J.R.'s Family Bar-B-Q

Response to Emails

Thu, 09/14/2006 - 19:27 — J.R.

Posted in:

We have had a great response to our latest wrestling blog today. I appreciate that greatly. I love to read your feedback and to check to pulse of the wrestling fans. Here is a quick response to a few email items: I am not throwing stones at TNA. I have zero issues with TNA but when their brand has a chance to be different and they begin to lean toward the established brand in the marketplace it is, in my individual opinion, a mistake. For the sake of all the talents who work within the business the more places they can work to earn a living the better. I have several friends who work in TNA and I certainly want them to be successful. Wishing ill of another company is non-productive, old school ‘rasslin B.S. The WWE is and always will be the leader within the sports entertainment genre and I am sure the fine folks at TNA would not dispute that claim. But that certainly is no indictment on their brand. This is not a WWE site. I am doing this site independently of the company I work for with their blessings and support. Thanks to the WWE I can legally do this project as I am still under contract to the WWE at this time. The WWE supports my BBQ projects and that is greatly appreciated by my family and me. Being an old school guy I wholeheartedly prefer more wrestling than talk on TV. That’s me. That’s my personal opinion. I don’t know if that opinion makes me right or wrong but it is my opinion, plain and simple. I would like to see all wrestling broadcasts feature more wrestling because that’s what I grew up on but that doesn’t necessarily make a show that is short on wrestling a bad show. It’s all about personal preference. I prefer in ring physicality over out of ring talk. I also like “sweet tea” rather than regular tea and baby back ribs over beef ribs, for the record. Regarding the ECW Hardcore matches….I like them. My point was with a shallow roster the risk of injures increases in these types of matches and neither ECW nor any other brand can afford to lose any key wrestlers for any reason, including injuries. Plus, when is enough risk taking and violence enough? How many tables is enough? I like the carnage especially when I am not involved in it but at some point Hardcore matches cease being as special as they may feel now. I am merely thinking of the talents who put their bodies thru hell and are continually thinking of more ways to brutalize themselves and there is absolutely no way that the human anatomy can withstand that level of punishment on a regular basis. When you take shots at me regarding the WWE and if makes you feel better, have at it! No problem on my end but my role in the company is to show up for work on time and be ready to perform to the best of my ability. I am not the matchmaker nor do I want to be. I call what I see and much more often than not I enjoy the hell out of it. My wrestling, like I grew up on, is dead. So Is Mickey Mantle, John Wayne, Saturday morning westerns, and Roller Derby but that doesn’t mean I don’t think about them with fondness and respect. We move on and agree to disagree. The huge amount of emails I received today is another reason I still love this business. The fans have passion that is unduplicated in any forms of sports and entertainment. Thanks and have a great “Unforgiving” weekend! J.R.

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Comments

Fri, 09/28/2007 - 07:39 — STEPHEN (not verified)

JR, I was wondering if you could send me some of your recipies. Im making a cookbook for school and i was hoping i could get some of your good ol recipies pleas email me back. Thank You, Stephen. Ps Good job at entering the Hall Of Fame:).

Thu, 09/20/2007 - 11:39 — Wilder (not verified)

I agree with Captain Obvious. With JR's schedule, he still takes the time to out to listen to the fans and have a forum like this that we can discuss the state of wrestling. Some made a Mike Tenay / Gay comment. I love gay jokes and every other humor out there but what difference does it make if he was gay? I bet alot of the wrestlers you watched were from questionable sexuality and still were able to entertain and put out good solid matches. My complaint with wrestling today is the fact that the storylines are weak. The Heavyweight titles are no longer centered to the actual show. I think it was dumb to put Cena's father in a match with Orton. The attck on him was great but destroyed it a bit by forcing him to a match. Triple H squashing London and Kendrick was a DUMB move. Triple H is already over. We don't need him to act Stone Coldish. That was just stupid. If you were going to have Kendrick and London come in to save Triple H, th writers should have had the guys continue wrestling in the back while Triple H do his thing with Carlito. Right now, Triple H has the potential to make stars and help stars get over on his character and he's failing miserably at. Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat and Shawn Michaels were able to do that with their opponents very well. Just my opinion.

Sat, 01/06/2007 - 00:36 — QUENT (not verified)

DO ANY OF U KNOW WHERE THE 619 IS?

Thu, 12/21/2006 - 00:51 — QUENT (not verified)

thanks Sevilla.im glad your on my side.im not a loundmouth!!!But any ways,I THINK TNA IS ON A RISE AND WWE SHOLD ANSWER THEIR CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!

Thu, 12/14/2006 - 21:39 — Bong Sevilla (not verified)

Quent is right! Even though he's a loudmouth. But WWE should put a great wrestling show soon, otherwise, TNA will just eat them up. This is crazy, really. With all the talent in WWE, what the heck is holding them up? Change the writers pool maybe?

Sat, 12/02/2006 - 00:35 — QUENT (not verified)

why are'nt you responding ? are you scared??????????

Sat, 12/02/2006 - 00:31 — QUENT (not verified)

HI JR AND ALL THE WRESTLING FANS I THINK A LOT OF YOU SHOULD STOP PUTTING TNA DOWN I THINK THEIR BECOMING A VERY FIRECE OPPONENT FOR WWE. YEAH I SAID IT EVEN THOUGH I LOVE WWE WITH ALL MY HEART!!!!!!!!!!!! AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY RESPOND TO THIS.

Thu, 10/26/2006 - 09:10 — travis (not verified)

jr, i wanted to know if you ever think chris jericho will return to the ring, if so, do you think he will return to wwe. the reason i question this is because i saw something about chris jericho's band fozzy having an opening video for a tna program. do you think this could lead to something more?

Wed, 09/27/2006 - 22:22 — Camron Rogers out of little ol' Crane Tx, (not verified)

Good ol' J.R.... I think that you are right, and that if the WWE ever runs TNA down like they did WCW, then hopfully we'll get to see a whole new side of the WWE by adding a whole new set of superstars to the roster with such superstars as AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, ECT. Maybe even some old school superstars could come back to the buisnes, those traitors..... Anyways, keep up the good job. Camron Rogers P.S. Tell Orton I said what's up, and I saw Jerry "The King" Lawler on the Playboy channel at my friends house, lol.

