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JR's Blog: RINGSIDE: An Evening w/ Jim Ross tickets on sale now, Slammy's, Future Wrestlemania's, Order JR's Online for the Holidays!

Posted: Dec 10th 2013 By: CMBurnham

Greetings from a still chilly Norman, Oklahoma home of the Sugar Bowl bound Oklahoma Sooners who will play the 'Undertaker-like at WrestleMania' Alabama Crimson Tide on January 2, the day before my next birthday, in New Orleans. Let's roll...(some will get that)

Great weekend for yours truly as I was on the OU sideline to enjoy a breathtaking Bedlam football game as my underdog Sooners upset an excellent Oklahoma State team in Stillwater. Old friend and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Brisco was also in attendance to support his Cowboys.

Wind chills were in the teens but I don't remember being too cold thanks to Coach Bob Stoops coaching one of the best games of his storied, 15 year career in Norman.

The Mrs. and I spent Sunday afternoon with Jerry in our Norman home and enjoyed the NFL Sunday Ticket and some great BBQ before he began his trek back to Tampa.

I will see Jerry again in March when the NCAA Wrestling Nationals will be held in OKC. He will be scouting for WWE and I will be enjoying the festivities.

The wrestling business, likely unlike many other ventures, I'm sure, is short on long term, "wrestling" friends especially when one member of the friendship is no longer married to the genre. Jerry Brisco, along with a handful of others, have remained friends with me since me leaving WWE and will always will.

Message in that previous statement: great friendships are a genuine blessing and never take then for granted. Someone in the wrestling business told me 40 years ago that if I got out of the biz and could count on one hand all the loyal friends that I had that I would be a lucky man.

Tickets are on sale now at http://www.ticketmaster.com and at the Gramercy Theater box office in NYC for my two shows at the Gramercy on Saturday March 1. I hope the fans throughout the Northeast will consider joining me on what will be a big night as I begin a new venture in my career.

Podcast update: We have a basic deal in place that looks as if I will start my own podcast in early 2014 for the most elite company in the field. There are details to finalize but things look positive. We are still working on the format but it will be fan friendly and very interactive.

I'm always curious to see how a WWE Slammy's Show is received and formatted during the three hour Monday Night RAW window. I know that it's one of the internally busiest days of the year prior to going on the air on what is a 'short day' considering the show starts locally in Seattle at 5 p.m.

Combining the Slammy Awards with promoting the TLC PPV on the same broadcast seems as if it might be tricky. We'll find out tonight.

I will be live Tweeting during the Slammy's @JRsBBQ. (I'm les than (9,000 followers away from 1M)

My 2nd installment on the Jim Cornette Experience Podcast with Court Bauer is this week on http://www.MLW.com and http://JimCornette.com. Check their sites for all the exact details but JC and I delve into UFC and much more in this second of two podcasts that I recorded with him last week.

We are still working on doing at least one RINGSIDE: An Evening with Jim Ross show in New Orleans during WM30 week. I hope to know more about that matter this week.

WM31 coming to the Bay Area feels like a great call for WWE in 2015. New stadium, great metropolitan area from which to draw and some great venues in the area in which to produce RAW and Smackdown following the event. Plus, there are multiple airports in which to fly into and ample hotels throughout the area.

If the rumors are true that WM32 is going to emanate from Arlington, Texas and the home of the Dallas Cowboys, that will be a great 'get' as well. WWE could theoretically pack AT&T Stadium with north of 100,000 fans if the attractions are well planned and viable enough.

Another positive point about the Dallas metroplex event, if it happens in 2016, is that it gives WWE more promotional time to plan something very special and it also gives WWE creative folks and others time to put some 'dream bouts' or scenarios on the drawing board and build to them. With Dallas being an American Airlines and Southwest Airlines hub, that too adds to the positives.

I have written here many times throughout the years that IF Undertaker was going to have his last match that it should be the focal point of a WrestleMania and that it should come from his home state of Texas in the biggest celebration possible and that the venue should be Jerry's World. (As in Jerry Jones and not Jerry Lawler.)

Time will tell.

One thing is for sure, now is the time to rocket ship some young talents in hopes of getting them to the level of a main eventer needed for WM31 and WM32 notwithstanding the years beyond.

Does that mean a Roman Reigns, etc should win the Royal Rumble and play a key role in WM30 leading to bigger things in the coming years?

Promising young talents, as in more than one, have to be given the ball IE the opportunity to truly shine and let them see what they can do to connect fully with the fan base and become a bona fide main event, PPV selling star.

Like any other role including a top NFL draft pick or a young actor getting a starring role in a film, etc, if the chosen ones don't cut the mustard when given adequate time to do so, then the gig goes to someone else. Point is, youth has to be served soon and certainly one has to assume if the recruiting and training of the young talents has been on the money then stars will be born.

These major calls are not creative team matters. These calls have to come from upper management and then the rest of the team contributes with one, long term goal.

Great, holiday deals now on all JR's products and packages for a limited time with easy, safe online shopping at:

http://www.wweshop.com

http://americansoda.co.uk

http://beyondtheropes.co.uk

Order soon to insure that your goods will arrive in time for the holidays. My family certainly thanks you for supporting us.

The Q&A's at Ask JR are updated here on the site.

Have a great day! Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