Jim Cornette on Wild Mid South Crowds

From Episode 108 of Jim Cornette's Drive Thru!
Artwork by Travis Heckel!
Send in your question for the Drive-Thru to: [e-mail]
Follow Jim and Brian on Twitter: @TheJimCornette @GreatBrianLast
Visit Jim's official site at www.JimCornette.com for merch, live dates, commentaries and more!
You can listen to Brian each week on the 6:05 Superpodcast at 605pod.com.

[@funkypluck]

I went to the Myriad, almost every Sunday from about 82-86. Some of the best matches you could have asked for......I shook Andre The Giant's finger one time...Kamala, Ric Flair, The Von Erics, Kabuki, JYD, Butch Reed, R&R Express, The Rat Pack, Dr. Death, Magnum, on and on...So much talent...I hated Cornette with a passion, then as I adulted a lil (still a rasslin fan) I realized how much heat he got..And still does....Corny Rules...Thanks for the Great Times Jim....

[@RAB6969]

LOL on Baton Rouge “you can’t sue the city in the crookedest state of the country” too true Jim.

[@ApothecaryGrant]

Being from Lafayette , I concur

[@JesusSaves80]

Nola la here

[@JesusSaves80]

Nola la here

[@lonzowright6485]

Illinois is the most crooked state

[@yoholmes273]

@@lonzowright6485 Almost true...but then again youve never been to the Bayou

[@tonybones9638]

What a time to be alive..Jim has seen some shit and been in some shit too...'Rasslin will never be that crazy and wild again....Love these stories.

[@tylermccune7092]

I can see clearly in my mind some giant 275 pound corn fed Cowboy absolutely unloading with a wooden folding chair on a 60 year old deputy

[@jamesoldham9237]

I remember being at Louisville Gardens in Kentucky and the Fabulous Ones were gonna wrestle the Moondogs and as the Moondogs came to the ring a old lady hit one of the dogs in the back of his head with her purse lol

[@davidlangley1844]

I was there a lot in Tulsa and there was fighting outside after every event and I remember that wrestlers would walk out there in the parking area and they would taunt the crowd plus the crowd would throw stuff at them what a hell of a mess

[@BIG_L.O.E]

I'm from Tulsa...it is a wild town...on the black side and the white side of town

[@bobwatson1162]

Home of the Gap Band🎶

[@Jdavid2890]

Some of my fondest memories was seeing Bill Watts vs Dick Murdock in the Tulsa fairgrounds Pavilion.

[@tbob316]

Mine to it was great

[@SecretGerms]

tbob316 Mine too, it was great. grammar escaped your childhood, huh?

[@SecretGerms]

Gloth Sang if you don’t want your grammatical errors to be corrected, then don’t make any. also, don’t tell me, or anyone, what to do, ever. fuck you very much, sweetheart. 😘

[@d-mo733]

"Hey kid, dont be popping that balloon!" Lmfao..

[@tonyh1718]

The stories on the territories are endlessly fascinating

[@pauljames7438]

Mid South was the best! 😆

[@karlyoung5089]

Yes it was!

[@isaacbutler8828]

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL GETTING MAJOR HEEL HEAT!! I witnessed this in New Orleans as a kid going to the Superdome and watching wrestling, people throwing beers and batteries at the heels.

[@timf7413]

I have to assume Cornette is "unnamed assailant" on many police reports

[@scorptarget]

😂😂

[@namelessjedi2242]

I dunno… I imagine him letting them all know who he is!

[@johnwood2013]

The midnight express and rock & roll express scaffolding match was awesome to. I better shut up I will ramble on about the awesome MidSouth days. We used to go all the time to the Myriad

[@itzy-shi68]

Im 21 from Tulsa, and love hearing stories from Jim about Oklahoma, Tulsa and any mid-south territory

[@that1scoutcollins851]

As a 19 year old kid from Tulsa, I love these stories.

