Jim Cornette Quotes

I think wrestling is the one that presents theater for people who want to see some theater but don't necessarily have to dress up or be quiet while they're watching.

It's the sad thing about entertainment: it's not always about who is the best. Jake The Snake had a horrible time playing politics. I never had a belt; didn't need one. They tried to put me against Hogan twice, but when the people chanted for me, when they chanted for the DDT, that was the end of that. They couldn't ruin their marketing.

I don't know why ESPN asked me to host the ESPYs. I think that they realize we, over at WWE, can engage a live audience. We certainly have an enormous following.

I've worked my entire career to try to broaden the perception of the WWE. A lot of folks think because we're so entertaining and oftentimes have such wild and well-defined characters that it's all we are. It has kind of been my life's work to tell the public that's not true.

I love wrestling, and I love telling a story to the audience.

I wouldn't go to pro wrestling. It's not really my thing. I'm a fan, but I think every sport could take some notes from the WWE - how they've progressed and stayed relevant for such a long period of time.

I mean, you can't just stop WWE. It is an entertainment company. It puts on a live show every week and prides itself for being out there and working.

You hear the word 'fake' thrown around wrestling, but it doesn't get more real when you hear the sound of 20,000 people coming unglued.

People try and make it a big deal, but a show's a show, work's work, if you haven't wrestled in New York in a couple months, it's always good to take a booking there because there's a lot of great wrestling fans up there.

With WWE, you're live every single week. You're in an arena, and there can be anywhere from 12,000 to 20,000 people watching you perform.

We've always been an entertainment company.

In sports entertainment, you can take your time and digest what's going on along with the audience.

WWE definitely gives you the forum, the stage to do different things and see what works. That's the cool thing about being in front of a live audience every single week in WWE. You get instant feedback.

Probably the biggest-kept secret about 'Ring of Honor' is that when you go to see a live show - I've had people in their 60s from down in North Carolina that have seen a lot of wrestling tell me that it was the greatest live wrestling show they've ever been to. The atmosphere is off the charts.

My dream scenario would be to partner with a huge media conglomerate, an NBC Universal or a Fox, and help give me a platform on television and help get me a TV show.

'SmackDown,' I feel, has more excitement than 'Raw,' even though 'Raw' is always branded as the flagship show.

Here are the facts: when Eric Bischoff came to work for WCW as a 'clean up batter' on the announce team working alongside Tony Schiavone, I came with a guaranteed contract.

I used to perform in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Cold Lake, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Camrose, Kamloops, Kelowna, Surrey, and all over Western Canada for Stampede Wrestling.

One day, when I'm unable to physically perform, would I want to pursue more of an acting career? Eh, maybe. But I think my home is with the WWE, being on the road and wrestling in front of a live audience.

From the moment I became a free agent, the WWE opportunity was the one I wanted. Obviously, there were strong plays made by some other companies, but in the end, when WWE offered me an opportunity, I could not turn it down.

The WWE has failed in India.

There is this energy, a lifeblood energy that runs through Ring of Honor.

People go into that arena, and they know the fix is in. They know what pro wrestling or sports entertainment is. That being said, they want it executed to the highest level so that they can suspend their disbelief and buy in, and so, in a world of make believe, you make people believe in you. It's as real as it can be.

When I went to WWE, the level of work I put out every night was just balls to the wall.

Even though MMA and pro wrestling are very different, at the end of the day, it's all about entertaining. They are amazing athletes who go out there and give 100 percent.