Jim Cornette Discusses John Laurinaitis’ Chances Of Returning To Wrestling

Jim Cornette has given his take on the quiet termination of John Laurinaitis by WWE, and whether he thinks the former WWE executive will be hired anywhere else.

Whilst investigations in to the conduct of former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon were ongoing, it was John Laurinaitis whose was also brought in to the fold. It was officially confirmed last Monday that he had been let go by the company.

Speaking on his Jim Cornette Experience podcast, the former manager has explained why he doesn’t feel Laurinaitis will ever have to find work again.

No [nobody will hire him]. And here’s the one sad thing is he’s probably not going to have to because the executives in that company are paid a f*cking fortune. If they can pay upwards of a million dollars for pu**y, they must have a great disposable income, even though they’re using company money.

I’m sure he said he’d be a complete blithering simpleton if he ever had to work another day in his life after working for them for most of the past 15, 20 years, whatever. So if he ever needs another job, he’s a complete idiot.

Jim Cornette went on to discuss how, given the severity of the allegations against Laurinaitis, nobody would rehire him.

What wrestling company would, he’s not going to do it for the love of the game? ‘Yeah, I’m gonna come and work an indie show for $500.’ And then what would he do on an indie show? Nobody has, you know, ever raved about John Laurinaitis’ goddamn tremendous dedication to the wrestling business or he wants to go help a bunch of small-time promoters better their business.

So if nobody’s going to pay him the kind of money that he’s used to and gotten accustomed to, and he doesn’t really need money or he shouldn’t. And nobody’s going to bring him in to [work], you know, most of the talent didn’t like him to begin with. And nobody is going to bring him in to create harmony in their locker room. Everybody always said, ‘Well, he’s a great finish guy.’ Well he goddamn spent a lot of time in All Japan working for Giant Baba and people who knew what the f*ck they were doing. So he ought to have picked something up.

He’s never been hailed as a creative genius that was gonna book or write or come up with the stories and the gimmicks and the angles to get to those finishes. Did I mention most of the boys don’t like him, so why does any independent company want to try to bring him in? Probably if they brought him into AEW, he could draw more money in a dunk tank in the locker room and give the boys a bunch of baseballs than he would contributing to the product.

John Laurinaitis had a successful in-ring career both for Jim Crockett Promotions and in Japan, before officially retiring in 2000. He had a short spell as head booker in WCW before the departure of Vince Russo, before making the move to WWE.

With thanks to Inside The Ropes for the transcription.