CBWL 066

The Jim Cornette Experience

June 22, 2026

Jim Cornette: (already fired up) Brian, I have been in this business for over forty years. I have seen some of the dumbest, most ridiculous, most dangerous things you could possibly imagine. But what I saw last night from these goddamn idiots in CBWL… I don’t even have the words for it yet. And believe me, I’m gonna find ‘em.

Brian Last: Well Jim, before we even get into the show itself, let’s just acknowledge what happened. Two people are dead. There was an actual riot inside the building. Police had to use tear gas. And this all happened during a wrestling show.

Jim Cornette: (loud) During a wrestling show! Not after! Not outside in the parking lot after everybody went home! During the goddamn show! These people are running around doing angles where they’re throwing women down the stairs and ripping old men off life support, and then they act surprised when the crowd loses their fucking minds and people get killed! What the hell did they think was gonna happen?!

Brian Last: It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever seen come out of a wrestling event, and that’s saying something.

Jim Cornette: Brian, I’ve seen riots. I’ve seen fans throw chairs. I’ve seen buildings damn near come apart. But I have never seen a wrestling company do an angle so stupid, so reckless, and so goddamn dangerous that it directly caused two people to die inside the building while the show was still going on. This ain’t wrestling anymore. This is a goddamn public safety hazard with wrestling tights on.

Brian Last: Well, we’re gonna go through this thing segment by segment, because there’s a lot to unpack here. From what I understand, it was another no-ring show—

Jim Cornette: (interrupting) Of course it was! Why would they have a ring when they can just throw people on some plywood and call it a show?! These idiots couldn’t book a ring if their lives depended on it!

Brian Last: (chuckling) Alright, well let’s start from the top then. We’ll go through it piece by piece and see just how bad this thing really was.

Jim Cornette: Oh, it’s bad, Brian. It’s real bad. And I’m just getting warmed up.

Brian Last: Alright, let’s start from the top. The show opens with Mariska Hargitay coming out on the plywood — because of course there’s no ring again — and she cuts a promo addressing the fans’ frustration about not having a ring for the second week in a row. Then she shifts into talking about Sterling Marlin and how he’s still recovering from his injuries. She teases some big announcement about him at the PPV on Sunday.

Jim Cornette: (already annoyed) Oh for Christ’s sake. First of all, these idiots still don’t have a ring. They’re out here doing a wrestling show on some goddamn plywood they threw on the floor like they’re setting up for a backyard barbecue. And Mariska comes out in a purple dress like she’s going to a cocktail party instead of running a wrestling show. What the hell is this?

Brian Last: She does address the no-ring situation right away. She tells the crowd she knows they’re frustrated.

Jim Cornette: (loud) Well no shit they’re frustrated, Brian! They paid to see a wrestling show and these morons keep telling them “sorry, the ring’s in the shop” like it’s a goddamn car! This is the second week in a row! At what point do you just admit you don’t have a ring and stop insulting everybody’s intelligence?

Brian Last: Then she moves into talking about Sterling Marlin. She says he’s still recovering, he’s been through surgeries, he’s in bad shape, but he still wants to be there. And she teases that there’s gonna be a major announcement at the PPV about his future with the company.

Jim Cornette: Oh, here we go with the soap opera bullshit. She’s out there acting like this is some dramatic Lifetime movie instead of a wrestling show. “Sterling’s been through so much… he’s a hardworking man…” Give me a break! This is the same company that had a guy get thrown down the stairs and another one ripped off life support later in the night, and now they’re out here pretending they give a damn about this poor bastard’s health? It’s all a work until it’s not!

Brian Last: The commentary team was interesting here too. Freddie was trying to be professional, Chelsea Handler was being her usual bitchy self, and Sofia Vergara was doing her slow, broken English thing.

Jim Cornette: (disgusted) Sofia Vergara sounds like she’s reading the script off a teleprompter while she’s half-asleep. And Chelsea Handler — Jesus Christ, that woman’s got the personality of a chainsaw. Every time she opens her mouth I want to reach through the screen and slap her. This ain’t wrestling commentary, this is three people who clearly don’t give a damn about what they’re watching.

Brian Last: Overall, it was a pretty serious opening from Mariska. She tried to make it feel important.

Jim Cornette: It felt like a bunch of bullshit, Brian. These people have spent weeks doing the most disgusting, violent, over-the-top angles you can imagine, and now they want to come out here and act all serious and respectful about some poor bastard who’s laid up in a hospital bed? Give me a fucking break. This company couldn’t be sincere if their lives depended on it.

