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Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has opted to turn things around and sue the company he was working for in the world of wrestling.
He Is also being joined by American Express Travel, who it is said the company owe almost $300,000 too.
The outspoken rocker was first aligned with US wrestling organisation TNA in 2015 and has always been a fan of the often mentioned kind of sports entertainment that is professional wrestling. You can read many accounts of his love for the sport.
TNA are probably America’s second best-known wrestling organisation, they of course fall behind the WWE (one-time known as WWF) and have budgets that are lower than their competitors that mean they need to cut corners where they can. Yet they do push the boundaries where they can and offer opportunities to young up and coming talent.
Corgan was first brought in as a senior producer to TNA (also known as Total Non-Stop Wresting). He then went on to roles in creative and talent development areas. He was then introduced on TV as the new president of the franchise.
The story here is that the vocalist is filing a lawsuit against the company and naming its owner Dixie Carter and her husband Serge Salinas in the case. The nature of this is unknown at present. In their home town of Nashville, Tennessee the wrestling company are well-known and Corgan was yet another big name to join their ranks.
In recent years the company have been able to source such talent as Hulk Hogan, Mick Foley and Ric Flair. All of which aided their pay-per-view events and DVD sales. They were also able to put on a long line of UK live show tours and a reality show to recruit a new star for them.
Hogan was released from his role in WWE due to some racist comments and Flair has been in and out of their staff due to various issues in his personal life.
Billy Corgan was a perfect person to join the fold and he went from backstage duties to taking over from former president Dixie Carter as the man who ran the company (in theory). A rocker of his standing was a godsend and yet it now all seems to have hit the proverbial fan.
It has been said that TNA has been struggling in the last year or so and a good number of its best names have jumped ship for pastures new.
The singer has been a firm fan of wrestling for decades and he stated that he invested in the TV recordings for TNA. The rumours are that the companies biggest show of the year 'Bound For Glory' (like WWE's Wrestlemania) was running low of funds in its build up and things have been very tight there. The money was found somehow, but that show and TV tapings have left the TNA guys and girls in debt and it does appear we are talking millions of dollar here.
Sources say that not only Corgan, but the WWE and other companies are all interested in purchasing TNA. Some may be there for the sports entertainment aspects. Others will be after the video/DVD tape library that will come with the product. WWE would be a likely candidate as they currently have some former TNA names on their roster and would love to be able to access their past matches and release them on DVD.
In the late 1990’s the WWE did the same to its rival WCW and bought them out. The subsequent raid on in-ring talent was not pretty. Here’s hoping Mr Corgan can keep his rock star state of mind and see this all work out for all involved.
AMEX have filed their case to the Supreme Court in the US and hope reclaim nearly $300,000 that are owed in relation to travelling expenses for the company. Bills that have never been paid and perhaps never will be.
This subsequent court case will now see the future of TNA in even more doubt.
By PJ Thorne
