• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

JR's Blog: Thursday Blog, @TheRock at WM31?, Great Tag Match on @Spike TV, Big News on Ross Report Podcast, @TheEdFerrara Podcast Getting Super Feedback

Posted: Oct 10th 2014 By: Jim Ross

Huge weekend for yours truly with it being the annual Red River Rivalry game that features Oklahoma vs. Texas in the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium Saturday morning at 11 am Central time, noon eastern on ABC. My first Red River game was in the early 70's even before I got into the wrestling business and it's become an annual affair ever since.It's the greatest rivalry in sports in my eyes and is a game that my Sooners MUST win. I will be on the Oklahoma sideline with black hat in tow so keep an eye out. Let's grill....

Random thoughts from here and there...

We are getting some really positive feedback on the Ed Ferrara podcast currently airing on the Ross Report;podcast on podcastone.com and on iTunes. Some folks are especially intrigued how Ed, Vince Russo and Vince McMahon, the three of them, used to write some damn compelling two hour Raw broadcasts back in the Attitude Era. It wasn't a complete, multiple person department but essentially three guys who would collaborate and get feedback from the talents to comprise some memorable shows. Great stuff from Ferrara on this topic about how their meetings went and the demands on them personally and professionally during that era.

It was also interesting to hear Ed describe how it was arriving in WCW and working in a system that did not have a 'Vince McMahon' in place to manage the 'inmates.' Some of the WCW stories from the man who portrayed 'Oklahoma' on Nitro are must listen stuff.

You can subscribe for FREE to the Ross Report at iTunes and not miss a show and also be able to listen to all our past episodes which many fans are just now discovering. Plus, by subscribing for free it helps us a great deal. I hope that you will consider that option.

Getting some interesting 'feelers' from unnamed entities regarding some projects for Chael Sonnen and I. Some in MMA and some not. It seems that some TV folks liked our chemistry which will only improve in time.

Great tag team match featuring the Dudley's, the Hardy Boyz, and the Wolves Wednesday night on Spike TV. This was a great example of putting talents in their element and exploiting it. It was the best TV match that I've seen in a long while. I recently interviewed both Matt and Jeff Hardy for a future Ross Report podcast and they raved about the match on Wednesday and ranked it right up there with their best Ladder and TLC matches that they ever had. Go out of your way to see it if you can and my hat's off to all the men involved.

Pro wrestling doesn't have to be over thought to be 'entertaining' as many of us still believe that good pro wrestling is entertaining.

Does it automatically mean because Rock was in NYC Monday on business and he did a promo segment with Rusev that the Great One is automatically 'booked' for WM31 in Santa Clara, California? The next reason the Rock will be booked at WM31 is because his grandfather, the great, High Chief Peter Maivia, wrestled in that territory for years for Roy Shire. Rock delivered the magic that I assume Brian Gewirtz wrote for him.

Don't get me wrong, the WWE could drastically use @TheRock at WM31 but only if there was a valid story behind the match/return and if he could make enough RAW TV's to engage the audience in his rivalry even considering the 'pop' he received Monday night in Brooklyn.

The surprise visit by Dwayne Johnson Monday night was by far the highlight of the broadcast. By far....

Many old school bookers would have never allowed Rusev to be bounced around as he was Monday night but instead would have had Lana step between the two men and 'forced' Rusev to exit the ring.

I've said many times on the Ross Report podcast that this WM is shaping up to be one with an ensemble cast as there is nothing remotely on the horizon that will draw what it needs it to in order to sell WWE Network subscriptions to the level that is expected and needed.

BTW...there is nothing wrong with an ensemble cast if they are put in unique positions and compelling, common sense stories are told leading into the year's biggest event.

The ensemble theory is one reason why I feel that it's a lead pipe cinch that Sting will be a part of this event next year. Against who I have no idea.

Been reading where Brock Lesnar is not expected back on WWE TV until January which I find extremely hard to believe. Can that be true? If it is, I'm astonished.

Congrats to @MichaelCole for steering the ship for SO many Smackdown shows over the years. Lawler and I did the first one together before Cole took my place which was timely and appreciated by me. I always enjoyed the work that Cole and @OfficialTaz did on Smackdown. Good chemistry and excellent work by two, good men.

When I was 'drafted' from RAW to Smackdown in 2008 I wasn't pleased primarily because I was told the night before that I had nothing to worry about and that "We'd be crazy to break up our version of Madden and Summerall." More on this matter when I finish my book.

I'm interviewing Vader next week for an upcoming Ross Report. Leon White was one of the greatest super heavyweights ever in pro wrestling and an all Big 8 football center at the University of Colorado. Should be fun catching up with the "Baby Bull."

Jeff Jarrett will be my podcast guest and will review WWE's TLC PPV with me on a show that will drop on Tuesday December 15. Looking forward to that show, too.

No need to over analyze why RAW TV ratings are not where WWE would like for them to be...it's simple...WWE isn't providing their fans with what the fans want to see. This analogy is the first lesson that I learned when I got in the biz in 1974. Give the fans what they want and they will come.

Not only will Steve Austin do another season of Redneck Island for @CMT, it's in the can, but he will also be taping more episodes of the Broken Skull Challenge in a few weeks for @CMT as well.

Remember that you can get a variety of JR's tees now at http://www.prowrestlingtees.com/jimross. All sizes and worldwide shipping awaits.

JR's is available virtually everywhere online from wweshop.com, americansoda.co.uk, and beyondtheropes.co.uk. We thank you for your support.

The Q&A's here are updated.....please take a look.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