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JR's Blog: JR's Weekend Blog..Undertaker Returns..NXT..HOFers in Milwaukee..UFC157..Try JR's Products Today!

Posted: Feb 25th 2013 By: mikeiles

Thanks for stopping by our website and paying us a visit. Lots of ground to cover after a long, but fun week. We now start our engines.....

Yours truly headed to Orlando Wednesday for the Thursday night taping of NXT. We got four, one hour shows in the can in under four hours. The standing room only crowd at Full Sail University stayed emotionally invested throughout the night which always makes any TV taping better.

The WWE staff and talents all did a super job Thursday night as I felt that the four hours of TV were really solid. One can see several talents making positive strides through their hard work and dedication to getting better. I was happy that I got to do some commentary for the 4th hour which is the WrestleMania edition of NXT.

Young talents on the NXT roster need to realize that they cannot improve or make it to the Promised Land by only investing in their craft when they are at work. It won't happen. When wrestlers could perform in front of a live audience 6-7 days a week the year around and hitting the gym while working every night, it created the best of learning tools. Plus, the car trips with their peers was like riding in a classroom. That isn't the case now days.

Strength and conditioning is a huge element of one's training as is DVD study which should be a daily ritual with NXT talents. The way that I see it, if a talent is so uncommitted that they can't make time to watch an hour or so of a wrestling DVD to help them learn then they shouldn't be in the program. Give the locker space to someone who really wants to contribute and to be a main eventer.

There are several young talents in NXT with the potential to make it to the next level but at this stage of their game that is more up to the individual than any thing else. Keyboard Warriors will espouse "PUSH" until they're blue in the face but it's not that but one's individual effort, commitment, and attitude that creates the desired result. The willingness to do extra work to get better and to look more athletic which embraces diet and exercise isn't an option.
BTW...I worked OT to update the Q&A section of this site and invite you to check them out. They are quick reads, as a rule, and some people find them informative and entertaining.

I flew Friday from Orlando where it was in the 80's to Milwaukee where snow awaited me. I was joined at the Potawatomi Casino Friday night by Mean Gene Okerlund and Jerry Lawler where we did our first, three man show featuring some road stories but primarily featuring questions from the audience. All of us had a great time and our hosts were first class as was the promotion. Seemed that the house was near capacity.

There is talk of attempting to take this show "on the road" in the future, meaning we would do more dates based on our respective schedules. That's TBD but the concept is an easy one to produce and I love that the fans can be such a significant part of the production. Gene, Jerry and I represent over 100 years of experience in the biz and our stories are endless. The show was scheduled to go 90 minutes but we were having so much fun that we went a little over two hours.

Plus, promoter David Herro sold every bottle of JR's Original BBQ Sauce that he purchased from us. David and Damien Nelson were great to work with on this project. Very professional.

Happy to make it home Saturday afternoon and I enjoyed watching UFC 157 highlighted by the Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche main event, a first for women's MMA at a UFC event.

I thought the UFC folks produced a really good PPV. The booking of the marches was spot on as things can often look great on paper but suck pond water in the ring or Octagon. On this, I speak from experience.

I still think that the primary announcers, Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan, who do a really solid job BTW, have to talk too much because of the lack of a voice to read the sponsor info, voice over the video packages, etc. If one watches the prelims and the PPV, hearing the same two voices for multiple hours is not the best route to go in my view.

Plus, a personal pet peeve is that I think that the crowd should be wired well enough that the announcers have to push themselves to be heard over the fans in attendance. That tone adds a sense of urgency and excitement to the live presentation.

Ronda Rousey is arguably the hottest star in UFC and that includes such athletes as Anderson Silva and George St. Pierre, among others. The marketing opportunities and cross promotional opportunities for Rousey are endless. Some times that can be the infamous "Kiss of Death" as the arm bar specialist can easily get totally immersed in the marketing of herself and the brand that she works for which can take the true focus of training and preparing for a fight off one's radar. UFC will likely be careful in how much of Ronda's time is cannibalized by marketing and promotional efforts as should Rousey's own camp.