Wed, 09/27/2006 - 20:19 — paul (not verified)

I think it really comes down to this. WWE is better for the more soap opera fan with its more storyline driven concept. and Tna is better for Wrestling.AJ Styles,Samoa Joe,Abyss,Christopher Daniels,Jay Lethal,Chris Sabin amongst other are much better then any talent on the wwe roster. I watched and loved the wwf with the Bret Hart days he was my favourite and after what happened to me i have never really loved the wwe the way i did.I also think the whole exploitation of the Eddy death in the rey and chavo storyline is sick.I think u's had a good period for a while with Brock Lesnar and he is one who could deffo lead the company sadly john Cena doesnt compare.I also think something about Smackdown with the lack of main eventers on the show is shocker its like Mr Mcmahon doesnt even care about it anymore and if i had something to do with that brand i would be very unhappy. Tna rules WWe is still good but i think a few changes should be made. Jr i think ur a brilliant man. Take care

Wed, 09/27/2006 - 19:06 — Bong Sevilla (not verified)

Greetings from Manila, I am an avid wrestling fan and I've spent countless hours watching different federations through the years. To be honest, i'm quite disappointed at what WWE is doing right now. The company is focused more on promos rather than real, exciting and fast paced action. Don't get me wrong, I love WWE and I will always watch their programs, its just that I'm really concerned about their product. When you compare the action to TNA, sad to say that it just comes up short. Granted that they give killer promos and entertain the hell out of the audience, but at the end of the day you just have to ask yourself...where's the wrestling? I watch TNA, and everytime Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and even the new ones in the X-Division manage to surprise me with new moves and great wrestling action. They might have poor mic skills bu they can sure as hell bring it when it comes to mat action. I think the writers should come up with fresh concepts that again shock the audience, don't hold the wrestlers back. I watched Paul Burchill's old matches the indy circuit and they were amazing! Spanky and London, they could be utilized more as I remember them turning heads with their moves in the ROH arena. Please bring back wrestling!

Wed, 09/27/2006 - 18:45 — Mike (not verified)

J.R. to start off, I would like to say you are the second best commentator ever. Second only to Gordon Solie. No one will ever top him. Now onto my comment. I have to say you can tell the old school people from the new school people. Not a bad thing per say but I would say the more close minded people are the new school fans. Why? Because they grew up watching W.W.E(F). I love wrestling and always have and always will but I also understand that competition is better for the business. I do have to disagree with you that N.W.A.-T.N.A. is copying W.W.E. I don't believe I have seen the six sides of steel or the Ultimate X match in the W.W.E. Each federation has its goods and bads. But I would have to believe that N.W.A.-T.N.A. does have better wrestlers. I also remember people bashing Triple H just like they do Jeff Jarrett. Now everyone rises for Trips. There is a lot of imitating in wrestling. Almost nothing is original now. It's all just putting a different twist on it. Both shows have something for the wrestling "fan". Not the casual viewer. That is a good thing for the future of wrestling now that they have to comete with Monday Night Football. I read somewhere that N.W.A.-T.N.A. should have gone to Monday night instead of Thursday. That is stupid. Monday Night Football is killing wrestling. If anything Raw should move to another night. I agree that you shouldn't bash anything unless you have watched it. All these people who have never watched N.W.A.-T.N.A. say they hate it. Why? That is the only question I ask them. I will continue to watch wrestling no matter who the federation is. Keep on rolling along J.R.

Wed, 09/27/2006 - 10:19 — James Goodson (Member of the kliq) (not verified)

I have taken the time out to read all the responses to your latest entry and first i must mention this. To all you wwe fan boys who say you have never seen TNA, or that you can't bring yourdelves to watch it really need to grow up. Have you ever heard of AAA, ROH, 1PW, FWA, AWA, NJPW, AJPW, NOAH, CZW, BBW i could go on. Until you have taken the time to watch the alternatives you can not really comment. As for your comments on TNA JR, i have to say that TNA are not copying WWE in any way shape or form. If you think back it wasn't vince mcmahon who invented storylines or the business, all he did was destroy his fathers trditions by purchasing all the talent from the US regions forcing men out of work and wrestlers with them and then developed what was already in existence but on a greater scale making storylines. Also it wasn;t mcmahon who invented attitude or sports entertainment style in wrestling it was russo after wwe reatings dropped to 1.8 lowest ever vinnie took drastic messures and hired Russo to compete with WCW the rest is history. TNA is a place that is on the up and the recent signing of Angle proves that, wwe over worked him, ruined his physical condition and then fired him. Anyway JR i am interested in what you think of the alliance angle with all wcw talent and ecw talent being jobbed out. Was this down to vinces ego, Lets see if this really does have no obligations to wwe. PS JR you were a better commentator at Smokey mountain wrestling but your fan boys probably don't know what i'm talking about

Wed, 09/27/2006 - 02:10 — Webbed LiNt (not verified)

Hey JR, I am sure you thought about this, but why don't you start booking with the WWE. I mean, you are the biggest wrestling fan ever, and probably have more knowledge on the buisness than anyone ever, I mean you could give it a shot right, cause now that you have this site and interact with the fans you know what a majority wants. Plus, you could play with our minds, like we tell you what we want and you book a storyline making it looks like we are getting what we want and then you turn it around. I know you probably think I'm a Jackass for this comment but alot of fans would be happier. PS. I am sorry JR. I just realized I put all my other comments in the football collum. It was a honest mistake cause I saw so many people responded to wrestling I got mixed up, so please don't let this response stop you from reading the wrestling related ones in the football collum, they are a little more interesting than this one. PSS. Could you also let us fans know about this Kliq feud thing in the WWE. Just put it out there as either Rumor or possibility. It's suppose to be 1 1/2 of the Kliq vs. the other half in a D-Generation x vs. nWo Wolfpack or something like that. It's been circulating for a few months now, and the rumor is it's a strong possibilty if Scott Hall gets signed by WWE. Supposedly he's in great shape now and conquered his problem. And if he signs that will lure Nash, and if Nash signs than that will lure Waltman, even if X-Pac dont go to either team, cause he was in both stables it could be the Outsiders vs. D-Generation X with special referee Sean Waltman or X-pac or Syxx or whatever whoever wants to call him. Or either since Justin Credible is a member of the Kliq have him join DX or nWo and whatever one he joins X-pac could join the other. Vince or whoever does that stuff need to sign Hall, Nash, and Waltman and bring Credible to RAW. DX vs. nWo = history, history = ratings, ratings = making money, and this time making money will make the fans very happy, even if they only get signed for a month. Sorry I went on and on, but could you just please tell us in the next blog, if the whole Kliq DX nWo thing is a rumor or it could be possible? Hardys for Brand Champions Campaign

Tue, 09/26/2006 - 17:53 — Jimmy (not verified)

Hey JR, Im a fellow okie here, just wanting to know how difficult it would be to get in on a tryout for wwe. I have watched wrestling for years and every time I go to an event, I never wanna leave. It's just a feeling inside of me that tells me I belong in this business. I dont want it for the fame or the money, I want it because its in my heart, and I love it. I heard you were a scout so if you would give me a shout, and I would love to show you that in any way I could that I want to be a part of wwe not matter what Im doing.

