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JR's Blog: Awesome HBK Ross Report Podcast Today, JR to Toronto THIS Friday night, RAW TV Feedback, Prowrestlingtees.com/JimRoss

Posted: May 7th 2014 By: Jim Ross

What a week coming up. One of the most exciting and eagerly anticipated weeks I've had in a long while. Here's more about it....

This Friday night is our first ever RINGSIDE w/ Jim Ross show in Canada as we head to Toronto and the Danforth Music Hall on Friday night with one show only at 9 pm. The VIP Meet/Greet component will take place before the show starts. We will also have JR's products and @RobSchamberger art available as well. Tickets are available in advance via ticketmaster.ca and will be available at the venue on Friday right up until show time.

We will be doing a great deal of Toronto media on Thursday of this weeks to add to what we've already done. The TO media are as friendly and supportive as any I've ever worked with and for that we are grateful. My pal John Pollock from the Fight Network will MC our Toronto show.

We're also excited about our Saturday May 31 afternoon show coming to the Chicago House of Blues with a 2 pm starting time. Tickets are now available at ticketmaster.com and the HOB box office. This is also one show only starting at 2 pm with the VIP Meet and Greet scheduled to start prior to our show. JR's products including shirts from http://www.prowrestlingtees.com/JimRoss will also be on hand.

Whether it be this Friday night in Toronto or Saturday afternoon May 31 at the Chicago House of Blues, the day before WWE Payback in Chicago, I hope those that can will plan on being with us. Excited for Marty DeRosa to be hosting our Chicago show.

Today (Tuesday) at approximately 6 pm pacific time our much anticipated Ross Report Podcast with the great Shawn Michaels will be available for FREE downloading from podcastone.com or via iTunes. This is one of the most riveting and compelling interviews that I've ever been associated with and I feel confident that you are going to enjoy it immensely.

Later today I will be speaking with ESPN's Michelle Beadle for a future Ross Report which I am looking forward to very much. Michelle is a star at ESPN and a life long pro wrestling fan who is also one of the funniest and most entertaining personalities on all of television.

Next week's podcast guest on the Ross Report is @Goldberg which is another eye opening conversation. We'll find out "Who's Next?" for Bill Goldberg.

Albany, N.Y. RAW thoughts:

It was a tough night to stay focused on Monday Night Raw with my wife's Pittsburgh Penguins and my OKC Thunder both playing playoff games on TV around the same time. We multi-tasked and managed to pull it off fairly well but to tell you that I watched every second of RAW would be misleading. Nonetheless here's what I thought of what I did see live....

Sheamus winning the US title in the Battle Royal was a solid start to RAW with good action and featuring multiple talents. Dean Ambrose US title reign albeit long was uneventful and perhaps Sheamus can help add value to the long time title. I could also see Sheamus trading in his protagonist jersey for an antagonist one sooner than later. Sheamus is a very smart talent who, I think, would be able to add the necessary heel nuances to his game.

Cesaro being more merciless in his bout with RVD will help establish Cesaro as not only a bigger star as time moves on but also as a cold hearted 'killer' who is machine like in his approach under the guidance of Paul Heyman. @HeymanHustle can certainly help make Cesaro a much bigger star and I've always thought, since I first saw Cesaro in NXT, that Cesaro can be special as he has an unlimited upside.

Enjoyed the villain subtleties of the new IC Champion Wade Barrett who actually cheated to gain an unfair advantage before disposing of Big E. When more pro wrestling villains learn the strategic ways to gain unfair advantages they will find that their TV personas mean more thus they increase their earnings potential. It's not rocket science and is simply common sense and not over thinking things while others attempt to try to reinvent the wheel.

While watching the still very green Rusev, who now strategically hails from Russia, for some reason he reminded me of the late, General Scandor Akbar who was also barrel chested, short and powerful, and utilized the 'foreign' persona. Rusev and Lana may be a year away but if everyone in the process steers the course, the combo can be viable in time. Lana's promo work is improving weekly.

Not sure exactly what's going on with the Rhodes Brothers but I'm intrigued.

I wasn't crazy about WWE World Champion Daniel Bryan seemingly retreating from Kane but I mark it off to DB simply wanting to protect his wife and doing what he can to keep her out of harm's way. This matter needed to be explained better because one can't have the company's top champion being reluctant of physically engaging with anyone. I am of the opinion that this Daniel Bryan/Kane storyline needs better explanation for the TV audience and if nothing else for more viable questions to be asked that encourage the audience to mentally invest in what they are seeing.

The continued creative development of the Wyatt Family has my interest even though I have no idea where it is going. I love Bray Wyatt's promos and his in ring work as big men with a second gear are so marketable and so hard to find. Until Bray does something so heinous that the audience turns on him he's going to continue to travel the cool, unique antagonist road that really isn't a traditional heel road at all. It is however a star road and perhaps it's more important to develop pure stars in today's market, in the mind of some, than it is to develop traditional pro wrestling villains. Time will tell how it all works out but I am enjoying the evolution nonetheless.

Have to admit that I'm not plugged into the Adam Rose persona yet but I do know that the wrestler himself is a talented South African who can go bell to bell. I'm certainly willing to give Adam Rose a chance but his RAW exposure Monday night did not flip the switch for me just yet.

The final segment of RAW was big time as it featured the company's most relevant grouping of stars in an action packed, fast moving finale to the three hour marathon. By the time the three hours and 15 commercial breaks come and go it is more often than not the last thing that one sees that sticks with them the longest. If you remember something that happens early in the night, then that content is generally a keeper or is so ridiculous it's like that song that one can't get out of their head.

JR's products are available online at wweshop.com, americansoda.co.uk and beyondtheropes.co.uk for all your grilling and kitchen needs.

Keep up with my exploits this week and every week on Twitter @JRsBBQ.

Because you asked, yes I will be attending the ROH/New Japan event this Saturday night in Toronto at the Ted Reeve arena simply as a fan. No meet and greets...no TV work...just as a fan who wants to watch the show. It's a IPPV for those that are interested and you can get all the info that you need at rohwrestling.com.

Lance Storm, Bully Ray, Kurt Angle, MVP, the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase are all booked on future Ross Report podcasts for some #SlobberKnockerAudio. Air dates TBD please...stand by.

Have a great day and do something nice for someone that you don't know. Remember that our tomorrow's aren't guaranteed.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