Jim Cornette on WCW's Management & Booking Committee In 1989 & 1990

From Episode 90 of Jim Cornette's Drive Thru
Artwork by Travis Heckel!
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[@p.d.l7023]

Someone walks into that broker's meeting. "Hey, Jim?!" Everyone turns around.

[@trapmontana9440]

These stories never get old about the wcw booking Committee

[@Kas58223]

I was amazed that they hired these people that knew nothing about the wrestling business and how they treated wrestlers, managers regarding pay and also stupid ideas like Ric Flair to be called Spartacus

[@85futureshock]

The 1989 run of the Midnight Express is one of the worst, mind boggling burials of a major main event act in history. You had the promotions most talented and most popular tag team, that a year before was drawing record houses and getting cheered by fans outside the south, not only jobbing but working in opening matches and being made to look bad.

[@TheHitmanrj]

I might join Jim Cornette when he pisses on Jim Herds grave.

[@mrg8581]

Jim Herd wanted to turn Ric Flair into Spartacus. Not to mention he created the Ding Dongs. 🙄

[@Kas58223]

Crazy stuff from a moron that knew nothing

[@joebisciglia4341]

@@Kas58223 he knew how to make pizza

[@Kas58223]

@@joebisciglia4341 he was a regional manager for Pizza Hut

[@joebisciglia4341]

@@Kas58223 correct hence my pizza comment

[@chrischar9428]

Hes since claimed ot was an idea just thrown around

[@AdmiralRockstar]

Jim herd is the perfect example of hiring a plumber to do an electricians work

[@thekidfromiowa]

WCW would've died sooner if it weren't for Turner protecting it yet Jim Herd would never have been allowed in if it weren't for Turner's ownership. WCW was the redheaded stepchild of the company but Turner had a soft spot for it so it wasn't going away as long as Ted had the last word. Then came Time Warner then AOL Time Warner....

[@madringking1119]

Turner still had some influence when Time Warner merged with TBS. But AOL completely screwed him and WCW over

[@chrishonegger7180]

So true herd was an idiot

[@Hakeem990]

But was wcw under jim herd as bad as AEW

[@eddiew2325]

@@Hakeem990 Jim herd is a turd

[@emobassist]

I absolutely love hearing Corny talk about late 80s early 90s wcw

[@chadk890]

FACTS

[@MilMaska]

"When Jim Herd woke up that morning it was still 1973" - Jim Cornette

[@falagarius]

Jim Cornette wakes up in 1983

[@InvisibleHotdog]

​@@falagarius that's crazy considering Jim produced generations of talent from SMW, OVW, ROH, etc and has had the top wrestling podcasts for years

[@matthillegas3099]

I love how they're in their gimmicks in the booking meeting. How great would it be to have Cornette, Flair, and Sullivan doing booking meetings in character?

[@jenisia3600]

Flair, Corny, JR n Sullivan looking good in that artwork.

[@teresabarrera6855]

I like to tell myself that Slick Ric went to these meetings wearing his robes WOOOOOO

[@teresabarrera6855]

I want Jim to do his impressions of Jim Barnett, Dusty, Ernie Ladd and Kevin Dunn all sitting in a room having a conversation

[@john_blues]

Don't forget Vince McMahon. 'Good Shit, Pal!'

[@matthillegas3099]

"Jim, I find you tiresome." 🐹🐹

[@viralmedianetwork415]

I would like them do a watch along the Okada/Omega matches with Barnett & Ross on commentary.

[@viralmedianetwork415]

I guess I'm thinking of Josh Barnett

[@forumcelebritypodcast]

he does the best Terry Funk

[@Mr.Cynical92]

Looking at the thumbnail and I'm like "There's Corny, Flair, JR, Sullivan, Jim Herd and... wait is that Orville Redenbacher?

[@johngallagher72]

I think its Jim Barnett ...oh my God Jim loved loved Corny ...he was such a little devil ...my boy!