Mon, 09/25/2006 - 10:51 — wwe-attitude (not verified)

hiya J.R....cool hat by the way anyways what do you think about kurt angle going to TNA?now it looks like theres no way in hell WWE is going to make a DVD for angle hehe...what is angle thinking about anyways... as for TNA ive seen their show and no offense i really cant bring myself to watch them, i think they how i should put this..they put on a pretty lame show..but its kindda good to have TNA there because with this it might help both companies especially WWE to regain its focus or be more creative, because i mean WWE is becoming boring for the past few years, im gonna try to pin point exactly when this happened but i guess its safe to say it happened right around two brands emerged, i mean one being SD and RAW, i mean its a cool concept and it helps too because WWE has so many wrestlers so they need to level down everything, but it has been pretty downhill from there, dont get me wrong its still wonderful to watch WWE but its not as exciting as pre-attitude era to its last parts, the fuse between the rock and austin and almost everybody was so fun to watch, i guess this is the price to pay when you have to many wrestlers,you just cant focus on one wrestlers positves, you have to be fair to everybody else, but yeah i think this TNA competiton thingy will be actually good for both companies, like back then in the monday night war, but after all this new competition WWE will still remain the winner, wwe fans is just so many and so loyal to the product that they really still wanna stay with WWE even though its getting boring (like me for example...few more things i see, AS A FAN, that is wrong with WWE today 1) too much empahasis on Eddie Guerero's death, come on now guys the man is dead leave him be, respect his death, stop milking a dead cow 2) too much of John Cena(well i guess this is more of a personal opinion)i think he totally sucks..the way he act and stuff, man! i swear to god!there was this one time where he was bloody and he was like crawling (this was where Edge used his opportunity to use the money in the bank)man!i swear to god when i saw Cena acting like that i quickly turned off the TV, he was over acting and it freakin sucks, you know some wrestlers command sympathy or "coolness"when they act like that but when Cena did that the only command he did was for me to turn off the TV, Cena please dont show your face no more.. 3) i think they should bring back the story lines more based on reality, like the ones in the attitude era - maybe this is just me but bring back the hardcore championship, especially the 24/7 on the line thingy, that was sooo cooool!!or wait maybe ECW should do this one... 4) i respect Hulk Hogan but there comes a time when we should leave it just as that, let us just remember you for being a cool wrestler, instead of this *no offense* saggy old man, with the exception Ric Flair he is still cool to watch *whooooo!* 5) on DX angle, i love it when they brought them back, BUT the group is just too small to be cool!it kinda looks like their just a tag team, make them a group of rebelious renegades, add new "cool"wrestlers to them, add new blood to it,and what else would be cool is if they go head to head with NWO, every wrestling fans dream match ------- about ECW, i think its a cool concept too, but in my honest opinion i think its should get away from the WWE umbrella, it can not grow into a rebelious group like back then if it is on chained with WWE, i love ECW i think they should turn their volume all the way up and be a seperate entity, but i guess i understand they cant do that now because in truth they still need WWE to survive, but i do hope someday they be a seperate organization and hopefully eat TNA alive (TNA really is lame...) on my last note what happened to - Steve Blackman (he was always cool in my book, even though he wasnt given much of a push - Gangrel hope i see these wrestlers again....

Mon, 09/25/2006 - 00:54 — Learnl Jones (not verified)

Hey J.R. My name is Learnl Jones. I've been a wrestling fan since I was eight. I've followed your career since the old NWA days(my very first pay per view I hear you on was the first Halloween Havoc back in '89). Speaking of NWA, I was curious to get your opinion on Kurt Angle signing with the company. What REALLY happened with Kurt Angle? Was it the switch to ECW that did it? Because his departure was so sudden and mysterious, plus he said he had "certain problems" that he had to deal with, I don't understand what happened. How could Vince let go of one of the most talented wrestlers in the world? Especially to a company that seems to be gaining firepower each and every day against the WWE. This feels like the end of an era. The era of real wrestlers. No offense to the roster you guys got now, but look at all the talent that's gone. Benoit, Gurrero, Jericho (hell, I'll even throw Trish Stratus in the mix) and now Angle, all the greats are leaving. It's really kind of sad to me. I feel that since TNA is taking your talent, maybe it's time you guys start wooing some of their talent to your side. A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe would be at the top of my list. Thank you for your time and good luck with your company.

Sun, 09/24/2006 - 22:48 — Anthony (not verified)

Mr. Ross As a fellow Oklahoman, I really enjoy reading your blogs. this blog is a special one. I agree with you 100% about TNA. They need to do some work. Having Double J hold the NWA title as well is helping TNA. but I need to get your thoughts on one very, very important question: what are your thoughts on Kurt Angle going to TNA?

Fri, 09/22/2006 - 17:15 — Jesse (not verified)

Did John Cena join dx last week? After their match all 3 were doing the dx crotch chops

Fri, 09/22/2006 - 14:38 — Melissa Sue Meyer (not verified)

Dear JR, I've been a wrestling fan my whole life since i was 10 years old watching wwf superstars on tv on cable. I did also watch wcw in 1996 and wwf which is now wwe. I'm curious about what you think with the storylines of dx. And about a feud with the nWo vs dx. I've seen what happened when nwo showed up in 2002 against stone cold and the rock. TNA reminds me of wcw in a lot of ways except that they have a x division instead of cruiserweights. They also need a womens belt along with women's division tag team belts besides the mens belts etc. Christian has come a long with since he left the wwe so has nash, bg james etc. It should be very intersting now with the coming of vince russo to tna for doing new storylines and matches. Have a great day jr and god bless you & your family!

Thu, 09/21/2006 - 23:54 — Craig (not verified)

What about ROH people?! For anyone who has gotten sick of the mediocrity of the E's shows for reasons much like Jimmy Yang's new gimmick, John Cena, Smackdown having very little going on because of WELLNESS~!, Eddie's name getting pissed on just to get someone over, people with very little talent a la Umaga, Bobby Lashly, Chris Masters, Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade getting pushed over guys that could be the next gen' of top stars if they were given the chance a la Paul London, Spanky, James Gibson, Jimmy Yang, Gregory Helms and a few more, little or no tag wrestling, women who are all T&A and nothing else, stupid gimmicks, gimmicks brought back from the attitude, wrestlers who are too old and should retire, shows that don't even try and produce entertainment because they know people will still watch regardless, five minutes of "wrestling" and fourty minutes of talking, plugs and Vince... TNA isn't perfect either people. One obvious problem is them constantly giving the title back to double J (look at the ratings from when Christian Cage was champ to the deal now although Cage should always be a heel as a face he drew alot more the JJ), they think that older wrestlers will always draw (think back to when Sting was bring back Lex Luger etc to get a parter against stiener/JJ), Mike and Don West's announcing is another thing that wrong with the product, not using thier undercard properly also... anyways for anyone who has gotten pissed off at the fact that the E produces very little good as apposed to bed and same with TNA, watch some ROH and be reminded that there's still a place produces actual WRESTLING.

