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JR's Blog: JR's New Blog, WWE Extreme Rules Review, Subscribe for FREE to The Ross Report Podcast on iTunes, Cody Rhodes, Adam Rose, Embarrassing, Fan Behavior

Posted: May 24th 2016 By: Jim Ross

Hello everyone and thanks for paying our site a visit. Hope that you will tell a friend about us and bookmark our site as well. I'm talking to former WWE creative team member Andrew Goldstein Monday night for The Ross Report that drops this Tuesday night as usual at 9 pm ET on podcastone.com.

Enjoyed a busy week last week in Los Angeles and Las Vegas getting work done for AXSTV and CBS Sports Network culminating with our two hour boxing event on @CBSSportsNet Saturday night at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Check the listings and catch the replay of the boxing card as it was a fun show to broadcast and I hope a good one to watch as well.

I will broadcast another Knockout Night at the D boxing event for CBS Sports Network on Friday night June 10 from the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.

Contrary to a few, self righteous critics of my broadcasting efforts specifically regarding me not being a "boxing guy," I'm loving the experience and I am a life long boxing fan who is trying to improve with every broadcast. I'm enjoying the opportunity to be a part of the process and, above all, I'm having fun.

Remember that on Friday night May 27 we start the coverage of NJPW's G1 Tournament on @AXSTV with 10, strong shows in six weeks airing on Friday nights at 9/8 CT.

Enjoyed WWE's Extreme Rules wrestling show Sunday night as it featured multiple, strong matches. I especially loved the Fatal Four Way Intercontinental Title bout and the WWE Title bout a great deal. They were two of the better WWE matches of the year.

I am still of the mindset that going forward it would be prudent for WWE to simply consider eliminating a full card of 'extreme matches' in their PG world. In a reality based presentation, one would assume that having Extreme Rules matches would include some occasional 'dramatic' blood usage and it would also necessitate a few, selected participants missing ring time to 'recover' from the affects of their stipulation heavy bouts.

The live audience chanting "You Can't Wrestle" at Roman Reigns was an embarrassment.

Fans don't have to like a talent if that's their choice but to express such a snarky, "listen to me" chant just doesn't seem like a good thing. At times, these chants feel that they are from self absorbed, attention starved fans who feel compelled to make sure that everyone within ear shot knows how they feel. I get the theory that if I pay my money I can say whatever it is that I want but is that actually necessary?

Obviously these fans don't feel so strongly about their opinions that they do not attend said events.

Pro wrestling is a unique animal in as much as many of its die hard fans actually get THAT upset over a show business presentation based on fictional storylines and TV personas.

WWE EXTREME RULES post event feedback:

Baron Corbin is improving steadily and he had a solid outing with the highly talented Dolph Ziggler who sold for Corbin like a million bucks. I like Corbin's upside.

A heel crowd or did the Jersey fans simply want something new when they booed the Usos and cheered for Gallows and Anderson? That response, I'd assume, offended both teams as it should. Solid match and a good opener nonetheless.

Rusev winning the US Title worked for me. I hope that he's able to keep it for a nice tenure but it also begs the question is Rusev is keeping the belt 'warm' until Memorial Day when @JohnCena returns to RAW?

WWE Tag Title match was fine albeit short and played more on entertainment sizzle than athletic drama.

The Fatal Four Way IC Title bout was spectacular. Loved the finish of Miz 'stealing' one and retaining his championship. WWE has done a nice job of creating interest in the IC Title again. ROH alums Owens, Zayn, and Cesaro had stellar outings as did Miz who held his own very well against his well traveled opponents.

Felt badly for Jericho and Ambrose who did all they could to make the Asylum Cage match better than it was. I'd assume that this concept looked better on paper than it was in actual execution and that's not a new anomaly within the pro wrestling biz. It's easy for anyone to diss the idea after the fact.

The Women's title match had extremely high expectations going in considering it was a unique for women, submission match and a return from the last PPV event. Unfortunately, I thought that the last Charlotte-Nattie bout on PPV was the better one. Again, and in hindsight, I'm not sure that any of the outside elements regarding this bout was needed. I thought that both athlete's effort was what any promoter would look for.

In general I hope that the pro wrestling biz will evolve back to the point some day where losing to another top talent's finish isn't a reason to often times dilute the process and always have to go out of one's way to 'protect' whomever is losing. This is an business wide issue IMO.

Both the Asylum Cage and the Women's Title Bout were adversely affected by having to follow the terrific, IC Title Fatal Four Way.

AJ Styles proved that he is as good as if not better than anyone in WWE today and in recent memory IMO with his amazing, unselfish outing vs WWE Champion Roman Reigns. Both men delivered and both deserve to be applauded for their efforts and their desire to entertain the fans. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, some fans would have none of it.

Nice to see Seth Rollins healthy and back on TV and he helps the WWE lay of the land immediately. I think Rollins needs to be a heel now and when he turns on those cheering him that can be attained. However it's likely that some defiant fans will cheer Rollins even though the talent that they allegedly support is working his tail off to be booed.

Nice job by the WWE broadcasters who called this show as it's terribly challenging to call a full card with so many unique stipulations and that are largely dependent on 'gimmicks' to get the matches over. @JCLayfield had an especially nice night.

Best wishes to Cody Rhodes as he is beginning a new chapter of his professional life after requesting and being granted his release from WWE. It is customary when a talent asks for a release with time remaining on their contract that the release is granted conditionally and the talents generally can't wrestle for another company that has a television program on national TV until the previously agreed upon terms of the contract have been satisfied. I am unaware of how these matters are handled today. Nonetheless, Cody will be fine going forward as he has too much going for him to fail.

Leaving any company is not the end of times especially for a young talent with significant skills who has more options today than he will have as he likely gets older. A fresh start often times is a positive thing.

Adam Rose has requested his WWE release and has been granted such. It wil be interesting to see how the South African native proceeds with his life and what role pro wrestling may or may not have it it. I wish Rose well and encourage him to carefully strategize his next step.

Sad day in so many respects as today is the anniversary of the tragic death of Owen Hart in Kansas City at the WWE Over The Edge PPV. It's easy to say that Jerry Lawler adn I never had a more challenging task when continuing to broadcast the live event on PPV after having to announce that Owen had died. I've tried to erase those memories from my mind to no avail and have never gone back and looked at the footage.

When people ask how The King and I continued our jobs that night I can only surmise that we were both in shock to some degree and went on automatic pilot for the balance of the broadcast. While I've never watched the footage from KC, there is rarely a week that goes by that I'm not reminded of what a great person Owen was to all that knew him.

Please subscribe for FREE to The Ross Report Podcast at iTunes and have our show automatically downloaded into the device of your choice every Tuesday night at 9 pm ET plus it help us a great deal in the process. Thanks!

For info on OklaMania coming to Oklahoma in July, please visit www.imperialwrestlingrevolution.com. It;'s going to be the biggest indie wrestling weekend likely found anywhere outside of Wrestlemania weekend.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.. @JRsBBQ