Oklafan.com v5 Beta

Exclusive With Jim Ross pt. 2

Posted: Feb 7th 2008 By: CMBurnham

Leading up to WrestleMania 24 in Orlando on March 30, JAWBreaker will have some exclusive questions and answers with WWE announcer Jim Ross. Thanks to WWE's Bob Collins for setting this up. Here is Week 2 with Jim Ross. Enjoy!

Question: Like her or not, Britney Spears is probably the most bankable celebrity right now. Any chance we'll see her at WM 24? If not, any other celebrity rumblings you can let us know about?

Answer: "It's not that other talented albeit 'high-maintenance' females haven't been successful in the past in the WWE, but with Britney's many alleged issues the suggestion of her being a part of WrestleMania 24 might not be wise at this time. She needs to get her life back together, and the WWE would be taking a calculated risk to bring her into such a positive environment like WrestleMania 24. I have not yet heard of any celeb's being a part of 'Mania, and I am of the personal opinion that the WWE Superstars themselves when put into compelling situations is a better use of corporate funds than investing more into the 'sizzle' than the 'steak' of the event. However, one can also predict that WM24 will not be celeb-free either. There will likely be many celeb/fans who will be attending simply to enjoy the biggest event of the year."

Question: In this day of the Internet, John Cena showing up at the Royal Rumble and winning it was a huge surprise. How did this stay a secret?

Answer: "I can only assume that the few people that did know simply did not talk. The old saying, 'telephone, telegraph, tell a wrestler' did not apply here, as apparently only a handful of people knew of John Cena's entry into the Rumble match. I was not informed about Cena's involvement and enjoyed being surprised. Cena apparently did not arrive at Madison Square Garden until well after the event started. I was backstage most of the afternoon, and I never saw John all day."

Question: Each week, I update my predicted WrestleMania 24 card. What do you think of this: January 31, 2008 JAWBreaker match predictions (note, I've updated predictions below): John Cena vs. HHH vs. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy; The Undertaker vs. Edge; HBK vs. JBL; Batista vs. MVP; Chris Jericho vs. Mr. Kennedy; Ric Flair vs. Mr. McMahon; Umaga vs. Finlay; Hulk Hogan vs. The Great Khali; Beth Phoenix vs. Maria; Four on four: (Matt Hardy, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Kane vs. Carlito, Shelton Benjamin, Chavo Guerrero, Big Daddy V). Dark match: Tag-team battle with Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch, Brian London/Paul Kendrick, The Miz/John Morrison and Cody Rhodes/Hardcore Holly.

Answer: "Booking wrestling cards is extremely subjective, but this would be a marketable card. It really is all in the build and the execution. I have read on the Internet that many matches are already down on paper, but I am a firm believer that the majority of the WM24 card is still a 'work in progress.' I have also seen fantasy cards suggesting a War Games match and a Scaffold match, both of which are intriguing if the right participants are involved and the build is on the money. The problem with multiple-participant matches is talent-depth issues. I am for one-on-one matches to headline the event as opposed to Triple-Threat/Fatal 4-Way affairs."

Question: Have you tried JBL's Mamajuana Energy drink?

Answer: "Not yet, but I have been provided a sample. Some of the 'guys' have tried it and have spoken highly of it. Rumor has it that Mamajuana was 'barred' from Michael Hayes' home by the former Freebird's wife."

Question: Did you watch Brock Lesnar's fight Saturday, and if so, what did you think of it?

Answer: "I watched the UFC PPV and enjoyed their presentation even though I still feel that the WWE blows boxing and MMA away with the WWE's TV production for PPV's. Nonetheless, it was a fun show to watch. Lesnar simply made a fundamental mistake that was a result of inexperience as he allowed his ankle to become exposed, and Frank Mir took advantage for the tap-out victory. Lesnar will improve without question, as he is too proud a guy to not get better. How much better can he get as a MMA competitor remains to be seen, but Brock has all the physical tools and potential to still become the UFC's 'Next Big Thing.' However, I have said many times that potential alone won't buy the groceries over the long haul. How Brock responds to this setback is the key to his future in the UFC. I hope Lesnar learns from the experience and gets on track. It will be interesting to see how the UFC spins this loss and who they match Lesnar with in his next fight, which should be later this year. I talked to the Undertaker who was there in Vegas at the fight, and he hit the nail on the head when he said without question the fans in attendance had come to see Brock's debut. In essence, Lesnar 'drew the house.' I suspect the number of PPV buys to be strong because of the curiosity factor of how Lesnar would fare. That's exactly why I bought the PPV -- out of curiosity."

Tags: Jim Ross, WWE