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JR's Blog: JR on..RAW..Lawler..Cole..Miz/Kofi.. Ryback/Punk..@americansoda.. Save now @ WWEShop.com..Sooners

Posted: Oct 19th 2012 By: CMBurnham

A pleasant good day to all and thanks for stopping by our site. If you register with us you will receive email updates when we post new blogs, etc. Also, save on some of the best packages of JR's products at http://www.wweshop.com and remember that UK fans and fans throughout much of Europe can order our products from @AmericanSoda. Random thoughts....

Still enjoying the opportunity to sit in for the King on Monday Night Raw with @MichaelCole. The three hour dynamic of doing live TV is daunting and unlike a PPV which has no official, commercial breaks. The amount of info that we are responsible to provide within the body of the show is extensive and requires ample preparation.

This I do know: one has to limit one's liquid intake early in the day to sit at ringside for over three hours as Mother Nature can be a cruel lady at times.

Each week I am reminded of two things...the live audience is a key player in the making or breaking of a Monday Night Raw broadcast and doing 18 segments of live TV and making critics happy isn't too likely to happen no matter what content is featured.

Adding OU football, NXT and Monday Night RAW into the travel equation has kept me busy. However, other than the normal TSA issues and the occasional flight delays all has gone well because all three of the aforementioned entities are things I love doing so it really doesn't seem like I'm going to work.

The Sooners are improving each week as evidenced by a win at Lubbock vs. Texas Tech who was undefeated at the time and then in Dallas' Cotton Bowl this past Saturday.

Enjoyed talking to Mark Henry, although briefly, at the game, and he looked great and I know that he's excited about his pending return to WWE. Mark is a big, no pun intended, UT fan and his day at the Texas State Fair likely wasn't as enjoyable as mine but I've been on the other side of the corndog a few times myself in the storied rivalry that ranks with the best rivalries in all of sports.

Had a chance to say hello to Roger Clemens and Toby Keith at half time of the Red River Rivalry along with a host of former Sooner and Longhorn players. It always amazes me that so many big time athletes and performers are WWE fans.

The Nashville Raw ran smoothly for Cole and me at the announce table. Our two man chemistry is evolving nicely as I keep @Jerry Lawler's seat warm for his return which I assume will likely be sometime before the end of the year. I haven't heard an exact date as that decision will be left up completely to the medical people. I'm assuming that King will return and take his seat next to Cole and that JBL (@JCLayfield) will continue to work with Josh Mathews on Friday Night Smackdown but that's simply one man's observation.

Until then, I'm going to enjoy every week that I get the opportunity to broadcast and to maximize my minutes on WWE TV including this Monday in New Jersey which is always a hot, loyal, WWE crowd.

I'm planning on traveling to Atlanta for the Hell in a Cell pay per view before heading to Charlotte for RAW as both cities have played a big part in my career beginning with the Jim Crockett promotions days.

Plans are also being made for me to travel to England to likely work the Birmingham RAW TV broadcast and then participate in a WWE try out camp that begins the Wednesday after the two days of Birmingham television.

I'm hopeful to make it back for the Baylor at OU game that weekend if all goes well.

I've updated the Q&A section of the site and invite you to check them out while you're here. Submit questions if you'd l like.

Really enjoying the build for Big Show's challenge to World Champ Sheamus. I look for this title bout to have some bowling shoe ugly qualities at HIAC but also covered with saucy physicality. These two men have worked diligently to make their main event bout at the Atlanta PPV have equity and I feel that they are succeeding. Hats off to Wade Barrett for adding to this mix as Barrett has returned from injury ready to play and his approach to the in ring aspect of his game has impressed me. Tough Brit.

Team Hell No albeit in a most unique manner have created awareness in the WWE tag team scene over the past several weeks. People are actually talking in positive terms about the tag teams in WWE. The finals of the tag team tournament will be this Monday on RAW in the Meadowlands and given Rey Mysterio's illness I'd give the nod to Team Rhodes Scholars in becoming the #1 contenders for the tag titles. I said it on TV and I meant it, Rhodes and Sandow have demonstrated the best, true tag team skill set of any of the tag team challengers.

