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JR's Blog: RINGSIDE w/ Jim Ross Show news, Linda McMahon, AXSTV/NJPW News, Total Divas, Chatty Chael on Ross Report Podcast, Jim Carrey Advising JR & The King

Posted: Dec 9th 2016 By: Jim Ross

Greetings from a chilly Norman, Oklahoma and thanks for stopping by our site. Please bookmark us and visit often. Our current, Ross Report podcast with the controversial Chael Sonnen is going great guns at www.podcastone.com, iTunes and here on the homepage of our site. Thanks to those of you that have or are subscribing to our show via iTunes for FREE and insuring that you never miss a show as they will be automatically downloaded into the device of your choosing every Tuesday night at 9 PM ET. We appreciate your support of all that we do.

After I was told that Lita and The King were both still with WWE, Lita DM'ed me on Twitter to tell me that she was no longer with the company. I don't know if she opted out of her arrangement with WWE or if they decided to go in another direction. In any event, change is in the air as it relates to the expensive production of the RAW and SDLIVE pre and post game shows.

The ITV World of Sport TV special will air on ITV on December 31 from 4-6 pm. I'm told that the ITV people are very happy with the edit and look forward to presenting our work to the huge audience that watches this powerful network. Hopefully the ITV upper management folks will green light this concept aso as to air a weekly show as they did so successfully back in the day.

It seems that there are others within the wrestling business that don't seem to be as happy with the potential of this project if it is picked up by the network as it would make WOS from week one likely the most watched TV Wrestling show in the world thanks to Itv being a free, over teh air network with a massive footprint and not a premium, cable channel.

Big news coming from AXSTV next week on exciting, new developments with the NJPW Friday night TV show specifically regarding Wrestle Kingdom in 2017.

It's quasi amazing that some fans are so ignorant that they actually believe that back in the day when I was an administrator in WWE that I went into business for myself when releasing WWE talents. That unenviable task was a part of my job and I always got the marching orders from above to make those personnel moves. I hold no animosity to any talents who still have 'heat' with me and if being angry at me helps them to address their own professional shortcomings then I'm happy to be their scapegoat.

My thanks to @Cap_Kaveman for having me on his podcast this week to help us promote our RINGSIDE Show in Phoenix at Stand Up Live on Thursday January 12. Tickets are available now in both VIP and GA levels at www.standuplive.com. Go to www.thesteelcage.com to listen.

Next week we will have Lance Storm and Don Callis on the Ross Report to talk about their new, podcast 'Killing the Town' that is on the Chris Jericho Network on www.podcastone.com where we are as well along with the @steveausitnBSR Shows.

Excited for Linda McMahon for being named head of the Small Business Administration by President elect Donald Trump. While some took this appointment as a reason to again bombard the topic on social media with negativity, I can only say that in my 21+ years in WWE that Linda was always professional, accommodating and an effective leader with the company. I never had a bad experience with her whatsoever. I shared that experience and caught some grief over it from those less informed. This wasn't an experience that I read about online or on some wrestling website but instead a personal experience that actually occurred to me and my family.

(Plus, Linda McMahon has a nice, basketball jump shot.)

My wife Jan is arguably the biggest LEM supporter that I know as they bonded during my tenure in WWE and that respect still remains to this day.

I choose to not to get overly political in any thing that I do, I don't trust career politicians, but I will say that is no matter your choice of politics one should give those in question a fair chance to see what they can accomplish. Is that too much too ask? For some, indeed it is.

Very cool that DDP Yoga has come to the @FITETV App. Lots of great content on the FREE App. Dallas has developed something amazing that is helping tons of people. No gimmicks. Just results.

Funny, or ironic might be a better way of putting it, inasmuch as WWE and UFC are in similar positions as it relates to earning big TV ratings to justify even more money in TV rights fees. Plus, they both have to build new stars that will become 'must see' performers that drive PPV oriented events. Both WWE and UFC must cultivate new, main event level stars no matter the gender sooner than later but there is no guaranteed formula to achieve success. It's largely trial and error along with selected calculated risks as the process sees who can organically connect with the audience that pays the tab.

I'm told that the ownership group that bought UFC are poised to make some major, directional changes in 2017. Should be an interesting year for us MMA fans.

Wife Jan enjoys Total Divas on E more than I but we watch it together most weeks. I am pleased that talents on the show are able to earn new money and that it gets the talents more TV exposure but past that how does it benefit the brand? Just asking, and not suggesting that the show should go away.

One thing is for sure, the cast, by and large, really works hard to get the show over. I admire them for that but I wonder how those 'soul bearing' efforts actually affect the real life relationships of some of the cast members.

Jim Carrey once told Jerry Lawler and me on the set of 'Man on the Moon' the following, "Hollywood puts more stock on youth and look than they do on experience and skill." Hmm...

It seems that John Cena is traveling much the same road that Dwayne Johnson has taken in his post WWE life which I applaud. Just like @TheRock, @JohnCena is and always will be a WWE guy who may never wrestle a full time schedule again, likely not IMO, but will always be loyal to the company that helped launch his amazing career.

I know of no wrestler with reasonable sanity that is that would not trade the bumping and the road schedule, etc for the life of a TV or movie personality. Would you? I didn't think so.

Tickets for our RINGSIDE with JIm Ross Sho in San Antonio on Sunday afternoon January 29 just before the @WWE Royal Rumble are on sale at www.rivercitycomedyclub.com. We will be at the Improv at River Center which is near the Alamo Dome which will host the Rumble.

www.wweshop.com has restocked with JR's products just in time for holiday shopping. Check out the great deals there including reduced shipping costs in some instances and make the fan in your family at the Holidays.

Facebook is JimRossBBQ.

Looking forward to attending the Sugar Bowl in NOLA with my Sooners versus SEC's Auburn Tigers Jan 2.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