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JR's Blog: JR's RAW Thoughts on Undertaker-Punk..Brock Lesnar Chris Jericho, Celtics Broadcaster & Calf Fries..JR's Products at WM29 AXXESS

Posted: Mar 11th 2013 By: mikeiles

Thanks for stopping by and paying us a visit. Big night for everyone on Monday Night RAW tonight from Indianapolis. The speed limit on the road to WrestleMania has increased. Random Thoughts fresh off the grill....

There are many things to keep an eye on tonight on the live, three hour RAW that emanates from Indianapolis. Obviously, it will be WM29 oriented as the big day of April 7 will be upon us before we know it.

How can we expect to see the Undertaker presented on RAW tonight? The amazing, Deadman is slated to defend the most auspicious streak in the history of the business at WM29 against the talented and opportunistic @CMPunk.

Punk has been, arguably, WWE's MVP the past many months highlighted by his long reign as WWE Champion. Versus 'Taker, at least in my view, Punk has everything to gain and nothing to lose which makes the controversial, expert of the pipe bomb even more of a threat to pull off what many of us feel will never happen...someone, anyone ending the Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania.

Many fans suggest that it is 'time' for WWE's longest running, major star to 'go down.' Mother Nature has not been kind to the Demon of Death Valley has he has had his share of serious injuries that were brought upon by a fierce, in ring style that featured a plethora of non, big man moves for a near 7 foot, 300 pounder. Not to mention, a hellacious road schedule for many, many years that are especially challenging to maintain for anyone much less a man the size of Taker. Airplane seats or normal automobiles are not made for mammoth men of Taker's proportions.

Punk also has @HeymanHustle Paul Heyman to confer with during Punk's preparation for this potential, show stealing affair at MetLife Stadium. Don't discount Heyman's contributions to this presentation.

Managing the man who beat the Undertaker at WrestleMania brings with it plenty of cache.
Punk is, arguably, more unpredictable than any opponent that Taker has ever faced at a WrestleMania event including the legendary Shawn Michaels as certainly Punk has a completely different style than HBK.

Punk's Muay Tai based, submission approach to the game versus HBK's more traditional catch as catch can style with some calculated, high risk thrown in for good measure pose a different set of problems for the man we have not seen compete on TV since last WrestleMania. One has to wonder what that match took out of the Phenom.

It is easy to fathom that Punk will wrestle Undertaker with an enhanced sense of urgency at WM29 but will that be enough to hang the only loss at WrestleMania on the all time great? Some speculate here on our Q&A's and via Twitter @JRsBBQ that they think that if Taker loses at WM29 that he will hang it up. I don't know abut that but I do know that the day that the Undertaker feels that he can't be 'The Undertaker' that he will fade into the darkness and not attempt to perpetuate what once was as so many of his peers have embarrassingly attempted to do. The Deadman has too much pride.

So, does Taker being 20-1 at WrestleMania's adversely affect his legacy? Not in my view. However, does beating the Undertaker at WrestleMania essentially make Punk even more special? Absolutely.

A Punk win at WM29 would essentially punch Punk's WWE HOF ticket and whether the outspoken Punk would admit it or not, being inducted into the WWE HOF is an amazing honor even for the most devout of individuals.

Time will tell and it's a main event match of which I'm extremely interested. Undertaker and Punk have my attention and are likely to have even more of it after tonight's RAW in Indianapolis.

That brings us to one Brock Lesnar. The amazingly gifted fighter/wrestler who we recruited straight out of the University of Minnesota where he was a national, NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion and a multiple time All American for Coach J Robinson's Golden Gophers. Lesnar was always a uniquely complex individual to manage but many extraordinary athletes in a variety of sports are.

Lesnar has always had an obsession with being the best and with also being the alpha male in any environment that he resides. It is my opinion that Lesnar doesn't need WWE's money but what he does need is to re-validate to himself that he is still the best/toughest in the sports entertainment genre just as he was when he abruptly left the business to try his hand at the NFL and before dominating UFC as their PPV cash cow and UFC Heavyweight Champion.

I see Lesnar accepting @TripleH WM29 challenge tonight but not without significant fanfare. There is only so much spotlight to go around the evening of April 7 and world class athletes like Lesnar want the bulk of that spotlight to be on them. Plus, the Psycho Viking has @HeymanHustle in his ear. Enough said.

Speaking of men who crave the spotlight, @IAmJericho Chris Jericho is another. Arguably, no one in WWE is more driven to conquer more world's than is Jericho. Jericho is one man that his peers don't embrace 'following' at any major event and WM29 is the biggest 'major' the biz has to offer. As of yet, Jericho isn't slated for a WM29 bout but how can he not be on this showcase of Hall of Fame level talent? Perhaps we will find out tonight in Indy what awaits Jericho at WM29 but be assured that if and when Y2J is booked he will turn his sights directly on creating yet another WrestleMania moment.

The speed zone on the road to WrestleMania increases tonight and incrementally so over the next few weeks. I can feel the momentum being built and forecast a monster success for the biggest event of the year and one that still makes my pulse quicken.

My thanks for @SeanGrandePBP for his hospitality Sunday as I worked with Sean and Cedric Maxwell during the second quarter of the Boston Celtics vs. OKC Thunder game on the Celtic Radio Network via their flagship station WEEI in Boston. If you check out the WEEI website you can also listen to an interview that the extremely knowledgeable Grande, a life long wrestling fan, and I recorded just prior to tip off.

My wife and I took Sean to dinner Saturday night at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill in OKC where I shared an order of calf fries with the guy who grew up in NYC loving WWWF and especially champ Bob Backlund. By the way for those that don't know, calf fries are the testicles of a calf and are deep fried and served with ketchup, gravy or ****tail sauce. It's lots of protein and the voice of the Celts manned up and went where he had never gone before at the dinner table.

WWEShop.com will be bring JR's products to their Super Store at AXXESS where you can buy and not have any shipping costs. I will also be appearing at AXXESS and hope to see many of you there. Pick up JR's products at AXXESS as it will not be available in the stadium. Good souvenir to take home and enjoy.

@americansoda in Manchester, England is really rocking the JR's products and shipping them throughout England, the UK and Europe and selling them on Amazon in the UK as well. Plus, they have JR's on the shelves at their American Candy stores.

I'd expect that WWE will respectfully address Paul Bearer's untimely passing of last Tuesday on tonight's Monday Night Raw broadcast in some fashion. I watch RAW just as any other fan and the less I know about what may or may not occur prior to the showing airing live, the better for me. I don't need to know 'spoiler' info to enjoy the broadcasts.

Summerslam tickets for the August 18 event in the Staples Center in LA will go on sale on March 23 at 10 a.m. How about a JR's cookout at this year's event? I'll cook for a few hundred, no problem, as long as it's with JR's BBQ Sauces.

Jump on the Twitter train with us @JRsBBQ. Enjoy RAW!

Q&A's are also updated and await you.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.