Well well well it was very interesting to read today that Corey Maclin is suing Vince McMahon. Let me start off by saying that I believe that Corey has a case and should win this one very easily. This entire Fed-Ex Forum incident was handled about as poorly as it could be handled by WWE. This could easily be Corey’s most profitable venture in the wrestling business. The big match was supposed to be Hulk Hogan vs. Jerry Lawler which I believe would have made Corey and Lawler a lot of money. Now almost a year later its Corey vs. Vince and the King may just lose his crown in this one.
I do have some questions, based on my own experiences with Memphis Wrestling that I want to expound on. I can tell you without a doubt that when I took Jerry Lawler to court in Tunica County, he swore under oath that he was a partner in Memphis Wrestling with Corey Maclin. He stood right there, with his Superman watch on and testified to that fact. I did find it strange at the time that his "partner" didn’t show up for a criminal case that could have had such a huge impact on a potential civil case involving a partner in Memphis Wrestling. I wondered if the thought of being called as a witness and having to support Jerry Lawler’s statements kept him out of court?
So if Jerry Lawler is a partner in Memphis Wrestling and Memphis Wrestling is suing WWE, why would Jerry Lawler, a partner in the company, not be a part of that lawsuit? I can not say for a fact that Jerry Lawler is not a part of the lawsuit but I sure have seen no indication that he is. I do wonder if Jerry's alleged ownership in the company is some sort of a handshake deal? That would mean, for all this time, Maclin has given Jerry a portion of the profits but none of the liability.
It's possible that Jerry actually does own a portion of the company on paper. A true partner would have some documentation showing that he was a partner in the company. If that's the case how do you sue a guy like Vince McMahon and keep your gravy position with the company? If he does not own the company, and is not part of the lawsuit, it is then obvious that Corey has had enough of being led around by the nose by Jerry Lawler. He has made a decision here that will have to damage his relationship with Jerry Lawler permanently. I would love to be at Monday Night Raw this week and see the reactions to this issue backstage. I think that finally Jerry Lawler has painted himself into a corner. No matter which way he goes on this one, he comes out of this one a loser. I think that Vince McMahon is a guaranteed loser on this one. It’s just a matter of how much he and or WWE will have to pay out. The only winner in this one is Corey Maclin. He should get a big pay off and get rid of Jerry Lawler in one big swoop.
This case if allowed to go to court will drag Hulk Hogan and many others into it. The idea that Jerry didn’t appear at the Fed Ex Forum seems to be laughable. I was a part of the Fed Ex Forum show. I can tell you that Hulk Hogan went on record stating that Lawler did not need to be show on his VH-1 program. The funny thing is that I was told that I would be on the program having my head shaved by Brutus Beefcake and as of now to my knowledge none of the footage has been on Hogan Knows Best. I don’t know Corey’s attorney but he must be sitting back and thinking “Give me a dozen of these cases a month and I can retire in a year”.
I for one want to see what happens when Jerry Lawler walks into that court room places his hand on the bible again. Hopefully he will be wearing that Superman watch representing Truth, Justice and the American Way. In this case there are way too many people who know the facts for him to not tell the truth
It appears imminent that Chris Harris of TNA will be signing with WWE. I strongly suggest WWE signing James Storm and giving those guys a run with the belts. I could really see these guys running with Cade and Murdoch and many other WWE teams.
It appears that my buddy Mick Foley is back for another run with WWE. This is a case of someone just having the business in his blood. I have known Mick since I was about twenty years old and I can tell you he is good with his money. He isn’t back for the money. He is back because he is a performer through and through and he loves to entertain people. I only hope he performs with some consideration for the long term effects that his style could have on his body.
In the last several weeks TNA has run several house shows. In the reports I have seen all but one show has had an attendance of less than two thousand and most had less than one thousand. I do not know what it costs to break even on a TNA house show but I don’t think that the type of crowds they are drawing can be profitable. It is obvious that the TV has not yet made its mark on the wrestling audience. If I was running TNA I would run strictly B towns with the talent that I could afford to use. I would help non-profit organizations around the country to raise money. It would cost very little to run shows like this and the chances or profit should be much better. Why take such large risk’s that so far are not paying off for them? In business it’s not just about making money. It’s also about being diligent with the money that you have. At this point TNA is not going to do well in most markets. If they have a chance at all they will have to spend money wisely. They will need drastic changes in the production end of the company. They will have to have people direct the company who put the company before themselves. I don’t know if that’s possible but it sure would be a great start.
The picture for this article was taken at The Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium in Kannapolis, NC in nineteen ninety seven. The stadium at the time was the home of the Philadelphia Phillies Single A affiliate. A couple of guys on the team at that time were Ricky Williams the Miami Dolphins running back and Jimmy Rollins the Philadelphia Phillies star shortstop. You see from left to right Gorgeous Gary Royal, Nikolai Volkoff and The Masked Superstar. I don’t remember all the details but it was probably Carolina’s Own David Isley, Gene Ligon and I against these guys. I was always a mark for The Superstar and as the promoter I used the time to have cobra hold put on me and going to sleep. It was a big night for us.
This has been a piece of my mind
by "The Big Cheese" Sal Corrente
