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

J.R.’s Missouri Bound But First Let’s Answer Some Emails

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 11:15 — J.R.

Posted in:

I will be soon heading to Columbia, Missouri to catch the OU-Mizzou game Saturday morning and then will be driving almost 300 miles up to Moline, Illinois for Monday’s Raw. I thought before I began my journey I would answer some of your emails. CWK-There are several good prospects in the WWE developmental system but most, from what I am told, are 6-12 months away from being called up. Obviously that could change. There is no long line of “blue Chippers” out there though and that is a concern of mine. Drew- I don’t think the WWE is burying the Women’s division but I do think there is a shortage of quality women wrestlers. MIke-Never say never about Brock Lesnar coming back to the WWE. Stranger things have happened. I personally think Lesnar has the ability to be a huge asset in the WWE. I would love to see a DVD of Stone Cold’s favorite moments in WCW or the WWE and he discusses them with yours truly. Greg- I met Monty Brown Monday night in Chicago. He seemed like a nice young man and is very athletic. Whether he signs with the WWE, I would recommend it, or not is Month and the WWE’s call. James in the UK- I am counting the days until we broadcast Raw from Manchester. The UK fans are some of the VERY best in the world. I love the enthusiasm! Martin/UK- I think you can count on seeing Austin prior to the release of “The Condemned” in 2007. Banshee- I may have misunderstood but George Steele is in the WWE Hall of Fame which is a great honor any one would savor. Katherine- I don’t think Moolah still trains women wrestlers but I can’t be sure. You can get great training in Louisville at the OVW school. Jonny- I have trouble hating a large man who wrestles in pajamas as Vis does. A wardrobe change might be in order. Manu- I have no idea the reason the Ted DiBiase or Tim Horner left the WWE. It may have been there idea or a mutual thing. I do know that life on the road is challenging especially if one has been off the road for any length of time. Mark- I have loved wrestling and football my entire life. I would not have changed a thing regarding my career and wrestling still comes first but I would not disregard an opportunity to add a little football to my plate if given the chance at this stage of my life. Dan L.- I did not know Elizabeth well but I did know her. She was quiet and a very nice person. I have never heard anyone say anything bad about her which is unusual in this business. Johnny- I have known Sting since day one practically of his career when he passed thru Mid South Wrestling. Sting is a class act and a wonderful human being. I am sure he will make a great champion. There is still plenty of fuel left in his tank from what I hear. Anthony- I am a big fan of the Wild Samoans tag team and their induction into the WWE hall of Fame would not surprise me whatsoever. They were a fantastic team back in the day that most fans were smart enough not to cross. Dreamboy3000- You obviously have issues with the WWE TV content. You have written the wrong website. Sorry I can’t help you but if you really don’t like what you are seeing change TV channels. Desmond- Honestly, I don’t vividly recall A.J. Styles in the WWE but that could be my old age or the simple fact that he got lost in the shuffle. Nonetheless, A.J. is talented. Dave- I don’t speak for the WWE but I would suggest if Muhammed Hassan ever returned to the WWE it would not be under that name. Just my two cents. Paul- I think Dangerous Dan Spivey is finished with wrestling. I loved his rendition of “Waylon Mercy”! Even though Dan has seemingly retired he is still not a man to be messed with. Dan has quite a name as a tougher than a $2 steak street fighter back in the day. ISE74- Sylvest Terkay has obviously all the physical tools he needs to be a great star. The question remains if Terkay has the desire in his heart to be the absolute best in his field. I have seen lots of guys who have the body but not the commitment to be superstars. I hope Terkay doesn’t fall in that category at the end of the day. Dave- HBK and HHH are the veteran cornerstones of the RAW brand. I shudder to think where the brand and the WWE in general would be without them. I love the DX team because it extends the careers of two men I respect and admire. Watching DX perform in their style in the ring is becoming a lost art form. J.R.

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Comments

Tue, 03/13/2007 - 03:24 — HAHAHA (not verified)

LOL at the post above me.

Fri, 03/09/2007 - 18:01 — Christy Hemme (not verified)

wwe's christy hemme... Interesting post. I came across this blog by accident, but it was a good accident. I have now bookmarked your blog for future use. Best wishes. Christy Hemme....

Fri, 11/03/2006 - 22:01 — CaptainG3000 (not verified)

Don't worry, no relation to Dreamboy3000 (even though we have the same last name) I do have to say, I am a fan from way back (WM 2 era), and I have never seen the company put so much effort into one person (Cena) to get them over... does he have dirty pictures or something? Usually when a babyface gets booed they either turn him or repackage him... Cena's gimmick at this point is from a movie that, dare I say, had less viewers than Man in the Moon... guess we can only wait for the DVD to come out before they think about moving the belt onto someone else...