Brian Last: Up next we go backstage where Wendy Williams is interviewing Pam Beesly. And Jim… this was rough.

Jim Cornette: (already laughing sarcastically) Oh, I can’t wait to hear this. Wendy Williams doing a wrestling interview. This oughta be good.

Brian Last: Wendy comes out looking completely lost. She doesn’t seem to know who Pam is or why she’s there. She keeps calling her “the girl from the paper company” and asking her what she’s doing in wrestling. It’s very awkward. Pam tries to explain that she’s here because she wants to stand up for herself and prove she’s not soft, but Wendy just keeps talking over her and going off on tangents.

Jim Cornette: (loud) This is a goddamn embarrassment! What the hell is Wendy Williams even doing there?! She looks like somebody’s drunk aunt who wandered into the wrong room at a family reunion! She’s asking Pam if she’s nervous, telling her “these girls are crazy,” and then ends the interview by saying “just don’t die out there.” What kind of professional wrestling interview is that?!

Brian Last: It was really bad. Wendy seemed completely checked out. She wasn’t even listening to Pam’s answers half the time.

Jim Cornette: Of course she wasn’t listening! She doesn’t know what the fuck she’s doing! This woman used to have her own talk show and now she’s out here doing wrestling interviews like she’s reading off cue cards she can’t even see! And poor Pam Beesly is standing there trying to look serious and tough while this idiot is asking her if she’s gonna beat people up or not. It’s insulting to everybody involved!

Brian Last: The commentary team didn’t help either. Chelsea Handler was roasting Pam the whole time, saying she looked like she should be answering phones instead of wrestling. Sofia Vergara was doing her usual slow, horny-sounding commentary.

Jim Cornette: (disgusted) Chelsea Handler is just a miserable bitch who hates everything and everybody. And Sofia Vergara sounds like she’s halfway through a bottle of wine and trying to remember her lines. Between the three of them, they sounded like they were watching a show they didn’t even want to be at.

Brian Last: Overall, it was just a really bad, unprofessional backstage segment. It didn’t make Pam look good, and it made Wendy look completely out of place.

Jim Cornette: It made the whole company look like a joke, Brian! You’ve got a confused old talk show host doing interviews, a bunch of celebrities who don’t know what they’re doing, and a commentary team that sounds like they’re being held hostage. This ain’t wrestling. This is community theater with worse production values!

Brian Last: Alright, well let’s keep moving. Up next is Mila Kunis attacking Pam Beesly on the plywood…

Brian Last: Up next, we get Mila Kunis jumping Pam Beesly from the crowd and beating her up on the plywood. Then Mila grabs a microphone and cuts a long, vicious promo about how she slept with Jim from The Office and how Pam strung him along for years. It got pretty personal and nasty.

Jim Cornette: (already annoyed) Oh here we go with this bullshit. So now we’re doing The Office fanfiction in the middle of a wrestling match? These people have completely lost the plot.

Brian Last: Mila dominates Pam physically first, then she starts talking about how she fucked Jim, how she told Roy about the kiss, how Pam was indecisive and using Jim, all that stuff. She really lays into her character-wise. Then she superkicks her and pins her while she’s out cold.

Jim Cornette: (loud) This is the kind of shit that makes me sick about modern wrestling! These idiots think that if they just take some TV show from twenty years ago and turn it into a personal shoot promo, that makes it “edgy” and “real.” It’s not real, it’s fucking stupid! Why are we bringing up Jim and Pam and Roy in a wrestling ring?! This ain’t wrestling, this is some nerd writing fanfiction and calling it a match!

Brian Last: It was really mean-spirited. She didn’t just say it once — she kept going and going, digging into Pam’s character and making her look pathetic.

Jim Cornette: And that’s the problem! These people think the more personal and nasty they get, the better the angle is. Newsflash — it ain’t! It’s lazy! Instead of building up a wrestling story, they just take some old sitcom drama and turn it into a personal attack. And then they have Mila superkick her while she’s already knocked out like she’s putting the finishing touches on a goddamn execution. It’s disgusting.

Brian Last: The commentary didn’t help. Freddie sounded uncomfortable, Chelsea Handler was laughing and encouraging it, and Sofia Vergara was doing her usual slow, dumb commentary.

