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

JR's Blog: Friday Blog..UFC Thoughts..JBL..Akbar..Big 12 Football..Pet Peeves of the Week..'The PUSH'...Order JR's Today at WWEShop.com

Posted: Jul 7th 2012 By: CMBurnham

Crazy week with the July 4th holiday falling in the middle of the week. Nonetheless I'm happy that you dropped by and paid us a visit. If you sign up for our site, at no cost obviously, you will get email notifications of when we update our blogs, etc. WWEShop is doing steady business with JR's products at this link http://www.wweshop.com/Category/JimRoss. It's GRILLING TIME!

Big weekend in Las Vegas with UFC PPV and their version of fan fest. There's gonna be lots of ink and testosterone in attendance. I had thought about attending and going to the Silva vs. Sonnen fight but with all the travel that I have next week it just didn't work out. I'll be watching the PPV Saturday night from the comfort of my own home, as we used to say in the early days of PPV. Should be a heck of a presentation as the expectations for such are high. I'd love to see Chael Sonnen win but he may have let his magic moment slip by the last time that @sonnench fought 'Spider.' I see Silva doing nasty damage with his standup which could see this title bout end by round three. It won't go five in my opinion. Chael's wrestling game must be razor sharp to slice the spider.

Sonnen has a magnificent gift of gab and one can easily see that Chael has been influenced by the pro wrestling genre. I'm asked daily if I think that Sonnen would be able to make the transition from UFC to WWE and my guess would be, yes, but, as in anything, it would depend on how much of an emotional investment the Oregon native would be willing to make. Any MMA competitor who thinks that sports entertainment is a 'step down' or is 'easy' is sadly mistaken.

Let's hope that the 'Chael Sonnen to the WWE story' isn't the topic of conversation after this potential Slobber Knocker Saturday night in 'Sin City.'

With all the UFC fans in Vegas, it should be a record week in tattoo sales there not to mention adult beverages.Sans the ink, I'm sorry I'm not there.

I hope that UFC has their crowd mic'ed well and that it enhances the live event feel at home. Shooting a few, key celebs works for me and the announcers not over talking the entrances and allowing the natural ambiance to be heard/experienced is a good thing. Plus, unless it is an important moment to replay, I'd much rather hear what's happening in the corner between rounds than to watch replays. Saturday's PPV would be a nice time to add some subtle tweaks to the UFC TV presentation including some well placed, succinct pre-fight interviews.

I'm really proud of my old friend @JCLayfield for his tireless efforts to help the under privileged kids of Bermuda. JBL was a great success story in WWE coming in as essentially a remake of Dick Murdoch, Bobby Duncum, etc and evolving into a more sophisticated, refined, ass kicker who had a great run as World Champion and carried Smackdown for a long while. John is a smart guy who 'got it.'

Lesson to be learned by all talents, never rest on one's laurels and always look to improve your game and to evolve. Those that aren't willing to change are writing their own professional eulogy.

Some Oklahoma sportswriters are essentially anointing West Virginia University the Big 12 Title before playing a game. I do not concur.

Also, I don't concur that my Sooners are a lock to be in the top five this year. I hope so but it's damn sure not a 'lock.' Lots of work to be done on the defense side of the ball at every level. Plus, the OU receiving corps has been decimated thanks to the graduation of the great @RyanBroyles and some knuckleheads who are no longer a part of the team.

I'm still planning on attending every OU game and may even try and do some informal meet and greets while on the road if there's an interest.

@shawnmichaels is having me on his Outdoor Network show this year and we're likely to tape it in December. If the plan goes through I think that viewers will be VERY interested in the concept.

Recent questions on Twitter @JRsBBQ and here on our Q&A section of the site:

Would you like to be GM of Raw or Smackdown? No, thanks. Anoint someone who needs the TV time in hopes of building for the future. The role needs to be tweaked in my view and now is a good time to do so.

What's JR's favorite match? How would I pick one or two or three...? I've been blessed to broadcast SO many great ones. Been really lucky in that regard. I'm always willing to hear what you have to say regarding this daily question. BTW who's to say that I won't be adding to that list in the future? My tank is far from empty.

What's going to happen at Raw 1000? I honestly don't know and if I did I would not spoil any surprises. Am I scheduled to be there? Not at this time. That's the truth. However, it would be a nice opportunity to see many old friends.