[@sprthrwwychnnl73]

I thought it was Mitch McConnell

[@smarkslowplay3512]

Jolly Jimmy Barnett

[@travisheckel5576]

Jim Barnett my boy

[@Timmyk5150]

It's Jim Barnett, my boy and while we're on the subject, what are we doing to do to draw money next month????

[@SegataNoKen]

You remember all that Mr. Cornette because you're a passionate wrestling fan and not only a fan but a phenomenal historian. I thank you, we all thank you for your knowledge, and I love you ❤❤❤

[@Kas58223]

Amazing mind and great storytelling of retelling of his part in the wrestling business

[@xLatinAssazzin]

@@Kas58223 great story telling are you stupid lol

[@Biggie2829]

@@xLatinAssazzin are you?

[@chadk890]

@@xLatinAssazzin Get a clue

[@chadk890]

@@Kas58223 I still watch the Midnight Express matches

[@patrickdoran180]

It's truly a shame that WCW was such a mis-managed mess, because they truly had great talent.

[@parthivsarma6216]

It's so crazy how Cornette remembers every minute details of things nearly 30 years ago with even the months, territory, angles and matches that before or after one specific event.

[@lucasclark1178]

He must have photographic memory

[@IWRInteractive]

Capitol Combat 1990 was one of my favorite shows for some reason. I must have worn that VHS tape out by watching it 300 times.

[@aaroncushinberry1030]

Who approved RoboCop?

[@teresabarrera6855]

Dick Jones Senior VP for OCP

[@aaroncushinberry1030]

@@teresabarrera6855 😂😂

[@michaelhoule2134]

No that would be the ED209...

[@thomashagen2480]

Jimherd

[@dhornjr1]

The booking committee meetings included Jim Herd, Jim Crockett, Jim Barnette, Jim Cornette, and Jim Ross. That's not confusing at all.

[@caarrll7117]

Jim James Jimmy JR Jay

[@chrisjamesr77]

That reminds me one time my dad, my brother, and few other relatives went golfing...I bet the scorecard must have looked confusing, considering it was John R, John R, John R, and John S, lol (btw, if anyone's wondering how there was 3 John Rs, one of the last names is different, cus it was a relative from my mom's side)

[@thomasredmond5793]

so it wasnt a booking committee, but a jim committee :P lmfao

[@DarksaberForce]

What would've happened if late-80 early 90 WCW was run by a booking not hindered by corporate guys? Especially since during that time so man NWA went to WWF because of poor booking choices.

[@TheoONLIous]

The guy on the right side of the table holding a wine glass looks like Mitch McConnell

[@msoileau83]

Jim Barnett ma booooooy....

[@PeteOG]

Those WCW bookers did about as good a job as our government’s doing!

[@reggiefields6551]

@KaneMagus i believe he prefers the title "cocaine mitch"

[@bonlouis8808]

Did Jim Herd ever host any pizza parties in the Booking Committee after his time as head of Pizza Hut?

[@willsmith7921]

That would have been the only thing he could’ve been good for.

[@p.d.l7023]

Yeah. But then he forgot those tasty garlic knots...on purpose!

[@MarkCratusMatzko]

iirc there is a story of him getting pizza and beer for the wrestlers. Supposedly Hawk told the entire lockerroom he would beat up anyone who took a slice or a drink, and it was left untouched after the one taping he did this. Shows certainly the respect the wrestlers had for Herd, well deserved.

[@nealfeldpausch715]

When I saw the title... Knew the thumbnail art was gonna be another classic ! Done. And done. 👍

[@AHalevonEric]

Jim, JR, Flair, Sullivan and Funk should've been on the committee while everybody else stayed outside.

[@chadk890]

Exactly

[@jasonswacker6419]

I own the rise and fall of WCW great film.. Jim Ross even mentions that the talent WCW had was better than WWF and the fact WCW had this revolving door of bookers after Flair Cornet and so on. And didn't have any clue how to manage this talent baffles me. All WCW had to do was let the wrestling people run it's program and WCW most likely would of had a better product in the late 80's upwards through all the 90's. Boy WCW screwed the pooch on this one.

