Billy Corgan On The "Backstabbing And Lies" In TNA, Attempting To Work With Anthem, NWA Purchase
Billy Corgan spoke with Sports Illustrated's "Extra Mustard" section on a number of wrestling topics surrounding his purchase of NWA and his time with TNA. Here are some of the highlights:
Purchasing NWA and taking the long approach with it:
"We want to be part of a new revolution of how wrestling can be consumed by fans and matches can be presented. This NWA brand dates back to 1948. The past few years have not been as kind as we would have liked, but we plan on building this into a powerhouse over time. Our focus is on the NWA plan, and we have a 20-year plan. We're not going to just come in and throw money around for two years. We've learned from the past mistakes of TNA, which we have intimate knowledge of. We're armed with this knowledge, and we're setting out to rebuild the brand so a fan that currently doesn't know anything about the NWA will respect the tradition and also respect what we're trying to accomplish, like a Ring of Honor or a New Japan. That's where we are starting, and we're building from there."
Trying to work out a deal that would benefit both Anthem and the NWA:
"We've made various overtures to Anthem along the way and they've made various overtures to me. We haven't found anything that is ideal, and I'm a firm believer that if a deal doesn't go both ways, then it's not a good deal to make. If the NWA was going to be involved in some level with Anthem, we'd want it to be a good way all the way around. We made a very aggressive offer in the last month to go in and help reboot the company. We'd have helped Impact stay more in the lane of the traditional Impact brand, and then set up the NWA as a natural rival, a la Raw versus SmackDown. Unfortunately, we didn't get where we wanted with that offer."
Frustration during his time with TNA:
"I was very, very frustrated by the obstacles I faced internally, both culturally and fiscally, at TNA. I dealt with a lot of backstabbing and lies. I was able to push through some things that ended up being successful at TNA, and I was very frustrated because you would think the success would have led to more leverage and further opportunities. But it was exactly the opposite. People were out to get me because I had power. At least now, in this situation, I am my own boss. You have to build your own infrastructure from the bottom up and work with people you really trust. The traditional 'carny' aspect of the wrestling business that plagues a lot of companies, and has plagued a company like TNA, are problems that hold the business back. You can't run an effective business if it's like Game of Thrones every week."
You can read the full interview by clicking here.
Source: Sports Illustrated