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JR's Blog: WM28 is Upon Us...WWEShop.com offering 20% OFF JR's Products...Random Thoughts

Posted: Mar 25th 2012 By: CMBurnham

Beautiful weekend here in Norman, Oklahoma as it's the calm before the storm as we prepare to travel down to Miami to attend WrestleMania 28 activities next week. Remember that WWEShop.com has a 20% OFF SALE going on now for a limited time that includes JR's products. Check it out as we get the show on the road....

There are no plans on doing a 'prediction blog' for WM28 this year. So many matches could realistically go either way which is an ideal scenario for all fans. Plus, when I do some minority of jackasses always proclaim that I have inside info and use reverse psychology, etc. Yes...it's absurd.

WWE friends who have seen the Cena/Rock TV special in its entirety that airs on many the NBC Universal platforms next week have raved about the one hour broadcast. I've been privileged to see several snippets of the show and I, too, was impressed. WWE has their 'A Production Team' working on this personal look at both @JohnCena and @TheRock with the overwhelming bulk of the footage being behind the scenes. From what I have seen, this is a must see for all WWE fans and those who follow the business in any manner. It airs just before RAW this Monday night and then throughout the week on various NBC-U networks. I'd assume that WWE.com will have a listing of the air times.

Assuming that it's Cena vs. Rock closing the show at WM28. as many expect, it will be a former collegiate football Offensive Lineman (Cena) vs. a former Defensive Lineman (Rock) in a battle inside the squared circle that may, at times, resemble the line of scrimmage in a heated, rivalry football game. The low man wins or so the old football adage goes.

When approximately 75,000 fans are primed and ready for the main event at a four hour event such as WM28 and two, former main stream athletes are preparing to perform, the performance aspect of the process is often times lost in the world of oneupsmanshp and athletic prowess. I can see that happening in just over a week, Sunday April 1, in the Rock's hometown of Miami between two men that our Talent Relations team signed many years ago.

I know better than most what motivates both Cena and Rock and being perceived as second best at anything isn't in the conversation.

Looking at the outcome as objectively as possible in the Rock vs. Cena match, no matter who wins this main event, controversy will follow. Mark my words.

The match that I personally have the most emotional investment in is the "End of an Era Match' between two future WWE Hall of Famers, HHH and The Undertaker, inside the most infamous structure ever erected in the business, Hell in a Cell.

For me, I hate to see either man lose but losing is inevitable in the HIAC. Will HHH further immortalize his amazing career by being the man who breaks 'the Streak' or will the Undertaker, who hasn't had a single bout since last year at WrestleMania where he was carried out after snatching a victory from the jaws of defeat with Hell's Gate, be able to prevail?

As an added caveat, what role will Shawn Michaels play in this scenario as the special referee? HBK's decisions will be final as I understand it but the question looms large as to where Shawn stands going into this bout. Even if HBK were totally neutral going into this assignment, and I don't think that he is, can Michaels help himself from trying to steal the show from two of WWE's most respected competitors ever?

In my professional lifetime, I can't think of three men that Ihave more respect for than the men who will be locked inside Hell in a Cell at WM28. It is highly unlikely that any of us will ever see the three of them even remotely close to being in this environment ever again.

On another personal note, the journeys that @CMPunk and @IAmJericho have taken in their respective careers to get to where they professionally are today have earned my respect tenfold. Neither man exactly 'fit the mold' the industry set for its superstars but both men have successfully defied that line of thinking to ascend to the top of their vocation.

Without question, Punk and Jericho will do all that they are physically and mentally able to do to 'steal the show' at WM28 for the coveted WWE Title in a bout with a strong, personal issue being underscored.

For those attending WM28 in Miami, I will be at AXXESS Friday night with the King at the HOF booth from 8-10 pm and will be back on Saturday morning from 8-10 am at the Hall of Fame booth with Jerry Brisco and Jimmy Hart.

Plus, JR's products will be sold at the WWE Merchandise Stand at AXXESS throughout the week.

A WWE person who would know told me this week that the stage being designed for WM28 which will serve as the entrance area, etc is breathtaking. Hundreds of hours of preparation time will go into making Sun Life Stadium look amazing for the Sunday April 1 spectacular as the staging, pyro, etc at this event seems to get better each year.

We've gotten a ton of WWE HOF questions this week on Twitter @JRsBBQ to the point of damn near overkill. I won't dispute who fans think should or shouldn't be in the WWE HOF because I respect people's opinions but if you read our Twitter time line you will see how obsessed some people are on this topic. Ironically, many who complain actually don't know who's already been inducted. Amazing.

