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JR's Blog: Ross Report Podcast Registering Record Numbers, @Lagana, Alex Riley, Kenny Omega, WWE's 2017 Top Fan Fav, RINGSIDE Shows Near!

Posted: Dec 27th 2016 By: Jim Ross

Ross Report Podcast Registering Record Numbers, @Lagana, Alex Riley, Kenny Omega, WWE's 2017 Top Fan Fav, RINGSIDE Shows Near!
Thanks for stopping by our site and we hope that you had a great holiday. We had a low key Christmas at our Norman, Oklahoma home enjoying food, football and multiple siestas. Sometimes doing 'nothing' is the perfect thing to do. Our Christmas couldn't have been better. We hope that yours was even better.

We've had a tremendous December with the number of downloads that we have attained for The Ross Report podcast and expect to finish the year in a strong fashion. Our last show of the year will feature former creative team member in WWE, ROH, and TNA Dave Lagana, @Lagana, to our show for the first time and I think that it's the first podcast that David has done since he resigned his post at TNA. I will also be talking to Kenny Omega about WK11 coming up on January 4 from the Tokyo Dome. I appreciate your support of our Slobber Knocker Audio show.

I will also be talking this week to former WWE wrestler Alex Riley who has relocated to Los Angeles to begin an acting career. Alex will soon join me on a future Ross Report podcast that I look forward to hosting. He should have an interesting story to share.

Subscribe for free to The Ross Report podcast at iTunes and never miss a show as they will be automatically downloaded into the device of your choosing.

Random, "Burnt Ends"....

As I said after WWE Roadblock, it seems to me that Sasha Banks will be a more viable villain with a need to cheat to win and it looks like that may be what @WWE is thinking as well.

While some may proclaim that today's wrestling fans do not need/want clearly established antagonists and protagonists, i.e. 'faces and heels, and I could not disagree more. Agreed that society has nearly erased the line that separates good versus evil to a large degree but basic human nature still readily recognizes life's heroes and villains.

When talents who are positioned as fan favorites and who currently are booed on a regular basis, one potential remediy might be for the talents to wrestle as 'villains' to better fit their individual presentations. Steve Austin wrestled as a 'rough, baby face' in his biggest years and it resonated for him.This might work for Roman Reigns, for example, who might be better served to not over react to the reaction of the fans and do his business, be physical and athletic and let the cards fall where they may.

We have to realize that in today's genre of pro wrestling that many fans love to become a part of the presentation and are going to follow suit of other fans who embrace the opportunity to be heard and, at times, be seen during tv wrestling shows. Point is that some fans may feel that it is the trendy thing to do when jeering talents who have been positioned as fan favorites.

Fans who pay their hard earned cash to buy a ticket to a wresting show have the right, in general (not profane) to express themselves no matter if it is counter productive, by and large, to the presentation of the event.

It seems easy to predict that by year's end, if not before, that AJ Styles will be WWE's most popular in ring star as the grass roots feedback that AJ is receiving from WWE fans should resonate as legit, market research. It's hard for highly skilled, physical talents who do amazing athletic things, like AJ and Neville, for example, to be able to get the fans in mass to boo them. What's not to like?

The reaction of the paying customers should rank as the best market research a company like WWE can receive.

Anyone who thinks that in today's world of pro wrestling that non finishes such as disqualifications and count outs resonate the same as they once did is borderline Pet Coon Goofy. Uncreative booking and attempting to appease talents who have issues losing adversely affect the presentation of pro wrestling IMO.

Talents who take issue with losing a fictional, TV presentation are likely the one's who have the least confidence in their work and may be in need of an ego transplant. Or work for a promotion that they wil never be asked to lose.

Talents involved in reality based storylines will often times register with the TV viewer but will also become afterthoughts if there is no clear cut road to a 'pay off.' I.E. will Renee Young eventually get physical with Maryse? I'd watch as many of us enjoy the occasional 'train wreck.'

Tickets are still available for our RINGSIDE with Jim Ross Shows in January including Thursday night January 12 in Phoenix at Stand Up Live with tickets available starting at $25 at www.standuplive.com. We also have a big weekend planed in San Antonio during Royal Rumble weekend as I will be appearing at River City Wrestling on Friday January 27 at the Turner Club in Kirby, Texas and then we will be presenting RINGSIDE with Jim Ross Show at the Improv at River Center which is an easy walk to the Alamo Dome where WWE will present the Royal Rumble. Tickets for our RINGSIDE show in San Antonio are available at www.rivercitycomedyclub.com. Our Improv show is a matinee that sees our VIP event going from noon-2 PM, doors for our show at 2 PM , the show stating at 2:30 and ending at 4 PM.

Seems as if the folks in Britain are getting properly excited regarding the airing of the two hour, World of Sport TV special on December 31 from 5pm-7pm on @ITV. Excited to see how ITV edited the show and I have great expectations that it will be received positively which isn't a lay up in today's marketplace with largely, contrarian fans who are at times challenging to satisfy.

Remember that you can watch ROH Wrestling any where in the world every Monday at 7 pm ET on the @FITETV App which you can download for FREE at fite.tv/JRsBBQ. All you need is a smart device and WiFi.

@JoshLBarnett and I are excited for the opportunity to broadcast NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 11 on AXSTV beginning Friday night January 13 which is only 9 days after the live event in the Tokyo Dome. I hope that fans remember to vote for Josh in the Wrestling Observer year end awards as he's done an amazing job on the NJPW show all year.

Working on details to attend the Oklahoma Sooners Sugar bowl game versus Auburn on Monday Jan 2. Getting on two airplanes to get there is a deterrent for one who is 'over' TSA, airports and packed flights.

We are on Instagram at jimrossbbq...and on Facebook at JimRossBBQ.

Just to clarify to those who utilize the Q&A facet of this site, I am not obligated to answer every question, I do not chose to talk about my family life and make my loved one's a part of the public forum, I chose to not discuss religion or politics to any degree and I will likely not respond to ignorant, ass chewings although I'm O.K. with taking a trip to the woodshed if deserved. There has to be a few rules fo this service that we are happy to provide.

Enjoy your day and thanks for joining us here and I hope that you will bookmark our site for future visits.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