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JR's Blog: Tribute to the Troops, JBL & Cole, Nick Saban, UFC, Twitterverse, Ziggler Punished?, Order JR's Online Today for Christmas Delivery

Posted: Dec 13th 2013 By: CMBurnham

Happy Thursday and I hope all are well. The shipping deadline to get JR's products via online shopping is rapidly approaching. I encourage one and all to pull the proverbial trigger much sooner than later if you plan on gifting JR's for Christmas. We hope that you will visit http://www.wweshop.com http://www.americansoda.co.uk or http://www.beyondtheropes.co.uk today. Next......

Not sure how many fans realize the amount of work that WWE puts in to produce the Tribute to the Troops TV show as they did this week. The most important broadcast the company does this year will air on NBC on December 28. These remote shoots create an amazing work load on the WWE TV production folks, among others, and their efforts should not go unrecognized.

WWE starting a new tryout camp today in Orlando at the WWE Performance Center. I miss those opportunities to mentor and communicate with young talents who want to live their dream just as I did. Hopefully everyone attending will report in magnificent physical condition and pay attention. The drills are essential to master and to not replicate previously corrected mistakes in technique. Best of luck to all involved.

The Twitterverse is a tremendously unique world. I obviously enjoy it after reluctantly coming on board thanks for Joey Styles. I am approaching 1M followers as I;m about 7,000 shy as I write this. Nonetheless, here are some Twitter topics/questions that I've received recently. Read and enjoy....

Will Nick Saban leave Alabama for Texas? I think Saban stays at Bama. However, Saban loves to build programs and Texas offers a great opportunity to jump start UT's biggest money maker. I lean that Saban stays at Bama but him going to Texas with the biggest money deal in college football history would not shock me. Neither would Mack Brown coaching one more year but that seems less likely with each passing day.

Yes, William Regal has a great eye for wrestling talent plus he is a terrific instructor. Any company would better themselves with more William Regal's associated with them. I'm blessed to call him my friend and am thankful that I had an opportunity to help him sort out his life back in the day. Regal is a huge asset for WWE that often goes unnoticed to the average fan.

Good point about internships and post college jobs with WWE that students who attend Full Sail University do have a leg up on the process. If one has the goal of being in show business/entertainment, etc in any capacity, including WWE, graduating from Full Sail University in Orlando is a smart, smart move.

Yes, JR's products are just as useful and tasty in one's kitchen as they are on the grill. Some think that utilizing our products on the grill is their only function. JR's Chipotle Ketchup isn't ordinary and makes for a terrific steak sauce. Our All Purpose Seasoning works amazingly well in canned vegetables such as beans of any kind. Combine the previous two products with some of our BBQ sauces and you can raise the taste level of any meatloaf or beef, chicken or pork dish.

Is WWE "punishing" Dolph Ziggler? No. If WWE wanted to "punish" Ziggler they would simply not use him on TV and allow him to fade into obscurity. More fans should use their common sense on this one. Dolph is hugely talented and, generally, athletes who are on Ziggler's level overcome any perceived obstacles. The key is to not check out and to keep turning heads.

Will WWE sign AJ Styles? I'd have zero clue on that one but I would say it's a long shot at best. Not because AJ isn't an outstanding talent, because he is, but I get the feeling WWE wants to create new stars and those new stars are going to come from the WWE Performance Center exclusively.

Yes, I'm going to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans to support my Sooners. I haven't missed a play in person all year and don't plan on missing being in NOLA on January 2.

Yep, I think Anderson Silva regains his title on December 28 in Vegas on the next @UFC PPV. However I do think that it will be a battle as it seems as if the Champion, Chris Weidman, isn't getting much respect from many fans of UFC. Weidman should be motivated to prove that his KO win over Silva wasn't a fluke.

BTW, our plans to attend the UFC super card live in Vegas may have to be amended. Too many projects seem to be developing at the same time that need to be addressed before the end of the year.

UK wannabes who aspire to be in WWE some day as a wrestler should hook up with Robbie Brookside who can be reached via Twitter @Brooksides_UK. Robbie is an excellent trainer with who the WWE communicates with regularly and who they trust.

Yes, I'm still working on entering into the Podcast world and hope to have our deal finalized by year's end with a 2014 start date. Until then continue to enjoy the podcasts of @steveaustinBSR, @IAmJericho and @JimCornette, whose Podcast I'm on this week.

No, I don't care to engage in Chris Benoit WWE HOF talk and that mindset isn't changing. It's a pointless discussion in my view.

No, I don't have a favorite match of all time that I've broadcast. Been blessed to have called so many amazing performances from the best in the business over the past four decades. I'd love to be a part of a 'best of' DVD of those moments as WWE owns all the video. That could be a fun project down the road.

Yes, another smart, strategic move by UFC to add a female, 115 pound weight division. More depth, more new talent to market and opportunities to develop more stars to represent the brand. With UFC doing SO much TV, and more apparently on the way, quality depth on their roster will always be imperative to maintain and develop.

The key to the future of companies such as UFC and WWE is the development of new stars. Stars logically engaged with other stars sell PPV's and garner TV ratings. Just hanging one's shingle out with a company's name on it obviously doesn't get it done.

Yes, tickets for my first ever, one man show, RINGSIDE: An Evening with Jim Ross which is set for Saturday March 1 in the Gramercy Theater in New York City are on sale NOW at the box office at the Gramercy and from Ticketmaster.com. I will be doing two shows that day. VIP meet and greet tickets are available but limited.

No, I like and respect both Michael Cole and JBL very much. I've know them both for many, many years and even signed JBL to his WWE contract when he was Justin "Hawk' Bradshaw. It's hard to name a talent who better re-invented themselves, multiple times by the way, than did the boisterous and intelligent Texan. Cole and I have spent countless hours conversing and sharing ideas over the years and I'd like to think that we've helped each during that time. No one works harder or more diligently than does Michael Cole and he deserves much more credit than he receives. (BTW..check the @Layfield Report)

My 'issue' with today's wrestling commentary, in general, is the lack of documenting what one's seeing in the ring to the degree that as a viewer that I can 'feel' it therefore better emotionally invest in it. That's ultimate in story telling in my humble opinion. Nonetheless, talented talkers like Cole and Layfield do as they are instructed to do, which is actually a great philosophy for one to follow if they care about job security, and who doesn't? If one cashes their companies checks, then do what the company wants.

The game has changed, by and large, at the announce tables of pro wrestling which adds another log to the fire as to why I feel that I've called my last match. My style and today's trend of broadcasting likely isn't a compatible fit....and that's not a bad thing.

No, I don't answer every question submitted to Ask JR here on the site but I try to answer all that I can.

Again, time is running out to make your orders, save money and get your JR's products delivered in time for Christmas. Shopping online is quick and easy and you can order JR's from:

http://www.wweshop.com

http://www.americansoda.co.uk

http://www.beyondtheropes.co.uk

From my family to your's, we thank you for considering making JR's a part of your holidays.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