Q...Did @HeymanHustle ever really piss you off during commentary? Yes. Paul Heyman also pissed me off in meetings, on long car trips, plane rides and at lunch. BUT...he was a helluva broadcast partner and a brilliant mind. Did we 'hate' each other as it appeared we did on camera? The answer is....no. However, our chemistry and ringside dynamic was certainly combustible and, I think, entertaining.

Dumb question of the week....Was Cena's car wreck last Monday part of a storyline? That would be a no as I roll my eyes.

Q...How can I make my grilled Salmon better? Easy...two steps...JR's All Purpose Seasoning and our Main Event Mustard. Use those two things and call it a day. Same goes for baking or broiling the Salmon.

Seems like many fans are just discovering the latest Steve Austin DVD which is the one that Steve helped produce. We've gotten glowing feedback on the alternative commentary that Steve and I did on three of his hand picked, WrestleMania bouts. If you haven't seen that aspect of the DVD, check it out. It came out really well and features great insight from the Texas Rattlesnake. Follow Stone Cold on Twitter @steveaustinBSR.

It would seem that WWE is looking to hold future WrestleMania's in outdoor stadiums whenever possible so for those who want WrestleMania to come to your local, 10-20,000 seat arena you might want to re-think your wish list.

While on the subject of WrestleMania in London's Wembley Stadium, would fans pack the place after midnight London time on a Sunday night so that the event could be live in North America at 7 pm New York time?

I get a chuckle out of those who tweet or email me here at the Q&A section of our site saying that I should "quit WWE" in protest of not being utilized on weekly TV, etc. I'm just curious, would me quitting be classified as merely stupid or just immature/egocentric...or all of the above?

Some people need to realize that with doing weekly TV comes approximately 51 weeks a year of travel. Ever try that for a decade or three?

THQ has some amazing, WWE plans for 2012 and beyond. I like THQ's 'Attitude.'

Yes, I said that Tim Tebow joining the New York Jets was akin to an Apostle buying a condo in Hell and trying to change the neighborhood.

Q...Is WWE leaving Florida with their developmental program? I see many, positive changes occurring in WWE Development in the future but leaving Florida isn't on the radar as best that I know. I've always said, and I'm sticking to my story, that WWE has no more important department in their company that the development of new talent. I do see WWE Developmental growing and growth is often looked upon as 'change' and 'change' is too often perceived as a negative.

Rumors have it, don't we all love rumors and a little 'dirt,' that there will be several surprising, distinguished guests attending WrestleMania this year.

Q...Would it help JR's cause to Tweet @walmart or @walmartspecials? Absolutely, communicating with any major retailer on our behalf is a good thing.

Q...What's the latest on Ric Flair attending the WWE HOF Induction Ceremony with the Horsemen? Status quo as best that I know. Ric's planning on attending as he has said he was going to do. Because Ric appears on TNA this matter has been blown out of proportion in my opinion. I see it as a win/win for all involved but specifically for the fans which should always come first.

As of Saturday afternoon I have updated the Q&A section of this site. Check it out.

If you're looking for a healthy snack, try our 97% Fat Free, JR's Beef Jerky that comes in FIVE flavors. We make it from the eye of round and it's steak-like. Right now you can save 20% on all of our products at http://www.wweshop.com/Category/JimRoss. JR's is not available in stores outside Norman, Oklahoma Homeland Grocery stores so it's online sales only with worldwide shipping available.

Q...Can Women's MMA really be a hit? I think so but that's up to Zuffa/UFC and how much they want to build that division. Any company reaps what they sow with talent and new innovations. @RondaRousey has the 'it' intangible and she damn sure is an athlete but there can be more Rousey's, Gina Carrano's, etc developed over time. I see more women getting into MMA as every day passes. I'm not saying that Women's MMA will always be a show closer but it adds a new, viable element to the promotion of a given event and potentially attracts a different demo.

Hopefully, the ladies will be smarter than some of the male, MMA fighters who seemingly are more obsessed with tattoos, defiance, etc than they are learning marketing skills and how to effectively put sentences together that will earn them more cash in a profession that has a short shelf life.

Follow us on Twitter @JRsBBQ. You might be surprised at what we address and how many folks that we interact with in a given week.

Please share our site with your friends and make a drive by to http://www.wweshop.com/Category/JimRoss.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.