• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

JR's Blog: Raven/Pillman..Rock..JBL..Thurs Nite Wrestling..PG's Staying..Tazer This...Order Your Original BBQ Sauce Today!

Posted: May 6th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Thanks for stopping by our site and paying us a visit. I've been staying busy but wanted to write a new blog to address some emails we've received . Also, to let you know that our new, Original BBQ Sauce offer is rocking and remember that it's only $19.88 which includes shipping and handling.

Staying busy with a variety of potential projects and assignments. Doing a great deal of listening, believe it or not. Should be an interesting couple of weeks. Close friends, across the board, implore me to simply do things that I perceive as being fun and that are as stress free as possible. I'm taking their advice.

Worked several days on my intro letter for our literary agent who's shopping our book concept. Turned it in yesterday and am anxious to see how it was received. It seems as if that project has a pulse. When one sits down to start the process one quickly sees how much ground has been covered since I got in the biz in 1974. The changes in the wrestling game are nothing short of amazing.

Spoke with JBL this week about his wife and him attending the prestigious White House Correspondent's Dinner hosted by President Obama. I wonder if an ex-wrestler has ever been afforded this distinguished opportunity? John is doing great, working hard, playing golf, hitting the gym regularly and says he hasn't felt better physically in years. His back issues seem to have subsided since he left the ring and, no, he's not contemplating a come back or a return to the biz on any level as I ascertain it. We will be getting together soon in NYC when we are there on business.

Got a great email last Friday from Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson commenting on the ending of my talent contract with WWE. Hearing from the 'Great One' with his positive attitude and honesty always brightens one's day. An emailer says he 'knows' Rock is returning to WWE at Summerslam which I find laughable. I still can see Rock Guest Hosting Raw when it works for him but the Summerslam rumor seems farfetched.

WWE returns to OKC for a non televised, live event on Saturday July 3 which will be challenging as it falls during a long, July 4th weekend. That's the same weekend that I'm hoping that my bride takes me to Las Vegas to see the Brock Lesnar fight.

Good thing that baseball's 'Tazer Boy' never tried his stunt in Mid South Wrestling or the UWF. He would have gone to jail without question...right after he was released from the hospital and before he went to his dentist.

Sorry to hear of the passing of 92 year old, baseball broadcasting legend and Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell. Ernie could say more with less than virtually any broadcaster I ever heard and was another of the classic mic men who influenced my career and desire to be a broadcaster since I was a young kid listening to KMOX radio broadcasts of St. Louis Cardinal baseball.

Here's some quick comments on a variety of emailed topics to our updated Q&A section of our site:

Yes..Raven and Brian Pillman had the high IQ thing in common but were also different in many ways. Another thing that the two guys, both of whom I have/had good relationships with is that they have/were both their own worst enemy at times. It was great seeing Raven at the CAC in Vegas last month. Rarely is there a day that goes by that I don't think of Brian in some fashion.

One suggestion...please read these blogs BEFORE you send us questions because I quite often write about things on our blogs that are then asked on the Q&A's and they are simply deleted.

No...one cannot be successful 'getting in the business' without a well thought out game plan. "I want to be a wrestler so where do I sign up" defies logic. Many wannabes don't have a clue even of where to seek training and we've talked about it multiple times here and that sort of info in all over the net. Plus, any wannabe needs to give themselves a time line to either make it meaning full time work or not. Do not waste your youth chasing dreams that simply won't or can't materialize and always, always have a viable skill and an education to fall back on if the 'wrestling thing' doesn't work. BTW it won't work for the vast majority who try it.

No...I am not, as some suggest that I should, going to stay in WWE ONLY for their employee benefits. Good grief. Obviously, there will be much better reasons than that if WWE continues to be my long term home and it very well may.

Yes...I think Spike TV did a smart thing in moving their TNA show to Thursday nights as it was dying a natural death on Mondays at the hands of Raw and darker days were likely on the horizon when Monday Night Football starts. Monday's ratings for all programing was affected by the NBA playoffs and MNF has much of that same sort of appeal depending on the game. The landscape has drastically changed from the WWE/WCW Monday Night Wars including how the product is and should be presented.

We were asked about Rick Rude's demeanor backstage and I recall Rick as a man's man who his peer's respected and also being somewhat quiet and moody at times. While Rick's backstage demeanor could change from time to time his in ring work was always consistently strong particularly when Rick was healthy. He was also a tough dude.

My pal Brad Nessler called me this week and he's taking some much deserved, well earned time off from broadcasting college football and basketball and will gear up for ABC/ESPN in mid August. It's nice having an off season and being able to recharge one's batteries. Ness is the best all around, main stream sports, play by play broadcaster in the game for my money.

Yes..it is unfortunate and sad that the seemingly 'goofy as a pet coon' fan who's obviously obsessed with Mickie James made threats to WWE personnel, etc. The guy seems to have mental issues and I'm happy that I haven't had any of those embarrassing issues associated with me. as I was asked by an emailer. Mickie certainly did not deserve this and we wish her well with her country music career. I'm a Mickie James fan, too, but I don't plan any radical protests regarding her employment situation. Our lives should not singularly revolve around any job.

Yes...WWE is PG...they are going to stay PG...and Edge's promo Monday night about the 'Rated R' business was just a nice slice of show biz. PG it is and PG it's going to stay. At least that how I see WWE going forward. For the record, I have no issues with a PG rated, TV wrestling show.

No...I wholeheartedly do not like for wrestlers to compete in jewelry. Rings, earrings, and necklaces, etc should not be worn in combat in my old school opinion. Yeah, I know that I'm not 'hip' but I've seen what happens with individuals who wore hoop earrings or a necklace legit fights.

Yes...I do like Curt Hawkins and I hope that he makes it in WWE or where ever he eventually lands. Athletic, young men who love the business and have been lifelong fans who have passion and a viable work ethic should be afforded 2nd and 3rd looks if they are 'good citizens' as Hawkins is.

Yes...I find it somewhat silly and trivial that so many wrestlers have one word names. Is it against today's rules for a wrestler to have a first and a last name? I have no issue with wrestlers with simply one name but is it a necessity as it seems to be in today's wrestling biz? I say no.

My favorite WWE commentary of the week, more often than not, is the NXT commentators Michael Cole and Josh Mathews, if that is their real names. Perhaps it's because they are simply being themselves but nonetheless it makes the hour pass faster and adds to the NXT show. TV Wrestling announcers should not always agree on every point the other makes and if the disagreements are balanced with some degree of objectivity and doesn't come off as 'forced' or 'manufactured' then it can certainly add to a show. My years with antagonist Jerry Lawler and the always controversial Paul Heyman spawned some memorable WWE broadcasts.

Check out the offers in our on line store especially the Original BBQ Sauce special that gets you three bottles of our best selling sauce, a new, autographed 8X10 that's displayed with the offer and FREE SHIPPING in the USA for only $19.88.

Be sure and follow us on Twitter as I update often and over 30,000 are following us and growing. It's at http://twitter.com/JRsBBQ.

Thanks for the visit and the business. Come back and see us.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.

Tags: Jim Ross, WWE, MSW, UWF, TNA, WCW, Rick Rude