Billy Corgan is best known for fronting the alt-rock band Smashing Pumpkins. However, his next project is going to be something completely different.
Corgan just joined TNA Impact Wrestling as senior producer of creative and talent development, the wrestling entertainment company announced Monday. In this role, Corgan will develop characters and write story lines for TNA's show Impact Wrestling, which airs on Destination America, in addition to other TNA TV programming.
If you just know Corgan as a musician, this news might seem completely bananas. Even if the band name seems to suggest otherwise, Smashing Pumpkins' music has always been more angsty than aggressive.
However, Corgan is actually a longtime pro-wrestling fan. He even launched his own pro wrestling company in Chicago called Resistance Pro back in 2011, although he has since parted ways with the company. TNA Wrestling has also featured Smashing Pumpkins music in its promos in the past.
Now, Corgan is really entering the world of pro-wrestling in a big way by joining TNA. He is aware of this, hoping to use this high-profile position to breathe some new life into pro-wrestling for fans. He may even use this new position as an opportunity to explore issues in race and gender, Corgan said in an interview with Variety.
"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 told Variety.
This is kind of a lofty goal for a sport that hasn't always been the most PC, often playing up racial, ethnic and gender stereotypes for entertainment. However, as society as a whole becomes more tolerant and open-minded, they want their entertainment to become that way as well, so it's only going to help TNA Wrestling to do so.
"We need to make our existing characters have a greater depth to them," TNA Wrestling's President Dixie Carter told Variety. "We want the stories to have a depth and a meaning to someone that is relevant today. Billy can really help that."
Some of Corgan's work will appear in TNA Wrestling's programming scheduled to air in early May, Carter told Variety. However Corgan's involvement with TNA Wrestling actually turns out, it sounds like it's going to be just as interesting to see it all unfold.
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