[@philaman1972]

These are incredible stories of a bygone era . I remember when Mid-South/UWF first started airing here in Philly in early 1986 on Channel 65 before moving to the higher powered Channel 57. The shows were so exciting, narrated by a young and energetic Jim Ross. Classic!

[@kevincosgrove948]

philaman1972 Funny cause most of the early ECW talent came from Smokey Mountain Wrestling just before 1994.

[@andyinpa1]

philaman1972 I remember those days. Watching the Freebirds, Dr Death, Dugan, etc.... it was an exciting show

[@matthewgabbard6415]

You got Mid-South Wrestling in Philly? That’s crazy. I’ve always heard Philadelphia was a big pro wrestling town though

[@abiparr2804]

Pissing myself laughing as I'm listening to this brilliant 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@brisiplays3899]

Unfortunately: those days are gone, and Tulsa doesn’t even see wrestling anymore unless WWE decides to run one of their shows at the BOK Center. The Assembly Center, The Pavilion, and the Fairgrounds don’t even see much of anything anymore unless there is a gun show, or something else that decides to come through. I have to say though: I enjoy listening to the old stories of mid south, and the other territories because you don’t get to hear stories like those too often anymore. All of the old timers are leaving us now, and most of their stories end up going with them. I can only hope that Jim can continue stick around long enough to share most of his.

[@incredibleshrinkingfungus1731]

I went to go see the match in Jackson, MS where Skandor Akbar burned / blinded Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Rapides Parish Coliseum was another wild place.

[@scottielutz3062]

My dad from Kentucky was a body guard at the wrestling shows at the Louisville garden and he had to walk out the heel wrestlers through the hostile crowd by himself. And the four horsemen were afraid to go out with him because they didn’t feel like they had enough security. My dad then told them no I got you guys and he pushed those violent fans like it was nothing

[@danpatterson2346]

Love these stories ! thx Jim.

[@TyCathey]

Well the myriad is now the Chesapeake energy arena and yes I live in OKC and we haven't had a WWE PPV here since unforgiven 2005 smh

[@TheeKingRayzor]

I love Jim Cornette!

[@Connor-ki8zv]

There's no such thing as heel heat anymore these days but except for Dirty Dom who's going really strong as a heel but I'm talking about 80's type heat. There's none of that stuff anymore.

[@scrappy93]

Damn brick to the head drawing lol hilarious.

[@mr005]

I love Drunker Than Cooter Brown 🤣

[@michaelmoore8717]

Tulsa boy here , gotta take pride in the Tulsa stories!!!!

[@evanb1470]

It sound like Tulsa is a fun/rowdy city. Makes me want to visit there.

[@richardnoggin8327]

I live in tulsa and was there for a few crazy nights, fans would leave out early just to wait for them in the parking garage 😂😂

[@moodyz6861]

Much love from OKC!

[@MrFree2BeMe1]

Back when fans were passionate about Wrestling, back when they didn't have cellphones to distract them , and you didn't have to worry about spoilers ! when wrestlers looked and sounded like they really wanted to kill you, those days are gone and the sh*t era is here. i remember my grandmother went to jail from hitting Skandor Akbar with her cain in the Municipal Auditorium

[@brettpatterson404]

Was she a stunt granny ?

[@leeberry689]

If they can make your granny that mad, the wrestlers did their jobs and created the type of heat that you will not see today.

[@Pistonslap1312]

Haha my dads old friend and the guy who gave me my first job lived across the street from skandor akbar. Said he was the nicest guy

[@ApothecaryGrant]

Lol Poor Akbar , he really was a kind guy .

[@ozzfest12349]

My grandpa never went and watched a live show as far as new, but that man would sit in his rocking chair and yell at the wrestlers and swing his cane around ready to whoop someone's ass. No one ever wanted to take him caude we knew at 80 years old he'd be half way down to the ring before we could stop him.