Jim Cornette: (mocking) “Ay, Mila is being so mean…” Jesus Christ, Sofia sounds like she’s reading her lines off a menu. And Chelsea Handler — that miserable bitch is probably the only one who actually enjoyed this garbage because it gave her something to be snarky about. The whole thing was a mess.

Brian Last: It was definitely one of the more memorable segments of the night, for better or worse.

Jim Cornette: It was memorable because it was so goddamn stupid! These people have no idea how to tell a wrestling story anymore. They think if they just make everything as mean and personal as possible, that makes it good. It doesn’t. It makes it look like a bunch of marks who watched too much reality TV and thought that’s what wrestling should be.

Brian Last: Jim, before we move on… have you ever actually watched The Office?

Jim Cornette: (scoffs) Have I ever watched The Office? Brian, I’ve seen enough of that show to know it’s a bunch of goddamn idiots standing around an office making faces at the camera like they’re in some kind of fucking documentary. I don’t need to watch the whole series to know it’s not something that belongs in a wrestling ring!

Brian Last: So you’re familiar with the characters then? Jim, Pam, Roy…

Jim Cornette: (loud) Of course I know who they are! Everybody and their goddamn mother knows who Jim and Pam are! That’s the problem! These wrestling bookers are so lazy that instead of coming up with their own storylines, they just steal characters from some old TV show and turn it into a personal shoot promo. “Oh, Mila fucked Jim and Pam was stringing him along!” Who gives a shit?! This ain’t The Office, this is supposed to be a wrestling show!

Brian Last: So you don’t think it worked as an angle?

Jim Cornette: It worked as an angle if your goal is to make wrestling look even more ridiculous than it already does! These people think that if they just take some pop culture reference and make it nasty and personal, that makes it good wrestling. It doesn’t! It makes it look like a bunch of marks who don’t know how to tell a real story, so they just rip off something everybody’s already seen on Netflix!

Brian Last: Fair enough. You’re clearly not a fan.

Jim Cornette: I’m not a fan of turning wrestling into bad fanfiction, no. If I wanted to watch The Office, I’d watch The Office. I don’t need to see it butchered in a wrestling ring by a bunch of people who think being mean is the same thing as being good at this business.

Brian Last: Alright, well let’s move on before you have a stroke. Up next is Kristen Bell vs Boxxy…

Brian Last: Up next is Kristen Bell taking on Boxxy, with Anya Taylor-Joy in Boxxy’s corner. Kristen stalls a lot, talks some shit, and then the match turns into a sloppy, ugly brawl on the plywood. The big story here is that Anya eventually just walks off and abandons Boxxy while the crowd boos her out of the building. Kristen wins with a fluke pin.

Jim Cornette: (already disgusted) Oh wonderful. Another sloppy match on some goddamn plywood. These people couldn’t have a decent wrestling match if their lives depended on it. And now we’ve got Anya Taylor-Joy just standing there with her arms crossed like she doesn’t even want to be there, and then she just walks off? What the hell was that supposed to be?

Brian Last: It was pretty clear she didn’t want to be involved. Boxxy kept calling for her help during the match and Anya just ignored her until she finally left. The crowd turned on her hard.

Jim Cornette: (loud) Of course they turned on her! She looked like she was being forced to be there at gunpoint! These people keep doing these stupid, half-assed “partner abandons their teammate” stories like it’s some kind of revolutionary idea. It’s not! It’s lazy booking! And the match itself was a goddamn mess. Two untrained women swinging and grabbing on some plywood like they’re in a bar fight. This ain’t wrestling!

Brian Last: Kristen did look a little better than Boxxy, at least timing-wise. She won with a fluke after Boxxy almost had her in trouble.

Jim Cornette: A fluke win in a fluke match on some fluke plywood. Who gives a shit? The whole thing was pointless. The only thing that came out of it was that Boxxy looked even more pathetic than before, and Anya looked like she couldn’t care less. And Kristen Bell winning a sloppy match with a lucky pin isn’t exactly building her up as some kind of killer.

Brian Last: The commentary was pretty standard at this point. Freddie was trying to call it straight, Chelsea was being mean, and Sofia was doing her usual thing.

Jim Cornette: (mocking Sofia’s accent) “Ay, Boxxy is calling for help but Anya is not helping…” Jesus Christ, every time that woman opens her mouth I lose brain cells. And Chelsea Handler sounds like she’s actively trying to make everyone watching feel worse about themselves. This commentary team is a disaster.