Fri, 11/03/2006 - 13:56 — John (not verified)

JR: I'm excited to hear that Tully Blanchurd has joined WWE and that there will be a DVD about the four horseman. I was always a big fan of Arn Anderson, but I felt like he never got enough credit. In my opinion, he was one of the best in-ring workers – especially in tag team matches – of his generation and one of the most underated talkers. What are your thoughts on AA, and is worthy of a hall of fame induction?

Thu, 11/02/2006 - 20:14 — Mike Damron (not verified)

Hey there sir, I just wanted to send a comment to you about your work. I really appreciate the sincerity that you commentate with. Sometimes announcers for sports games and wrestling alike sound like they are just calling what they see and don't really care what is happening. I am about to graduate at Arkansas State myself in broadcast and will hopefully be stepping into some type of commentary and wanted to tell you that you are a great influence on anyone who is like me, loves wrestling, football, and sports in general.

Thu, 11/02/2006 - 17:02 — Mike G. (not verified)

Hey Jr,I've read your blogs for about 2 months yet never sent in a comment. I've been a fan of the wwe since I was a kid. I grew up watching Hogan, Boss man, Macho man, Ultimate Warrior etc. I was there with Austin, The Hitman, HBK, Rocky "The Rock", Faarooq and the Nation, DX etc... And even the late 90's and early 2000's. I'm still a fan now but am starting to lose interest. Over the years, wwe has lost some of it's luster. Think about it, no tag division, no womans division, no cruiserweight division, no "real" U.S. champion...Benoit is doing a good job of carrying the belt but when was the last "real" storyline involving the title. Speaking of titles, lets look at the current list of champs starting with raw. You have the womans title vacant right now because of Trish's departure from the company and since Lita is said to be leaving at the end of the month, it looks as if Mickie James is your new womans champ. Jeff hardy is the I.C. holder which is actually getting a pretty big push and has gotten some pretty good matches out of Benjamin, Carlito and Nitro but it's only a matter of time before one if not all three move up to the main event status with the company. In my own personal opinion, Nitro will be there sooner than the other two. Aside from those 4 gentlemen, there's no one else fighting for it. Then you have the Tag Titles with the, brace yourself, Spirit Squad. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for the 5 of them for taking on the persona's and really going all out but in all actuallity, the only one that has any sort of chance of making a name for himself is Kenny. Then, last but not least, there is the wwe champ in John Cena. Cena is a good champ but I feel that there are more guys out there that deserve a run. Not just Cena or Edge. Next, you have the champs on Smackdown starting with the tag champs in Kendrick and London but no "real" tag teams to compete with because they, for some reason, are on raw. You have Hemls as the Cruiserweight champ and, with a roster full of cruiserweight's, have Matt Hardy involded in the only storyline. Then you have "King" Booker holding the world title. This is actually pretty good considering the lenght of time booker had to wait before it was given to him. You can have some pretty interesting storylines with some of the other stars on smackdown. Batista, Kane,Taker and Benoit will all make for good tv and some great matches. The other thing that has really bothered me as of late is the roster moves (releases, pushes, moves). WWE releases Angle, Psicosis(who was the most under utilized superstar on any roster), Kid Kash, and let Christian walk away yet resign The Boogeyman (who has yet to do anything to impress me) and Flash Funk and keep Mark Henry and the so-called Great Khali under contract. WWE makes absolutely no effort to keep, in my opinion, one of the BEST on the mic and in the ring in Chris Jericho yet turn around and put Tatanka, Hacksaw and Flair in the ring. Don't get me wrong, it's great to see them in the ring but not on a week to week basis. So were are they now? Well lets see, of all the talent on the TNA roster the ones that were once contracted with the WWE are Christian Cage, Jeff Jarrett, Rhino, Raven, Ron "The Truth" Killings, The James Gang (better known as the New Age Outlaws), Sting, Bubba Ray and Devon, Brother Runt, Christy Hemme, Gail Kim, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, Shane Douglas, and of course, Kurt Angle (seem like a trend to you cause it does to me). Whose next? How long do you think it will be before we see Jericho inside of a six-sided ring, or Lita for that matter? Or any of the other talent under contract with WWE that feel under utilized? Guys like Super Crazy, Haas, Chris Masters, Orton, Benjamin, Chavo, Benoit or Jamie Noble? All of which deserve some sort of a push.

