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JR's Blog: Hardy Boyz on Ross Report Podcast, Brock Lesnar, RAW Thoughts, Survivor Series, Lucha Underground, Congrats TNA, Wrestle Kingdom 9 on PPV, Holiday Shopping for JR's Online

Posted: Nov 20th 2014 By: Jim Ross

Thanks for stopping by our website and paying us a visit. Please keep JR's products in mind for the holiday season with convenient online shopping to virtually any where in the world. http://www.wweshop.com has great packages and will be completely re-stocked soon as business there has really picked up. http://www.americansoda.co.uk and http://www.beyondtheropes.co.uk ship to he UK, Ireland and throughout Europe but don't delay and order sooner than later to avoid any unforeseen shipping delays. Plus, http://www.prowrestlingtees.com/jimross ships our shirts worldwide in virtually every size imaginable plus while supplies last you will get a FREE Ringside w/ Jim Ross event shirt which is like getting a $20 shirt for free. Now, let's grill.....

The feedback on my conversations with both Matt and Jeff Hardy on the new Ross Report Podcast is getting amazing feedback. Download it for free at podcastone.com. via iTunes or listen to it here on the Website on the app on the home page by simply clicking the play button. It's an open and honest story of the Hardy Boyz career from the beginning until now including the great times and the non so great times of their amazing journey that started in their backyard on a trampoline.

Last night I talked with both Bryan Alvarez who is the co-author of the new version of 'The Death of WCW' book which has some intriguing follow up interviews and 40% new content. You can order the book via Amazon through my site at podcaston.com and to Bullet Club member and one half of the tag champs in New Japan Pro Wrestling and who will be competing on the Wrestle Kingdom 9 PPV event January 4 from the Tokyo Dome. That show drops on December 30.

Next Tuesday night a 9 pm ET another new Ross Report Podcast becomes available and I will be joined by Wade Keller, creator and publisher of the Pro Wrestling Torch for the past 25 years and we will review the WWE Survivor Series event that is set for this Sunday in St. Louis on the WWE Network.

Congrats to @ImpactWrestling for securing a new cable TV home beginning in January and partnering with Destination America TV owned by Discovery Communications. I'd expect TNA to be able to provide more programming throughout the year for this network. I will admit that I've not watched a great deal of programming on this network but I easily found it on my cable provider which is Cox Communications here in Oklahoma. If wrestling fans remain as they have been over the years they will find the network and support Impact Wrestling which I plan to do. Why? Because I'm a wrestling fan and many of my friends are employed there. When the show debuts it will find it's place on my weekly DVR list.

Watching a great deal of NJPW these days on Daily Motion and You Tube. These men groove that the old school, pro wrestling in ring style certainly isn't ballet. Many friends who have followed NJPW for years have been kind enough to reach out to me with some amazing biographical info on the wrestlers who will be competing from the Tokyo Dome on January 4, the day after I "celebrate" another birthday. This will be a PPV that features strong, and because it's the company's Super Bowl or WrestleMania, lots of whistle and bells, too. But make no mistake, the reason to watch this extravaganza is not because of the pyro, the music, the celebrities or the announcers but because of the amazing, old school based, fundamentally sound wrestling that I'm excited to call from ringside. I will likely be the only guy in the Tokyo Dome wearing a black hat. :)

RAW Thoughts:

Because WWE has booked essentially one bout, main event for Sunday's Survivor Series on the WWE Network and selected PPV carriers the show focused on that 10 Man Elimination Tag match featuring Team Authority vs. Team Cena. I thought the exposure give this match was strong especially considering that this is the match for which most people will watch on Sunday. I liked the surprises that popped up on John Cena's team at the 11th hour and feel that it's the right thing to do to see what guys like Harper and Rowan, now on opposing sides, have in their tank while being featured on a PPV main event. Hopefully all involved will be given an opportunity to 'shine' much like some do during the Royal Rumble. If the newbies aren't booked to look like main eventers and if they don't maximize their minutes the fans will not emotionally invest in them.

I'm thinking that this main event will have many twists and turns during the match, perhaps even a defection, some interference, and perhaps a mutiny of sorts during the bout but that Team Cena will prevail. I'd love for WWE to really take us on a wild ride that leads into the December PPV, TLC.

I'd be shocked if Ryback isn't highlighted Sunday as he appears to be the "next man up" as WWE continues to seek the right talent at the right time to connect with their audience.

One could also assume that Rusev will be carefully presented Sunday which comes as no revelation.

Curious to see how the Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt pairing is structured. Will it be a brawl or will it feature some wrestling? Nonetheless, it's a fantastic opportunity for both men and the outcome, if presented properly, won't hurt either talent. whether they win or lose. I certainly hope that a winner is derived out of it and not a DQ or Countout. Those finishes have become increasing flat on all wrestling TV shows and it helps all involved to have a winner and a loser via pin or submission more than to leave the issue flat with a too often used out....with the uncreative "let's throw it out" finish. Just my two cents...

I'm booking Lucha Underground creative guru Chris "Big Dick Johnson" DeJoseph on the Ross Report to talk about the new brand and their philosophy of presenting their product which is one of the more unique wrestling, TV shows to come along in a good while. We will tape this in late December for airing in early 2015.

WWEShop.com has been selling a great deal of our products as the holidays approach but have been out of a few items the past few days. Their reorder will be arriving later this week. Thanks to all for making BUSINESS PICK UP!

Working on catching up on the Q&A's today. Check them out. Some are really good.

I appreciate so many on twitter @JRsBBQ suggesting who they would like to see me work beside at Wrestle Kingdom 9 on PPV and I've made several suggestions but Jeff Jarrett will make the final call and I will be fine with whoever he selects from our short list. While I understand many fans would love for my broadcast partner on January 4 to be CM Punk that's simply not feasible at this time as he's embracing other interests of which I certainly can relate. I'm grateful to so many folks who say they will be buying this PPV and for old school fans, especially, I think that you will be very happy that you do.

If you listen to my podcast you know that I've often times mentioned how big a fan of Brock Lesnar that I am to the degree that I'm not sure that Brock isn't the the most gifted athlete that WWE has ever signed but that he was also a smart businessman and a competitive, alpha male in his daily life. With those things said, I also said I wouldn't be surprised to see Brock return to UFC now that his health issues are behind him. Lesnar used the same reasoning to leave WWE the first time to try out for the Minnesota Vikings. He's a competitor who loves challenges along with a nice, fat pay check. With the Vikings the pay check wasn't his primary motivator but instead it was the challenge of making a NFL team after not playing football since high school in Webster, South Dakota. If Brock is presently undecided on what he's going to do, it leaves WWE in a quandary as it relates to the centerpiece of their company, the WWE World Title. I would not be shocked to see Brock return to the UFC while he's still young and healthy enough to compete at the highest level. If that decision is imminent, it certainly could make the Royal Rumble even more interesting. Interesting days lie ahead for WWE and their primary championship.

I appreciate you stopping by and hope that you have a great d/night.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