Thu, 09/21/2006 - 15:52 — Darren (not verified)

Hello JR What i like to know is why is Shelton Benjamin not being pushed. he is a amazing in ring star but for some reason we have not seen him on Raw, he is someone who WWE should be building up to be a top star on raw.And i agree about your words about TNA. but what i like to know what do you think about wrestlers from both TNA and ROH.

Thu, 09/21/2006 - 12:23 — stee (not verified)

WWE will be the leader in sports entertainment i agree but the fact is 5 years from now people won't want that sports entertainment crap they will be watching WRESTLING We all know that WWEs fanbase is only going to decline from this point and TNAs is only going to increase.

Thu, 09/21/2006 - 10:55 — Linda (not verified)

Hey JR I am so glad to see you are on-line. Plus as soon as your BBQ sauce is available I cant wait to try some! I have two questions/statements: 1. Is there anyway to calm down Jerry? His comments about the female wrestlers are sooooo rude at times plus degrading. Please pass the word to him that his constant sexual remarks only makes him appear to be very immature, instead of the professional commentator that I know he COULD be. Thank God we have YOU back "in the saddle" or the commentating would really stink! 2.Why do the female wrestlers act so ashamed when they are in a panties and bra match? Everytime they come out in the ring they wear as little as possible to draw attention to themselves, so WHY are they so upset when we see their panties and bras? Thank you for taking the time to clear these matters up for me. Linda

Thu, 09/21/2006 - 03:19 — Rick (not verified)

Firstly JR thank you for acknowledging TNA and responding to the feedback. The point about the lie detector is that WWE does own the copyright to that storyline and I am sure it has been done many times before. But, the point some fans made was that the storyline came off better than when the WWE did it. Nevertheless, there is still too much Jeff Jarrett (and I am huge fan of his) and that is what is turning fans off. A lot of the commments above show how narrow minded a lot of fans are. They have not watched a lot of TNA, some I doubt have even watched any and take second hand views and continue to bash the promotion. The difference is I have watched both WWE and TNA for the past four years, and I can tell you there is a reason why the comments above from the fans who watch both promotions on a regular basis prefer TNA. For all their faults they still put on a better in and out ring product. The thing is I used to be a huge WWE fan, during the monday night wars I was on the WWE's side against WCW. So it's not like I've always had an agenda against the WWE. The problem TNA has is that are trying to please everyone. When they were focusing on in ring product alone, there were a huge amount of fans complaining that there was character development, the matches didn't mean anything, etc. So it showed for a TV product there needs to be a mix of wrestling and entertainment. There is only so much you can fit into an hour when you have a full roster and PPVs every month. I think the time to judge TNA is when they have the 2 hours. Wrestling fans need to also understand TNA has only been in existance for 4 years. If any fans watched the early days of WCW with Sting teaming up with Robocop or the Shockmaster know that it takes time and there are going to be teething problems. I think it would be reasonable to just ask wrestling fans to not get so territorial and keep an open mind. JR said it best: "For the sake of all the talents who work within the business the more places they can work to earn a living the better... Wishing ill of another company is non-productive, old school ‘rasslin B.S." Hopefully some fans could notice of the above statement.

Wed, 09/20/2006 - 16:41 — Brad Blaze (not verified)

I'm definitely not a big fan of the WWE and the way it is run, but I absolutely cannot stand TNA. Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, and Sting are undeserving of pushes and were never legitimate main eventers to begin with. John Cena and Batiata have more drawing power than those guys and neither man is a serious draw. In Cena's case, it probably has alot to do with the booking (remember when he was having great matches when he first debuted on Smackdown). If Creative would stop trying to make Cena into Austin, I'm sure the fans would finally get behind him. However, with Batista, I don't think he has any business being in the main event. I'm wondering if you have enough input into the booking aspects to push Carlito to the main event. He's been able to connect with the fans and get over. Doesn't he deserve better than losing in 9 minutes to Randy Orton on PPV? Orton's violated the Wellness Policy twice already and he's also been suspended in the past for a poop prank that got Amy Weber to quit. His push flopped a few years ago (the crowd got behind him as a heel, he turned face, the Triple H feud was booked out way too long, and Orton lost the crowd by the Royal Rumble). Even though I've never seen the old era wrestling (except through clips on WWE Home Video) or even any of the old WWF, I feel that stupid gimmicks have no place in wrestling. I hate seeing the stereotype these days about wrestlers wearing masks. I think it has something to do with the current border problem we've got in the southwest. Lucha Libre fans are coming across the border and because of years of stupid angles in WWE (Katie Vick, Al Wilson, Vito in a dress etc.), they may be in the majority. I think the stupid angles are turning off potential fans and aren't a good idea. TNA's biggest problem with putting on quality matches revolves around their use of time. You can't give 2 guys 5 minutes and expect a good match, because their first instinct will be to spend the 5 minutes jumping off of the turnbuckles instead of wrestling. You also can't have your wrestlers sounding like 12-year-olds in their promos. TNA's wrestlers aren't taken seriously because they rarely have a good promo. I remember a few weeks ago when Shane Douglas was getting bleeped every few seconds during a promo that aired on their show. They used a bleep sound no less and it made the promo absolutely terrible because that sound was just obnoxious. TNA is making the majority of the mistakes that WCW made. They're also blowing money at about the same rate (being owned by 1 of those price-gouging oil companies helps though). I'd like to see Ring of Honor get an hour or so of TV time. I think they'd have maybe 2 matches in a 1 hour show (each going about 20-25 minutes) and because of that, the wrestling on the show would be high quality. Ring of Honor has developed their own stars. A list of WWE Superstars who got their start in RoH includes CM Punk, Brian Kendrick, Paul London, and probably others I've forgotten. When Jamie Noble was released by the WWE a few years ago, he went to Ring of Honor to wok his way back up. Heck, Jamie Noble was the RoH Champion (under the name James Gibson) for a month, winning it from CM Punk (in a match also featuring TNA midcarders Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe), then he lost it just 1 year ago (as of this past Sunday) to Bryan Danielson, who has yet to lose their belt. There have only been 7 RoH Champions in over 4 years and nobody has ever regained their title. They might well be what ECW was in the 1990s, though their product definitely isn't controversial enough for a TV Network to run them out of business (as TNN/Spike TV did to ECW). And they have done something ECW has never done (even today), aired a show outside of the US (they drew over 1,000 people to a show in the UK, a huge crowd for an Indy, especially a foreign Indy). I also want to make a comment to you regarding WWE Security's behavior at the shows. They are, according to reports from fans, out of control and are censoring the fans signs, and removing people who aren't John Cena fans. Apparently at Unforgiven, they made up that some fans in the front row spit at Cena (everybody in the section has said they didn't and they held to their story after the show when they had nothing to gain). They also threatened fans with ejections for holding signs such as "V1 fears Creative," which is a reference to the constant misuse of Matt Hardy (his brother Jeff gets a massive push while Matt's losing to Miz even though Matt's the better interview and better wrestler). If stories continue to hit the Internet regarding irresponsible security guards, WWE may soon find themselves forced to hire actors to be fans so that nobody notices all the empty seats. I think I'll finish with a comment regarding the Oklahoma-Oregon game. I think that game should be reversed in the standings because even the Pac-10 has admitted that their refs screwed up and suspended them for a game. Oklahoma could lose the national title solely because of those actions regarding the clock. I'm a Penn State fan and I remember when the refs screwed us over last year in the Michigan game. That cost us at least a share of the National Title. It's sad to see that happen yet again, but at least for consolation, you know that if nobody's undefeated at season's end, Oklahoma (if they win the rest of their games) will probably have the best case for number 1. Both Penn State and Notre Dame have no serious case for belonging in the Title Game because of their lopsided losses already this year. I'm certain that Ohio State, Auburn and USC will all lose at least once this year. I don't think anybody goes through the SEC, or Big 10 undefeated and USC may end up facing Notre Dame at their best now that Notre Dame's hopes are pretty much finished. I don't think West Virginia is a serious contender because they are only ranked high because they have an easy schedule and because nobody realizes yet that the Big East is a mid-major these days. The game that could be it for Oklahoma is that game with Texas. That may be the day when they wish that they hadn't kicked Rhett Bomar off the team because of the stupid NCAA regulations. I'm looking forward to the day when NCAA Probation is eliminated in our court system because all it does is reduce the quality of play and ruin the careers of talented athletes. I think Maurice Clarrett and Marcus Vick are good examples of guys who have been screwed over by the NCAA. Clarrett sat for 2 years, got fat and was cut by the NFL, then he owed a debt to a gang-banging rap label exec who murdered 2 of his former rappers (I think their names were 2 Packs and Biggy or something) because he had been taken in by that guy. So he turned to gang-banging and ended up in prison. Ironically, his former backer whom he owed so much money just went bankrupt, apparently bankrupting himself giving money to Clarrett. Marcus Vick got kicked out of college when he needed another year to be NFL ready and is now stuck on a practice squad, from which he'll likely be cut after this year. Brock Lesnar was cut from a practice squad a few years ago and is now kicked out of the Japanese feds, unable to return to WWE, and contractually prohibited from working for TNA, leaving him with MMA as his only option. With Kurt Angle also in MMA now, could a Brock Lesnar VS Kurt Angle MMA fight be coming soon (likely promoted out of Japan where competitors of different weight classes can compete)?