[@msoileau83]

That same Jim Herd cartoon 🤣

[@saltedllama2759]

Jim's unending wealth of stories never get old.

[@chperezjr]

Vince purposely humiliated Dusty Rhodes with that stupid polka dots dancing gimmick. Hated everything about it. The same with the ridiculous gimmicks he gave to Barry Windham

[@Artegeddin]

Humiliated him by having him win most of his matches? By having him wrestle Bossman? DiBiase? Macho Man? He could’ve made him the opening card guy if he wanted to bury him.

[@keeganhurley119]

@@Artegeddinbingo

[@mike04574]

And dusty still got over with it. He still won matches too

[@endrsgm]

i love listening to cornie talk about the mid to late 80s and early 90s. its golden.

[@constablekennedy8227]

S**TStain has Left the Chat ... 👀

[@LoganSewell83]

I wish I could do a run in during the moment depicted in the artwork and yell out, "Hey Jim!"

[@oN3xShOtxkilL]

If we are posting old corny rants from the old Vanguard channel than I would love to hear the classic Russo rants

[@doubled7080]

just type jim cornette vince russo in the utube browser and many will come up.

[@kingrama2727]

Why is Mitch McConnell in this picture?

[@positively_broad_st3780]

How many Jims can fit into one office? Just need to add Valiant, Del Ray, Hellwig, Hillbilly, Jimmy Jam, and Slim...

[@DBonaldi]

I’m sure Jim Herd is probably a nice guy outside of the working environment, but he was clearly out of his depth. Ok, he gave people jobs and the opportunity to create a living, but he seemed to be a horrible employer and communicator.

[@JamaisArriere1]

Good lord, you had the 4 Jims in the office!

[@justinswindle4078]

Barnett's looking like Mitch McConnell

[@jerseyvoid3123]

There will never be another human being who broke the fourth wall of reality like the Loose Cannon. I was at a NWA show in fl where Cornette brought Adam Cole from ROH to wrestle for the NWA tile. But my favorite spot in that show ws Kevin Sulivan was part of a tag match as a manager and we were in the front row and I yelled "I respect you booker man" got the biggest pop of the night.

[@sonnyknight1259]

Wow. I remember all this. Eventhough Jim Heard messed things up. It was still epic!

[@Geoffchuggachugchugg167]

You guys must be thrilled Brandi Rhodes is pregnant. That will be a year break from her confusing booking and bad tv that just doesn’t make sense.

[@-JAVY-]

Lol she still wont be off tv

[@colonelrobertsjr.7882]

@@-JAVY- I was just about to say that!! She'll find a way to stay in the mix, baby bump and all!!

[@-JAVY-]

@@colonelrobertsjr.7882 lmfaoo yep

[@manuelper]

@@colonelrobertsjr.7882 If they want to truly make a heel, they should have someone attack Brandi (before she gets too big) and kick her in the stomach. That writes her off TV and creates an instant-megaheel.

[@lodi70005]

@@manuelper It might have worked in the days of kayfabe. Now,nobody would care.

[@nickw7235]

Oh snap, I’m from altoona. I’m looking for this show!

[@yogsenforfoth5948]

Travis drew Jim Barnett in a way that makes him look suspiciously like Mitch McConnell. 😂

[@generallordjowbra8871]

I thought Kevin Sullivan was Russo in the thumbnail and had a "huh" moment...

[@p.d.l7023]

Russo: Bro....I'm Kevin Sullivan now, bro!

[@johngallagher72]

"Oh my God...you're so so wrong Corny . .mmmm I would have luved luved luved to rock Jim Herds boat ...oh my God...my boy "..Jim Barrett

[@GuerrillaGamer]

Cornette is just The BEST! I KNEW this guy was Radio GOLD back when he was swatting the gnats from YokoZuna with his 🎾 racquet! He has the creative gift of gab needed for streaming! Big fan!

[@thomashenley1903]

How Jim Herd didn't get his ass whooped by the wrestlers is beyond me.