Brian Last: Overall it was another rough, ugly match that didn’t do much except make Boxxy look even more alone and pathetic.

Jim Cornette: It was a waste of time, Brian. Another sloppy brawl on plywood with a lazy “partner walks out” angle that we’ve seen a thousand times before. These people have no idea what they’re doing.

Brian Last: Alright, next we go to this hospital segment with Nicki Minaj and Sterling Marlin. Nicki’s sitting with him while he’s unconscious in the bed, gives him this emotional speech, and then starts grinding on him in a lapdance. Meanwhile, Emma Watson is standing in the doorway watching with this creepy smile on her face. It was… strange.

Jim Cornette: (disgusted) Strange? Brian, that was fucking weird. What the hell was that? You’ve got this woman giving a lapdance to a guy who’s laid up in a hospital bed, tubes coming out of him, and she’s talking about “real men” and “fighting through adversity” while she’s dry-humping him? And then they cut to Emma Watson just standing there in the shadows like some kind of goddamn horror movie villain? What is this shit?

Brian Last: It was definitely unsettling. Especially the way Emma was just watching with that smile. It felt like they were trying to make her look unhinged already.

Jim Cornette: (loud) Unhinged? She looked like she was about to pull out a knife and start carving her name into the wall! This ain’t wrestling, this is some weird, creepy, low-budget soap opera bullshit. And what was Nicki even doing there? Giving this big emotional speech while she’s bouncing on a unconscious man’s lap? These people have completely lost their minds.

Brian Last: It did feel like they were trying to set something up with Emma, though. That shot of her just standing there smiling while all this was going on was pretty eerie.

Jim Cornette: It was creepy as hell, I’ll give ‘em that. But it was also just stupid. Why are we doing hospital lapdance segments in a wrestling show? And why is Emma Watson lurking around like she’s about to go full psycho? These angles are getting so convoluted and weird that I can’t even keep track of what the hell is supposed to be happening anymore.

Brian Last: It was definitely one of the stranger parts of the night.

Jim Cornette: It was one of the dumber parts of the night, that’s what it was. These people think if they just keep throwing weird, dark, uncomfortable shit at the wall, eventually something’s gonna stick. Well, nothing’s sticking, Brian. It’s all just sliding off because it’s so goddamn stupid.

Brian Last: We come back from that weird hospital segment and go to Jennette McCurdy vs Florence Pugh on the dirty plywood. It was another ugly, stiff brawl. The ref even had to leave at one point because she was getting too many splinters in her hands. Florence wins with a roll-up after Jennette slips. Then after the match, Wendy comes out to interview Florence and immediately starts talking about how she’s been eating cheese and can’t shit. Mariska storms out, calls Florence out for not taking care of herself, and books her in an “Eat My Shit” match against Kristen Bell at the PPV. Wendy keeps piling on until she has some kind of breakdown on camera and has to be pulled off.

Jim Cornette: (already pissed) Jesus Christ, Brian. Another match on that filthy plywood where these two women are just beating the hell out of each other with no technique. And the ref has to leave because she’s getting splinters in her hands? What the fuck kind of wrestling show is this? They can’t even provide a goddamn ring, so now the referee is getting injured too?

Brian Last: It was rough. And then the post-match stuff got even weirder. Wendy starts going in on Florence about being constipated, Mariska comes out and punishes her by booking this “Eat My Shit” match, and then Wendy completely loses it on camera.

Jim Cornette: (loud) This is the kind of shit that makes me embarrassed to even be associated with this business! You’ve got one woman calling another woman out for not being able to take a shit, and then they book a match where the loser has to eat shit on pay-per-view. What the hell happened to wrestling? When did it become this disgusting, low-class garbage? And then Wendy Williams has a full-on mental breakdown on camera while all this is happening? These people are out of their goddamn minds!

Brian Last: It was uncomfortable to watch. Florence looked completely stunned, and Wendy went from laughing to choking to looking completely lost. They had to drag her off.

Jim Cornette: Good! Drag her off and drag this whole damn segment off with her. This isn’t edgy, this isn’t entertaining, this is just nasty for the sake of being nasty. These idiots think that if they keep pushing how gross and humiliating they can make everything, people will keep watching. Well I’ve got news for ‘em — this shit ain’t drawing anybody but sickos and morons.

Brian Last: It definitely felt like they were trying to double down on the humiliation stuff after last week.