Wed, 09/20/2006 - 16:36 — Captain Obvious (not verified)

Sorry about your Sooners, you must be pissed after that bad call at the end of the game.

Tue, 09/19/2006 - 21:51 — Captain Obvious (not verified)

J.R., I would really like to say Thank You. The WWE really doesn't seem to care about what the fans want. It seems like all they care about is how much is in the fans' bank account and "asses in seats." I appreciate you listening to us when almost nobody else will.

Tue, 09/19/2006 - 18:17 — Levois (not verified)

I've been a fan of yours for years since you were in WCW. I saw my first WWE run ECW show last month and I was disappointed that it wasn't what I remembered. I was disappointed that matches end in DQs. Now though I understand the rationale and it isn't to merely water down the ECW brand. I have no problem with the idea that WWE wants to protect their "investment".

Tue, 09/19/2006 - 17:28 — Guy Incognito (not verified)

Regarding ECW the main beef I have is that it's not televised from the smaller arenas. I don't know if this is the result of management (ie Vince McMahon) not wanting to do three separate TV tapings or if it's not economically feasible to tape and produce the show in front of a small crowd. Either way without the crowd the product comes off as WWE Lite. Paul Heyman did numerous interviews where he said the new ECW would feature international talent and MMA fighters. What I'm seeing on my screen are guys like Test, Hardcore Holly, and Mike Knox. I'm not trying to knock either of these guys (I've always thought Bob Holly has never gotten the credit he deserves) but when trying to market the "new breed" of wrestling it's counterintuitive to showcase guys who never made it in WWE or fit the stereotypical big guy mold that's associated with WWE. But again that gets back to the crowd. A guy like CM Punk can get a standing ovation at the Hammerstein Ballroom and no reaction at all at an arena in Anytown USA. If ECW really is going to feature luchadors or MMA type fighters but then decides to showcase them in front of typical WWE fans they'll just be treated like jobbers until the "real" superstars come out. Regarding the whole DQ and Extreme Rules argument, I'm in favor of keeping the hardcore elements of the matches to a minimum otherwise the crowd becomes desensitized to it. However I don't like the involvement of DQs at all in ECW because that's another way the show is being produced "WWE style". If ECW is truly intended to be an alternative then I'd appreciate if it's booked to look differently than Raw or Smackdown.

Tue, 09/19/2006 - 13:38 — Steve-O (not verified)

Hello JR, I have been a fan of your ever since I heard you do commentary with Macho Man at WrestleMania 9 at Caesars Palace. Anyways, I agree with you on the ECW rules matches, there are only 27 wrestlers on the roster and only about half of them actually wrestle on a weekly basis, I think that if someone like CM Punk can pull the crowd in with his amazing style without using chairs and tables, that other people can too. Sabu can use the chairs to do his springboard manuevers, but Sandman doesn't always have to cane people, I mean I have seen him wrestle, and he's pretty decent, enough to perform a good match. I have a quick question, I was at Harry Smith's last indy show "AWA Washington: Pinnacle Wrestling" And he was supposed to start up with Raw, why isn't he on TV yet, I heard he didn't even have to go to DSW or OVW. I look forward to his debut, and it would be cool if TJ Wilson ended up with him. Thanks for your time, and I'm glad your back behind the table.

Tue, 09/19/2006 - 12:46 — Rob Moore (not verified)

Mr. Ross, I appreciate your well-thought-out comments. I work as PBP commentator for PCW in Arlington, Texas, so I can relate to a degree to the job you do every Monday night. I remember meeting you a few years ago at a book signing at Wal-Mart in Plano. I remember telling you you're one of my role models in the business, along with Gordon Solie, and you told me it was important to develop my own style. I've been doing that, and I think it comes across well, in my opinion. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to perhaps meeting you again sometime.

Tue, 09/19/2006 - 07:56 — JACK (not verified)

Good read j.r. Just had to comment and say one thing i definitely agree with you on is the "less talking" more wrestling. I used to watch you when you called "n.w.a.'s world championship wrestling". The times i was down in ga. staying with my grandparents i would watch with "granddaddy ralph" he would get up and turn off the volume while they were cutting promos. Then turn the volume back up when the match started. It's sorry to see some wrestlers get less credit than they deserve because they can't cut crowd pleasing promos and no talent hacks get main events because they talk to much. Glad to see thing are working for your site you deserve it and thanks for all you've done for wrestling as a whole.

