Billy Corgan knows a thing or two about putting on a show and creating a spectacle for the audience.
For these reasons, it can't be much of a surprise that the Smashing Pumpkins lead singer is launching his own pro wrestling league, dubbed Resistance Pro Wrestling.
Corgan is a longtime fan of professional wrestling, no secret to those who have paid attention to such things. And he's not messing around with his new league, which already boasts merchandise sales and advance ticket sales for the Nov. 25 inaugural event at Chicago's Excalibur nightclub. There's even a league logo playing on the city flag of Chicago, where Corgan hails from and where the league is based.
What makes Corgan qualified beyond being a big fan? Well, he's more than just a big fan, having ties to the business for a decade, where he's developed enough relationships to make his new operation legitimate.
"I've been involved sort of behind the scenes with pro wrestling for about a decade and made a lot of friends in the business," Corgan told a Chicago Fox affiliate . "It's a very insular business and it's a long story, but I essentially got involved with some brothers who had a wrestling promotion. We decided to form our own promotion and we're going to try to bring back to the glory days."
And while it's a small operation compared to the WWE, Corgan has tied the brand to some names that give him credit, both in experience and in potential rising star power. Corgan said the goal is for more of an old school style to the league, something that harkens back to the days before monster leagues like WWE were at the forefront.
Asked whether he'd be taking to the ring, Corgan told the TV station his aim to stay behind the scenes and be creative, but "You know how wrestling is..."
As further evidence that it's not some hackneyed attempt at a professional sports league, a preemptive push to prevent concussions will be a league priority. Corgan's hoping the league can set an example for the future of athlete concussion care, while also providing a quality product.
He's also hoping that Resistance is anything but futile.