[@packrat2473655]

That wasent the fairground s pavilion in tulsa. Hes talking about the assembley center first. Hes got them mixed up. How do i know ? I was there... the assembly center had the long downward drive into the back of the building. Where he said people threw bricks was the assembly center ...

[@jeffcaudill2050]

Great memories from The Smokey Mountain Days. I love in Bristol Tennesse, got to see ICE wrestling every Tuesday night in JC rec center alot. Seen lots of Jim Crockett,s shows. Loved South Eastern wrestling. Loved Ron Wright. I have a 1975 local poster roster with Ron Fuller to Joe Louduc.. Great shows Jim you was the guy I loved to hate.lol

[@openmind1966]

God Jimmy C's stories ARE a riot!! So awesome...

[@BarekHalfhand]

I never got to see that Mid-South era growing up in Chicago but through the magic of KZbin I'm catching up... I just watched one segment where Jim was celebrating his tag team winning the title and somebody like the rock and roll Express came down and pushed his face into a cake he was cutting on the side of the Ring 😂... Pure entertainment.

[@davemac9087]

Live next door to the myriad center and it’s so weird hearing Jim talk about something he knew very well and that is something I see and pass every day, just, small world I guess.

[@kvinche8120]

Tulsa in the house..Mid Souf Boy for life

[@ChuuchooChooseMe]

Jim and brian, keep up the great work!!!👍

[@MikesCabbages]

Being from Tulsa,OK I can honestly say. This is the worst town I have ever been in. SCU

[@williamhollaway1960]

Lol

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

Never move to Rochester N.Y. then.

[@trave5779]

Tulsa isn't even the worst town in Oklahoma, my dude. Not while Lawton still draws breath.

[@malcolmcox18]

We don't get too many Tulsa stories

[@mr.willie9578]

It is okay to get mad at the Heels but trying to hurt them it is crossing the line

[@Sarah_Gravydog316]

whaaaa??? naughty bad boys deserve spankings!! especially the Fiend!

[@checkerslane]

I know. Thats crazy

[@rubenarriaga3029]

MR.WILLIE 95 that’s pure heat for ya

[@oveidasinclair982]

That's early to mid 1980's wrestling, the trailer park took their wrestling vary serious and when you're in there drunk, or stoned, it gets even more serious. I know it sounds crazy, but the wilder the crowd, the more tickets and bigger pay outs.

[@sorrenblitz805]

Back then there were a lot more people who had real emotional investment in the Wrestlers, they still thought everything was legitimately real fighting back then, of course the Wrestlers back then were way better at making it look real. Hell I grew up watching the Attitude Era and there were some matches then that had my brain going, "wait was that a work? That looked kind of real"

[@rlflynn62951]

Please Jim give us some stories about the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, MS for I Ted Dibiase used to catch hell...

[@shawnsmith9367]

I used to see the shows at the Myriad. I remember Jim Cornette being put into a diaper.

[@malicant123]

Pre internet, old time wrestling shows must have been a blast.

[@SonnyBubba]

More importantly, pre-cellphone cameras. The fans could vent a whole week’s worth of frustration and anger into booing the heels.

[@dquanissavage6287]

Awesome Shoot Today Jim!!😎🐐🐐

[@oveidasinclair982]

Most of those sheriff deputies were most likely in their 50's and way over weight. My dad spent a month in Tulsa, Cowboys and Cherokees and they're all drunk except on Sunday morning when they were all in Church hung over.

[@rudyrusso711]

Can't get that heat anymore...I miss the 70s and 80s of Pro wrestling

[@dawaynejames4278]

the good ol days of wrasslin.

