Jim Cornette On Why He Can't Watch Modern Wrestling
When Lucha Underground star Catrina, formerly known in WWE as Maxine, appeared on The Taz Show, she voiced her negative opinion of WWE's production compared to LU. She also stated that WWE has ripped some elements from LU when it comes to lighting, but has yet to successfully display it.
Jim Cornette is the latest person to criticize WWE's production, particularly when it comes to lighting during the matches. Cornette stated that he opposed having the lights bright during matches, and they should have been dimmed. However, he said Bruce Prichard told him that they wanted to see all the people in the arena, in which Cornette countered by suggesting the lights be turned down when the match starts.
"It's always driven me insane, because the lighting should be the ring and the ringside area," said Cornette. "Now, in between the matches, I was always in favor of turning the arena lights on, even in the places where they didn't, because it was easier for us to get to the ring and back without being killed, instead of it being in the dark. But once the match starts, all the focus, all the attention in the arena should be on the ring and the ringside area... I've always hated the [WWE] lighting. It's so distracting, and I don't want to see all those people, I don't want to see the arena. I want to see what's going on in the ring and I want to lose myself in that."
Cornette added that lighting can create a jaded perspective, because there are hardcore fans in the front showing that they are unimpressed with a dangerous spot because they have seen it many times before, which can cause others to believe that it was not that dangerous. In the former days, Cornette explained that the fans were so into suspending disbelief that even a headlock generated a reaction of them either wanting the person in the hold to stay in it or get out of it.
As a result of this major difference, Cornette stated, "that's why I can't watch modern wrestling." When he worked for Ring of Honor, he would tell the talent to hold off doing the major spots in smaller towns, because they are not looking for that compared to markets like Philadelphia and New York. "They can't scream any fu**ing louder," Cornette explained. "What do you want them to do? Take a knife and cut their fu**ing arteries [because] they're so excited? They'll bleed out!"
Due to the overexposure of spots, Cornette feels that there is nothing left to be desired. "Slowing down and letting people catch up to you" should be the strategy for wrestling promotions, because there is not anything left wrestlers can do that would cause greater reactions, which has hurt the modern-day product overall.
If any portion of these quotes are used, please be sure to credit Jim Cornette's Talking Sense podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Source: Jim Cornette's Talking Sense