tracey Smothers damn good wrestler tough guy and everyone respected him
@@loonanite True dat.
SMW was the equivalent to impact in terms of having great talent and losing that same talent to the BIG LEAGUES
SMW probably would have made more money than it did, but ultimately it still would have fallen by the wayside because the "wrestling boom" was during a time where everybody was hotshotting, SMW's style of wrestling would have been too slow for the new audience.
It’s pretty crazy that after the first wrestling boom of 85 there was only a real downturn in business from early 93 until 96 when the nWo angle started. That’s around 4 years of a slow burn.
But here we are in 2021, and I swear wrestling hasn’t been interesting since the ruthless aggression era. It’s been about 15 years since anything remarkable happened.
I feel the downturn in WCW and WWF had much to do with the programming. They weren't forced to make Diesel the champion or pit Hulk Hogan against the Dungeon of Doom. The boom happened as soon as there was something on TV worth watching again.
people often forget that Corny was on the side of the eventual winner of the Monday Night Wars.... no wonder he's also winning the Wednesday Night Wars haha
@James no, he's beating AEW hahaha
Smothers 3:16? 😂 love it!
New cornette order
I love SMW but Jim was 5 yrs too late 90s became a dark grimey grungy era and a southern territory just looked odd
I loved SMW and looked forward it each week. Went to live shows. I’d paid for SMW Tix over free WWF/WCW.
Roster wise: Paul Heyman would have Tracy Smothers and Candito under contract with Balls. And Heyman wouldn't share his talent. The Rock N Roll would have stayed but their pay $$$ would have to go up. Jericho may have come back if he didn't like Raw at first after leaving WCW. D Lo Brown was part of WWF and may have been part of talent exchange. And Dirty White Boy would have been in WCW for more money.
Big fan Jim. Absolutely love your content from India ❤️
“Hailing from Nashville, Italy” or “from Italy…the Nashville section”
FBI Tracey Smothers was awesome 👏
Al Snow wasn't happy in WWF he would have came back with D Lo and did a fuel for the SMW title. And for tag team, I think the APA would have worked well in SMW because Bradshaw was southern and Ron Simmons was a mid south veteran. 🤔
Gen Z, Gen X, and Millennials would not like the wrestling in the late sixties and 1970s. All they know and are accustomed to is sports entertainment!!!! And that's not wrestling!!!!
I grew up in Charleston, WV and wish we woulda had SMW. I don’t ever remember seeing them on tv, or even hear about them running an event in the Charleston/Huntington area. SMW woulda been “YUGE” here lol. I definitely was aware of who they were, just from reading the generic black & white pro wrestling mags. Just never saw them around town, even at a high school or something.
I saw live SMW events monthly in Beckley, WV back then.
@@josephrotenberry6837 really? That’s crazy, because Beckley is an hour from Charleston at most. I figured Beckley would be the same market and all, but I guess not.
@@williammunny1844 I also saw them in Bluefield, WV and Bland, VA back then.
@@josephrotenberry6837 that’s cool. Maybe I was just too young or something. The only wrestling ads on the radio or tv that I ever heard were WCW’s.
The Attitude Era probably wouldn't have happened without Cornette's contribution to the WWF after 1995. If nothing else, he temporarily kept Vince Russo in check and helped make 1997 the best year in wrestling history.
SMW's style was too old school to take off during the last 90s wrestling boom. If anything, it would have done worse.
Smoky Mountain was truly over when Kane/ Unabomber and the Da Gangstas left
Who else fears that Peacock will soon Delete most of the Content from the Late 90’s Wrestling Boom (Attitude Era) on the WWE Network?!... 👀
PG Era will be safe.
Good like who cares we just want to watch new stuff
@Ultra Instinct 94 good that crap is old anyway
@@amalmuselmani1169 it was iconic. Why are you ranting about it?
@@amalmuselmani1169 yeah who wants to watch older better wrestling when we can just watch the bullshit we get now. That wouldn't make any sense at all.
Smw would have had a slight boom but there would be no consistency bc they would keep having stars poached like late ECW
Big building in Evansville today isn't there anymore, it's now a Ford center that holds about 8000 people.. I do miss Robert's Stadium
SMW should have been the breeding ground the industry desperately needed in the mid-90's...
