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JR's Blog: Edge Thoughts..Extreme Rules..Ventura at it Again..Dynamite Kid..Legends Roundtable..Manny Ramirez..Let's Grill!

Posted: Apr 14th 2011 By: CMBurnham

Really nice to be home...going to be an interesting week. It's officially Grilling Season and time for you to order your JR's products. We are fully stocked and ready to serve. Random thoughts....

Quick trip up to Bridgeport, Ct via NYC's LaGuardia Airport. No short way of getting there from Norman. The segment that featured the King/Cole business was one of the highest rated quarter hours on the entire show. That's somewhat amazing on many fronts if one stops and thinks about it.

Perhaps King will 'trade' or 'waive' me for a more suitable tag team partner before Extreme Rules as I'm not sure how much help I'm going to be able to give him. However, much alike a car wreck, it will be worth slowing down for and for taking a perverse look.

X Factor in the announced tag match at Extreme Rules in Tampa is obviously Jack Swagger. The Perry, Oklahoma native is a certifiable beast who has no clue how strong he is and when his adrenaline starts flowing he's a total badass. Trust me. He damn near dislocated my shoulder merely grabbing me before King rolled up the former OU wrestling star.

Funniest questions I've been getting on Twitter @JRsBBQ is what my "finishing hold will be." You HAVE to be kidding me.

Next funniest question is when will King and I start training together to prepare for this 'epic tag team encounter.' How about not any time soon. Not even King can teach my aging arse any significant skills in three weeks. Let's face it, the King's team is in trouble.

Loved Tough Enough this week. @steveaustinBSR is dynamite in his role and it just keeps getting better. The eliminations are compelling TV.

Not sure if Jesse Ventura is 'off his meds' but his recent talk show appearances to promote his new book have been entertaining, unpredictable and, at times, wacky. The former Governor of Minnesota has always been unique but he seems to be getting more and more eccentric as he grows older. Working with Jesse in WCW, XFL, and in WWE was never boring but was never easy either.

Even though some have speculated that @michaelcole is doing all he can verbally to demean our family's BBQ biz here on line, our business has been steady and with the official grilling season for most upon us will only get better. My mother's homemade BBQ sauce recipe is the foundation of our Original Sauce and not even the inane ramblings of Cole is going to adversely affect our sales. If Cole has that much stroke, then those that are affected by what he says shouldn't be allowed on a computer in the first place.

We get lots of questions about the Dynamite Kid here on this site. Every year around the WWE HOF Induction Ceremony, Dynamite's name pops up quite often. Cutting to the chase: 1. I have zero to do with the WWE HOF and have less than zero influence as to who is inducted 2. I have NO IDEA if or when Dynamite Kid will ever be inducted but I have my doubts 3. Tommy Billington aka Dynamite Kid was a helluva in ring hand and WAY ahead of his time and arguably one of the best in ring performers of any era and 4. Dynamite is considered by many of his peers to have not been a great person behind the scenes as in he was allegedly a mean spirited guy. For the record, I never knew Tommy and only met him once a few years ago in the UK and it was sad to see him wheelchair bound. It's easy for one to be bitter when they've been dealt a challenging hand like that.

There's a new Legends Roundtable that debuted this week on WWE On Demand regarding the Canadian Effect on wrestling. I've already got some email and Twitter feedback from those that have seen it and liked it. There's no way to possibly get to all the great, Canadian talents in one show nor do I have any thing to do with the editing process of these very popular broadcasts. Invariably someone will ask,"Why didn't you talk more about Whipper Billy Watson" and so forth. Time restraints and the editing process are the primary reasons. It certainly isn't a respect issue.

Again, we DO NOT ship outside the USA from this site. However, http://www.wweshop.com does carry our JR's line of products and they ship to Canada, UK, etc. If WWEShop happens to be out of something then be patient as they order from us virtually every week and will restock ASAP.

Thanks to those that are sending us recipe ideas using our products. The latest of using our BBQ Sauces in Ranch Dressing was fabulous. BBQ Ranch Dressing is a winner.

Love how many wrestling websites won't give us the time of day unless I write something that can be perceived as 'dirt' or, in many of their vernacular 'news.'

WWE All Stars from THQ #WWEGames is doing very well. Give the new video game a try and I think that you';ll like it. Getting feedback that some Dads are playing it with their sons in sort of a generational thing.

Most stupid rumor send our way, "Is Manny Ramirez really going to wrestle in WWE?" That one is so ridiculous that it makes one want to slap their dog and we don't even own a dog plus abusing animals is a sin in my eyes. Manny Ramirez would not be an asset in any organization under his current mindset and attitude. What's Manny going to do, form a tag team with Barry Bonds? That duo would really create positive PR not to mention that neither can wrestle a lick nor do they seem likely to be the type of people that would take the business seriously and want to learn the ropes, so to speak.

I'm looking forward to attending the Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet next week in Las Vegas. Check out their website at www.caulifloweralleyclub.org. Lots of stars to be on hand.

Edge's retirement this past Monday on Raw was a shocking surprise. I had no idea that it was going to happen even up until the time Edge came to the ring and gave us the emotional news. There are no wrestlers in the business that I respect more as a performer and a man than I do Adam Copeland aka Edge. When I signed him in the 90's, he was a lanky, over achieving kid who simply wanted to live his dream of making it onto the WWE Roster. He and Christian were like brothers and both fed off the other in the ring as they each worked diligently every day to improve their game. I honestly can't remember a single day when Adam Copeland ever did anything to disappoint me or cause our department or company any problems.

Edge has a brilliant mind, a kind soul, patience, and would be a great teacher, producer, broadcaster, scout, or whatever task he may want to undertake in WWE. I look for Edge to take some much needed time away from the business and enjoy the North Carolina mountains and his dogs that he loves so much. He deserves no less than to return to WWE in whatever role that creates a win/win for Edge and the company but only whenever Edge is ready to re-engage.

In my role as the head of WWE Talent, I signed many athletes/performers who ended up excelling in WWE but none, and I mean no one, was more of a pure joy to work with and to watch grow from a mid card, tag team wrestler into one of WWE's most prominent and enduring superstars who will no doubt be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame some day.

I shutter to think what would have happened to Edge in another generation of the biz as it relates to accurately diagnosing his injury. Most old timers would have 'worked through it,' or attempted to do so, until their body completely shut down. That's sad and unnecessary. Modern medicine and the WWE attention to such matters regarding their talent's health were a blessing for Edge who will now be able to lead a somewhat normal life. I am especially pleased that one of my guys has attained financial independence and that he was able to live his boyhood dream.

Notwithstanding the touching farewell address by the popular native of Ontario, no one can debate that this story did not have a happy ending. Good things more often than not happen to good people and Adam Copeland aka Edge was one of the truly 'good guys' I ever had the privilege of knowing in the business. Now, Adam, if he so chooses, can start phase two of his WWE life and potentially gift the younger talents with his wonderful knowledge and passion for the genre.

Do it on your schedule Adam. Enjoy those North Carolina mountains and reflect upon a job well done. It's people like you that make me extremely proud to be in the business.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.

Tags: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Jack Swagger, WCW, WWE