Jim Ross - Blog 24th July, 2008

[Black Widow]

I may be a little edgy or attitudinal today, because one simply has to be that way to make it big here on WWE.com, OR be a hot Diva of which I am not, nor are there enough surgical procedures in the world to accomplish such.

Nice Great American Bash Sunday in Long Island, where I noticed that most folks talked differently than I. Nonetheless, I enjoyed signing autographs and such at Franklin Square Video on Long Island with Jerry Lawler and Mick Foley, the first time all three of us were together in one place at the same time for a signing. Cool couple of hours, and I discovered what to get my pal Mick for the holidays, a Rand McNally Road Atlas or one of those little GPS systems.

SmackDown had a good Bash, and the SmackDown announce team even got to sit in the middle between the Raw and ECW announce duos … which is a spot usually occupied by Monday Night Raw. It’s sort of like being in the center square on the old Hollywood Squares TV show. “Let’s go to Mick Foley for the block.”

It looks as if Edge has many more pressing issues on his professional agenda these days other than focusing on Triple H and the WWE Championship. This “Hellacious” prophecy will be made abundantly clear before Friday Night SmackDown leaves the air this week.

Yours truly likes the skill set of Jimmy Wang Yang, but the Asian Redneck has to lose the “black” cowboy hat. This “gimmick” infringement thing is getting out of hand. Yang has a nice one-on-one non-title match with the new United States Champion Shelton Benjamin this week on SmackDown. Benjamin has every tool in the box he needs to be a star in WWE, but the question will always remain until Benjamin answers it himself: Will the Gold Standard remain focused and do all he can to get better each and every outing? Gifted athletes often times find their comfort zone and are content to remain in said zone. If the new U.S. Champ can avoid this matter, the sky is the limit for the native of South Carolina.

Hawkins and Ryder have brought the WWE Tag Titles back to SmackDown, which is a good thing, but I still have a helluva time telling the title-holding duo apart. They cause me major problems in discerning one from the other.

Did you know that the original “Dark Knight” was WWE’s own Howard Finkel? Howard has the leotards and body armor from the El Gigante collection to prove it.

Lot’s of locker room maneuvering going on these days on Friday Night SmackDown. Many folks seem to be willing to sell out their friends to better themselves, no matter the cost. Loyalty and character seem to be a fleeting trait for some within “The Family.” Gosh, it reminds me of working in the offices of a couple of wrestling territories I passed through years ago.

I am not sure when it will be, and it could even be 2009, but some day Vladimir Kozlov has a legit chance to be a BTP (big time player.) Athletic, 6-foot-6 300-pounders don’t grow on trees.

Yours truly is generally not a fan of Battle Royals, but the Six-Man Battle Royal featured this Friday Night on SmackDown exceeded my expectations by a long shot. By the way, I pronounce it “battle royal” and not “battle Roy-AL” if anyone is keeping score at home. The winner of this Battle Royal faces the WWE Champion at SummerSlam in Indianapolis on Aug. 17 … the same day my friends, ZZ Top, are coming to Oklahoma City … dammit!

Congrats to Michelle McCool for becoming the first ever Divas Champion. Someone can and will be “next,” but no one can ever be “first.” Michelle was an outstanding, three-sport athlete while playing basketball, volleyball, and softball in high school and was a Division I athlete at Florida State University, Ron “Damn” Simmons’ Alma Mater. Michelle was also a former high school teacher in Florida.

Brian Kendrick looked to be channeling the late Brian Pillman on SmackDown this week, as you will see when you tune in on Friday night. Kendrick is developing quite the “attitude” of which Mick Foley says that Kendrick has had all along and that Brian has always been a jerk. I never noticed that particular trait, but I will take Mrs. Foley’s baby boy’s word for it. The things a wrestler like Brian Kendrick would do in the ring to headline a PPV are frightening.

I have yet to see Ezekiel in action but he is one, put together, big dude. For some reason, I don’t think ‘Zeke is a traditional bodyguard, but, of course, I could be wrong … which is another term for “straddling the fence” which is big in this business. BTW Kendrick’s Sliced Bread No. 2 finishing maneuver has been changed to “The Kendrick” by Kendrick himself.

Did you know … that fans in the Oklahoma City area that come to J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q can watch Friday Night SmackDown on the many flat screen TV’s we have available? Plus, we are launching a new look on our Web site which you all know, love and occasionally visit, www.jrsbarbq.com.

My best wishes to Raw broadcaster Michael Cole and his family during the onslaught of Hurricane Dolly which hit Cole’s south Texas home area with a double-breasted vengeance. There may be something wrong with using the word “Dolly” and double breasted in the same sentence.

The next NBC Saturday Night’s Main Event is slated to be taped this Monday in Washington D.C. as I understand it. I am not sure who is broadcasting the event, but I do know I am looking forward to the Tuesday night SmackDown taping in Hershey, Pa. This SNME is slated for one hour, and will decidely be more exciting than the middle leg of the “Tour de France.”

