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JR's Blog: JR looks at CM Punk vs. Ryback at Sunday's HIAC PPV..WWEShop.com offering 20% OFF JR's Products Now!

Posted: Oct 28th 2012 By: CMBurnham

It's football weather in Norman, Oklahoma as many of us anxiously await Saturday night's Oklahoma vs. Note Dame college football slobber knocker televised here nationally on ABC. Now this..

The @CMPunk vs. @Ryback22 main event this Sunday at HIAC in Atlanta is one of the most intriguing matchups the WWE has presented in a good while. This new, PPV main event has certainly invoked a great deal of interest online amongst wrestling fans and pundits.

I've read many theories as to how this match will go, seemingly, from some that apparently have the ability to predict the future.

If you're one of those with a crystal ball, please let me know who will win the OU-ND game Saturday night. The spread is -10.5 OU, if you are interested. Baby needs new shoes.

Obviously Sunday on PPV is huge for every participant booked on the show. Fans who buy PPV's deserve more than they receive on free, weekly TV or at least that's how I feel. Talents will earn more money on PPV than on any other day at their work and are obligated to rise to the occasion and go the extra mile to insure that their match is the "match of the night.'

Yep...maximize those damn minutes.

Ryback has never headlined a WWE PPV. Ryback has never been in a legacy enhancing Hell in a Cell match. However, no one on the recent WWE timeline has been on more of a roll or burst on the WWE radar as Ryback has either.

Ryback will feel great pressure to deliver on Sunday and there's nothing wrong with that. Any talent who tries to maintain that they're "cooler than the other side of the pillow" on Game Day, IE a PPV, is fooling themselves and providing a disservice to everyone involved in the equation.

I've done my share of PPV broadcasts over the years and I assure you that I will be nervous/anxious to do my very best work Sunday in a new role for me on PPV and likely within a challenging, three man broadcast team that I assume will be comprised by @MichaelCole and @JCLayfield along with yours truly. Damn right I'll be nervous but I take great pride in my work and getting the opportunity to return to the PPV announce team is big for me.

It's not another day at the office for any of us involved in HIAC.

So, how does Ryback handle this assignment Sunday on PPV? I'm a glass half full guy so I'm going into the event thinking that the big man will 'feed' upon the opportunity and do what is necessary to have his best bout ever.

Ryback has momentum, an ever growing fan base and he's facing one of the premier talents that has performed in WWE in years in the reigning WWE Champion CM Punk.

Punk's celebrated professional journey, documented in his new, must see DVD, has seen the wrestling lifer step in the ring with a multitude of wrestlers of varying shapes and sizes and skill sets. Punk headlining a WWE PPV is obviously a milestone for Punk but professionally having a competitive, entertaining and a 'can't call the shot main event' with Ryback presents an amazing opportunity for the WWE Champion.

Punk and many fans alike have talked 'change' within WWE for quite some time. Well, change is here and it headlines a PPV this Sunday night from Atlanta.

I see a 'hungry,' no pun intended, Ryback, whose WWE career has not been without challenges, fully realize the opportunity that has presented itself and will have the best bout that any of us have ever seen from the powerhouse. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. If any broadcaster goes into a show feeling negative about the event that they're going to broadcast then the broadcast suffers and the fans get cheated. I'm not going to cheat any fans.

I see Punk pulling out all the stops to make this likely, show closing main event memorable and to add even more respect from his peers and to take another step closer to legitimately being regarded as "The Best in the World."

As still a true fan of the business, I live for these types of events where there is so much uncertainty and so many unanswered questions.

As a a broadcaster this I know...Ryback either suffers his first ever loss OR he leaves HIAC as the new, WWE Champion.

I'm traveling to Atlanta EARLY Sunday morning after the Sooners-Irish tilt Saturday night in Norman and upon arrival in ATL, about 8 hours before show time, I will head directly to the arena to continue to prepare.

For those that have followed my career, you know that this Sunday's event is going to be special for me. I'm being provided the opportunity to return to broadcast a WWE PPV in a city that I loved living in and where a nice portion of my professional legacy was established back in the WCW days.

Nope...not just another day at the office for any of us privileged enough to be a part of HIAC on PPV.

WWEShop.com at http://www.wweshop.com just launched a SALE where you can SAVE 20% on JR's products. Take advantage of the savings and stockup now.

Thanks to @americansoda for doing such a super job distributing our products out of their Manchester, England facility to all of the UK, Ireland and most of Europe. Check them out too.

Almost at 600,000 followers on Twitter @JRsBBQ...I invite you to follow us.

It's tailgate time and I'm SO excited to see OU hopefully win a HUGE game Saturday night. I will be donning the black hat and standing on the Sooner sideline as usual on what should be a raucous, LOUD home crowd seen nationally on ABC TV.

Have a great weekend...I sure am.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.