It already was.
how you do replace the rock and roll express? you cant....not possible
Rock and roll will never die
@@EmmaBonn96 no it wont...not ever...
I think he'd have been in a good position to take TNA's place once WCW went under - but only if he could have survived that long - and that's a big "if" (& there would have been a transition period away from free WWE talent towards the paid WWE cast offs / young guy's who couldn't break into WWE).
Could have tried for a Spike deal as they were looking for a Wrestling show around that time & just jumped on the only one still available at that time - he'd have probably been above TNA on their list of who to contact at that time.
But more realistically they wouldn't have lasted that long due to the financial issues and their reliance on WWE talent to bump their bigger shows.
i wish i could of seen more wrestling on sundays than football. the collapsed texas territory screwed over my generation to becoming legit wrestling fans, we had Shawn Michaels and stone cold, but nothing since...
Jim Cornette mentioning Barbourville Kentucky...
I did service work in Hazard, Kentucky when I was in MYF.
When asked if Jim could have expanded if they could get more television areas, he mentioned North Carolina being on of them. I don't think Brian knows about APW which basically was SMW for the Carolinas at that time. He would have had to also compete with them. Not sure how that would have went.
Also imagine if SMW got all the attention ECW did during the late 90s.
So that means that SMW would have been as influential as ECW is in real life.
Imagine if Cornette was shooting on stupid shit happening in wrestling 20 years ago on TV rather than on podcasts today.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to SMACKDOWN MOUNTAIN WRESTLING!" Smackdown is WWE's attempt for a pro wrestling show in a sports entertainment company and has been since the brand split. Cornette booking a sports based presentation with WWF stars would have been doable and it would have drawn.
Ain’t no female trying to touch you living your life like this on the internet
@@amalmuselmani1169 you would
i never wanted a tee more than that smothers 3:16 shirt
I guess there were a lot of 40 year old virgins in the late 90s
Okay, I definitely need a New Corny Order t-shirt.
I'd buy it.
Same here. I want that T-shirt.
Heavenly Bodies vs. Dudley Boyz vs Edge and Christian
SMW would have merged with WCW thus Jim Cornette having a executive postion in Ted Turner's company. That would with Eric Bischoff already with the company, Vince Russo would be the odd man out.
Around that time, GWF (Global Wrestling Federation) would have also merged with WCW.
But if Bill Watts wasnt fired Corny probably doesn't go to the wwf. He was doing talent exchange with wcw then Eric takes over then he did the same with wwf. What ifs
Love Jerry Lawler story where the fuck were ya when I was running this town
I love smokey mountain wrestling it was the last great wrestling I ever seen
Jim is the best!!!!
Vince sent a few guys down. The 2 that I can remember was Taker and HBK.
Smothers went to USWA turned heel was part of the nation of domination as shaquille Ali in Randy Hayes was Randy X and this was before the WWF version
the rock dressed up in scsa gear jim with the Nwo theme
Robert's Stadium is no more
Now I want a nCo shirt. ✌️
Cornette would've had to expand... At least to The Midwest... 🤷🏽♂️
new Corny order
Jim needed someone to run the business side of things that he could trust. He wasn't great at it and some of the key people he picked to help were worse. Had he been able to have someone run that part like merchandising, advertising, and event planning/ logistics that was reasonably competent, he could've gotten at least 10 to 15 years out of it. On the flip side, the only place he has consistently appeared in the same place is his own podcast. Maybe he can't stay in the same place that long...
Would of been a nice place for people to just show up between deals and give talent help position themselves and make money and help the business grow in the right way for everyone
Before watching I'd say they'd be eaten by WCW/WWF. Kinda like ECW was.
Did Dutch mantell help out with booking or is it all cornet
*Affected
AEW is so close to being good. I want my wrestling back so bad can’t they just allow the wrestlers to do there on characters and promos? It worked for so long. The wrestling as well needs to be less choreographed it’s obvious and ales it look fake. Rule 1. Every move in your match can’t look fake that should be law.