[@chamae01]

Should be a tv series

[@john_blues]

Wait, Corny was almost a horseman?!?! Shut the front door. I didn't know this.

[@TheSportsfan35]

@John Blues, no the storyline was going to be Corny "selling" the Midnight Express to Ole that way Ole could manage the 4H & Corny could continue working as a commentator.

[@chadk890]

Corny actually split up the Horsemen when the Midnights beat Tully and Arn for the NWA belts and the Horsemen were never the same

[@willsmith7921]

According to a recent Arn podcast, the idea of the Midnight and furthermore Cornette being part of the Horsemen was a fleeting idea at best.

[@TheSportsfan35]

@@chadk890 That was the fault of the Crocketts pissing off Tully & saying he was not loyal to the company, & they meaning Tully & Arn were being paid LESS in 88 than JJ was that year, that's why they went to work for Vince.

[@chadk890]

@@TheSportsfan35 Big mistake letting Tully and Arn go. They were the backbone of the NWA. What a team they were!

[@codyjack8918]

Jim Cornette is so funny yet so real 😂

[@renafan3333]

Hey there are people on top,champions that wish they drew as much as Dusty drew in those polka dots. Rib or not

[@TheSportsfan35]

@renafan3333, if you're talking about the current champs yes, BUT Harley & Dory were better than Dusty as champs.

[@Lord_Bibulous]

Jim Herd let Ric Flair leave without losing the WCW/NWA title and *LET HIM KEEP THE ACTUAL BELT!!!* That stupidity alone says enough about Herd's knowledge of the job.

[@patrickdoran180]

Flair had put a 25K deposit on the belt, which Herd would not pay back. That's why he took it with him.

[@Lord_Bibulous]

@@patrickdoran180 I know. The money owed to Flair was actually close to 40K with the interest from the initial deposit. Still shows how dumb Herd was. Running a multi-million dollar company and you let that company get embarassed over 40 grand.

[@davidholzer4155]

Imagine having four Jims in a meeting. That would be very confusing

[@ricstormwolf]

Zenk. Not Zinc 😂😂

[@p.d.l7023]

Two things that happened under Jim Heard's reign of terror made me not watch ANY wrestling for over two years: Firstly, Robocop being treated as kayfabe. Even as a kid I knew that was bullshit. Then I saw the freaking Ding-Dongs! Those freakin' Ding-Dongs were as dumb or dumber than The Red Rooster!

[@JBar]

what is so damn offensive about polka dots?

[@MrChristopherHaas]

My related question involves Tod Gordon at head of table on 88’ tv in regards to dusty rhodes/four horsemen storyline. Was Tod Gordon in wcw management or was he playing a role. The hosts of this show KNOW

[@Dakatari]

Ww need a Jim Cornette it. Would be awesome to see his Ife on film.

[@marcelmoreau2733]

How many times Jim going to have to talk about this? Like every other week spmeone asks about this. Anyone ever watched drivethru or experience should know all this already.

[@Limerick1993]

Looks like it's from an old episode

[@smarkslowplay3512]

Episode 90. Also a very interesting subject. Herd was the definition of clueless

[@russoswerve3974]

I could hear Cornette rag on Jim Herd all day. It’s boring when he trails off about wrestling stories but when he’s wishing death on people he’s worked with/got him fired he’s great

[@MrT571]

Cornette looks really happy to be here.

[@imfreviews]

Wow. Cornette talking about how Jim Barnett was really on top of his game thirty years prior but was out of touch in the 80s has irony so deep it could drown a giraffe. Don't get me wrong - I love Corny - but man, that's a dangerous direction to go, my friend.

[@p.d.l7023]

Dusty and Sullivan tore up that Florida territory in the early 80s.

[@timkabatra3126]

90s WWF and Jim Herd's WCW were to wrestling what Olive Garden is to Italian Food. Bland and bastardized.

[@p.d.l7023]

People not into wrestling: I'd watch if they were all wearing polka-dot pants.