Alberto Del Rio has found a new level of aggression and it suits him well. If Del Rio was missing something in his repertoire it was more of a pronounced mean streak. Don't get me wrong, the Mexican aristocrat is damn tough and was an excellent amateur but he's so smooth and seamless at times that he doesn't look nasty. Trust me, he is and the more he shows it the more successful ADR will be.

It seems like more and more each week that @HeelZiggler aka Dolph Ziggler is taking on more of the personality traits of @ShawnMichaels had back in the day. I'm not saying that Ziggler is going to surpass arguably the greatest in ring performer ever but if one had to pick a guy to study and to emulate to a certain degree then Ziggler has picked the right guy. Showoff equates to Showstopper as Dolph and Shawn have similar athletic traits and confident attitude. As Ziggler continues to become more natural on the MIC the comparisons will likely grow.

Antonio Cesaro has the chance to be the most significant United States Champion that we've seen in WWE in a good while. Several HOF level talents have held the US Title and I'm not anointing Cesaro there just yet but I like what I see from him and his work in NXT has been particularly excellent. When Cesaro gets into an extended issue with a viable rival, we will all see just how proficient the Swiss athlete is.

Cesaro has paid ample dues, is a solid citizen and will always represent WWE the right way and it doesn't matter that's he's a antagonist.

Can't say enough good things about how hard @MiketheMiz and @realkofi worked Monday night and then again Wednesday night on Ion TV where Kofi won the IC Title. Miz is multitalented and has a tireless work ethic. He's getting better and better inside the ring and is being counted on to be one of the stalwarts of WWE for years to come. I've always thought Kofi had amazing athletic gifts but, as I mentioned on Raw Monday, Kofi needs to develop a little swagger and not be such a nice guy specifically inside the ropes. I salute them both for the excellent work that they have done this week on WWE TV.

Ryback vs. CM Punk in the main event inside HIAC in Atlanta is something that I never foresaw coming this quickly but I';m excited to see the bout. I have no preconceived notion of how it will go but my guts say it won't be a scientific masterpiece but will be physical, straightforward and smash mouth.

The Raw broadcast this Monday should tell us even more about this matchup. Certainly Ryback is on a roll, has yet to lose or to ever compete inside Hell in a Cell so this main event has several viable unanswered questions that, as a fan, I like.

@CMPunk as been on top of his game in recent weeks and when we look back on his career some day in the future I feel that objective observers can honestly say that we are seeing some of the WWE Champions's best performances ever at this point in time.

BTW...if you haven't checked out Punk's new DVD it is a must see and I don't say that about any DVD that I haven't seen or honestly feel that way about the production. It might be the best DVD WWE has ever produced. You be the judge.

JR's products are just as good in the kitchen as they are on your grill. Plus, our packages make great holiday gifts so please keep them in mind.

If you live in the UK, Ireland, parts of Europe check with @AmericanSoda for easy ordering in that part of the world.

WWEShop has some awesome savings right now on some of our most popular products at http://www.wweshop.com on the JR page. Save approximately $20 on our biggest and best package.

Great to see the King back in an arena Tuesday night in Memphis making a cameo appearance to the live audience in Jerry's home town. His recovery has been miraculous as is the mere fact that he survived the massive heart attack. I think about him every time I sit in his chair on Monday night Raw and am anxious to see him back at work.

You're invited to follow me on Twitter @JRsBBQ. I think that you'll enjoy the experience and I actually respond to many followers.

You would not believe how many people have come out of the woodwork wanting my 6, 50 yard line tickets for the Oklahoma vs. Notre Dame game. It's absurdly humorous. It's the hottest ticket in Norman since I can recall and that includes the "Game of the Century" in 1971 when OU played Nebraska for the National Championship.

Thanks for stopping by and please register for our site and tell a friend.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.