Thanks for checking in, and finding our space. By doing so you have just qualified for the F.B.I. Academy.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.

[Black Widow]

Leaving Saturdays and returning Wednesdays isn’t my idea of a great travel schedule at this stage of my game. Nonetheless this last road trip to the northeast was good and started with an autograph signing in Franklin Park, L.I. Saturday with Jerry Lawler and Mick Foley. Nice folks at Franklin Square Video and what a selection of wrestling swag they have!

This was my first Smackdown PPV and then being off on Monday before taping Smackdown on Tuesday in Philly. So Monday was essentially a travel day from Long Island down to Philadelphia and once I arrived I had a chance to finish some time-sensitive office work which got done. Thank goodness for fax machines….and room service. :)
This Friday’s Smackdown felt like a nice show with a much better than I perceived it would be Battle Royal to determine the #1 contender to the WWE Title at Summerslam. I am not a fan of Battle Royals in general and never have been after refereeing so many of them in the 70’s where wrestlers would often times play grab ass and not give the fans their money’s worth. The Battle Royal that airs Friday night on Smackdown far exceeded my expectations and really added positively to the broadcast.

It was interesting reading the Internet reviews of Tuesday night’s ECW TV show which were largely positive. It is a simple recipe when the product isn’t over analyzed by those within the business. Compelling wrestling matches involving competitors that the paying customers are emotionally invested in usually delivers a positive result.

Today’s wrestling product is often over thought including how new wrestlers are introduced. If a wrestler in today’s marketplace simply shows up and has a match without any build up or fan fare, the chances of the individual making an impact is slim and none. The possible exception of this theory is when a new hand makes a debut and "upsets" an established star. Bottom line, new talents should be "rolled out" somewhat like any new "product"with a long term strategy and a game plan that provides the individual the best chance of succeeding.

Jesse Ventura not running for political office from Minnesota did not surprise me. After upsetting political traditions by winning the Governor’s race in Minnesota in the late 90’s, Jessie has build what seems to be a nice life for himself and his family writing a few books, lecturing, etc which I personally think fits his life style at this stage of his life. Being a Senator is hard, often times thankless work especially when one is not a member of America’s tired, two party system that looks out for their own rather than for the citizens of this country. I think Ventura made the right call and should enjoy his life, take on projects that he likes that aren’t long term commitments, and generally enjoy the fruits of his labor. ( I kinda like that concept.)

For any aspiring wrestler out there, if you get the chance to attend a Dr. Tom Prichard seminar, he apparently has some scheduled in New Jersey coming up, jump at the opportunity. Tom knows how to teach, he knows the WWE system, if that company interests one as a wrestler, and Tom is honest.

The latest NBC Saturday Night’s Main Event, which I think is a one hour program this go around, will be taped Monday in Washington D.C. prior to the live broadcast of Monday Night Raw. As I write this on Thursday, I have no idea who will be broadcasting the show or who will be competing on it but I do know that I have not heard any thing about being personally involved and my current travel has me going from OKC Monday into Harrisburg, PA via Cincinnati late Monday afternoon for the Tuesday taping of Friday Night Smackdown in Hershey, Pa.

It is great that the WWE is working with Jenny McCarthy’s Generation Rescue that assists in autism research and supports families with autistic children. I remember many years ago doing the play by play for Jenny’s WWE audition to become an on air personality. She’s a really cool person who is a tomboy at heart and loves sports. I sincerely applaud Jenny’s efforts in creating awareness for autism.

Is Brooke Bollea Hogan actually considering posing for Playboy Magazine? First of all, I have zero issues with Playboy Magazine but wouldn’t one think that the timing of this particular matter helps no one but Playboy? What’s next, Nick in semi prison garb in Playgirl magazine? Can everyone, all at one time, say…"LAY LOW"? Leave the media crazy, TMZ-like radar screen and watch public perception improve….if that matters and perhaps it doesn’t. There was a fan’s sign in Philly Tuesday that read, "Hulk We Still Love You." BROTHER!

Affliction made a nice foray into the pay per view marketplace last Saturday night. The franchise guy is obviously Fedor, who needs no last name, who, at 28-1, is a physical freak and as long as he can stay on top the brand has a great chance to continue to grow and build momentum. Affliction would be wise to carefully market Fedor outside their envelope all the while being careful not to overexpose Fedor and to maintain his "mystique". Also, rushing into a Fedor-Couture fight might not be the best promotional strategy for Affliction as fans love the build up to a big fight and "anticipation" is a great marketing tool for a potential consumer. Plus, Couture needs a fight in which he can display his skills prior to venturing into the ring with Fedor which obviously is a big money piece of business.

The UFC has their next PPV on August 9 in Minneapolis where former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar faces Heath Herring in a bout that Lesnar would be well served to win. Brock was over-hyped by the UFC when the former NCAA Champion arrived on the MMA scene and expectations for the former Minnesota All American were extraordinarily high. However, Lesnar has the size and strength to be "the man" in the UFC heavyweight division once he acquires the entire package of skills that a MMA fighter needs to be successful. There may not be a fighter alive that Lesnar can’t take down but as all MMA aficionados know, once a fighter is taken down an entire new phase of combat begins where specific skills must be perfected and efficiently utilized.