Today is former OU star Darrell Royal's 88th birthday. The legend is from Hollis, Oklahoma and was an all American at OU and football captain back in the day before migrating to that college in Austin where they eventually named their football stadium after the native Oklahoman. Now that's some Red River Irony.

I used to bring Coach Royal being a Sooner up to the late, General Skandor Akbar regularly...in a nice way. Ak was a huge, Longhorn fan and knew football history and folklore in depth. RIP General.

What's the most overused and misunderstood insider term used by many wrestling fans? For my money it is ....THE PUSH. When will so and so get their much deserved PUSH? Ugh.

Often asked about DDP returning to the ring. I honestly don't know if Dallas has any interest whatsoever in doing so but folks can ask him directly @RealDDP. I hope that WWE books Page on another Legends Roundtable as he was a great panelist... plus adding @HeymanHustle to that mix would be fun, too.

Has Undertaker retired? O.K., let's think about this one. IF Taker had retired, wouldn't one think that WWE would memorialize that occasion in a HUGE way? Come on folks, WWE is an entertainment company and when one of the biggest stars in history decides to call it a day, I think I can safely say, that we will all know. So the answer is "No" the Undertaker has not retired and "No" I don't know when he's returning and "No" I don't think that he will EVER lose at a WrestleMania. (Haven't heard so many NO's since my senior prom.)

Do I like wrestlers competing in jewelry, bandanas, etc? Absolutely not. It's another subtle thing that takes me out of the moment when attempting to sell the genre as being a real sport. (This likely REALLY makes me 'old school.')

When people ask why certain wrestlers aren't getting what some fans feel that the said wrestlers deserve, I ask what have those wrestlers done lately to make themselves better? If one thinks that only appearing on TV and live events plus working out and tanning is all the investment a talent needs to make to become viable then think again. I've encouraged countless talents to watch DVD's to study the greats of the business and to pick up on the small things that can still be utilized today. Some nod yes and never follow through.

What are the dangers of calling matches right at ringside with the announce table right next to the ring. Other than the obvious of becoming a landing pad for large men, one thing that is unsettling is to have another's blood squirt across one's face after they have hit an artery in their head. Another's warm, blood squirting across the face is not a "perk' " of the job.

Do I enjoy being involved with the new, NXT? Absolutely. I've always enjoyed working with young talents who want to get better daily and who want to main event a WrestleMania. Not overly interested in those that merely want a spot on the main roster. 'Special teams' players are important to any team but easier to find. 'Starters' that want to compete and win 'Super Bowls' are a different animal.

We'll be back at Full Sail University next Thursday July 12. Tickets are available to the public at the Full Sail box office.

Pet Peeve of the Week.. folks on Twitter asking me questions that they can easily answer themselves if they weren't so lazy. IE, when do tickets go on sale at ________ or why doesn't WWE tour_____? Any idea when WWE is returning to __________?

Pet Peeve of the Week #2...faux, Twitter accounts. I have ONE account and for better or for worse I am responsible for all that I throw out there.

We are awaiting word as to when @americansoda in the UK will begin stocking our BBQ sauces, ketchup and mustard. We don't have a firm date but it looks as if it's happening.

Pet Peeve of the Week #3...wrestlers who can't act but attempt to do so on wrestling shows. When in doubt simply be yourself. For the record, I've been told that my acting skills suck and that would be an accurate statement. Another personal annoyance on TV wrestling is 'faux' laughter. It's an eye rolling, channel changer.

Been watching lots of WWE On Demand this week and much of the content still holds up today. I'm really lucky to have come along when I did as my style works best in dramatic, athletic presentations.

Been asked a lot recently when JR's products are going to be in retail stores. There is nothing on the horizon. We're open to it and if anyone has any connections with grocery chains, buyers, distributors, etc email me at contact us here on the site. There's only three of us who manage this small, family business but it's growing thanks to many of you.

If you have shipping questions or other questions regarding WWEShop please tweet them @WWEShop.

Sleeper product...JR's All Purpose Seasoning...it's a great dry rub and arguably the only seasoning you would likely need for most dishes.

Looking forward to being in Waterloo, Iowa one week from today for a tryout camp with Jerry Brisco on Friday July 13 at 1 p.m. Perhaps we get lucky and find us a prospect or two.

Thanks for stopping by and for supporting our family business at http://www.wweshop.com/Category/JimRoss.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.