Jim Cornette

Jim Cornette

Jim Cornette

The “Louisville Lip” will go down was one of the most knowledgeable, opinionated, and controversial personalities maybe anywhere, let alone in pro wrestling. Cornette caught the wrestling bug early, getting his start as a photographer as a teenager in the Memphis territory, before graduating onto managing, serving as an understudy of sorts to the legendary “Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart. Cornette’s big break in managing came when he crossed paths with the legendary Midnight Express – most notably featuring “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey, “Sweet” Stan Lane, and “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton. Cornette generally did the talking for the group, often in a frenzied and rapid style that was unmatched by anyone of the era, and often done while holding a dubious looking tennis racket, which often wound up used illegally during The Express’ matches. In one form or another, The Midnight Express dominated tag team wrestling throughout the 1980s, most famously for their rivalry with the Rock & Roll Express. In the 1990s, Cornette added to his resume, owning and operating Smokey Mountain Wrestling, a regional promotion still remembered fondly to this day which helped launch numerous major careers. Cornette also stayed very active managing in the WWF, where he represented World Champion Yokozuna, Vader, Davey Boy Smith, Owen Hart, and his newest tag team find, Dr. Tom Prichard & “Gigolo” Jimmy Del Ray, The Heavenly Bodies. In the late 1990s, two more staples of the Jim Cornette legacy came to fruition – his controversial commentaries on the state of the wrestling industry hit the worldwide web, and even WWF Raw telecasts, and shortly thereafter Cornette relocated back to his Louisville, KY home to focus on Ohio Valley Wrestling, the brand new WWF developmental territory, where he had a hand in assisting nearly ever future star that would pass through OVW’s doors. Following his time in Ohio Valley, Cornette also spent time in TNA Wrestling and Ring of Honor, but as time has gone on, the legend of Cornette’s poignant opinions, passionate stances, and unfiltered mouth has only grown and served to both endear and enrage an entirely new generation of wrestling fans. Whether best known for his loud and colorful clothing or his loud and colorful mouth, Jim Cornette’s contributions to professional wrestling are undeniable, and it is a privilege to have him on board as one of the legends of Global Force Wrestling.

Follow Jim Cornette on Twitter
Visit JimCornette.com


Advertisement