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JR's Blog: Thursday Blog, Austin the Author?, Rivalry DVD: Bret-Shawn is Amazing, Booker T, the Announcer, Order JR's Products @ WWEShop!

Posted: Sep 23rd 2011 By: CMBurnham

Beautiful day in Norman Oklahoma and we appreciate you visiting our site. You can use this link to access all our products at WWEShop.com, http://www.wweshop.com/Category/JimRoss. WWEShop is shipping essentially worldwide and we are getting great feedback via Twitter, @JRsBBQ, from folks from around the globe regarding our family of products. Let's grill...

Will Steve Austin write another book considering that his last one "left a lot to be desired?" That stings as my friend Dennis Brent and I collaborated with Steve on his book, which was a New York Times Best Seller, and we thought it was fairly solid. Nonetheless, it wasn't 'dirt heavy' which is apparently what many desire and perhaps that's simply what sells now days. I can't respond for @steveaustinBSR but it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't pen a book some day. Steve is also building a new website which should be up soon.

Speaking of books, when will JR write a book? No time soon as I likely won't publish a book on my career until I am out of the biz of which I have no intentions on being any time soon, however, with my dubious track record those plans are always subject to change.

Nonetheless I have kept copious notes and correspondence from throughout my career and I think that I have plenty of compelling material for more than one book. Perhaps as time moves on and Mother Nature takes her natural course, writing about some subjects/topics will be easier for me.

Undertaker questions...we seem to get more and more of them...mostly the same questions daily. Final, final for now...I don't know when the Undertaker will return but I expect it to be by WM28. I don't know who Taker will face at WM28 but it will be someone of quality and the match will rival Rock-Cena for equal billing because the 'Streak' is that big in the eyes of many fans. I also don't keep up with the Undertaker's current choice of haircuts and when we do communicate it's about college football and not haircuts.

BTW I just got an advance, finished copy of the WWE Greatest Rivalry Series, Shawn vs. Bret. It is a 3 disc set that features a long, face to face interview conducted by yours truly with the two, WWE Hall of Fame rivals. We cover their careers from their earliest days including San Antonio for HBK and Calgary for Hitman. We talk openingly about what was real and what was fantasy regarding their rivalry. Redemption vs. Reconciliation. Hope vs. Peace. I was honored to be a small part of this production as I truly believe that this interview will be watched by wrestling fans for years to come.

Matches include: several Rockers vs. Hart Foundation tag bouts including one from Tokyo, Bret vs. Shawn's ladder Match from Portland, Maine in 1992, many other individual bouts between the two beginning in 1990 through 1997 and their inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame.

The face to face interview is ground breaking and not because I conducted it but because of the raw, honesty of both men. It was as emotional and as riveting as any interview that I've been associated with in my career. The approximate running time of the three disc set is 9 hours.

This must see DVD is on sale at the end of October and is one that I strongly suggest that you check out.

What are my thoughts on Booker T? Another question that we get a great deal. I always loved Booker's work in the ring and when he was 'on' he was as good as any one especially when Booker was allowed to roll on the mic. As far as his announcing goes, I think Booker improves every week and that he's attempting to master a new aspect of the business which some fans feel is easy to accomplish. It's not. Booker is witty, has a distinctive delivery, and understands the business and if he continues to improve he will earn the same accolades as a broadcaster as he did as a wrestler in WCW and WWE.

It isn't exactly fair to compare any broadcasters of today with those of other generations because today's commentators are asked to perform a different style than did their predecessors. Play by play, for example, has fallen by the wayside, by and large, and being a narrator/story teller has taken its place. Same essentially goes for the analyst role. Analysts don't speak much on the affects of wrestling holds to any degree any longer and some even avoid talking in ring strategy.

WWEShop has some great gift ideas on their site including a package of JR's products that comes with an authentic signed, enhanced card of your favorite Okie. Every autograph is legit and done personally by me. Check out the deals @ http://www.wweshop.com/Category/JimRoss.

Our Twitter followers are at 220,000 and growing daily. You're invited to follow @JRsBBQ.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.