Word has hit the press today that Jim Cornette has departed from Global Force/Impact Wrestling. Yes, they're going back to being known as Impact in the wake of Jeff Jarrett's departure nearly 2 weeks ago, and the dominoes are starting to fall behind Jarrett, whose inebriated antics at Triplemania 25 led to his ouster. "Indefinite leave of absence"? Who is Ed Nordholm kidding? He wants to sell the company, but then cuts Jarrett loose, and lets Cornette walk?
Check the pulse. This company is on life support again.
Cornette has offered to come to Nashville to close the books on a short 2nd run with the company. No word yet on if Nordholm will take the offer, but he'd be well served to accept. Impact is signed to Pop TV through 2018, but who's to say they'll actually get there?
Cornette's return was meant to be a short-term deal anyway, to facilitate Bruce Prichard being booted, only to return, per Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, as a heel manager, a role he played in the Global Wrestling Federation some 25 years ago, after Brother Love outlived his usefulness in WWE. With Cornette gone, it's not going to surprise anyone if any of Jarrett's lieutenants, such as Scott D'Amore or Dutch Mantell, or Jeff's wife, Karen, follow them out the door.
Here's an idea. If Nordholm and Anthem want to unload this albatross, then let Sinclair Broadcasting, Ring of Honor's parent, buy the company. ROH has been around as long as TNA/Impact has, 15 years and counting, and theirs is a much more stable business model. Not quite WWE-level stable, but it is functioning.
WWE would only want Impact's tape library for footage of Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, AJ Styles, Eric Young, et al, and there's some old Roderick Strong footage from his time there, too. I don't think they want to take on another roster that's already been through enough wringers to fit a warehouse full of washing machines. Not now, anyway.
What do you think?
