April 27--Billy Corgan just couldn't stay away from the wrasslin' business.
TNA wrestling announced on Monday that the Smashing Pumpkins rocker has joined the Nashville-based wrestling promotion as a senior producer of creative and talent development. TNA's weekly broadcast, "Impact Wrestling," airs Fridays on Destination America.
While TNA isn't a threat to WWE and has struggled to create stars, it's the closest thing WWE has had to a competitor in the wrestling industry since WCW's heyday in the late 1990's and early 2000's.
Corgan previously co-founded Resistance Pro Wrestling in 2011 but parted ways with the promotion in November. Resistance Pro never seemed to become anything more than "that Billy Corgan promotion," but with TNA, Corgan joins a more established promotion with a national platform and handful of recognizable wrestlers, including Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy and Bobby Roode.
"Saying I'm humbled and honored by this opportunity to be part of TNA, a world-class wrestling organization, is an understatement and a dream come true," said Corgan, via press release. "...I'm fully committed to using my 30 years of entertainment experience, along with my deep-rooted passion for pro wrestling, to take on the thrilling challenge of creatively contributing to 'Impact Wrestling,' finding and developing new talent, and working eye-to-eye with the best-of-the-best."
The Elk Grove Village-native and owner of Madame Zuzu's tea shop in Highland Park told Variety, which broke the news, that he wants to introduce characters and storylines to TNA that better explore race and transgender issues. The approach would certainly stand out, as WWE is notorious for its use of racial stereotypes (See: The New Day) and occasional homophobic trash talk (See: The Rock v. John Cena feud).
"There is a tremendous opportunity to go into really fresh, new directions," Corgan said in the Variety interview. "There are ways to explore those themes in ways that are productive, create new stars and show that value-based 'babyfaces', no matter what their background, no matter where they come from, can draw new audiences and inspire people in new ways."
Corgan clarified on Twitter that the position will be a full-time gig.
"Anyone who knows me knows that I don't do ANYTHING half way," Corgan tweeted. "And to @IMPACTWRESTLING's credit they brought me in to make things happen."
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