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JR's Blog: Fox Sports WrestleMania series, NCAA Wrestling Nationals, Lesnar, JR's NOLA Shows, UFC171, Ross Report Podcast Exploding!

Posted: Mar 15th 2014 By: mikeiles

Thanks for stopping by our site. We're getting ready to upgrade the site and tweak the look so stay tuned. We're burning da daylight....

Nice, quick trip to Vegas this week of a about 24 hours and change. Mandalay Bay is great and the Strip Steak Restaurant there is unreal. Highly recommend it.

Saw my old pal Marc Ratner, a VP of UFC, who was 'moonlighting' as the clock operator of the NCAA hoops tourney that was on going in Vegas. I used to think that I was a multi-tasker but Marc is the best.

Got my tickets for the NCAA Wrestling Championships today via Federal Express. Going to attend w/ WWE HOFer Jerry Brisco who is scouting the event for WWE. I'm going as a fan and to keep my Okie friend company.

If Jerry is lucky, he might find another Brock Lesnar, however, jocular, Hereford Bulls come along very rarely.

WWE is smart to invest in educated, athletic, young people with big personalities who, hopefully, grew up watching some TV Wrestling. Brock was not a pro wrestling fan when he signed with WWE but he burned through the pro wrestling drills in OVW like the beast that he is and was as natural as anyone we ever signed.

Amazing feedback from fans of the WWE Network who thought I spent my entire career broadcasting in WWE. They did not realize that at I spent 19 years in the biz before I made it to WWE. Some overnight sensation, right?

Tickets for my two New Orleans shows are moving well at the House of Blues box office and via ticketmaster.com. RINGSIDE: An Evening with Jim Ross hits NOLA WrestleMania 30 week with two shows at the HOB on Thursday April 3 at 6:30 and 9:30 pm. Not many VIP Meet & Greet tickets remain but there are still tickets available for both shows. These two shows will be heavy on No Holds Barred Q&A's and both shows will be hosted by Toronto's John Pollock. I expect some surprise guests to attend with so many wrestling personalities in NOLA for all the WM30 activities.

Thanks to all that are checking out the new, website http://www.podcasttees.com where you can find several new JR's Shirts with a variety of designs and in ALL sizes. Plus, the shirts can be shipped any where in the world.

Watched Smackdown from Little Rock tonight and it reminded me of the time that Danny Hodge grabbed a handful of Victor the wrestling bear's short hairs (anus hair) and pulled them out which motivated the frightened bear to slap Bill Watts damn near into next week.

Working diligently on the three part series on WrestleMania for http://www.foxsports.com that I think that you're really going to enjoy. We're getting quotes from many participants plus Fox is really going all out to make it look great.

I will always consider getting the opportunity to broadcast as many WrestleMania's as I did to be a privilege and not my professional right. I'd like to think that I earned those bookings while I know that I always gave my best effort. Those gigs never felt like work.

Researching and writing about WM's 1-29 has certainly brought back a flood of great memories.

No matter what the 'cool kids' may want one to believe, WrestleMania's are special and forge a lasting impression in one's professional and personal life.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler will fight Saturday night for the vacant welterweight title on PPV at #UFC171. The event is totally sold out in Dallas and was hit w/ some controversy Friday afternoon when Hendricks, the former Oklahoma high school multiple time state champion and multiple time all American and two time national champ at Oklahoma State, missed weight at 170 pounds until finally making it at the proverbial 11th hour.

I'm curious to see how this affects the fight and how the betting went in Vegas after fans heard the news. Steve Austin thinks that Robbie Lawler has a helluva shot at winning in Dallas while I'm pulling for the Oklahoman even though he's from the "enemy school" in Stillwater.

I can't see Hendricks-Lawler going five rounds. I hope that it doesn't because I'm not a fan of MMA judging.

Many of my OU coaching friends are heading to Dallas while I watch UFC 171 on PPV and continue to write more WrestleMania stories. I think I'm up to WM14.

Speaking of WM, I'm not answering any questions regarding who is going to win the Andre the Giant 30 Man Battle Royal because I'm not even sure who's in it. The irony of this attraction is that many participants wouldn't have been on the card if not for this match but they will be some of the same individuals who complain about their pay offs.

Some things in life never change.

Got a call today from Podcast One telling me that the current Ross Report with Trish Stratus is killing it. Last I looked on the iTunes Sports Podcast Top Ten, it was #1 in USA, #3 in UK, #5 in Australia, and #1 in Canada. Downloading is free at iTunes and http://www.podcastone.com.

Next week Mick Foley is my guest in one of the funniest shows of which I've been a part so be sure and check us out.

@JRsBBQ on Twitter.

Boomer sooner!

J.R.