Mike Rickard
Mike Rickard Reviews "Guest Booker with Jim Cornette"
By Mike "Mr. Old School" Rickard
Oct 12, 2009 - 9:00 AM

 JIM CORNETTE TO THE RESCUE!

Jim Cornette lends his booking expertise to salvaging one of wrestling's Epic Fails.

In 2001, professional wrestling fans waited with anticipation as one of the biggest angles was about to unfold.   Following the death of World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Vince McMahon (the victor of the Monday Night War) decided to run what had long been a dream program-the stars of WCW against the stars of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).   This one was going to be huge.   During the Monday Night War, WCW and WWF fans alike wondered how their favorite wrestlers would fare if they were ever to compete against one another.   This desire played a large part in the initial success of the New World Order as Eric Bischoff orchestrated the jump of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to WCW as being a WWF invasion.   The very possibility of a WWF/WCW war led to WCW nearly putting the WWF out of business.   Imagine how much business a program featuring WCW vs. WWF stars would do.  

What became of the program is one of the most incredible Epic Fails of all time.   In some ways, the Invasion angle would lay the blueprint for the WWF's descent into mediocrity over the next decade.   In the end, it was one of the biggest can't fail prospects that not only failed, but failed miserably.   Vince McMahon would show his disgust with the angle on-air by announcing he had enough of the Invasion crap and that the angle that some fans thought might last a year or longer, was abruptly halted at the Survivor Series PPV.  

To this day, wrestling fans wonder what went wrong with the Invasion angle.  Was it the lack of big name WCW stars such as Bill Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair?  Was it the program's focus on the McMahon family rather than WCW vs. the WWF?  Was it the incredibly miscued turn of babyface "Stone Cold" Steve Austin?  There are many factors which played a part in the failure of the Invasion angle and like any historic event, we can only speculate. 

Still, it can be fun to ponder "What if?" and try to come up with a way to create success out of what was defeat.  Such a product is the "Guest Booker" series in which former bookers sit down and talk about how they would have booked key timeframes in wrestling history.  This such program naturally deals with the Invasion angle and is hosted by wrestling legend Jim Cornette.

 Jim Cornette brings much to this program.   Not only is he considered one of the greatest managers in wrestling history but he has a long history both in front and behind the camera.   During the late 1980's, Mr. Cornette began working as a commentator for WCW, earning much praise for his work as a color commentator.   During the 1990's, his love for old school wrestling saw him launch his own promotion, Smokey Mountain Wrestling (SMW).   SMW provided old school fans with a true alternative to the stale product offered by the WWF and WCW at the time as well as an alternative to the over-the-top antics of Extreme Championship Wrestling (a product Mr. Cornette is vocal about).   At the heart of   all this, Jim Cornette is a true student of the game and one of wrestling's most knowledgeable historians.   A staunch believer in the old school fundamentals of professional wrestling, Mr. Cornette has no problem speaking his mind as to what's wrong with today's product.   This outspokenness has seen him butt heads with many of the promotions he has worked for.   In the end though, the fact that he is never without work speaks volumes as to his inherent value to any promotion.  

The Mouth of the North, South, East, AND West.

  Having someone so outspoken, so entertaining, and so knowledgeable makes for entertaining conversation.   As the adage goes, whether you love him or hate him, things are never boring when Jim Cornette talks and talk he does on this program.   Despite the program running three hours, the first half is devoted more to Mr. Cornette's view on product and anecdotes about working for the WWF.   In the end, I found this part of the programming to be better than the one that dealt with how Mr. Cornette would have booked the Invasion angle himself.   His comments on John Laurinaitis (the WWE's Senior Vice President, Talent Relations) are hilarious and dripping with vitriol.

While Guest Booker is thoroughly entertaining, it's a mixed bag when it comes to the actual booking of the Invasion angle.   Without giving away the details of Mr. Cornette's plan, he sets up a long-term program pitting WCW against WWF.   Unlike the actual Invasion angle, Mr. Cornette utilizes some of the bigger names of WCW in his vision.   This while interesting, was a bit disappointing as I was more interested in seeing how Mr. Cornette would have salvaged the Invasion angle with the players involved rather than fantasy booking.   Part of the problem with the Invasion angle was the WWE's failure to bring in the big guns.   It would have been interesting to see how Mr. Cornette would have turned this liability into an asset.  

Still, it's an interesting and fairly detailed take (Mr. Cornette admits to drawing up the angle over about three days which makes you acknowledge how good he is at booking while also wondering what the Invasion would have been like if he had been able to dedicate much more time to it).  

Mike Rickard is the author of the new book, Wrestling's Greatest Moments which captures the best in wrestling from the last thirty years.   Wrestling’s Greatest Moments brings you all the most memorable and controversial moments from modern wrestling history. It’s an insightful and essential compendium of thirty years’ worth of groundbreaking matches, angles and interviews. From Hulkamania to the Montreal “screwjob,” from the NWA to the nWo, you’ll rediscover what really occurred in arenas and on the air worldwide, and learn all the backstage and behind-the-scenes secrets that made these highlight-reel moments possible from the men and women who were there.