Wed, 11/01/2006 - 01:34 — Dane (not verified)

JR, I want your oppinion on why Vince intends to cut back on hardcore matches in ECW? Many people inside WWE apparently think that people do not tune in to ECW because they do not know that it is a WWE brand and want to tone it down to a WWE level. Im sorry to say but those that think that (including Vince) are as you say "goofier than a pet coon". I'll explain My understanding is that ECW was brought back by popular demand, because there was so much demand for it, 5 years after they closed their doors the "E C Dub" chants did not quiet down and Vince listened to the fans, and resurrected ECW. The reason that nobody is tuning into ECW is because its lost it's edge. I know that ECW will NEVER be as great as it was in the old days, but it's not even close. It's almost like that WWE is not even trying to make it even a little bit like it was. I truly believe now that the ECW faithful (like I once was) believes that WWE has pissed on the legacy of ECW just like they pissed on the legacy of WCW. I think a perfect example of this was I was watching Test wrestle on Sci-Fi (forgot who it was against, it was boring none the less) and I hear a faint (proberbly attempted blur out) TNA TNA TNA chants. ECW is not doing well because there is not enough Hardcore matches, to much former WWE talent (Holly, Test, Big Show) hogging the spotlight. And whats the go with the new entrance way? Rip off of the Impact Zone or what? Paul E needs to be given control of ECW storylines, talent (who gets in and who doesnt) and not the business side of things and leave ECW politics within ECW. Hell, even if its not affiliated with WWE in any way, even if Vince still owns it, Paul can work alot better without people above him telling him his boundries. Boundries is what is making ECW such a joke. I am not saying this in no way to put down ECW, I LOVE ECW and I want it to be good again, just annoys me so much that it can do so much better by looking at a few old PPV's and remembering what those three letters were all about

Tue, 10/31/2006 - 18:39 — Mike(or KKUK to my wrestling friends) (not verified)

JR, I love reading what you have to say. You're always so unbiased and honest no matter what you are asked. I am also reading Austin's book, and your insights in there are also very thought provoking, and I agree it is very sad Owen Hart and Steve didn't get the chance to talk things out before his tragic death. A couple of questions: 1) Out of all the guys you have seen throughout your career, which one guy stands out to you as the guy who really deserved a World Title run, or had all the tools to become World Champion, but never reached the top? 2) Hogan v Austin aside, as you have already cast doubt over the likelihood of that ever happening, is there a particular 'dream' Wrestlemania match in your mind, that could still plausibly take place, that you would love to see happen in the future? A lot of people I know seem to lean towards HBK v Rock, but I was wondering if there was one match you really hope to see happen. 3) Who is your favourite female wrestler of all time? Also, I appreciated the fact you gave us UK fans a shoutout! I hope you are able to respond, as I love hearing what you have to say, and feel honoured getting the chance to converse with a true legend of the industry.

Tue, 10/31/2006 - 16:25 — World's Largest Pajamas (not verified)

JR, I also wanted to ask, why have'nt you joined to play the online WWE Salsry Cap Fantasy Game on www.WWE.com? You should play, anyone that works with the WWE is own their own seperate private league, but I am sure that you already know that.

Tue, 10/31/2006 - 15:35 — World's Largest Pajamas (not verified)

Hello Good Ol' JR I think your a great broadcaster and sometimes a great charecter for wrestling. I don't want to put you on the spot or anything,(I saw that you said something about your site not being afiliated with the WWE or something) have you ever giving any thought to working with TNA? In my opinion a broadcaster (A talented one) is the last thing remaining for TNA to have a great show and really compete with the WWE. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Mike Tenay, he knows alot about wrestling, good asset to have, but onscreen I see him more as an interviewer. When I watch TNA I have to watch the matches on mute and that sucks cause I like here the play by play. PS. They need a better color commentator too.

Tue, 10/31/2006 - 10:03 — Dan L (not verified)

Thank You for answering my question again JR:)I have seen snippets of you in the advertising for the Brian Pillman DVD talking about him he was obviously a very special person in your life.Its hard to believe its been so long since he has been gone do you also see Brian as a future WWE Hall Of Famer even though he was there for a short time.

