Butcher or no butcher, Cornette was just bad skin deep and Bob was B-B-B-B-BAD to the bone! Something odd happened at the time (odd for me at least, because to my knowledge it was never explained...) Abdullah didn't show that night and was replaced by Bob Orton, Jr. While Orton was very much a credible threat to anyone in a wrestling ring, he didn't bring the terror to mind that Abdullah did. Armstrong and Orton had a wild brawl that ended with Armstrong pinning Orton to end the feud once and for all. Or so we thought...

Enter the Gangstas. What kind of person would it take to make the people in SMW love Jim Cornette? New Jack was that person. Blind hatred for anything in the Smoky Mountain area poured out of New Jack's mouth. Cornette, realizing potential in this team, wanted to manage them. New Jack's reply...

"IN CASE YOU AIN'T LOOKED AT A CALENDAR LATELY, LET ME EXPLAIN SOMETHING! THIS IS 1994... NOT 1794! I GOT A COLLEGE EDUCATION AND A CRIMINAL RECORD, SO JUST KNOW THAT THE GANGSTAS ARE BLACK OWNED AND BLACK OPERATED AND I DON'T NEED NO WHITE BOY TELLING ME JACK, PUNK!! " (Wow, can't imagine WHY the Gangstas weren't adored by the people in Smoky Mountain...lol.)

After this snub, Jim Cornette aligned himself with Ricky and Robert, who were cheated out of the belts by New Jack and Mustafa (because of a "legal" decision involving a disputed pinfall and Bob Armstrong re-starting the match). Corny managed Ricky and Robert to the SMW tag team titles with a win over the Gangstas as Christmas Chaos. Corny then allied himself with Armstrong and did everything he could do to make the Gangstas lives miserable in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. After the Gangstas were beaten by Terry Funk and Bob Armstrong in a Texas Death Match on May 19, 1995 in Knoxville, TN. Cornette turned on Armstrong and started up his militia. The war was STILL on in late 1995 when SMW ceased promotions.

Cornette's Heavenly Bodies fought with the Rock and Roll Express for a good part of the duration of SMW. Stan Lane and Tom Prichard and later Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray were taking up arms to defend Jim Cornette. This war between Ricky and Robert and Corny started MANY years ago when Cornette was managing the Midnight Express. The feud came to an end when Ricky and Robert defeated Prichard and Del Ray at the Bluegrass Brawl in early April of 1994. To my knowledge the teams never met again. Cornette would go on to eventually manage Gibson when Ricky Morton left the promotion after an altercation with Tracy Smothers, only to see Ricky come back for the last big show, Thanksgiving Thunder 1995 to team with Tracy Smothers and Tony Anthony against Prichard, Del Ray and Gibson.

Whether you love him or hate him, Jim Cornette was a true revolutionary in the wrestling business. He was (and still IS) old school... in a day and age when old school isn't cool. Jim, I love you, brother... thank you for so many great memories. Hope there is more to come. May God sustain you in this very tragic time...