Tue, 09/19/2006 - 03:26 — Christopher Graham (not verified)

Think that your comments are spot on jr! But at times i feel that the wwe brand is now too much about the entertainment aspect as apposed to old school wrestling. I agreed with this in the Attitude era but i now think that it is time to move on. This is one of the reasons i really like the TNA product, as they concentrate on the wrestling aspect. A response would be much appreceated and as you say jr, BOOMER SOONER!

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 16:24 — Jim (not verified)

I forgot Matt Striker. Fire him for the love of god.

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 16:16 — Jim (not verified)

Good blog JR. Still think Vince and DX shouldnt be on TV. And ECW - ok its not going to be like the old one, but at least get rid of Test, Holly, Dupree, Big Show and TRY to have it slightly different to Raw/Smackdown.

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 13:23 — Ryan (not verified)

I agree with Manu. Johnny Ace needs to go. This has been one of the worse years that I can think of when it comes to talent signings(main roster and developmental). Vince McMahon and Johnny Ace need to get out of this 1980's mindset. The fans are not concerned with how tall or muscular wrestlers are these days. They want talent and charisma. Unfortunately WWE only looks for talentlessand charismatically challanged wrestlers that are really tall, muscular and whoever comes off like a Rock ripoff in some way. This is a key reason as to why the WWE product is so stale and boring. The numbers in the U.S. continue to drop. If it wasn't for international business WWE would be in serious trouble. WWE only hires crappy wrestlers for their TV shows and developmental territories.

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 12:40 — Tom (not verified)

first off i would like to comment on if you want tna to "succeed" as you say then why does your company continue to mock tna and wwe fans for that matter with clowns like umega of which is a samoa joe rip off if i ever saw one. he is supposably "undefeated" thats news to me. last time i checked jamall from 3 min warning lost plenty of times. but i guess i can't be insulted and called dumb which is what wwe is doing to all their fans. on another note wwe claims that tna copies them. this is completely untrue. when tna signs talent who worked for the wwe before they comeback with a more serious and better gimmick than wwe or a clown nose could ever do. wwe is the one who copies tna as i stated earlier umega was "created" as vince puts it with a "how can we get some of the limelight that tna and samoa joe is getting" thus umega. well in closing while you can copy samoa with a pathic attempt many morons will buy it. but me being a true tna fan know that umega can't and will never be able to do the things samoa joe can do in the ring!thats wrestling for all you wwe fans.

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 12:40 — Tyler (not verified)

JR, I don't think that the WWE is right in taking pro TNA signs or any other signs away from fans (with offensive or racial signs being the only possible exception). If they're not offending anyone with their signs they should be allowed to show them. While I would very much like to see TNA step up and become competitive with the WWE in what would be a grand resurgance of the sport, many of us TNA fans are really just trying to get others to experience what we have. We're trying to get others to get that blown away feeling when the see AJ Styles or Samoa Joe for the first time. A lot of what's killing the WWE is that they raised the bar from 1998-2003 and have not come close to putting those kinds of quality matches together since. Match quality will make or break a superstar, it can make or break careers. I point to the Hardyz/E & C ladder match from No Mercy as an example of this. Four unknowns, brought into the spotlight by unbelievable match quality. Where are they now? Edge was champ, Christian was champ, and the Hardys have been severly misused. Since the match quality has gone downhill since then we just don't get up for big matches anymore because we know the WWE will under-deliver. As it stands my friends and I will only order the PPVs if we see at least 3 matches that have the potential to be good. Needless to say, we did not order the last two, but we did order Unforgiven. I think another reason why the match quality has gone downhill so much is because you have so many matches! Why do you have to put your wrestlers through 4-5 matches a week? Why do you need 14 PPV's a year? Why do your stars have to risk injury in the backwoods of the carolinas for abysmal house show attendance? TNA puts on superior quality matches because their wrestlers aren't as stressed. They're given more time to heal, more time with their families and put out a better in-ring product as a result. If WWE could take a cue from TNA and maybe cut out those horribly attended house shows, maybe we won't have situations like Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit or even Eddie Guerrero, and maybe, just maybe, we'll get something worth watching. Don't say it's because TNA has more talent, WWE has guys that can really go, like London, Kendrick, Super Crazy, Carlito, Benjamin, Kid Kash, CM Punk and Charlie Haas among others. WWE has the talent and the ability to provide us with a better in-ring product but they don't because they don't have to. We watch it anyways even if it's crap. The wrestling gets worse and they raise the gate and PPV prices and we still buy it anyways. If you fans really want to see any change for the better you'd hit Vince McMahon where it counts.... in the pocketbook. Don't go to the events, don't order the PPV's, don't watch the TV shows, or at least don't watch it when something you don't like (like Umaga, that cheap Samoa Joe ripoff) is on the screen. I've been a wrestling fan for almost 20 years, and I think I speak for many fans when I say that it hurts us to know that WWE can do better, they just don't want to. Go TNA!

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 11:46 — Manu Bumb (not verified)

JR, What happened to wrestling? When you were VP of talent relations, we had women like victoria, molly, ivory, etc. Now, we have Kelly Kelly. I'm not saying bimbos cant become good wrestlers (trish started out as T&A, pun intended, and became one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all time), just that WWE already has female wrestlers in the development system, but who do they put on TV? Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly...Kelly. And they don't even do the obvious thing of pairing her up with Mr Kennedy.....Kennedy. And tag team wrestling? You gave us the Hardy Boys, Edge and Christian, the Dudleys. Johnny Ace gives us Stevens and...the other guy, and I'm still trying to figure them out, since they dont have a name, or similar outfits, or any sort of theme whatsoever. At least the tag champs have matching trunks, even if creative refuses to acknowledge that and give them a name. JR, if you have any pull left with Vince, get rid of Johnny Ace. I'm not saying he's not a good guy - I've read Eddie's book twice now, and Eddie talks about how good Johnny was to him, but I dont think he's doing half the job you did as VP of Talent Relations.

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 11:19 — Shawn (not verified)

I did not see your comments as a shot at TNA at all. I do however disagree that TNA is trying to out WWE the WWE. In my opinion there are alot of fans who watch wrestling for wrestling(shocking I know!), but there are also alot who watch for the entertainment. I think TNA realizes that and since they are after the same audience the WWE is after they have to capatalize on it. Its just buisness, its similar to how when Lost was introduced on tv, other networks followed along, and made shows that used the same type of formula. Back on topic though anyone who says JR has a vendetta against, TNA is a fool, hes in the wrestling buisness, I doubt he gets all giddy and happy anytime any body who loves and works in the buisness is put out of work.

