Black Widow
05-09-2008, 03:44 PM
It’s hard to believe that Owen Hart would have been 43 years of age this week. Owen was one of the really good guys in the business. The youngest of Stu and Helen Hart’s children was funny, witty, an excellent wrestler, wasn’t a cry baby and never whined. Owen Hart was truly one of the really good guys I have ever met in any walk of life. Owen had character and integrity to go along with his outstanding wrestling talent. I never saw Owen drunk (I honestly can’t remember him even having a beer, although he well could have) and never, ever heard of him using drugs. Owen was also a man who honored his wedding vows. The practical jokes one hears Owen played on people were probably true and many of the much needed and funniest moments on long, gruelling tours usually came from Owen who would rather make people laugh than get drunk, get high or lay with a female that wasn’t his wife. Announcing to the world that Owen had died on a pay per view broadcast having about 30 seconds to collect my thoughts before going live to the world was one of the hardest things I have ever been instructed to do. Since then, when we have moments on Raw where the announcers have to lower our tone to embellish a particular moment and when fans or pundits refer to it as "the same tones the announcers used when Owen died" it pisses me off. No one in Internet land or sitting at home can ever put themselves in our shoes the night that tragedy occurred. My mindset and where my heart was on that night in Kansas City is far away from any place I have been since in the wrestling business. I saw a fellow the other day at an event that used to pick Owen up at the airport in a particular town, drive Owen around for free and allow the game’s greatest ribber to stay at the guy’s home just to be around Owen because Owen made every one he was around smile. Of course, Owen was saving money on rental cars and hotels so, as usual, Owen got the last laugh. :) Owen Hart deserves to go into the WWE Hall of Fame but unfortunately I feel that his widow Martha would never cooperate with such a thing which is unfortunate especially for Owen’s children who would see so many people demonstrate their love of their dad.
Happy Birthday Owen. I miss you.
The Mrs. and I received a fantastic, signed poster from Dwayne Johnson, the Rock, this week to frame and hang in J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q #2 when it opens in June in Moore, Oklahoma. We will also have an outfit Dwayne wore in "The Rundown" on our walls. Since the WWE Hall of Fame it seems that many people have voiced a variety of opinions on the wrestler turned actor with some potshots not being so flattering. Jealousy is an ugly emotion and loyalty is a two way street, but I can attest that Dwayne Johnson was the most charismatic rookie wrestler that I ever signed and his signing was one of my greatest accomplishments when I served as the head of talent relations back in the day for the WWE. Dwayne Johnson is a wonderful human being and deserves all the success he is experiencing.
I will spend two long nights this week doing voice overs for the next THQ/WWE video game, which will be out this fall. Wrestlers who make the video game roster are provided an opportunity to earn significant dollars via royalties. Those that don’t make the video game roster have a problem. Everyone can’t be on every game, but that should be the goal of 100% of the roster.
The Legends Video game that will be out in 2009 is an idea I love (we all love our own ideas) and I can’t wait to see how that one materializes. I am anxious to see it come together and be able to match the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time, the Honkytonk Man, versus his cousin, Jerry "the King" Lawler…..two of the best in ring performers of any era.
Oklahoma City will host Monday Night Raw on June 30 with tickets going on sale on May 17 and I am pleased to be back in my old school promoter’s shoes helping the WWE promote this long awaited event. The OKC media is embracing the return of the WWE and this Raw will be one of the best promoted events the WWE has had in any Raw market. I would give a case of J.R.’s Bar-B-Q Sauce to be left alone that night and to simply do my job, that is if Mike Adamle hasn’t replaced me by then, as OKC has been the site of some interesting evenings for yours truly over the years. Nonetheless, I am having a great deal of fun working with my friends in the media promoting this event which will be held at the Ford Center, the future home of the team formerly known as the Seattle Sonics.
I have no issues with Kobe Bryant being named MVP of the NBA, but who would get your vote for the MVP in the WWE thus far in 2008?
Larry Zbyszko has a book out that I hope to read. Larry was one of the most underrated TV color commentators around at one point in time. I tried to help Larry get work several years ago in the WWE, but I couldn’t close the deal. Larry even had the idea at one point to challenge Mr. McMahon to a wrestling match. I thought Larry would make a strong TV personality with his gift of gab and intellect. Hopefully, Larry’s book will be a success and will be as entertaining as some of the conversations I have had with Bruno Sammartino’s protege and the man who married Verne Gagne’s daughter.
