Grammy award winning artist Billy Corgan spoke to Josh Matthews this week about the news of him joining TNA Wrestling as the new senior producer of creative and talent development.
Corgan said Dixie Carter reached out to him while he was on tour about joining their team. As a wrestling fan for nearly 3 decades, Corgan said it’s literally a dream come true to be working in the ‘major leagues’ of professional wrestling and to have an influence on the direction of the company.
When asked if there’s anybody in particular he looks forward to working with, Corgan said his previous experience as a wrestling booker taught him the importance of having something for everybody on the roster. He said there’s a ton of talented people in TNA and he’s looking forward to working with the entire roster. The product is at its best when everybody has a defined character and direction.
Corgan was asked about his involvement in the wrestling business, for fans who are unfamiliar with his work. He worked with Chicago-based indy promotion Resistance Pro Wrestling for four years up until 6 months ago, when their reality TV deal with AMC was canceled mid-season. He said he was heavily involved in the branding of the company, promoting indy wrestling and knows the business intimately.
Corgan said he’s really been impressed by TNA since their move to Destination America. He’s seen a renewed focus on wrestling, the storylines have improved and the best performers are getting a chance to shine. TNA is proving stars can rise to the top and it’s crazy to him that he’s going to have a hand in where the company goes from here on out.
As a performer himself, Corgan says he knows exactly what it’s like for the talent to go on tour and practice their craft in front of different audiences. During the late 80’s, his band would drive 8 hours in a van to perform a 40-minute opening set for another band in front of 20 people and drive back home. He knows what the wrestlers go through on their journey to the big time. When he was a booker, he’d have talent that would drive 14 hours to wrestle a 5 minute match. He’s very conscious of what the talent demands of themselves and that will help him craft stories for them.