[@TrueJoeyBowie]

Christ, that's a lot of Jims in one room. They had to have been on a last-name basis with each other.

[@g7721]

Imagine wanting to rename Flair Spartacus and dress him up like a homosexual Roman gladiator. Maybe if he just waited till 96 he could have teamed with Ron Simmons in his gladiator gear in WWF lol

[@stinkypinkeee5085]

To this day, ALL Create-A-Characters I make wears black with yellow polka dots, if possible...

[@frankbonini7085]

Ole Was Fired ... Barry Windham Held the Booker Position for a Spell ... Then, Dusty Returned to Take It from Barry (Who Basically, by Barry's Own Admission, Held It till Dusty Was Able to Return & Take It)

[@frankbonini7085]

Kayfabe Commentaries's "WCW TIMELINE : 1991 With Barry Windham" Has Better Detail on It

[@luisg.407]

Fuuuuuuck, Flair, Arn and The Midnight Express with Corny would have been a sick 4 Horsemen. Flair and Stan Lane would've monopolized ring rats. Lmao

[@Lord_Bibulous]

Cornette wasn't going to join them. As I remember him saying, he was transitioning to full time commentating. The story would've been that Cornette let them go to join the Horsemen. This way as a heel commentator he can still talk up the Midnight Express.

[@frankbonini7085]

Jim, as Well as Jerry Lawler, Was Pretty Much "Straight Edge" Before There Was "Straight Edge" ... That's Quite Possibly Why He's Able to Have Clear Remembrance Abilities

[@atomthorium3744]

The Dusty 'polka dots' were actually 'CORN IN SHITE'....hence the yellow. Seriously.

[@guardianofchaosBD]

The ole loaded boot 🥾

[@frankbonini7085]

The Angle Could've MADE Pillman a "Main Event Guy"! ... FFS, Jimzy!

[@frankbonini7085]

I Know I'm Yelling at a Guy Who's Been Dead Since 2000 ... I'm Just Giving You All a Hypothetical Thing I'd Say if I Had a Chance - However Possible - to Discuss This with Him

[@anonymousbo0318]

So Jim didn't like being told he can't do something cause he and his team weren't main event guys, which they weren't. But nowadays he literally uses this same argument whenever mid carders or the women do interesting things in matches/feuds? What a damn hypocrite.

[@cancelme4200]

Lol, cornette talking smack about Jim Barnett 🤣.

[@1burnman]

Now we know why WCW was so poorly ran

[@fgajtani]

I don't know who these people even are; but I would rather listen to Jim Cornette talk about these people than watch an episode of AEW

[@p.d.l7023]

"Girls would cry when Brian Pillman would get hurt..." What a bunch of marks.

[@darkest_knight4446]

First

[@StevePTFOx49]

"At 9 I knew it was bad booking". Stop, you didn't. Stop trying to outsmark everyone. Brian is a good dude but constantly acting like "nobody see's wrestling like I doooooo" schtick is so tiresome.

[@SammyPro820]

Guy likes hearing his own voice. I don't care for him. Corny could do this show with a broom and it be a hit

[@StevePTFOx49]

@@SammyPro820 perfectly said

[@juansanchez209]

Otis is the modern-day Dusty Rhodes.

[@RockSolidEJV420]

More like Chris Farley

[@juansanchez209]

@@RockSolidEJV420 Chris Farley is a draw!

[@RockSolidEJV420]

@@juansanchez209 So was Dusty. What’s your point?

[@juansanchez209]

@@RockSolidEJV420 Dusty was a draw. Chris Farley is a draw. You said Otis reminds you of Chris Farley while I said Otis reminds me of Dusty. Based on these connective fibers and inductive reasoning, we can say that Otis is the modern-day Dusty Rhodes. That's my point.

[@RockSolidEJV420]

@@juansanchez209 Otis is nothing like Dusty though. Otis is just a blundering goofball who has the personality of a child. Dusty was nothing like that. He’s more Chris Farley because of the blundering stuff he does. I’m comparing personalities not drawing appeal.