Rousey is only 27 and has the intangible "IT" factor that cannot be taught or manufactured. Hopefully, UFC has a full time person or staff working with Rousey on all her outside projects and keeping an eye on her schedule so that she can both enjoy her life and continue to focus on getting better in the Octagon. The onslaught of women training, as we speak, to prepare to notch their gun by beating Rousey will be significant.

The thing that some @RondaRousey fans have to reluctantly admit is that even Rowdy Ronda is not unbeatable.

I'm doing some local, OKC radio Monday during the midday on WWLS the Sports Animal with Mark Rodgers to promote the Tuesday OKC Smackdown taping. This is the last OKC WWE event in OKC until December.

Lots of buzz about the surprise return of the Undertaker Saturday night at a WWE live event in Waco Texas. Taker wasn't advertised and competed in a tag team bout. It's great to see the Phenom stepping back into the ring and I hope that he gives himself a passing grade for his latest experience and that he feels great today.

My Twitter @JRsBBQ blew up last night when photos of Taker in the ring in Waco starting being posted and then WWE.com posted more info and things really got crazy. Obsessed fans had the rest of the year booked within a matter of minutes as it relates to Taker.

Perhaps these fans should spend as much time on their school homework.

Like everyone else, I hope that Taker's return to the squared circle results in him performing at WM29 but I would suggest that isn't exactly a 'done deal' as I write this. Perhaps we will learn more next week on WWE TV or the week after. I'm willing to simply stay tuned and enjoy the ride and I remain optimistic. (What a novel concept.)

More good news regarding Twitter is that my timeline hasn't been so loaded with Jack Swagger oriented content. I'm still waiting for all the info to roll in from Mississippi regarding Swagger's arrest where he was changed with some misdemeanors. Obviously this situation was ill advised and should never have happened no matter how badly timed it is perceived by some. Any time is a bad time.

I got criticized for saying that I wasn't turning my back on Swagger and I'm still of that mindset. Can you realize how many people that I would have failed to support back in my talent relations days if I had that mentality? At some point, if one cannot solve a problem, then one must eliminate said problem. But I've always felt compelled that one should exhaust all reasonable remedies to solve an issue before saying adios to any talent. I'd like to think that back in the day that I was a "player's coach" but that doesn't mean that repeat offenders or those who are so defiant and that resist positive changes in their lives need to be kept around.
I simply hope that Swagger has learned a life lesson from his mistake and that nothing like this ever occurs again. He owes it to himself, his family, the fans and his company to do so.

Thinking that the Cena vs. Punk bout on Monday Night Raw will be a really strong bout that will occupy ample time on the broadcast. Lots at stake, obviously, but it's still a head scratcher to some degree why Cena agreed to put his main event bout vs. The Rock at stake against Cena's arch rival. Perhaps I just answered my own question. Rival...not overwhelming success against said rival, perhaps looking to send a message to The Rock and the WWE Champion's large, fan base as well. Whatever the reason I'd suggest that MNR will be a hot show from the sold out American Airlines Center in Dallas.

I may be in need of counseling as I'm watching too much of the NFL Scouting Combine...way too much. My wonderful wife is beginning to look at me with a worried look on her lovely face.
When watching RAW Monday night think of the men and women who flew from Istanbul, Turkey to get to Dallas to make their booking.

KSBI TV in OKC will do a 30 minute special on me Wednesday night. It will be available to catch online on KSBI's website in a few days. The special airs from 6:30-7 p.m. Wednesday evening in Oklahoma.

Good things continue to happen for JR's Family brand of home style products. WWEShop.com, http://www.wweshop.com, is gearing up for the heart of grilling season and their turn around time for order fulfillment is amazing. Safe, convenient online shopping and new deals daily.

In Manchester, England our friends @americansoda and their American Candy stores continue to do a bang up job for us throughout the UK and the European market place.
I'm getting close to 700,000 Twitter followers @JRsBBQ and invite you to follow me. Promise that you'll enjoy it. My goal is to be at 1M followers by year's end.

I made travel reservations for WM29 this week. My wife Jan and I are going to enjoy the experience especially the WWE HOF ceremony...it's dress up night! Plus, I will be appearing at AXXESS but don't have my schedule as of yet. For me, and this will be my 20th WrestleMania, the event is like a big, happy, family reunion.

Thanks, again, for the visit and please tell a friend about our site.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.
@JRsBBQ