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 10:42 — Dan (not verified)

hey J.R, you are definately one of the best personalities in wrestling today. im happy to see that many wrestlers and such are coming to the internet to show their apprieciation to their fans. i hope that ur bbq sauce is doing well and thanx for giving the dinosaur a shout out on wwe.com a while back. its my favorite hang out spot.

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 10:35 — elvylanda (not verified)

I am sorry JR but your anaylsis of TNA is ridicuolus. You were the same guy who had to kiss Vinve McMahon's ass on live TV. How can anybody take you seriously???

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 09:16 — John Giammarino (not verified)

I am probably going to considered old school for my comments, so be it. I enjoy all wrestling, WWE, TNA, ECW, ROH. The more on TV the better. Each product has its pluses and minuses. I have been a fan for more than 40 years. I just recently purchased the history of the WWE title. My favorite match was Pedro Morales against Ivan Koloff. That was old school at its best. I had no idea it was even filmed. Getting back to WWE VS TNA VS ROH. I think competition can only be a positive thing no matter what. Since the debut of TNA the Wrestling aspect of WWE has gotten better. TNA's entertainment aspect has improved as well, they're characters are interesting and funny and fun to watch. I only see bright things in the future for all involved. I would like to see ROH get on a cable channel. I have some of their DVD's and the matches are something to beheld, with even a rare appearance by Eddie Guerrero vs Super Crazy a Five Star match by any means. I enjoy your work JR and have watched you since the UWF days. Keep going strong and I'll keep watching.

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 03:00 — Joshua Ryan (not verified)

I don't really have alot to say in this reply other than...perhaps....get rid of smackdown entirely! Take the talent and beef up ECW's roster and take some of the bigger names i.e. Undertaker, Benoit, Batista, Kennedy and even Finlay (for some reason the man grows on me every week) and add them to the Raw roster? Now what I suggest now may sound insane but with the WWE I think it could work. Nitro was a 3 hour program and in my opinion 3 hours of boredom. Reason, they lacked the leadership and booking that WWE has in in spades. A three hour Raw and perhaps a 2 hour ECW. Get rid of Smackdown. It's virtually unwatchable. I am a Cena fan always have been before his gimmick. He is soooo not given enough credit on his in ring abilitys. The Marine looks like it might be a decent action flick and I am going to go see it. I was ver surprized that you pulled that movie off with just a 20 million dollar budget I would have guessed 60 million at the least. Anyway, Can't wait for Raw tomorrow if what I read is to be correct. We will have our third DX member (X-PAC!!) also it will be nice once again to hear John Cena ring out with "THE CHAMP IS HERE!!!" I am hooked on Raw. Smackdown needs alot of work however. Get rid of it and beef up the other brands! Josh Ryan from Youngstown, Ohio

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 02:41 — Christoffer Meyer (not verified)

JR I do think that in your opinion that you did make a mistake in both issues. I believe that TNA will be the next WCW and lead to the new Monday night wars that will help the wrestling business period. If you look at the past when WCW was alive and well. Monday Night Football was getting beat in the ratings. You might think that its a bad idea for TNA to go main stream but in the end run it will help both businesses and get the competitive spirit that the wrestling business, or what you call sports entertainment, desperately needs. Maybe the WWE will take away the move restrictions that have not existed in TNA. That is what is killing Smackdown right now is that the cruiserweights can't do the moves that got them into the WWE. Ultimate X is up there with Hell in a Cell for how crazy things are done. I ask you to try and watch their pay per view to see what I mean about Ultimate X for I was blown away every time I see it. As far as ECW goes, again I thinking that you wrong for ECW has always taking things to the hardcore style. I am waiting for them to do a barb wire match for if the WWE was smart they would do it since it is a speciality of Sabu and he is feuding with the Big Show. Also I believe that the new ECW should be like the old and not have it where only one match is extreme rules. They need the old mind set of where anything goes to get a win. That is what I believe. I also say is that Undertaker should have another title run. hint hint. I will continue watching both WWE affiliated shows and TNA for I am a true wrestling fan. Enjoying the art that is preform by the wrestlers. If you get angry at me then so be it. This is how I feel and that's all I got to say about that.

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 02:11 — A wrestling fan (not verified)

I've been a wrestling fan for a while now, and have always found you to be one of the best commentators JR, and appreciate it. With that said I want to point out a few things I feel is wrong with WWE and what you said about the signs. I strongly disagree with you on saying TNA fans shouldn't bring signs to the arena. Don't forget this is what WCW used to do, then to one up them WWF encouraged freedom to bring whatever signs, and now WWE is doing what WCW did and discouraging freedom of expression. If a fan feels like supporting their favorite wrestler at a wrestling event even if that wrestler doesn't work there I don't see the harm. It's like wearing your favorite football jersey at a game their not playing at. Second, I'd also like to say that while you are a legend, I'd like to see you get a bit back to your roots in commentating. Lately it seems the writers have you promoting products more, giving cheap shots, commenting on puppies instead of telling King it's a disrespectful like you used to, and it seems you don't call the moves like you used to. I appreciate what you've done, but it seems like the writers are dumbing your brillaint ability for commentating down. Also I'd like to say that WWE does need to talk a bit less and wrestle more. Sure entertaiment helps, but I don't need to hear who slept with who, or see a 20 min segment of someone busting up someone elses dad to understand why they'd want to fight over the belt. I also think that some of the current gimmicks seem to be stale or rehashed. With Umaga being a run of the mill samoan wrestler, to the Highlanders being a run of the mill scottish/irish wrestler gimmick. I also feel that WWE doesn't need to be so disrespectful to everything to draw ratings. Everything from what many fans see as exploiting Eddy's death, to Vince booking himself in a match with God. I also feel the belts have fallen, and have been pretty degraded lately. A 5 man cheerleading squad now holds the belts...their best competition are Hacksaw Jim Dugan (nothing wrong with hacksaw, a classic) and Eugene, or the Highlanders. The tag team belts used to have such a prestigious feel to them, now they hardly appear, and feel less important than they should. Also I dislike the forcing of John Cena down our throats. Look, I understand the female fans will always cheer Cena, as will the young ones and I have no problem with that. But the rest of us will never like him, we cheered a heal Austin and he got a push, we cheered the Rock and he got a push, we booed Cena and he gets a push. It's like the more ppl seem disatisfied with him, the more he's pushed in our faces, and it's getting dull for the belt to revert back to him a month or two after he loses it. If he had a better move set rather than the big 4-5 and punching I might not be so harsh on him. Finally I'd like to disagree and say your wrong, TNA is hardly like WWE. TNA has more wrestling, but less promo's and talking which is good or bad based on each fan. Second they seem to have spot matches, more risk taking high flying matches. They don't have nearly every move banned which while good for a wrestlers health also hurts a matches quality, which I'd rather not have a wrestler hurt but it can make a match dull. I'd also like to say that the James gang never stopped crotch chopping, the fan above who said they've only done it the last month should actually watch TNA to understand. The James gang has been doing crotch chops before the new D-X reformed. Also D-X didn't invent crotch chopping....nWo did back in WCW. Plus TNA seems to be more willing to push stars WWE would keep as mid carders for life. Like Rhyno who was in mid card limbo in WWE, and now in TNA is cutting some awesome promo's. WWE has such great talent, yet it will never utilize some of them and it's a shame. More or less my point is WWE should slow down on the offensive shock value to pull ratings, better utilize talent they have, and stop criticizing fans for what they themselve promoted fans to do a years ago. Be true to what brought you to the table JR and WWE, wrestling is what the fans tune in for, not soap operas. I don't want to hear what Umaga did to Kane's baby, or some lame story like Vince being Stephanie's babies father in an incest angle, which would be pathetic 'IF' you were ever to do it...hmm seems there was a rumor...nah :). Bring some of the wrestling back, get rid of the run of the mill gimmicks, and put on a show like you had a fire nipping at your heals. Get the younger wrestlers to show some initiative and not look like their half awake just doing it because they have to. And back off the 'entertainment' some, wrestlers are wrestlers not superstars to call them that as Styles said is a disgrace as you wouldn't call a Navy Seal a stuntman with a gun or something. Nothing to be ashamed with being a wrestler, it's not a dirty word, while they are entertaining that word just seems to belittle what they do and what buisness they are in. And finally Vince needs to back up, he needs to quit main eventing and self promoting. The fans would have more respect for him if he cut back a bit, used to Vince coming in rarely gave a "Oh $&*%" feeling because we knew something big was coming, now it just gives the feeling of "Can we please move to the next segment now". Sorry for the long winded type, more I wanted to say but won't take up anymore space. G'luck to ya JR, and was happy to see you wrote back like this and responded to the fans, more guts than most ppl to admit to critisim.