Jim Cornette: They’re not doubling down, they’re digging their own grave. Every week they find a new way to make wrestling look even more ridiculous and disgusting than the week before. And the sad part is, they probably think they’re being creative.

Brian Last: Jim, I gotta ask you about this “Eat My Shit” match they announced. Mariska comes out and books Florence Pugh against Kristen Bell in a match where… apparently the loser has to eat shit. Have you ever heard of a stipulation like that before?

Jim Cornette: (loud, immediately disgusted) Have I ever heard of a fucking “Eat My Shit” match before? Brian, in all my years in this business — and I’ve seen some truly stupid, disgusting, low-class shit — I have never heard of a match where the loser has to eat actual shit. Never. Not in the territories, not in Japan, not in Mexico, nowhere. These goddamn idiots have officially run out of ideas.

Brian Last: So this is a new low, even for you?

Jim Cornette: It’s not even a low, it’s rock bottom with a shovel. They’re not even trying to hide how stupid this is. They built up this whole thing about Florence eating cheese and being constipated, and now they’re turning it into a match where she might have to eat shit on pay-per-view. What the fuck is wrong with these people? This ain’t wrestling. This is some sick fetish shit they’re trying to pass off as entertainment.

Brian Last: It felt like they were really leaning into the humiliation. Mariska came out and made it personal, and Wendy was out there laughing about it too.

Jim Cornette: (angry) Of course they made it personal! That’s all these modern-day marks know how to do. They can’t tell a wrestling story, so they just make everything as gross and humiliating as possible and call it “edgy.” Newsflash — it’s not edgy. It’s fucking embarrassing. And the fact that they’re doing it with Florence Pugh, who’s still relatively new, makes it even worse. They’re using her as a punching bag for this disgusting garbage.

Brian Last: You think this kind of thing can actually draw?

Jim Cornette: It might draw some sick bastards who get off on this kind of shit, but it ain’t drawing normal wrestling fans. This is the kind of stuff that makes people change the channel and never come back. And the worst part is, these idiots probably think they’re being creative. They’re not. They’re just proving how far this business has fallen.

Brian Last: Yeah, it was pretty rough.

Jim Cornette: Rough? Brian, it was fucking revolting. And we’re supposed to believe this is going to be on pay-per-view? Jesus Christ, what a joke.

Brian Last: After that whole mess with Florence and the “Eat My Shit” match, we go backstage where Mariska is talking to Taylor Swift. Mariska tells her that Wendy’s situation is gonna change at the PPV, but makes it clear that’s not the big announcement she teased earlier. She also mentions they’re doing an Escape the Stall rematch with the iCarlys against Boxxy and Anya. Then Taylor comes out to the ring.

Jim Cornette: (already annoyed) Oh good, more backstage soap opera bullshit. These people can’t go five minutes without having two characters stand around and explain the plot to each other like we’re watching a goddamn CW show.

Brian Last: Taylor comes out and cuts a promo. She thanks the crowd, then gets serious and talks about Sterling Marlin again. She says what happened to him wasn’t right and thanks Nicki Minaj for being there for him. Then she says, “I’ll take over for you later.” The crowd pops at that. After that, she randomly asks if everybody wants to see her shake her ass to the Cha-Cha Slide and starts dancing in the ring.

Jim Cornette: (loud) Are you fucking kidding me?! So we go from one woman being told she’s gonna have to eat shit on pay-per-view, straight into Taylor Swift giving a heartfelt speech about Sterling Marlin, and then she just starts dancing like she’s at a goddamn concert?! What the hell is wrong with these people?! Pick a tone and stick with it!

Brian Last: Yeah, it was jarring. She went from being serious about Sterling to suddenly wanting to do the Cha-Cha Slide. And there was this weird energy in the crowd because she teased that Sterling might actually be there.

Jim Cornette: Of course there was weird energy! These idiots have spent the whole night doing dark, disgusting, over-the-top angles, and then they expect the crowd to just flip a switch and start clapping along while Taylor shakes her ass? It doesn’t work like that! And what the hell was that line about “I’ll take over for you later”? These people can’t even do a simple promo without turning it into some weird, convoluted tease.

Brian Last: The crowd did pop when she started dancing though. They seemed into it.

Jim Cornette: (scoffs) Of course they popped. After everything else they’d sat through tonight, they were probably just happy to see something that didn’t involve someone getting thrown down the stairs or being told they’re gonna eat shit. But that doesn’t make it good. It just makes it the least offensive thing on the show so far.