My pal Nancy Lieberman is back in the WNBA on a 7 day contract with the Detroit team. It’s hard to argue that Nancy isn’t to women’s hoops what Michael Jordan was to men’s basketball. Oh, yeah, Nancy is 50 years of age which sort of makes her the Ric Flair of the WNBA. Whoo!

This is just me but the word, "poop" has a limited shelf life for ever being utilized on a wrestling show. Again, I am an old school guy and, yes, perhaps the "business has passed me by" but that’s my opinion. Wrestling=No Poop.

It was great seeing Jonathan Coachman for a few minutes Sunday afternoon at the Nassau Coliseum and getting to meet his new, baby daughter who is beautiful for the record. Coach is leaving the WWE and will begin a new career with ESPN and will be moving to the Bristol area in the near future. I am not sure but I think I first met Coach in Kansas City where he was working with Len Dawson, the former K.C. Chiefs Hall of Fame quarterback, doing local sports on TV. It seems as if Coach may have visited the day we produced Smackdown show #1 which I broadcast with The King. Michael Cole took over then the next week on episode #2. I wish Coach nothing but the best and he is genuinely and deservedly excited about his new gig. Our infamous "Country Whipping Match" that took place in Chicago on Monday night Raw was a unique experience for both of us and I am sure provided some insiders with a chuckle or two. I do think it got a decent TV ratings from what I recall, and quite frankly ladies and gentlemen, isn’t that what makes the world go ’round?

This thought just popped into my mind (please no wise ass remarks on the vaunted and oh so valued message boards) but back in the day many old school wrestling promoters would have made ECW’s Mike Knox some variation of an Alaskan with Knox’ bushy beard and raw boned physique. BTW I like Knox’ potential and am anxious to hear him speak more on camera.

Wednesday night I attended my business partner Hal Smith’s 10th Annual Coach’s Dinner at his home in Norman which sort of kicks off the upcoming college football season for Oklahoma Sooner fanatics. About 200 invited guests attended to mingle with the OU football coaching staff and many former players at the private function. I found myself towards the end of the evening sitting at a table outside with College Football HOF’ers former OU and Dallas Cowboy Head Coach Barry Switzer and former Sooner, he of silver shoes, and NFL great Joe Washington along with current OU head ball coach Bob Stoops which put me within the city limits of "football heaven". Many of my pals were talking about my new Friday Night Smackdown assignment which gives me most weekends off which will make my traveling back to Oklahoma after OU road games much easier and less stressful than having to get to the Monday Night Raw site from who knows where.

I noticed that when I dispelled the "J.R.’s Heading Back To Raw" rumors that many printed that I inferred that I would not go back to the Monday show if asked which is inaccurate. Of course I would take the assignment because I still cash the WWE’s checks. My Dad taught me that if one is going to accept another’s cash then do your damnedest to earn one’s keep. The day that I decide to hang it up will occur some day but until then I am going to continue to be a team player and I have no issues in accepting pay for my work even though I personally believe that I am "bargain priced" :) for the WWE. I know this statement will cause some morons to write about my perceived lack of character or intellect for "being a team player" especially in light "of all the negative things" that have occurred to me over the years. Say what you wish, I still have fun seeing the wrestlers when I go to work, I enjoy meeting fans and interacting with them, and I still have a blast doing commentary of which I am damn competitive and still think that I can carry my share of the water (thanks to Deadwood’s Al Swearengin for that one).

Does any one else agree that wrestling antagonists can’t be part time comedians? Some critics will say, "why can’t villains be entertaining?" They can and the great one’s are but not as a poor man’s stand up comedian. I may be missing the mark on this one but when an individual is put into a dark light as in I want for them to get their arse kicked I like for them to be clearly defined as a villain. Could all these "shades of grey" philosophies be another example of the wrestling business being over thought regarding the basic texture of the business? Or, am I simply losing touch?

Be prepared to check out our new line of shirts and caps priced at under $10 which will be featured soon on our newly improved website. We also have great deals on autographed copies of "J.R.’s Cookbook" and on our 97% fat free Beef Jerky. Another thing we are diligently working on is changing our bottling for our sauces over from glass to plastic which will greatly reduce the ridiculous shipping costs that we are faced with in today’s world. We are also preparing to ship plastic bottles of our "bar nuts" which are awesome.

Remember that both our J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q Restaurants are open 7 days a week starting at 11 a.m. The original, Norman store is located at exit 109 just east of I-35 while the store in Moore is located at exit 116 on the west side of I-35. I try and spend as much time as my schedule will let me in both stores. This NFL season I will be easy to find as both our places feature DirecTV’s NFL Ticket so we can overload on pro football every Sunday. BTW, if you visit our store in Moore, sample the smoked, NOT FRIED, chicken wings. They are healthy and damn good…and that, my friends, is the proverbial bottom line.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.