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JR's Blog: Another WWE Friend Passes, Angle to WWE??, More on RINGSIDE Shows, Benoit, Ross Report Debuts Wed Feb 19 @PodcastOne

Posted: Feb 10th 2014 By: CMBurnham

We're coming up to crunch time for my first, North American, RINGSIDE: An Evening with Jim Ross show that will take place at the NYC @Gramercy Theater on Saturday March 1 with two shows at 4 and 8 pm. Tickets are on sale at the Gramercy box office and via http://www.ticketmaster.com. Here's more on a short, Sunday blog.....

Condolences go out to a long standing member of the WWE family as I've read of the passing of Pittsburgh audio tech Frank Bullock who spent about as much time at ringside as anyone that I know. Frank was invaluable to the announce teams that passed through WWE as he always made sure that we could hear ourselves and those that we needed to hear via our headsets. Thanks for being a friend Frank and for your years of service to the business. Condolences to your family, friends and co-workers who will miss you. #RIPFrankBullock

Frank was a cancer victim.

Speaking of another Pittsburgher, been reading a great deal about Kurt Angle's thoughts on returning to WWE to end his pro wrestling career. I don't know what's accurate or not but personally it would be fun to see Kurt finish where he started as it's obvious that the 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist should seriously be thinking of hanging up his boots and looking at other avenues within the business of which he can contribute. There are many for the record.

I'd surmise that for Kurt to return to in ring competition in WWE that he would have to pass an extensive physical as that particular landscape has changed drastically, and for the better, since Angle last appeared in WWE.

My only suggestion for Kurt or even Cody Rhodes for that matter is to eliminate the top of the cage moonsaults from their repertoire. The win/loss ratio attempting that maneuver isn't good and to me is ill advised. This is another spectacular finishing maneuver that has been relegated to a 'high spot' which, to me, is insanity.

Speaking of my RINGSIDE shows, the show in New Orleans at the House of Blues is during WM30 week and is on Thursday night at 6:30 and 9:30 pm. One should be able to attend WWE AXXESS that night and still make to to our 9:30 show quite easily.

Both box offices at the Gramercy and at the House of Blues have tickets for their specific evens.

My first job, of which I speak on during RINGSIDE, was being the eyes and ears for my first boss, the blind, Lee Roy McGuirk who lost is sight in 1950 while he was the NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion. Those were the days when being earmarked as a Junior Heavyweight or a Cruiserweight wasn't considered by the masses within the business as the proverbial 'kiss of death."

I learned so much working with Lee Roy and his partner/booker Cowboy Bill Watts who largely hired me to hand off Lee Roy to me so that I could care for him especially when we went out of town or when Cowboy was booked on the road.

I was even a party to "planning" the murder of Ted DiBiase which is just one of many, many stories of my early days in the wild world of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll of the territory days in the mid 70's.

RINGSIDE takes one on a unique journey that no on else in our business ever experienced quite like mine. I was lucky...in many ways to not only survive those early years but to live to tell about it....and tell about it I will.

Going to drill deep today and Monday to finish my latest FoxSports.com piece on Black History Month in Pro Wrestling. It's not a flattering story from the days of yesteryear but luckily it has gotten much better over the years. Racism truly sucks.

You're likely to hear a different type of interview on the Ross Report with @steveaustinBSR on Wednesday February 19 on the new, @PodcastOne Ross Report than you've ever experienced. I'm taking this podcast project dead serious and plan on building major brand with it via great guests, talking to the fans, and doing my prep.

My weekly podcasts will drop every Wednesday beginning on Wednesday February 19 at PodcastOne.com and from ITunes.

Glad to see that the much anticipated WWE Network will air some Chris Benoit matches accompanied with the proper 'warning.' What Chris did in the last days of his life are unpardonable but no one has ever said that Benoit wasn't a great in ring technician. Should Chris be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame? Absolutely, not. However seeing some of his matches on the new, WWE Network feels fitting even thought there will be some who will raise hell over it just because they can somehow justify it via their keyboards.

I'd love to see some of the indy wrestlers attend my upcoming RINGSIDE shows as I love to speak with them about their careers and the reality of just how hard it is to earn a long time, decent living in the wrestling business now days.

Just personally signed more of the great, @Rob Schamberger's artwork for the amazing packages now available at http://www.wweshop.com. The signed art is a $20 value and no less than four of the packages are priced at under $10. Check them out. Truly a great deal.

Expect a glut of info, most will be hearsay, about the ongoing negotiations for the WWE TV rights in the USA. WWE is due a significant raise in their rights fees and deservedly so based merely on what other live events earn from the networks for delivering less ratings and over a shorter length of time. I have no info on the process except that I think that WWE will do very well in their new TV rights deal at the end of the day.

Did you read yesterday's (Saturday's) blog here on the site? I've gotten amazing feedback on it for some reason.

Idiot proof recipe: empty a can of beans, preferably pinto beans, drained from a can into a sauce pan. Add JR's Chipotle Ketchup to taste, a small, chopped onion, and JR's All Purpose seasoning, again to taste. Allow to simmer until done and you've successfully enhanced a plain can of beans into something special.

Same thing can be done, w/o the ketchup, to a can of green beans by simply and only adding the JR's Seasoning.

Just became you asked, my ONLY appearance in NOLA during WM30 will be my RINGSIDE show at the House of Blues on Thursday April 3. I have nothing else scheduled at this time.

Curt Hennig aka Mr. Perfect passed away 11 years ago tomorrow Feb 10. Arguably as naturally talented in all phases of the pro wrestling game as anyone I've ever been around. We went into the 2007 Hall of Fame class together at WM23 in Detroit. One of the funniest guys ever and a fabulous in ring performer. One could tell that the influence of so many of the great talents in the AWA had a positively profound influence on Curt. That would apply especially to Bobby Heenan and Nick Bockwinkel, among others.

Check out the @Sherdog podcast where I guest along with @davemeltzerWON and we talk MMA.

Follow me on Twitter @JRsBBQ.

Q&A's updated here.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