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JR's Blog: Royal Rumble Weekend, Predictions, @JRsBBQ Twitter Questions Addressed, Use JR's Products for your Tailgate Parties

Posted: Jan 29th 2012 By: CMBurnham

Beautiful Saturday here in Oklahoma. Happy you dropped by. For those asking, JR's BBQ Sauces and condiments are NOT available in any retail outlets EXCEPT in Norman, Oklahoma Homeland Grocery Stores. However, http://www.wweshop.com/Category/JimRoss makes online ordering easy.

Royal Rumble Weekend random thoughts:

A sell out crowd awaits the WWE Superstars in St. Louis. While some isolated tickets may be opened up on Sunday after the TV folks have done their thing, the event is officially sold out.

Prediction time:

Daniel Bryan retains the World Title by hook or crook. Seems as if the resourceful Bryan is changing his TV persona and will use his new found craftiness to escape St. Louis still the WHC. Pick: Bryan.

Kane vs. John Cena is a tough one for me to predict. I'm going with Kane unless John Cena manifests another level of rage and aggression that we have not seen from WWE's most polorizing athlete. Pick: Kane.

CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler has 'show stealer' written all over it which puts additional pressure on both athletes. Adding a special referee to the equation, John Laurninaitis, has to be factored into the mix. Can Punk overcome the odds to prevail or has Ziggler's time arrived? Punk is WWE's 'hottest,' new star but that doesn't mean that he can't lose. I see Punk retaining in a stem winder but would not be shocked to see Ziggler leave the Rumble as the WWE Champion. My pick: Punk but I'm not overwhelmed with that selection.

Royal Rumble Match is the most difficult bout to predict all year in WWE. The order of entry, the surprise entrants, and the fact that the men in previous bouts including challengers and ex-champs can enter the Rumble is a bona fide wild card.

I do think that someone will get on a roll and distinguish themselves at some point within the Rumble match. A Brodus Clay sequence could be in order especially considering that most battle royal-like scenarios often times favor the larger men even though being the biggest dog in the fight doesn't guarantee victory.

The most likely winners include Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Sheamus, Wade Barrett or someone completely off the radar at this time. I picked Orton a week or so ago and will stick with that pick even though I'd not bet any JR's BBQ Sauce on that 'guess.'

I should think back and see how many 'good things' happen to WWE personnel in their home towns and Orton is from St. Louis. Nonetheless, Orton it is with my most non confident Royal Rumble pick in recent memory. Jericho is a close second. I'd rather take the 'field' with someone surprising us all.

If someone that we aren't even thinking about at this time wins, don't be shocked but shock may be a key term when attempting to describe the Royal Rumble match in one word.

WWE HOF'er Pat Patterson's brain child has held up for a quarter of a century and I have every reason to believe that Sunday's PPV will be an unpredictable and fun event to watch.

We talked about the Rumble Saturday morning on yahoosportsradio.com and the podcast of that show will be available soon. Check out their website plus I will Tweet it from @JRsBBQ when I get the link.

Thanks to all that are using JR's BBQ Sauce, Chipotle Ketchup, Main Event Mustard, All Purpose Seasoning, and 5 Beef Jerky flavors as a part of their Rumble, Super Bowl, and Wrestlemania tailgate parties. Business has been brisk and for a short time this past week WWEShop.com was out of some items but all should be good to go now.

One more note, WWEShop.com is still offering the signed JR's Cookbook which ships everywhere with no issues. Great, family recipes on tons of items, not just BBQ whatsoever, and it includes several wrestling top ten lists, road stories and photos. JR's Cookbook makes a great, inexpensive gift idea for any occasion.

Twitter Questions....

"Can JR's products be shipped to Australia? Yes but not the Jerky as I understand it.

"What are Drew McIntyre's chances of winning the Rumble?" Slightly better than mine and I won't be in St. Louis.

"Will there be surprise entrants in this year's Rumble?" There seemingly always are a few "look who's back" moments.

"Favorite memories of St. Louis wrestling?" Broadcasting a WCW PPV from the historic Keil Auditorium in a match that featured Ric Flair as the Black Scorpion. My pal Dennis Brent has that mask with Naitch's signature. A real collector's piece of memorabilia. Sadly, it was in St. Louis where we also heard the news of my dear friend Brian Pillman's unexpected death the night before in Minneapolis. Every city we visit has it's own set of memories...some good and some not so good.

"Does JR pay retail for WWE PPV's?" Absolutely. Plus, I tape them via DVR and watch them again if so motivated. I'm watching on PPV from Norman Sunday night in conjunction with some grilling.

"Best aspect of the latest Stone Cold DVD?" To me it was the alternate commentary of three Wrestlemania bouts with Steve. We had a great time doing it and he adds a unique and often unheard perspective of the psychology of a main event. I think that you will even get a few laughs out of what you hear from @steveaustinBSR.

"Who do I have on Fox/UFC Saturday night from Chicago?" Sonnen and Evans. I'm also anxious to see if Fox/UFC made any production changes since their first broadcast. The crowd in Chicago will help the perception of the broadcast if the crowd is properly mic'ed. Hopefully, Fox will give us some emotional and controversial, pre fight interviews. Sonnen is a star on the mic and Bisping isn't too shabby either. Evans can verbally sell tickets too.

"Will JR be in Miami for Wrestlemania 28?" That's the plan even if I'm not a part of the broadcast. My wife and I want to be there to experience the event, the HOF, AXXESS, etc. I hope to be used at AXXESS especially with the WWE Merchandise folks who essentially sold out of all JR's products last year at 'Mania. My wife and I love seeing old friends during Wrestlemania week so it is much more to us than simply me calling a match or two.

"Could I broadast @okcthunder hoops?" Of course I could but it's 'highly unlikely' that ever occurs. My view of me broadcasting broadcasting other sports is that it can be done if one has the passion for the genre one's broadcasting and is willing to work diligently and do the prep. My being painted with the proverbial "pro wrestling brush" has likely eliminated me from consideration for many gigs including the OU Football PBP radio job. I'm actually fine with all that because I've done what I have loved and wouldn't trade a moment of it to facilitate leaving the biz and doing something else. Not to say I don't miss broadcasting but sports entertainment has been awesome to our family.

"Do I follow high school football recruiting?" Absolutely. Big fan of reading about the athletes, especially Sooner recruits, but find it boorish and unnecessary with all the dog and pony shows at high school all star games where a production is made as to what school a teenager is committing. Also, verbal commitments mean next to zero. Kids with Twitter accounts who tout their own recruiting isn't my cup of tea either. They are kids. They have yet to prove that they will be contributors at the next level. Then when parents establish Twitter accounts to do PR for their kids one never hears about how the kid did in class but one certainly hears about the youngster's athletic accomplishments. Not a good trend in my view.

"Super Bowl Pick?" Still a Giants lean but will address more thoroughly prior to the game which still feels like a month away.

We hope that you will consider our products from http://www.wweshop.com/Category/JimRoss for your tailgate affairs whether it be WWE PPVS like Wrestlemania, the Super Bowl, or European Football, etc.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.

PS...Follow us on Twitter @JRsBBQ