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Jim Ross Discusses WWE Armageddon PPV, Bruce Prichard's WWE Release, The Returns Of Christian Cage & Gail Kim, and more

Posted: Dec 7th 2008 By: mikeiles

Courtesy: www.MondayNightMayhem.com

WWE Hall Of Famer, the voice of WWE SmackDown, & the winner of the 2008 Wrestling Radio Award for "Media Interview Of The Year," Jim Ross, was the a special guest on this weekend's edition (12/05/08) of Monday Night Mayhem, hosted by The Big Mosh & Blade. "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio" is officially presented by ReelWrestling.com: the latest & hottest innovation from the coverage of professional wrestling online, and features exclusive video found nowhere else from your favorite superstars of the squared circle & Custom Muscle: the official nutritional & supplement company of "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio" (purchase over $50.00, type in the word "GRAND," & get 10% off your purchase), and is also sponsored by: Old Time Wrestling, The History Of WWE.com, & TicketRelief.com). In addition, The Mayhem strongly encourages all of its fans around the globe to check out the brand-new & official WWE Universe Fan Nation blogs of Charlie Haas (www.fans.wwe.com/CharlieHaas) & D-Lo Brown (www.fans.wwe.com/D-LoBrown).

You can feel The Mayhem live & in streaming audio every Monday night (at 8PM ET/7PM CT), exclusively on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network (www.MondayNightMayhem.com, www.MySpace.com/MondayNightMayhem, www.ITunes.com, www.OnlineWorldOfWrestling.com, & www.WrestleView.com).

JR's third MNM appearance is now available for free in Windows Streaming Media, or via the official Monday Night Mayhem podcast on ITunes:

December 5th MNM Streaming Audio: www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/waxfiles/120508.wax

December 5th MNM Podcast On ITunes: www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/dec08/120508.mp3

Here are some highlights of JR's interview on the show, provided by The Mayhem's official show correspondent, Dan Kriegbaum.

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The Mayhem Crew welcomed Jim Ross to the show, and JR started things off right away by saying that he will try not to say "brother" as much as "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan did this past Monday night on The Mayhem. Mosh started off by mentioning the WWE's recent decision to start taping two SmackDown shows on the same night every other week as part of the WWE's cost-cutting measures. JR said that it has been a challenge, but everyone has to "suck it up & do their job," by not only wrestling, but also keeping the fans interested & entertained for the length of two shows instead of one. He added that it is the promotion's job to present a "compelling product" in order to keep the fans entertained, "and if that's the biggest challenge that the SmackDown guys have to do, so be it."

Mosh plugged the WWE Celebrity Dinner Auction taking place this Friday night (December 12th), where fans can bid for an opportunity to have dinner with World Tag Team Champions, CM Punk & Kofi Kingston, along with some Buffalo Bills players, at the world-famous Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant. For more information on the auction & how to place your bid, visit the Mayhem's official website (www.MondayNightMayhem.com) or 103.3 The Edge (www.WEDG.com).

The Mayhem Crew then mentioned the upcoming WWE Armageddon Pay-Per-View taking place two days later on Sunday, December 14th, from Buffalo's own HSBC Arena. Mosh asked JR how he's preparing for the trip up to the frigid weather, to which JR said that all he can do is bring some extra winter wear, saying that Buffalo citizens live through this weather all the time, and the WWE can at least make a pass through every once in awhile -- this time bringing a PPV for the first time in 3 1/2 years.

Mosh & Blade mentioned the history of wrestling in the Buffalo & Western New York areas, and how it has progressed into where it is today, with several current WWE superstars once perfecting their craft through this area -- including Buffalo's own "Glamazon," Beth Phoenix. JR mentioned that Buffalo has always had a legacy for wrestling, going back to the territory days with the likes of Ilio DiPaolo & "The Destroyer" Dick Beyer. He told a few of his own personal memories including getting to meet Ilio DiPaolo in the early 1990's, and when The Destroyer traveled to the Mid-South region to work for Bill Watts. JR went on to say that the "young guys" should realize what wrestling used to be, what it is now, & where it is going, and to be able to continue to show respect, appreciation, & dedication to the business & fans as well.

The next topic up for discussion was this year's "Tribute To The Troops" special airing on December 20th on NBC, with the WWE crew finishing the taping of the show at the end of this past week. Mosh then asked JR what it is like for the superstars to travel to Iraq & give back to the troops serving overseas. JR said that he believes it is the most important event of the year, even more so than WrestleMania, stating that "if you look at the true meaning of why you do what you do...there's nothing more important to me that the WWE does all year than the Tribue To The Troops." JR then added that he does not think the Tribute To The Troops show will end after the war in Iraq is over, but believes it will continue to entertain troops "wherever they may be congregated" until further notice. JR said that whether or not people like who is running the country or not is irrelevant, as all are Americans, and they should support the troops regardless, "no matter where they are." From the people who he has talked to that have gone overseas for the event in the past, JR said that every one of them have come back a better person, from the Divas, to The Undertaker, to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

