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JR's Blog: PWInsider Mike Johnson Joins JR on new, Ross Report..RAW ST Louis Thoughts..IC Title Picture..Miz/KO/Cesaro/Zayn..ROH PPV...Ryback Goes Home

Posted: May 4th 2016 By: Jim Ross

Greetings from Norman, Oklahoma where it is always football season to some degree of which I embrace. Excited to welcome PWInsider's Mike Johnson, one of the most accomplished 'insiders' in the pro wrestling game to The Ross Report Podcast that drops tonight (Tuesday) at 9 PM ET on www.podcastone.com, iTunes and on the homepage of our site right here. Mike is one of our most popular guests and we thoroughly go over WWE Payback, WWE booking, the ROH PPV, TNA's perceived issues, Hulk & Gawker, your Twitter questions and a ton more on this packed show. Subscribe for FREE at iTunes to the Ross Report and never miss a weekly show. It's FREE for you and it helps us. Thanks.

RAW/St. Louis Thoughts....STL will always be one of my favorite, wrestling cities of which to travel over the years. I still regale in the memory of WWE assembling many of the former NWA World Champions there along with legendary promoter Sam Muchnick for a PPV event. I had one of my most enjoyable post event moments when the Brisco Brothers, that being Jack and Jerry Brisco, and I convened to my hotel room and enjoyed cold, room service beers as we talked into the night. I just had a conversation today about the St. Louis Wrestling at the Chase TV library.

Full disclosure as I watched RAW with a hurried up presentation via DVR as I was working on this week's Ross Report Podcast when RAW was going live. The IC Title, after having an hour of Payback devoted largely to it Sunday night, and with Monday's IC oriented content on RAW seems to indicate that WWE is taking positive steps to reinvigorate the long standing championship. Miz has been re-invented with wife Maryse and is a good choice to be the IC Champion as he's very beatable which is great trait for an antagonist champion IMO. Miz just needs to make sure that he separates his funny/entertaining side from the antagonist/villain wrestler side. It's doable and Miz has got the skill set to execute it in my view.

Kevin Owens, Cesaro and Sami Zayn along with Miz are putting themselves in a position to turn heads, have their popularity measured via the quarter hour TV ratings, be strong bell to bell, and create more worth for themselves as members of the roster. Maximizing minutes can equal to 'new money. '

Looks like Jericho and Ambrose will go one more time, or so it appears, at Extreme Rules in less than three weeks. These two should never have a bad wrestling match.

Rusev winning the US Title #1 contenders battle royal did not bother me as I'm one who thought that Rusev was on his way to really being special when his winning steak was prematurely ended. The key with this victory is the always prominent 'follow up.'

In any event, the US Title needs comparable TLC that the Intercontinental Title is currently receiving in order to take positive steps in resurrecting this long standing title from pre show, prelim status.

Feels like the Women's Title situation is reeling somewhat from Payback. I might be wrong on this one too. The way that the matter, if it does exist, is addressed is to go out and have great wrestling matches and move forward in a positive manner. Any thing else is a being unproductive. A the end of the day it is arguable to say that the WWE women's side of their roster has never been stronger although I will always be biased toward the women in the Attitude Era locker room.

Always good to see Becky Lynch getting back involved. The Irish lass is one of the most underrated, WWE talents on the roster. Good to see Emma beginning to get her earned due, too.

Seems to me that WWE has to accelerate the story telling of who Anderson and Gallows are and their long history with AJ Styles to allow the TV viewer to emotionally invest in what could appear to be no more than a traditional and predictable TV wrestling storyline. The 'Bullet Club' phenomenon is not one that has mass audience recognition. I like the faction a great deal but I'm in need of more info to help me form a better opinion on these new, TV characters. I contend that there are others that feel the same way.

Big Cass only needed the proverbial 'hot tag' in his tag match Monday night and any thing else was/is unnecessary at this point in time.

Sources say that WWE decided to send Ryback home after a spirited discussion regarding a new contract. Take it from me and this goes for virtually every walk of life one can imagine, it works infinitely better when one 'converses' and not 'confronts' when dealing with negotiations or most any facet of business. I'm not saying that was the case here with Ryback and WWE but it's just good, general info for all of us to file away.

For the record, unless Ryback is going to be booked ala The Warrior, which isn't a terrible idea, I can easily see Ryback as a large, overbearing bully of an antagonist in WWE. The character is globally relatable and I think that Ryback could pull it off. I do not know the back story on this matter but when negotiations run into the closing window of an existing contract the talent and the company find themselves in uncomfortable territory. Plus, sometime it is also good for all involved to part and begin anew.

Remember, conversing and not confronting will get you the results that you seek more often than not.

I suggest that you check out Camp WWE the TV-MA animated series on the WWE Network where Vince McMahon steals the show with his voice over acting which I found to be extremely 'real.' You will laugh while watching art imitate life.

Enjoy the ROH PPV this Sunday from Chicago on our FITE TV App. If you have a smart device and WiFi you are in the game for this weekend's hot, lineup of pro wrestling, MMA and Boxing on FITE TV which is a FREE app.

Headed to Ada, Oklahoma later this week to tape a feature honoring the Brisco Brothers going into the National Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame in June. I'm so proud of my Oklahoma brethren, Jack and Jerry, who have both meant the world to me and my wife Jan.

Enjoyed a productive telephone conversation today and it looks as if there will be more boxing on the CBS Sports Network in my future. This fall we will likely go on Friday nights, all TBD, which means that I will fly out of Vegas early Saturday morning to be at the Oklahoma Football game that weekend. A man's got to have his priorities, you know?

FITE TV will be promoting this weekend's Canelo vs Kahn fight in Las Vegas including the Wednesday press conference at 12:30 pm pacific, the weigh ins Friday at 2:30 pm pacific, and the prelims Saturday at 4 pm pacific. Join us for all the FREE content and enjoy the PPV as well.

OklaMania comes to OKC Cox Convention Center on Sunday July 17 and tickets for this massive, indie wrestling card AND OklaCon fan festival go on sale this Saturday morning via www.ticketmaster.com. Don't miss the chance to meet such stars as Sting, Matt and Jeff Hardy, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Jim Cornette, Ol JR and many others from ROH, NWA, TNA and others Sunday July 17 from 10am until 5pm. Tickets for many of these VIP meet/greet packages are limited so check it out via www.imperialwrestlingrevolution.com and get your tickets early at ticketmaster.com.

Funny how I flippantly suggested a Conor McGregor vs Brock Lesnar special attraction presentation/match for Wrestlemania 33 ala the Floyd Mayweather vs Big Show match at WM24 and some on Twitter took me to the woodshed on my "Are you off your meds?" fantasy booking.

Lighten up, Francis.

Need JR's....visit your local, Ingles Market, or shop online at www.wweshop.com and for UK/Ireland home delivery visit www.americansoda.co.uk.

Have a great day and ...

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