Brian Last: Right after she starts dancing, they put up a graphic that says “UP NEXT: Taylor Swift vs Miranda Cosgrove.” Then it cuts to black and goes backstage…

Jim Cornette: (already dreading it) Oh boy. Here we go. I can already tell this is about to get even dumber.

Brian Last: So Taylor’s dancing to the Cha-Cha Slide, the crowd is into it, and then they put up that graphic for Taylor vs Miranda Cosgrove. Right as she’s hitting the big finish of the dance, the show cuts to black and goes backstage. Emma Watson storms in and attacks Nicki Minaj out of nowhere. She chokes her with some straps, goes on this long rant, then rips all the tubes and wires off Sterling and dumps him on the floor. After that, she straps Nicki to a gurney and throws her down the stairs. It looked really rough — the gurney went down more flights than it was probably supposed to.

Jim Cornette: (already heated) Are you fucking kidding me?! So we go from Taylor Swift dancing and having fun with the crowd, straight into Emma Watson trying to murder two people on live television?! What the hell is wrong with these goddamn idiots?! This isn’t edgy, this isn’t shocking, this is just stupid and dangerous!

Brian Last: It got really dark, really fast. Emma chokes Nicki, rips Sterling off life support, dumps him on the floor, and then throws Nicki down the stairs on that gurney. And it looked like it went wrong — it bounced down an extra flight.

Jim Cornette: (loud) Of course it looked like it went wrong! Because these morons have no idea what they’re doing! You’ve got a woman attacking an unconscious man and then throwing another woman down concrete stairs like she’s disposing of a body, and they expect us to just sit there and treat this like normal wrestling entertainment? This is the kind of shit that makes people turn the channel and never come back!

Brian Last: The commentary team completely lost it during this. Freddie sounded like he was having a panic attack, Chelsea was screaming, and even Sofia sounded upset. You could hear Cowboy Watts in the background telling them to sell it like murder.

Jim Cornette: (disgusted) Because that’s exactly what it looked like — a goddamn murder attempt! And these idiots are sitting there encouraging the announcers to sell it like it’s real? What the fuck is wrong with these people?! This isn’t wrestling anymore. This is some sick, twisted bullshit that has no business being on television.

Brian Last: The crowd reacted really strongly too. People were trying to get backstage. It turned into chaos.

Jim Cornette: Of course it turned into chaos! These dumb bastards spent weeks doing the most violent, over-the-top, disgusting angles they could think of, and then they act surprised when the crowd actually believes it and tries to do something about it. This is what happens when you push things too far and blur the line between work and shoot until nobody knows what the hell is real anymore.

Brian Last: Yeah… this one got out of hand fast.

Jim Cornette: It got out of hand because these people have no self-control and no common sense. They keep thinking “bigger, darker, more extreme” is the answer to everything, and now they’ve got a goddamn riot on their hands. This is a disaster, Brian. A complete and total disaster.

Brian Last: We come back from commercial and go backstage where Taylor Swift, Wendy Williams, and Mariska are with Sterling, who’s now on the floor after Emma dumped him. Taylor’s crying, Wendy looks confused and upset, and Mariska tells Taylor that if she can find Emma before she leaves the building, she has full permission to do whatever she needs to do — no repercussions. Taylor takes off running.

Jim Cornette: (already pissed) Oh, so now we’re just openly encouraging people to go commit violence backstage? This is a wrestling show, not The Purge! What the fuck is wrong with these people?!

Brian Last: Taylor runs out to the parking garage looking for Emma but misses her. Instead, she finds Miranda Cosgrove standing by Sterling’s vandalized truck. It looks like Miranda was helping Emma get away. Taylor attacks her and beats the shit out of her — slamming her head into the concrete — then leaves her laid out next to the truck and runs back inside.

Jim Cornette: (loud) So now we’ve got Taylor Swift beating the hell out of Miranda Cosgrove in a parking garage like it’s some kind of street fight? These people have completely lost the plot! This isn’t wrestling, this is some low-budget crime drama bullshit!

Brian Last: And while all this is happening, the arena is in complete chaos. Fire alarms are going off, fans are rushing the barricades, security is struggling to keep control. The show ends on a shot of Sterling’s destroyed truck with Miranda unconscious next to it, while everything is falling apart in the background.

Jim Cornette: (disgusted) This is a goddamn disaster. These idiots spent the entire night doing the most violent, over-the-top, dangerous angles they could think of, and then they act surprised when the building turns into a riot zone. Two people are dead because of this shit! And instead of pulling the plug or trying to calm things down, they just kept going until the whole thing exploded in their faces.