Tue, 10/31/2006 - 06:34 — Richie (not verified)

Just a tip for Kevin Brady, I dont know if you've ever watched ROH or CZW, but I think they would satisfy your need for either technical WRESTLING or brutal hardcore bouts respectively. Without the cheesy story lines and whacky far fetched gimmicks. JR, keep up the good work on RAW, and I'm sure youve hear this before, but dont you think that Lawler should return to being a heel announcer? I think having heel announcers makes wrestling shows much more entertaining! remeber the days of Jesse Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon? I can just hear Gorilla saying: "will you stop", classic. Thanks for reading this JR - Richie

Mon, 10/30/2006 - 18:22 — Rick (not verified)

Hey J.R. I was watching my old VHS of Wrestlemania 18, and as Billy and Chuck made their entrance, Jerry Lawler said he used to be in a band called the backseat boys. Is this true? Also, do you think Shawn Michaels has another world title in him? Thanks, Rick

Mon, 10/30/2006 - 16:09 — Jason K. (not verified)

Hey J.R. Let me first start out by saying I truly think you are the best wrestling broadcaster in the history of wrestling. You and the King make an awesome pair. Hey, since I know you are a Toby Keith fan, have you ever had the chance to meet him? I saw him twice this year but this past Saturday I saw him at the Bryce Jordan Center in Penn State and I had a meet and greet and it was awesome. The concert was great to. If you never seen him in concert, you really need to. Just curious on your opinion so what is your # 1 pick of your favorite WrestleMania match of all time? Mine would have to be Steamboat-Savage at WrestleMania III. Thanks For Your Time. Jason K.

Mon, 10/30/2006 - 15:48 — Dave Gleaves (not verified)

Thankyou for responding to my mail, I completly agree, i watched the video of Shawn called the vault the other day, so impressed, and he and triple h, are still amazing athletes, can wait for raw tonight take care jr.

Mon, 10/30/2006 - 15:33 — Brian Cosgrove (not verified)

Paul Heyman has been quoted in the press as saying that the next phase in pro wrestling is real believable fighters/characters trained in wrestling, judo, kickboxing, etc. And with the success of UFC and characters like Samoa Joe in TNA and CM Punk in the new ECW - he may be right! So why can't we see more ROH names like Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, Davey Richards, Colt Cabana or even a Teddy Hart be brought into ECW to mix with originals like RVD and Sabu? How about giving Daniel Puder - who has proven the ability to market himself - another shot? Why can't names like Paul London, Jamie Noble, Charlie Haas, Brian Kendrick and someone completely underutilized like Shelton Benjamin be brought in? And what exactly is the dilemma in giving ECW their own tv tapings? I understand the logic that it would overwork a production team but they could easily tape two or three weeks of television from a venue like Hammerstein Ballroom in New York - before eventually moving to smaller intimate venues in other cities and actually generating a good gate for 'ECW TV Tapings' leading to the possibility of more Supershow Raw/Smackdown tapings. Taping two or three weeks worth of television would also help continuity issues within storylines so things won't disappear from week to week (like that Heyman/Dreamer feud). With Paul Heyman booking a talent-base like the one described above, the potential for highly athletic GREAT matches, the rabid vocal New York fans we've come to know, they would essentially have their own alternative to Raw/Smackdown within the company rather than disgruntled fans spending their money on TNA or ROH. There is a misconception that ECW has to be about barbed wire, blood, thumbtacks, tables, unsafe chair shots, etc. People forget that this was also the place where Eddie, Benoit, Malenko, Scorpio, Jericho, etc. made their first impression in the states. Vince McMahon stated at an investor conference that the small vocal old ECW audience wasn't their audience now that they had to take this thing global. What a load of BS! Obviously the initials "ECW" on rep alone brought Sci-Fi a debut rating of 2.8 (although that was probably credited to John Cena) and since the product has become more WWE flavored with weeks of Kelly's Expose, little storyline/angle continuation or logic, DQ/Countout finishes, Big Show as champion (although to his credit this is the best he's looked in years), Test, Diva Strip Poker, fat male strippers we are now seeing a rating in the 1.5-1.7 range. The WWE audience is anyone who has ever cared to watch guys wrestle and cheer/boo the characters. It's that same "we know more than our fan base" philosophy which has alienated old NWA/WCW/ECW fans from the current WWE product. Isn't it ironic that the classic DVD's are perhaps the hottest thing going right now? With three different brands the potential is there to give each show their own distinctive identity, their own creative regime, target audience and feel. Instead the same creative influences are spread throughout each show, the shows all look/feel the same and have the same flow and for some unfathomable reason that seems to be what the company wants! I just don't get it. Competition creatively within the company and brands would up the bar a bit but they never stick to seperate creative teams. Sorry for going on so long. In closing, it's refreshing to have someone like you actually speak candidly about the business and communicate with online fans. Thank you!

