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JR's Blog: Meltzer on Ross Report, Knockout Night at The D, LA RAW, Bray, Taker, @AXSV Friday Night!

Posted: Apr 13th 2016 By: Jim Ross

Excited to welcome Dave Meltzer to the Ross Report tonight (Tuesday) at 9 pm ET on www.podcastone.com and we have a super sized Q&A session using many of your twitter questions that you submitted to me @JRsBBQ. This conversation addresses a litany of subjects and all are timely. Listen for FREE and subscribe for FREE at iTunes and never miss a show. The Dave Meltzer show follows the highly acclaimed Jim Cornette show on our podcast. Thanks for downloading the Ross Report and for all your support.

Big week for yours truly as we will be attending the @CACReunion in Las Vegas plus preparing for Saturday night's premier of our new boxing series on CBS Sports Network, Knockout Night at The D, that airs Saturday night live at 11 pm ET/8 pm Pacific. The boxing card is loaded with hungry, motivated young fighters who know that they will have one chance to impress the national TV audience and that's Saturday night outdoors under the Nevada sky.

I'm hopeful that you will check out our work on this new series that allows me the opportunity to get back in the game albeit a different game doing live, play by play of which I'm highly motivated to make you proud.

Next week Austin Aries joins me on the Ross Report and the following week I will talk with ROH COO Joe Koff about his ever growing ROH brand of which I'm a fan. Remember that if you subscribe for FREE at iTunes that it helps our cause greatly and costs you nothing.

Apparently, things internally at TNA are challenging these days as they are moving out of their long time offices to consolidate into their warehouse while they are allegedly speaking with a potential buyer/investor for their company. TNA apparently needs an infusion of cash to help keep their company moving forward. Real wresting fans never want to see a wrestling company fail and the same holds true here. I'm pulling for Impact Wrestling and my many friends who work there.

If they do get an investor and initiate a restart of their brand I'd suggest that they change their name to give the 'new brand' a fresh start. Nonetheless, I'm hopeful that TNA Impact Wrestling can kick out of this apparent predicament.

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

Raw/LA thoughts from watching via DVR and using a fair amount of fast forwarding:

This RAW felt 'fresher' than recent Monday nights.

Seeing a different grouping of talents in the money segments that include the opening, at the top of each hour and the close of the show, indicates to me that WWE is looking at getting new talents more established at the top of their cards. Smart strategy as one can never plan for injuries and today's style often times leads to more medical issues than, seemingly, in the past.

New Day have become 'faces which comes as no surprise. No creative entity can make talents who the fans laugh with, marketable, pro wrestling villains IMO. This trio is simply to campy and entertaining to be 'bad guys.'

Good match between Charlotte and Nattie. Women's wrestling in WWE is healthier than ever thanks to the efforts of NXT. Happy that the term Diva hs been futured.

Loved the Cesaro vs Owens bout. Matches like this on a regular basis will help WWE make their three hour flagship show easier to watch. These talents told a good story, allowed the fans to process what they saw and they SOLD which is often times the missing ingredient to having a successful match or a spot fest.

Can Cesaro, over the long haul, rehabilitate the IC Title?

Anxious to see how WWE markets the arrival of the 'Bullet Club' and if they will even be called the 'Bullet Club.' While hard core fans know of the 'Bullet Club' many fans don't have a clue as to who they are or what they represent.

The marriage of Jericho vs Ambrose should yield some excellent wrestling matches and some entertaining talk. I like this booking.

Bray Wyatt as a character babyface is nothing but money as I've been filibustering for several months on The Ross Report podcast. The 'Fire Fly' entrance is a fan favorite one all the swy and when one encourages the fans to get involved and they do, then you've created a fan favorite without question. Really enjoyed Reigns hot tag to Bray and then what Wyatt did on his comeback. Good stuff. Organic. Things that one can't be taught as it relates to passion/feel and timing.

Undertaker being pulled from the imminent WWE tour of the UK and Ireland is troubling. I hope that Taker is healthy as he can be considering his tenure and his 'bump card' likely getting full. I still don't think that WWE would likely endorse Taker's retirement without a major marketing effort to celebrate The Deadman's amazing career in WWE.

Taker deserves a send off unlike any other WWE superstar, IMO.

Enjoyed Shane McMahon's efforts on RAW Monday night and one can only surmise that the reason that Shane is around is because he's 'moved the needle' as it relates to social media results and TV ratings. Shane is a 'hot' TV character and WWE is wisely getting all they can from his presence. Plus, the fan friendly authority figure feels new an timely.

It's time to re-evaluate the villain, authority figure role on WWE TV after it's been around for years and years since Mr McMahon perfected that role against Steve Austin.

WWE getting a wider variety of evolving talents into the primary mix of storylines is strategic and it helps build depth while providing many talents the opportunity to find a spot on the main event, short list of wrestlers.

Fans embrace 'new' and providing them with new storylines and a fresh emphasis in major storylines is good booking, IMO. Get new talents in the game with a fair opportunity to help them succeed but if they can't get it done then pull out wrestling's most dangerous weapon, the eraser, and get another hungry individual into the game.

Dr Phil's appearance on RAW was under whelming.

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Hope that you will check out this week's Ross Report Podcast via www.podcastone.com and @iTunes with Dave Meltzer who answers dozens of your questions on a variety of topics.

We have another badass TV show this Friday night on AXSTV with New Japan Pro Wrestling with @JoshLBarnett and me. We're hitting a spot where we are able to bring you some of the year's best wrestling matches that were a blast to call. Tune in every Friday night at 9/8 pm CT.

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Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