[@johnwood2013]

I remember Ric Flair was in the parking garage selling shirts out of his trunk & gave me a free shirt. Kerri VonErich was selling shirts before to. He didn’t give me a free one

[@impalaman9707]

Having grown up in Okla City, I can attest to the fact that our city is the most civilized city in the region. We behave ourselves better than others do. I was at the Myriad convention center for many shows--saw the Blade Runners firsthand

[@Barbarian.Nature.Preserve]

Drunker than Cooter Brown! Lol

[@Alanthe918mobilemechanic]

Okc to Tulsa is only about 2 hrs

[@deweyrobison7230]

Being a Tulsa boy here gotta say we still carry guns in our trucks and as far as fighting doesn't matter who it is cop or not

[@CheapestGamer]

We had a place like this around here (Scranton, PA) called the Catholic Youth Center. I went to so many WWF shows back in the 80's and into the early 90's there. Larger venue yet still intimate enough that you didn't have to worry about being 'up in nosebleed section' like the newer arena they built down the line. I got so many wrestlers autographs back in the day by hanging out at the back of the venue like so many other people. Yet you almost never saw the big stars of the day showing up. I'm guessing they either showed up AFTER everybody went inside to see the show or long before people started showing up. Yet the one time I did get to see one of the biggest stars (Andre) some moron pelted him with an egg as he was getting out of the van.

[@poppinpatty2507]

If it was that dangerous and so much trouble why did Tulsa keep letting wrestling come back? Money, money, money! I jumped the rail from the first level to the floor in the spectrum at a concert and 98. A Big, OK gigantic, security guard caught me in mid air and threw me back. I felt like a puppet, LOL. I made it over the second time. There were thousands of people all jumping The rail at the same time when the band walked out. The law of averages, there was no way they were going to stop everybody, there was no way they were going to stop 10% of the people jumping. I wound up getting kicked out later on that night while fighting, the same security guard grabbed a hold of my arm from behind me as I was about to break somebody's nose. They started with me. I'll never forget it. That dude looks so pissed when he saw my face. He carried me in the air by my arm towards the exit for a while. He was just doing his job, I know that. I was young and drunk and having a great time. It was fun to be young. Don't worry folks, I actually got back into the spectrum for a second time. I was out front for a few minutes and a stranger was waiting for his friends. When they didn't show up he gave me and two other people milling around out there free tickets. I was really happy, the dude just wanted to get in. I was pretty torn up that day. Vodka, vodka, vodka and other things that don't only make you feel good but change the way you think. LOL, read between the lines. While going back in the second time the security guard told me to empty my pockets. I had my cigarettes, a few airplane bottles of vodka, and other things that definitely were not allowed in the spectrum or anywhere in Pennsylvania back then, and most of them not allowed in Pennsylvania now either. I pulled all of that out of my pocket and showed him and the guy looked at me and just said come on just get the hell out of here. I thought I was getting thrown out again but I wasn't he told me to go in and just get the hell away from him. Like I said it was fun to be young. The band was Jane's Addiction. It had been about 10 years since the last time they played in Philly. They were not welcome in Philly for that time, because the last time they played here there was a riot which was a complete shit show disaster. Some of my older friends were there and I know it was really crazy that night. The riot started after the singer decided he just wasn't feeling it that night and walked off the stage. That doesn't go over very well in Philly. LOL. The fans almost push the bus over that night. The show I was at had a very weird and strange vibe outside. Things were tense, the Eagles are playing Monday night football at the vet right next-door. There was a very obvious culture clash in the parking lot that night. Lots of fights. Like I said it was fun to be young. I would love to hear some stories about crazy things that happened behind the scenes at the Philadelphia spectrum and the Phila. Civic Center in the 80s. I haven't been into wrestling for a long, long time. But it is great going down memory lane with Jim telling all his old stories. Good luck to everybody watching and reading the comments and please stay safe!

[@gothchicksbongrips5712]

I missed out on the territories 😭

[@ApothecaryGrant]

It was the best . Weekly live wrestling flavored to the local tastes .

[@iannolan2979]

Ayyyy The Big House. Played basketball there multiple times. The idea of a wrestling show there seems cool in hindsight

[@stephenwells8981]

Corny had some heat in Tulsa

[@davemac9087]

I have lived in Midwest City, which is right next to Oklahoma City and have never heard them call the myriad gardens from OKC,”The Big House”. Whatever though.

