The Rock-n-Roll Express defeat the Midnight Express for the Mid-South Tag TEam Titles and then traded the belts back and forth. Cornette brought in Hercules Hernandez as his bodyguard, to protect against Hacksaw Jim Duggan who Cornette was also feuding with. In October of 1984, Cornette lost his hair when Hercules Hernandez lost to Hacksaw Jim Duggan. 

    Cornette and the Midnight Express moved to World Class Championship Wrestling and defeated the Fantastics there for the WCCW Tag Team Titles. They returned to the NWA to defeat the Rock-n-Roll Express for the NWA World Tag Team Titles before Cornette wrestled wrestling mixed matches with the Midnights against the Rock-n-Roll Express and female valet, Baby Doll. At the 1986 Great American Bash Tour, Cornette would wrestle his first singles bouts against Baby Doll and usually lost. Cornette brought in a new bodyguard in the form of Big Bubba Rogers, who would later gain fame as the Big Bossman. Also, Condrey left the Midnight Express and was replaced by Sweet STan Lane. The new Midnight Express became the new NWA United States Tag Team Champions in May of 1987 before turning face to feud with the Horsemen and the ORIGINAL Midnight Express, Condrey and Randy Rose, and their manager Paul E. Dangerously. Cornette's team put down the Original Midnights at the 1989 Chi-Town Rumble, before Cornette put down Dangerously in a Tuxedo Street Fight at the 1989 Great American Bash. With Jim Herd in charge, Cornette walked out of the WCW/NWA promotion to take part in the independent scene. 

    Cornette formed Smokey Mountain Wrestling in 1991, bringing Stan Lane, Tom Pritchard, Tony Anthony, Brian Lee, Chris Candido and Tammy Sytch to fame. He served as a manager in the Organization and hired "Bullet" Bob Armstrong to serve as the promotions on air Commissioner while he lead Stan Lane and Tom Pritchard to five SMW Tag Team Titles. Cornette even hired the Rock-n-Roll Express to come in to the organization to keep the feud alive. 

    In 1993, Jim Cornette began working for the World Wrestling Federation in addition to running SMW. He brought Tom Pritchard and Stan Lane's replacement, Jimmy Del Ray into the WWF to challenge the WWF Tag Team Champion Steiner Brothers at Summer Slam 1993. At the 1993 Survivor Series, Cornette's Heavenly Bodies defeated the Rock-n-Roll Express to win the SMW Tag Team Titles, marking the only time the titles were defended on a WWF event. In the summer of 1993, though, Cornette also became the "American Spokesperson" for the new WWF Champion Yokozuna and Mr. Fugi. Cornette became, more and more, the lead manager for Yokozuna and lead him to defeat the Undertaker at the 1994 Royal Rumble in a casket match. When Yokozuna dropped the WWF Title to Bret Hart at Wrestlemania X, Cornette lead Yokozuna and Crush to challenge the Headshrinkers for the WWF Tag Team Titles at the King of the Ring. When the Undertaker returned and defeated Yokozuna in a casket match at the 1994 Survivor Series, Cornette and Mr. Fugi left the WWF on sabbatical alongside Yokozuna. When the trio returned, Yokozuna served as Owen Hart's mystery partner at Wrestlemania XI, defeating the Smoking Gunns for the WWF Tag Team Championship. Mr. Fugi would phase out of WWF programming with Cornette managing Owen Hart, Yokozuna and also the British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith. 

    In December of 1995, Smokey Mountain Wrestling collapsed and Jim Cornette became a full time WWF employee. In January of 1996, Cornette brought Vader to the WWF, who attacked WWF President Gorilla Monsoon. Cornette was able to smoothe things over and bring Vader back, managing him to a WWF Championship encounter with Shawn Michaels at Summer Slam 1996. When Yokozuna turned his back on Cornette, Vader sought revenge and eliminated Yokozuna from the WWF. Once Vader fired Cornette, the Louisville Lip became a broadcaster for the WWF, working WWF Hotline with Sunny and other partners. 

    Cornette returned to managing after a series of shoot interviews on RAW, condemning the new era of wrestling and, especially Eric Bischoff and WCW. Cornette became a heel, none the less, bringing a new Midnight Express team of Bob Holly and Bart Gunn to feud with WWF superstars. The two would become NWA World Tag Team Champions and the angle went that Cornette was seeking to return the WWF to the glory days of old. Cornette brought in the Rock-n-Roll Express as well, who became heels with Cornette as their manager, breaking an age old feud. The alliance wouldn't last long, and the Rock-n-Rolls began feuding with the Midnights. Barry Windham also joined Cornette's stable but the angle was suddenly dropped after Jeff Jarrett returned to his country music gimmick. 

    Cornette moved his efforts to the developmental system of the WWF, forging Ohio Valley Wrestling as a WWE developmental territory and also appeared for Ring of Honour starting in 2003. He began taking part in legends cards, usually alongside Midnight Express alumni Bobby Eaton, Stan Lane and Dennis Condrey and feuding with the Rock-n-Roll Express. He even got to square off with his managerial idol, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, to determine who the greatest manager was in ROH. Cornette began to lose his cool with the WWE's OVW territory and took a leave of absense in May of 2005. He returned in July and ended up slapping a developmental wrestler for laughing at the Boogeyman during what was supposed to be a very "scary" angle. Cornette was, of course, fired from the WWE for doing so. Cornette, undaunted, kept on appearing for legends reunion tours. 

    In October of 2005, Cornette became the new authority in Ring of Honour and then returned to national television as part of TNA in June of 2006 in a commissioner role, proving his career is far from over. Cornette was, perhaps, the last of the great wrestling managers and represents old school wrestling mixed with timeless antics that have made the man a house hold name. There is no doubt that James E. Cornette belongs here among his idols Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart, and Freddie Blassie as part of the UWOW Hall of Fame.