Mon, 09/18/2006 - 00:25 — Jesse Batson (not verified)

I'm torn on the TNA product. I do like most of what they do. My problem with them up until their debut on Spike was that they were horrible at continuity. Impact on FSN was all about big names vs. the jobbers and minimal attempts at pushing feuds into the next PPV. Since their debut on Spike, I must say, they've gotten much better in that aspect. I'm not sure I'd say they are going towards a more WWE-like product or not though. They certainly lacked something on FSN and for me, what they lacked was strong feuds. Now, through the use of backstage interviews and a handful of in-ring segments, they are establishing some shockingly good rivalries. I was surprised to see that I liked many of their storylines this year. Just looking at their storylines right now, they have Sting trying to rid TNA or Jarrett (a fairly novel concept), the X-division struggling to find their niche on the show (something that the Cruiserweights seem to struggle with as well....I've never seen a company be so truthful about it though), the 'who will manage Bobby Roode' storyline going with some very much unexpected, yet welcome, cameos by Bobby Heenan, Col. Parker and Sherri Martel. Meanwhile, they have an incredible tag team division (something I wish the WWE would really give an effort to establish) as well. While TNA may be going towards a more 'sports-entertainment' type of product, I do think they are still different enough from the WWE to stand out and be the 'alternative.' I was hoping the WWE would do the same actually with their three brands, yet Raw, Smackdown and ECW seem all too similar in their production aspects, their booking and the overall feel to the shows. I'm not sure what the answer is or if there even is one, but I do agree that more wrestling and less segments (especially those like Chavo/Vickie/Rey) would be appreciated. In the past few years I've come to really appreciate how good a regular, lengthy wrestling bout can be. Granted, the tables, chairs, ladders, Hell in a Cell matches, hardcore matches and brawls can be entertaining as well, but it's getting close to being overdone. That's something Raw, Smackdown, ECW and TNA have in common in my opinion.

Sun, 09/17/2006 - 23:30 — Shannon Scott (not verified)

Thanks for your honesty with the fans of sports-entertainment, be they WWE or TNA (or both, because I think it's possible to like both companies) fans. I happen to be in the minority, liking both what the WWE and what TNA offers. I think they supplement each other a lot of the times; what I find on WWE I can't find on TNA, and vice versa. I absolutely love all that the WWE does, first and foremost. I have been a fan for almost 15 years, and follow the programs without any hesitation. Very rarely have I felt awkward watching something on WWE programming, but I do not pass judgment. What Vince McMahon wants to do, he's going to do, and nothing anybody says is going to stop him. I'm loyal to the brand, because it has provided me with so many memories over the years (especially the chance to attend Wrestlemania X-8 my freshman year of college), and helped me to realize how much I want to be a part of this business. On the other hand, I also love TNA. They have a lot of unique qualities, and unique Superstars, that make them appealing. Never in my right mind will I believe they'll be as big as the WWE, but I do think they have a bright future ahead of them if they do things right. And in the wrestling business, as proven by the Monday Night Wars between WWE and WCW, competition is key. Is TNA competition now? No, without question. Will they be in the future? That depends on the business and creative decisions of TNA management. They're only four years old, so who's to say where they'll be at the ten-year mark. Thank you, J.R., again for all that you do for the WWE, and for the fans. Nobody can call a *wrestling* match like you can, even if you are a "storyteller". I'm amazed by your ability to go on television week after week, and help keep the product fresh. Keep up the awesome work! :D

Sun, 09/17/2006 - 21:26 — David (not verified)

Actualy, I would challenge both Jim Ross and Joey Styles on their comments about ECW and "hardcore" matches. It seems odd that both men seem to have forgotten it (especially Joey Styles), but in the original ECW, "hardcore" was not just about tossing chairs or swinging kendo sticks; the original idea was that "hardcore wrestling" referred to five-star matches where the athletes went all out and poured every ounce of their heart and soul into every single match, whether in front of a crowd of thousands or a few dozen spectators. To those original "hardcore legends", it wasn't about super gates or television contracts, but honoring the love of the game that the fans and wrestlers shared. Yes, the original ECW had barbed wire matches and kendo-stick matches, but it also had Match Of The Year matches feauring Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and Rey Mysterio. It was about the intensity and excitement in a triple threat match between Tajiri, Super Crazy, and Little Guido. It was about the awesome skill and spirit displayed in the year-long (but never boring) feud over the TV title between Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn. To me, THAT is what the real ECW was all about. Yes, there were the times of extreme violence, such as Raven's crucifixion of the Sandman, the wars between Sabu and Taz, and anytime that Sandman busted a beer can over his head. However, that was not all of what made ECW a true contender against WWE. But, with the WWE's redefining the meaning of "hardcore" by making it all about "Garbage matches", something has been lost. Let us all remember that pure violence does not a hardcore federation make.