The Mayhem Crew then mentioned this Monday's huge three-hour show, including the return of the Slammy Awards. JR mentioned that he was watching RAW last week when some of the matches were announced, and was "pleasantly surprised" with the "intriguing match-ups" & "Pay-Per-View feel" it will have to it. He said he is looking forward to the Slammy Awards returning, as well as who will win the awards, as well as who will win the matches that will take place -- some of which will help shape the card for Armageddon a little more at the same time. JR said that all three broadcast teams will be there, although they received short notice about it, and he will be interested as to what matches they will be calling with some of the inter-promotional matches that have been announced already. JR also brought up the fact that the show will be taking place in Philadelphia, where "the fans will always tell you if they like something or if they don't," something he believes should be allowed to take place wherever they go, as the fans are the ones who are paying to see what they want to see. JR added that he is not a big fan of the "sign police" at the shows, unless they are profane or distasteful, but sometimes it seems that they should let it go & have fun with it if it's the persons opinion. He mentioned how when he went through his medical issues, there were signs that said "JR Lost His Smile," which made it on TV, but nowadays, the first amendment seems to be held on a tighter scale, although "a line should be drawn somewhere."

The Big Mosh & Blade began to discuss the Armageddon Pay-Per-View matches thathave been announced so far, starting out with John Cena defending Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship. JR said that he believes it will be a very entertaining match if you think of it in terms of work ethic, thought, & desire, which always makes a good match. He went on to say that Jericho is the underdog going into the match, while Cena has "a lot of haters out there, which is cool, people have that right." He said he would be surprised if Jericho wins the title back, but that it will be a very good match regardless, "and I've been surprised before."

"The Game" Triple H & Jeff Hardy will challenge "The Rated-R Superstar" Edge for the WWE Championship. Blade mentioned the recent controversial Jeff Hardy story coming the night before the Survivor Series leading into the last PPV, where Hardy where was rumored to be found unconscious at his hotel, which was picked up by various news outlets. JR said that he was a little uncomfortable with the whole story & had no prior knowledge to it, and read about it online like everyone else. He added that Jeff Hardy is one of the hottest commodities in the WWE right now, and thinks Hardy has a great chance at winning the WWE Championship at Armageddon, if Edge is unable to retain it, "and that's not me talking for the company, that's me talking for myself & JR's BBQ." Blade then asked if JR thinks it is too late to let Jeff Hardy run with the title, after his popularity has seemed to dwindled a little from earlier in the year. JR said that from personal experience in talent relations & handling the wrestlers, he has never had a trust issue with Jeff, although he has made some mistakes "like most people on Earth have," but hopes he has learned from the mistakes, and hopes the WWE will have confidence to give him the title. JR added that Jeff is up to his "last strike" with the wellness policy, but believes Jeff has realized that, and will not make the same mistake again. "I do believe somewhere down the line, whether it's in Buffalo or not, Jeff Hardy will be WWE Champion. It's just a thing of when & where."

"The Animal" Batista vs. "The Legend Killer" Randy Orton rounded out the announced matches for the Armageddon PPV, as JR & The Mayhem Crew gave their thoughts & predictions for this bout as well. JR said it is full of "star power," with "a lot of time in the making" from their time with Triple H & "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair in Evolution, which helped elevate both of their careers to the main event status they are currently in. In regards to Orton, JR said that he is on a roll right now with his association with Team Priceless, and maybe "absence made the heart grow fonder." He added that it seems that when the WWE tries to give "The Legend Killer" more of a hated persona, WWE fans seem to like him more, and male fans seem to try living their lives like Randy's demeanor. JR said that he was the guy who signed Batista & got his career started, so he is a big fan of him, but he "kind of likes Orton in this match, because he seems to be on more of a roll & has more allies."

The Mayhem Crew then make some predictions of their own as to some additional matches that might be added to the Armageddon PPV, with the first being William Regal defending the Intercontinental Championship against the tournament winner. Mosh mentioned the news being reported online over the past two weeks: that the tournament was being held just to help promote the new "History Of The Intercontinental Championship" DVD -- to which JR answered its "smart business to accentuate any of your titles." JR believes that the titles they currently have should have more meaning, rather than diluting them with more titles being added, and also said that the list of Intercontinental Title holders is a "who's who of the wrestling business." JR also added that it seems like the tag titles on both brands, as well as the United States Championship, have not really been defended as much as they should be, so he likes the idea of the Intercontinental Title starting to head back in the right direction.

Be sure to tune into The Mayhem LIVE this Monday night (December 8th), beginning at 8PM ET/7PM CT, as our Armageddon PPV preview continues, with our very own Pay-Per-View preview roundtable of Scott Hudson, Jim Molineaux, & The History Of WWE.com's Graham Cawthon, plus an exclusive interview with the WWE Women's Champion, "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix. You will have the opportunities to win a copy of the all-new WWE SmackDown vs. RAW video game (for the Nintendo Wii), in addition to a free pair of tickets to the Armageddon PPV, courtesy of "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio."

Tags: WWE, Jim Ross, Charlie Haas, Beth Phoenix, MSW, Bill Watts, Ric Flair