[@themurraypeeps5795]

The big house is the state fair gym, not the myriad. It hosted state for basketball and wrestling. Not the same building as the myriad

[@mdhotstuff]

Those were some tough towns

[@Jdavid2890]

They still are bro.

[@mikeb483]

1:16-1:30 love that part.

[@MisterAlerion]

Tulsa is my home we will always love wrasslin.

[@robfinlay8058]

Bring back the wild and woolly crowds of the territorial wrestling era!

[@randomiser2267]

Oh yeah that would really go over well on a nationally televised show lol

[@williamsmith666]

​@@randomiser2267 It did years ago, why not today? A riot sounds like a far better alternative to dipsh-t losers glued to their phones.

[@edwells4769]

@@randomiser2267 youre right, everything is too feminized for this to work these days.

[@ApothecaryGrant]

I just know he is gonna bring up Houma .

[@awkc63]

I love hearing everything pre like 95 from Jimmy.

[@arthurbarquin7873]

Hey Jim do you still remember the DQ video deal

[@timburr4453]

talk about the wild west days😮

[@brianhall3300]

Awesome episode.

[@johnwolf4447]

I was one of those fans in new orleans

[@TheSportsfan35]

RIP Danny Hodge!

[@seedyunderbellygaming7713]

What's Jim's opinion on Impact on AXS TV?

[@maxwellpeter5955]

can wait to hear it

[@chrishartley6411]

Love who wrestlers / promoters don't talk about how much money they make , the talk about how meany people they have wrestled in front of ! That's being humble .

[@tylerromero6572]

To be fair he has all his payouts and gates on his books.

[@dannystaton5386]

Love jim

[@purplestina69]

It’s Tulsa county

[@johnwood2013]

I remember when JYD was we wrestling Big Cat Ernie lad and he let me slap Ernie lad. I was like 9-10 it was awesome

[@victormurphy_1]

Wooo!!

[@Dx298]

Its breaking down in Tulsa!!!!!

[@wilhelmheinrich7502]

“What is going to happen to James E?”

[@durden2480]

Blinding the dog was the greatest angle in wrestling history! The free birds should be dead

[@eeeeewewew]

Where is the full episode?

[@iand534]

Michael Mearney on Apple Podcast. MLW Radio Network

[@packrat2473655]

And for what it’s worth ……it wasn’t all pick up trucks ……jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez

[@davidyost4705]

Mid- South was great best wrestling on t. C

[@omegahorizon82]

Shit was crazy back then!!

[@mrs.witchyperfect9846]

😂😂😂😆😂😆😂😆😂

[@jimmymcconnie4954]

Not gonna talk about the NXT debut?..well alrighty then

[@Sarah_Gravydog316]

???this is a clip from the Drive-thru, which has questions sent in; (the full drive-thru eps. has some on NXT @ the end; the NXT review will be on the Experience podcast, which is on Thursday. Today is not Thursday. Yesterday when the Drive-thru podcast was released is also not Thursday. Yesterday was Monday.

[@jimmymcconnie4954]

@@Sarah_Gravydog316 very detailed response 🧐

[@kickdrumpunk]

@@Sarah_Gravydog316 😂😂

[@Sarah_Gravydog316]

@@jimmymcconnie4954 the last few years, most people need to be told things so they understand....

[@williamsmith666]

The territory days >>>>>>>> NXT any day

[@GregHuffman1987]

The crowds weren't mid tho

[@marcusstanley96]

That cough.....WTF

[@williamsmith666]

He has a reflux condition where phlegm backs up in his throat where he has to clear it every once in a while. I've got it too, it's a hassle.

[@deadaccount7520]

I would blame environment. People around hills and tree's might be more aggressive. That's about the biggest difference between east and west OK. It's not as barren as the panhandle but it's definitely going that direction.