Brian Last: It really did feel like it got completely out of control by the end.

Jim Cornette: Of course it got out of control! These people have been pushing the line further and further every single week, and now they’ve crossed it. You can’t do angles where people are getting thrown down stairs and ripped off life support and then expect the crowd to just sit there and clap like it’s normal. This is what happens when you treat wrestling like it’s some kind of sick reality show instead of a goddamn athletic contest.

Brian Last: Yeah… this one’s going to be talked about for a long time, and not in a good way.

Jim Cornette: It should be talked about as one of the biggest fuck-ups in wrestling history. These goddamn idiots have no idea what they’re doing, and now people are dead because of it. This ain’t wrestling anymore. This is a public safety hazard with wrestling tights on.

Brian Last: Jim, going back real quick — when Taylor was out there during her promo, she said she was gonna “take over for Nicki later” when it came to Sterling. What do you think she meant by that?

Jim Cornette: (scoffs) Well, she’s gonna have to now, ain’t she?! After what Emma did to Nicki, somebody’s gonna have to step up, because Nicki’s probably in a goddamn hospital bed herself after getting thrown down those stairs!

Brian Last: Yeah, that line aged like milk in about twenty minutes.

Jim Cornette: These people write this shit and don’t even think two steps ahead. Taylor says she’s gonna take over for Nicki with Sterling, then twenty minutes later Emma damn near kills both of them. Now Taylor’s probably gotta play nurse while this poor bastard is laid up half-dead. It’s all so goddamn convoluted.

Brian Last: Speaking of Sterling… how bad do you think he actually is? Because on the show they made it seem like he was hurt, but after everything we saw — especially him getting dumped on the floor — I don’t know how much of that was a work.

Jim Cornette: Brian, that man is old as hell and he’s already been through the wringer. Even before whatever “car crash” they’re blaming this on, he’s not exactly in his prime. Then you’ve got Emma ripping him off life support and throwing him on the goddamn floor like a sack of potatoes? Whether that was a work or a shoot, that shit ain’t good for a man his age with the injuries he’s supposed to already have.

Brian Last: My sources are telling me it’s not a work. They’re saying Sterling is legitimately comatose right now. Like, this isn’t just storyline injuries. They’re saying what happened in that hospital extraction was real — Butterbean went in there swinging on people, Tony took a nurse hostage, and they basically kidnapped Sterling out of there. And now he’s in really bad shape.

Jim Cornette: (loud) Of course he’s in bad shape! These idiots have been dragging this poor bastard around like a prop for weeks while he’s half-dead, and now we’re finding out they actually pulled him out of a hospital against medical advice and roughed up half the staff while they were at it? This ain’t wrestling, this is criminal activity with wrestling camera angles!

Brian Last: It reminds me of some of those old territory riots back in the day, where things would get so heated that fans would actually try to get to the heels. But even then, I don’t remember anything this bad.

Jim Cornette: This is worse than territory riots, Brian. Back then, at least the violence was usually contained to the ring or right after the show. These idiots are doing angles so reckless that people are dying during the show. And for what? So Emma Watson can look like a psycho? So they can do some weird political rant in the middle of it? This whole thing has gone completely off the rails.

Brian Last: Between the riot, the deaths, Sterling’s condition, and everything else… this company might be in real trouble.

Jim Cornette: They should be in trouble. They’ve been playing with fire for weeks and now the whole building is burning down around them. Two people are dead, the crowd turned into a mob, and they’ve got a man who’s supposedly in a coma because they couldn’t stop themselves from doing the most dangerous, stupid shit they could think of. This ain’t just bad booking anymore. This is a goddamn liability.

Brian Last: Yeah… this one’s bad.

Jim Cornette: It’s worse than bad. It’s embarrassing. And I don’t know how they come back from it.

Brian Last: Jim, going back to what happened in Charlotte… if something like this had gone down back in the Mid-South days — a full-on riot with deaths in the crowd during the show — what would the response have been the next week? How would the promotion have handled it?

Jim Cornette: (immediately) They would’ve come down on that shit like a hammer. Especially if Bill Watts was running the show. Watts didn’t play around with that kind of mess. If something like that happened in Mid-South, the next show would’ve been locked down with extra police, extra security, and Watts himself would’ve come out at the start of the night and addressed it directly. He would’ve made it very clear that that kind of shit wasn’t gonna fly in his territory.

