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JR's Blog: RIP Colonel Buck Robley, Prayers to Bobby Eaton, WWEHOF 2014, JR to Appear in UK in August, Most Under Appreciated Broadcaster

Posted: May 29th 2013 By: CMBurnham

Here's hoping everyone is having a great day and thanks for stopping by our site. Stock up on JR's complete line of delicious products from http://www.wweshop.com and enjoy easy ordering and quick delivery right to your front door. Please keep our products in mind for Father's Day. Let's Grill!

Sorry to hear of the passing of former wrestler and booker Buck Robley this week. Buck was a unique character who served for a time as Cowboy Bill Watts booker in Mid South Wrestling before he was replaced by Ernie Ladd. Buck had a creative mind but had to be vetted by the big Cowboy on many of the wild west type storylines that Buck wanted to do.

Buck was a great crowd psychologist who loved to create 'heat' and had plenty, both in and out of the ring. One of his best creations was a rivalry that he had with Ken Mantell where Buck put a 'bounty' on Mantell. I was the referee for a match between Mantell and the great Terry Funk in the downtown Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans to where if Ken won he would get his long awaited bout vs "The Colonel." It was one of the best matches that I ever refereed inasmuch as the two talents had an amazing, passionate, believable match that I still remember to this day.

The booking meetings that Cowboy and Buck had, that I sat in on more often than not, were classics. Combustible, compelling 'discussions' about ideas for the territory. I learned a great deal about our business from those weekly meetings.

I even designed and made the yellow T Shirt that Buck wore in the ring adorned with "Nobody Calls me Yellow" on it.

RIP Colonel Buck Robley.

Prayers go out to Beautiful Bobby Eaton who is apparently gravely ill in a hospital in Jonesboro, Arkansas as I understand it. Bobby was a member of the amazing, Midnight Express with both Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane who, of course, were managed by the incomparable Jim Cornette. They were one of the greatest tag teams that I ever saw in my 39 years in the biz. Watts, after visiting Memphis to orchestrate a talent trade, put Bobby and Dennis together as a team with Corny as their erasable manager and the rest is history. The team, along with the Rock 'n Roll Express helped set Mid South on fire back in the day.

Bobby Eaton is one of the nicest guys and most genuine talents that I've ever had the privilege to work with in my career. The Huntsville, Alabama native had uncanny timing and awareness in the ring as well as being a reliable, team player. No territory could ever have enough "Bobby Eaton's."

Get better Bobby and know that you are in my thoughts.

I will embark on my first ever "Spoken Word" tour which will happen in the UK in late August. I will appear in Cardiff on Saturday August 24, London Sunday August 25, and Manchester Monday August 26. I will speak on my career from the beginnings in Westville, Oklahoma thru the WWE days that we are currently in and then do an extensive Q&A session with the live audience followed by a VIP meet and greet. Tickets go on sale this Friday and for more info you can check out http://www.psievents.eventbrite.com/ .

This is a new venture for me that I'm eagerly anticipating and I hope the UK fans will get their tickets early and enjoy the show. No juggling or singing in my "act."

The feedback that I have received on my two appearances on the @steveaustinBSR podcast has been overwhelming. It was just two, old friends shooting the breeze and enjoying a visit. We plan on doing more podcasts in the future especially as football season approaches. Steve's podcast is doing amazing numbers and continues to grow every week. I highly recommend that you check it out.

Been asked this question a great deal recently regarding the WWE HOF and that's who would I induct if given an opportunity in New Orleans at WM30 and the answer would be the legendary Danny Hodge. Dan traveled the Louisiana roads for years as the reigning NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion and is in every Hall of Fame that includes wrestlers in the world as far as I know. Dan was the first wrestler to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, of which I have a copy, in 1957. The NCAA's version of the Heisman Trophy, given to the top wrestler annually, is called the Dan Hodge Award. Goggle Dan Hodge if you want to read about a legit legend whose exploits will likely never be duplicated.

Who's the most underrated broadcaster I ever worked with? Without question, Bob Caudle. What a great partner Bob was when I went to work for Jim Crockett and he seamlessly moved over from doing play by play to handling color commentary.

I might be saying the same thing about Lance Russell but Lance and I never got to work together on the same show. It would have been a honor for me to have done so.

Arguably, looking at the big picture, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes in his TV capacity, Lance Russell was as much a MVP as anyone in the Memphis promotion along, obviously, with The King Jerry Lawler.

Via Twitter @JRsBBQ....Both Bob Caudle and Lance Russell don't get the credit that they have earned and deserve within the business as both men spent decades doing great broadcast work for their respective promotions. More importantly, they were good men, great to be around and total professionals who always put the talents first and not their own personality or personal agendas.

These two men both realized the ultimate goal of every wrestling broadcaster and that is to embellish and enhance the performers and to verbally draw the audience into the content that's being presented in a natural manner and stay true to one's TV monitor.

If you live in the UK don't forget that you can order JR's BBQ Sauces, Chipotle Ketchup and our Jalapeno honey mustard aka Main Event Mustard at http://www.americansoda.co.uk.

For those who just might be in the Norman, Oklahoma area you can get JR's products at great prices and with no shipping involved at the four, Norman Homeland Stores. Norman is just south of OKC on I35...as a friendly FYI.

I updated the Q&A section of the site Wednesday midday. Bring them on but keep them short please.

Just topped 800,000 followers on Twitter...thanks to those who are following.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R. @JRsBBQ