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At one point in time, Jim Cornette was a part of Vince McMahon’s inner circle, alongside the likes of Jim Ross, Michael Hayes, and Bruce Prichard. He worked on screen as a commentator and assisted McMahon backstage in creative meetings. Then Vince Russo came along and Jim Cornette was never the same.
RELATED: Why Jim Cornette Left WWE In 2005, Explained
Russo and Cornette were polar opposites and they did not get along at all. Soon after Russo’s inclusion to the creative team, Cornette was removed as a writer and later transitioned to the head booker of Ohio Valley Wrestling, the developmental territory of WWE. A certain incident involving Santino Marella got him fired, and his next workplace was Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
Jim Cornette Joins TNA After His WWE Release
Cornette was brought over to TNA by Jeff Jarrett and initially he worked well, helping out backstage and working as an authority figure on camera. He was surrounded by the folks he liked, so for a period of time, all was well. Dixie Carter then had the brilliant idea of bringing Vince Russo back to TNA and the mortal enemies crossed paths yet again.
Once more, Vince Russo and Jim Cornette were working under one roof. Supposedly, Cornette himself went over to Russo and told his arch-nemesis that the company needed them to work together, so they had to co-exist, for the sake of the company. The two were able to work together and Vince Russo, during a shoot interview years later, described the interactions as completely normal, not overly friendly, nor too hostile. However, in 2009, a backstage meeting got a little too heated and Cornette finally lost his cool.
During said creative meeting, the bookers had to decide on what to do with Eric Young. Young was a talented wrestler working a comedic gimmick and Cornette was not a fan. In contrast, Russo saw Young as the future and wanted to put the TNA world title on him. He had already feuded with the likes of James Storm and fans were behind him. The booking of Young had become a hot conversation backstage and Russo and Cornette were constantly arguing about how to book him, but in that particular meeting, it finally came to a head.
Jim Cornette Has A Meltdown After Vince Russo Suggests Making Eric Young The World Champion
According to a report from back then, when Vince Russo suggested putting the title on Eric Young, Cornette “went nuts” and started screaming at him. Russo remained calm and tried to cool Cornette down, but the former manager kept screaming and that led to quite a scene. The meeting was brought to an end but Cornette went around the backstage area, still screaming and complaining about the decision to put the belt on Eric Young.
With all this happening, a few “concerned” co-workers went over to TNA management, as they felt that Cornette was acting unprofessionally. The report also noted that this had become a recurring problem with Cornette, as he was prone to losing his temper. TNA decided to release him.
This story was confirmed by a few other dirt sheets but Cornette himself had a different story. During an online interview, Cornette said he did not blow up during a production meeting and that TNA releasing him from his contract was a business decision.
RELATED: 10 Things Fans Should Know About Jim Cornette's TNA Run
He wanted out anyway since he had heard that Ed Ferrara was being brought to the company. Cornette was given the news by Dixie Carter during a phone call, and he mentioned that it ended on a positive note. He was not behind the creative team headed by Vince Russo, and Dixie Carter wanted to work with Russo, so they parted ways.
Jim Cornette Threatens To Kill Vince Russo
Despite this statement, Cornette wrote a long email to TNA executive Terry Taylor. In that email, Cornette expressed the utter disdain he held towards Vince Russo, and said that he would murder him if he could. TNA executives handed the letter to their legal team, then contacted Cornette, warning him that any further threats would lead to legal repercussions.
He was also warned against leaking sensitive information prohibited by the company. Years after the alleged incident, Vince Russo said that Cornette was irate because, much like Vince McMahon, Dixie Carter picked him over Cornette.
Cornette and Russo did not get along and that was the reason he was released from TNA. Whether it be a backstage meltdown or a mutual parting of ways, Cornette was indeed released, as he himself has admitted.