Yours truly will be heading to Tampa next week after the Detroit Raw to visit the WWE Developmental Training Facility. I look forward to speaking with the students and watching their workouts. It will be interesting to see how my remarks to the group are regurgitated back to the Internet when I leave town on Wednesday. I can assure you that whatever I say it will be what I believe.
My hotel reservations for the Cauliflower Ally Club have been made and I will arrive in Vegas on Tuesday after the marathon night of 2 Monday Night Raws in Oakland on June 9. I will be looking for a poker game while in Vegas, as I have a feeling my pipes will be shot. Perhaps I will meet my poker hero, Doyle Brunson, while I’m in Vegas, but that’s not too likely. The CAC reunion is an event I have wanted to attend for many years and unless something unforeseen occurs I’m there.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your business in our store. Be well.
Boomer Sooner!
J.R.
jrsbarbq.com
Happy Birthday Owen. I miss you.
The Mrs. and I received a fantastic, signed poster from Dwayne Johnson, the Rock, this week to frame and hang in J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q #2 when it opens in June in Moore, Oklahoma. We will also have an outfit Dwayne wore in "The Rundown" on our walls. Since the WWE Hall of Fame it seems that many people have voiced a variety of opinions on the wrestler turned actor with some potshots not being so flattering. Jealousy is an ugly emotion and loyalty is a two way street, but I can attest that Dwayne Johnson was the most charismatic rookie wrestler that I ever signed and his signing was one of my greatest accomplishments when I served as the head of talent relations back in the day for the WWE. Dwayne Johnson is a wonderful human being and deserves all the success he is experiencing.
I will spend two long nights this week doing voice overs for the next THQ/WWE video game, which will be out this fall. Wrestlers who make the video game roster are provided an opportunity to earn significant dollars via royalties. Those that don’t make the video game roster have a problem. Everyone can’t be on every game, but that should be the goal of 100% of the roster.
The Legends Video game that will be out in 2009 is an idea I love (we all love our own ideas) and I can’t wait to see how that one materializes. I am anxious to see it come together and be able to match the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time, the Honkytonk Man, versus his cousin, Jerry "the King" Lawler…..two of the best in ring performers of any era.
Oklahoma City will host Monday Night Raw on June 30 with tickets going on sale on May 17 and I am pleased to be back in my old school promoter’s shoes helping the WWE promote this long awaited event. The OKC media is embracing the return of the WWE and this Raw will be one of the best promoted events the WWE has had in any Raw market. I would give a case of J.R.’s Bar-B-Q Sauce to be left alone that night and to simply do my job, that is if Mike Adamle hasn’t replaced me by then, as OKC has been the site of some interesting evenings for yours truly over the years. Nonetheless, I am having a great deal of fun working with my friends in the media promoting this event which will be held at the Ford Center, the future home of the team formerly known as the Seattle Sonics.
I have no issues with Kobe Bryant being named MVP of the NBA, but who would get your vote for the MVP in the WWE thus far in 2008?
Larry Zbyszko has a book out that I hope to read. Larry was one of the most underrated TV color commentators around at one point in time. I tried to help Larry get work several years ago in the WWE, but I couldn’t close the deal. Larry even had the idea at one point to challenge Mr. McMahon to a wrestling match. I thought Larry would make a strong TV personality with his gift of gab and intellect. Hopefully, Larry’s book will be a success and will be as entertaining as some of the conversations I have had with Bruno Sammartino’s protege and the man who married Verne Gagne’s daughter.
Yours truly will be heading to Tampa next week after the Detroit Raw to visit the WWE Developmental Training Facility. I look forward to speaking with the students and watching their workouts. It will be interesting to see how my remarks to the group are regurgitated back to the Internet when I leave town on Wednesday. I can assure you that whatever I say it will be what I believe.
My hotel reservations for the Cauliflower Ally Club have been made and I will arrive in Vegas on Tuesday after the marathon night of 2 Monday Night Raws in Oakland on June 9. I will be looking for a poker game while in Vegas, as I have a feeling my pipes will be shot. Perhaps I will meet my poker hero, Doyle Brunson, while I’m in Vegas, but that’s not too likely. The CAC reunion is an event I have wanted to attend for many years and unless something unforeseen occurs I’m there.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your business in our store. Be well.
Boomer Sooner!
J.R.
jrsbarbq.com