Post by Deleted on May 31, 2019 6:10:49 GMT -5
I just listened to Jim Cornette's podcast for the first time in several months, because I saw the AEW Double Or Nothing PPV, enjoyed it, and wanted to hear exactly what his opinions were about it.
I used to be a big fan of Cornette's, for years. Great manager, excellent on interviews, I loved Smoky Mountain, and in the 90s I shared his views on a lot of wrestling. Even though I have a handheld tape from a SMW show where he went on a racist tirade shouting the N word at a black security guard who wasn't listening to him about ejecting a fan from the show. I overlooked that, as much as I could, and tried to focus on Cornette's redeeming qualities as a performer, despite his shortcomings as a human being.
In recent years, I got tired of all of his constant negativity. Whether that's all 100% legitimate, or partially a gimmick just to drive his podcast numbers, either way, I got sick of his constant complaints about current wrestling. If he's going to do a podcast about wrestling, he should talk about when he was a kid and loved it as a fan, or when he was younger and still enjoyed it. That he chooses to personally attack the guys that do a different style than what he used to like is why I stopped listening to his podcast.
But I liked Double Or Nothing, so I figured I'll listen this week.
I knew I would be in for a lot of criticism of the product, knowing his previous opinions, so it didn't surprise me that 95% of it was a burial.
I'm starting this thread to ask those of you who also listened to it... what do you think of his views (and Brian Last's views) of the show? Which of his criticisms did you agree with? Which did you strongly disagree with? Why?
As far as I'm concerned, I generally agreed with the overall idea that the announcers failed to explain who a lot of the guys are and what their characters are supposed to be. They didn't seem to treat it like it was a show that was being watched by people who are "new" to seeing these guys perform on shows. They assumed the audience was already watching all of the indies, etc. The announcers definitely could have done a better job with that, and really need to be able to do it once the product is on TNT and tons of people will be channel surfing who have absolutely zero idea who any of these guys are. I also agreed that Alex Marvez was awful. He never should have been put in that position, with no experience whatsoever.
I completely disagreed with all of his ranting about Excalibur though. Excalibur did a fantastic job of carrying the broadcast, including with Jim Ross, which is saying something. Cornette's constant references to "OUTLAW WRESTLING" is ignorant. All 13,000 people in that audience knew who Excalibur is from his over 15 years in the industry as a wrestler and commentator, whether he's done it on national television before or not, guess what... in 2019 people can watch wrestling from all over the world very easily, without it needing to be on television. People have seen and appreciated PWG. People saw All In. The guy is a good commentator. He is familiar with all of the talent that appeared on the show. It is absolutely irrelevant that he wears a mask during on camera segments that take up 1% of the broadcast.
I loved the PPV for what it was. He largely disliked it, because he dislikes the current style. To be expected. He also seems to refuse to accept that guys who might be under 200 lbs. can also be good wrestlers. I guess that comes with being the old, set in his ways, "get off my lawn" guy now. If they aren't big and menacing, they shouldn't be wrestlers, to him. Very dated, closed minded approach to everything now. The same with the complaint about how there can't be a female referee in a men's match. Because unless she's "scared of them" somehow it hurts the match. Nonsense. The referee is in charge. If they don't listen to him/her as the authority, they could get DQ'd and will lose the match. The gender of the ref is irrelevant.
Any reaction to Cornette's criticisms, from those who bothered to listen to him?
I used to be a big fan of Cornette's, for years. Great manager, excellent on interviews, I loved Smoky Mountain, and in the 90s I shared his views on a lot of wrestling. Even though I have a handheld tape from a SMW show where he went on a racist tirade shouting the N word at a black security guard who wasn't listening to him about ejecting a fan from the show. I overlooked that, as much as I could, and tried to focus on Cornette's redeeming qualities as a performer, despite his shortcomings as a human being.
In recent years, I got tired of all of his constant negativity. Whether that's all 100% legitimate, or partially a gimmick just to drive his podcast numbers, either way, I got sick of his constant complaints about current wrestling. If he's going to do a podcast about wrestling, he should talk about when he was a kid and loved it as a fan, or when he was younger and still enjoyed it. That he chooses to personally attack the guys that do a different style than what he used to like is why I stopped listening to his podcast.
But I liked Double Or Nothing, so I figured I'll listen this week.
I knew I would be in for a lot of criticism of the product, knowing his previous opinions, so it didn't surprise me that 95% of it was a burial.
I'm starting this thread to ask those of you who also listened to it... what do you think of his views (and Brian Last's views) of the show? Which of his criticisms did you agree with? Which did you strongly disagree with? Why?
As far as I'm concerned, I generally agreed with the overall idea that the announcers failed to explain who a lot of the guys are and what their characters are supposed to be. They didn't seem to treat it like it was a show that was being watched by people who are "new" to seeing these guys perform on shows. They assumed the audience was already watching all of the indies, etc. The announcers definitely could have done a better job with that, and really need to be able to do it once the product is on TNT and tons of people will be channel surfing who have absolutely zero idea who any of these guys are. I also agreed that Alex Marvez was awful. He never should have been put in that position, with no experience whatsoever.
I completely disagreed with all of his ranting about Excalibur though. Excalibur did a fantastic job of carrying the broadcast, including with Jim Ross, which is saying something. Cornette's constant references to "OUTLAW WRESTLING" is ignorant. All 13,000 people in that audience knew who Excalibur is from his over 15 years in the industry as a wrestler and commentator, whether he's done it on national television before or not, guess what... in 2019 people can watch wrestling from all over the world very easily, without it needing to be on television. People have seen and appreciated PWG. People saw All In. The guy is a good commentator. He is familiar with all of the talent that appeared on the show. It is absolutely irrelevant that he wears a mask during on camera segments that take up 1% of the broadcast.
I loved the PPV for what it was. He largely disliked it, because he dislikes the current style. To be expected. He also seems to refuse to accept that guys who might be under 200 lbs. can also be good wrestlers. I guess that comes with being the old, set in his ways, "get off my lawn" guy now. If they aren't big and menacing, they shouldn't be wrestlers, to him. Very dated, closed minded approach to everything now. The same with the complaint about how there can't be a female referee in a men's match. Because unless she's "scared of them" somehow it hurts the match. Nonsense. The referee is in charge. If they don't listen to him/her as the authority, they could get DQ'd and will lose the match. The gender of the ref is irrelevant.
Any reaction to Cornette's criticisms, from those who bothered to listen to him?
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