Let’s face it.... professional wrestling doesn’t exist anymore. Smokey mountain was the last real wrestling product that existed. Today’s soap opera nonsense is NOT wrestling! I was a huge undertaker fan until stared throwing lightning. I thought Kane was badass until he started throwing fireballs. That was the beginning of the end. It only escalated into complete nonsense from there. Wrestling is supposed to be 2 opponents grappling til one wins. Professorial wrestling is supposed to be 2 opponents going at it because of a good, believable reason (story). And the match is supposed to be believably real. Who does summersaults and back flips in a real contested situation? NOBODY! It’s all become fantasy wrestling. And people like Jericho, who could have major influence and make it right, has fallen into the nonsense, most likely cuz of money. I followed occasionally until they started the cinematic bullshit. I can’t bring myself to watch wwe, aew, impact, or any other nonsense anymore. I will continue to listen to Jim and Brian to get my fix, only cuz they call it for what it is.
I wonder whos more worthless, Pam Lawson for smokey mountain or Dana warrior for WWE?? LOL
New Cornette Order
There’s a place called ‘Pikeville’?
Dur
Howdy friends
Back to the old school. Wrestling is real!
Best era the attitude era nothing will ever come close anymore. Aew are trying but a long way for them yet
The public wouldn’t accept it anymore.
@@RedFox0909 i agree 1000%
They can try all they want but the Attitude era was the culmination of many different things coming together at just the right time. Society was changing, the fans of the cartoon era of 80s WWF were growing up into teens and young adults etc. Far too many different variables came into play that ultimately allowed the WWF and Pro Wrestling to enjoy the hottest period it had experienced in a long, long time, arguably ever. It was a once in a lifetime occurrence and people need to realise that.
@@SugarRayTaylor Exactly. We should be hoping something like the Ruthless Aggression Era could return. The Attitude Era was something that can never be replicated, but RA on the other hand is so easy to bring back. Cut out the dumb spooky shit, take the storylines more seriously, go back to a TV14 rating and boom, you got some 2000's wrestling again (ideally minus the bad parts)
@@RedFox0909 I think the public would accept a TV-14 or MA rated wrestling show ...
Not really any context here but anyone ever notice how pro wrestlers seem like they are more marks for themselves than any other sport including ones with real athletes like Olympics MMA excetera
U kinda gotta be
Im Candido
ECW was bringing in guys from Japan, Mexico. Jim might of brought in some Japanese wrestlers but the Lucha guys wouldn't of worked for that audience.
So who is Jim getting to work these shows? Heyman was taking ANYONE it didn't matter if they were reliable, had a drug habit...was a bump away from death, attempted murder in the ring. Jim wasn't going to get 911 over. Jim could have gotten Taz over but he wouldn't know what to do with Sabu. He would of walked out and shot him the first time he did an Arabian Face Buster.
Poor Jim lol
new new corny order
New jack would of been one of ya top stars in smw
Was Lawler really a Star even in his territory days ?
Did you start following wrestling 2years ago.
@@rolltide9547 In 90's. When I started watching wrestling Lawler was just a PUPPIES screaming Commentator. He has never been a big Main event player in WWE
@@Amit_V11 oh my, the internet will do you good my friend…
They would've tuned in once because the other wrestling was really hot and when they saw it was 1970's BORING rasslin they would've tuned out, just like they did everytime that Cornette was in the creative of a wrestling company
What you, and it seems many people forget, is that Corny would do comedy segments, and they'd work, but he didn't run a mockery of the business. Cornette is not as straight edge as you might be lead to believe solely from his podcast.
@@downwithputinsaveukraine1313 Work? He never drew viewership in any company he booked lmao, he was the shits
@@pmfg11 Hell in a cell and kane managed to do pretty good.
Corny!
Ovw Vs Smw???🤔🤔🤔
Who cares about Smokey Mountain today...c'mon, be honest. Jim lives in the past, It's sad.
Jim was a dinosaur in the late 90’s!!, lol. He lost his grasp on the business by then. Jim just wants cartoonish heels vs cartoonish faces, the late 90’s was the boom of the anti hero. Both the rock and Steve Austin were anti heroes, they faced each other at WM! It didn’t matter who was face or heel, they were both crazy over, it doesn’t matter. Jim is always asking who is the heel? Shut up, you’re an old man stuck in 1979.
First boi 🔥