Brian Last: So they wouldn’t have just ignored it or tried to lean into it?

Jim Cornette: Hell no. Watts ran a tight ship. If fans got out of control to the point where people got hurt or killed, he would’ve made an example out of it. He wouldn’t have just let it slide and kept doing the same stupid angles the next week. And the building and the cops would’ve been all over it too. Back then, if something that serious happened at one of your shows, you had to answer for it.

Brian Last: It’s wild to think about, because the same Cowboy Watts who ran Mid-South like that… is the same guy running CBWL right now.

Jim Cornette: (loud, almost laughing in disbelief) That’s the craziest part! This is the same son of a bitch who used to run one of the toughest, most no-nonsense territories in the country, and now he’s in charge of this goddamn shitshow?! What happened to him?! Back in the day, if one of his boys did something this stupid and reckless, Watts would’ve kicked their ass himself. Now he’s sitting on top of a company that’s doing angles so dangerous that people are dying in the building, and it looks like he’s just letting it happen!

Brian Last: Do you think he’s lost control of it?

Jim Cornette: Either he’s lost control, or he’s decided he doesn’t give a damn anymore. Because the Cowboy Watts I knew back in Mid-South wouldn’t have stood for this. He would’ve shut this shit down weeks ago. Instead, we’ve got two people dead, a riot, and this company still trying to figure out if they’re even gonna run on Sunday. It’s embarrassing.

Brian Last: Yeah… it’s a completely different world now.

Jim Cornette: It’s not even the same business anymore. Back then, even when things got wild, there were still lines you didn’t cross. These idiots are crossing every line they can find, and now people are dead because of it. And the guy who used to be one of the strictest bookers in the business is sitting at the top of it all. It’s mind-blowing.

Brian Last: Jim, real quick before we wrap up — has there ever been anything like a crush in the stands at a wrestling show before? Like people getting trampled?

Jim Cornette: Not that I can remember. I’ve seen fans rush the ring, I’ve seen chairs thrown, I’ve seen buildings damn near come apart… but I don’t recall a situation where people were getting crushed to death in the stands during a wrestling show. That’s more like soccer hooligan shit or a concert gone wrong. Wrestling crowds could get rowdy as hell, but usually the violence stayed around ringside or right after the show ended. What happened in Charlotte was on a whole different level.

Brian Last: Speaking of rowdy crowds… you used to carry that tennis racket around back in the day, right?

Jim Cornette: (laughs) Damn right I did. Back when I was managing, if some of those rednecks got too close or started acting stupid, I’d beat their asses with that tennis racket. I wasn’t trying to fistfight these guys — I had a weapon, and I used it. A lot of those old territories, if you didn’t stand your ground, the fans would walk all over you. So yeah, that racket came in real handy more times than I can count.

Brian Last: Going back to the show real quick… Mariska came out in that purple strapless dress for her opening promo. What’d you think of that?

Jim Cornette: (scoffs) She looked like she was going to a goddamn cocktail party, not running a wrestling show. And let’s be honest here — we all know what’s going on. Cowboy’s out here parading his mistress around like it’s some kind of inside joke. He likes showing her off to everybody else while pretending nobody knows they’re fucking. It’s the oldest move in the book for guys like that. “Look at my hot young GM while my wife’s at home.” It’s pathetic.

Brian Last: Yeah, that whole dynamic feels pretty obvious at this point.

Jim Cornette: It’s embarrassing. But that’s the least of this company’s problems right now.

Brian Last: Speaking of problems… what do you think happens on Sunday? Are they even gonna be able to run this PPV?

Jim Cornette: I don’t know how they do it, Brian. They’ve got two people dead, a riot, a building that got torn up, and now the whole world is watching them. Even if they’re allowed to run, how do you promote a show after something like this? “Come see the follow-up to the riot where two people got killed!” It’s insane. And that’s not even counting all the other bullshit they’ve got going on behind the scenes with Sterling and everything else.

Brian Last: It feels like they’re in way over their heads.

Jim Cornette: They’ve been in over their heads for weeks. They just finally ran out of room to keep pretending everything was under control. This whole thing is a disaster, and I don’t see how they dig themselves out of it.

Brian Last: Yeah… that’s gonna do it for this week’s show. We’ll be back next time with more on this mess.

Jim Cornette: God help us all if they actually try to run on Sunday.