Mon, 10/30/2006 - 14:32 — kevin (not verified)

I agree about Ecw i mean it did not need to be changed that much to survive now. In fact if they would do all the tv tapes at the hammerstien ballroom and then go on the road for house shows, more people would be exposed to what ecw is really. I went to a smackdown house show here in louisville back in june and we drove to a ecw house show in west virginia, trust me when I say their was no difference in attendance. I can't believe they're reporting it on wwe.com with paul heyman talking about they dont have the budget ect, Smackdown needs help to. The last raw I went to in louisville the had a giant curtain blocking off half the arena with that area only half filled so raw aint so great either. UK Tom I think you just called yourself a moron. You just bashed peoples negative questions calling them morons then go on to complain to J.R about wwe live attendance. You know the last time I checked this is a WRESLING( or "sports entertainment" for that matter) and FOOTBALL blog website. Quit being so damn sensitive to peoples questions on here. Unless J.R. is a 5 year old girl by mistake, he should be able to handle a couple of questions that aren't WWE approved. Quit acting like the sensetive police. If it is that bad "Change the Website". WWE.com is just the place for you where you feelings won't get hurt and they woud never suggest anything negative towards the product... unless your talkin ECW. Lol

Mon, 10/30/2006 - 11:24 — UK Tom (not verified)

MY DAMN THING HAS JUST BEEN DELETED. SORRY JR BUT I CANT BE BOTHERED TO TYPE IT AGAIN. DON'T LISTEN TO THE WWE HATERS, YOU ARE DOING A TOP JOB! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

Mon, 10/30/2006 - 11:22 — UK Tom (not verified)

Sorry about that.... yes, WWE is going downhill. You just have to see how many empty seats there are in each arena. It realy is sad to see so few people interested in the product. Can you blame the people? JR you are without a doubt the top announcer in the WWE. Could you (or anyone reading this) indicate just how many people on average are in attendance for WWE shows. Are we talking

Mon, 10/30/2006 - 11:06 — UK Tom (not verified)

JR, You don't need to take the rap for the WWE. Although you have said (on numerous occasions) that your position with the WWE is only to announce on Raw, these morons still use this to take out their anger on you. WWE certainly is going downhill.

Mon, 10/30/2006 - 08:08 — Ben (not verified)

J.R I just have one quick thing to ask of you. Can you PLEASE tell the rock to come back? If he truly is the people's champ then he should come back where he belongs. I don't understand why he needs to make anymore movies since he is already obscenely rich from them. Thanks J.R and BOOMER SOONER!!!!

Mon, 10/30/2006 - 05:24 — dreamboy3000 (not verified)

I will save JR answering your question Andrew. Because if you have checked out this site good enough you would have seen this...... http://www.jrsbarbq.com/gallery-view.php?ID=20 JJ i agree with you about letting ECW stand alone. Elimination chamber is a Raw match. Yet i bet they don't explain why Eric Bischoff is allowing ECW (which is led by Paul Heyman who he hates)to use his creation.

Sun, 10/29/2006 - 23:47 — Kevin Brady (not verified)

So I doubt this will be responded to, but I feel as if I need to write it anyway... J.R. first I wanna say, your great.. I been a wrestling fan my entire life, early on that meant being a strick WWF fan due to the fact that I live in NY, and besides it's global impact the WWF was the east coast promotion.. Anyway I eventually was introduced to old NWA, and began watching WCW.. I always loved the Tv title division. Eventually I made it to a WWF Fan fest just prior to WM10.. It was a mixed feeling being there, cause I was extremely excited, but let's say "some talent" {who I won't mention, but some still work for the wwe and are "cornerstones"} were... well, there's no nice way of saying it.. stuck-up pricks.. I can tell you that outta ALL the people I met in the Javits Center that night Only: Bam Bam Bigelow, Bret & Owen Hart showed class. All three men were true class acts, everyone else were a-holes.. And it's not my opinion, they were acting this way.. This event made me not like the WWF Product, and WCW's product was getting worse and worse I found ECW. At 3:30 in the a.m. on a saturday night I was lucky enough to catch Eddie Guerrero Vs. Dean Malenko, WRESTLE, ACTUALLY WRESTLE eachother.. This one show rejuvinated my interest. To make this long story short, I continued supporting ECW, even had to write TV Channels and PPV providers demanding they show ECW... I had to work tobe an ECW fan and I loved every minute of it.. From than on {95-96} I stopped watching the WWF's products and WCW's product and I was a strick ECW fan.. the only times I'd watch the other promotions was when an ECW star either got the call up, or was stolen away.. Anyway, ECW died and so did my interest in wrestling, no offense to you J.R. I always enjoy your work, but Vince's "Idea" of the business doesn't appeal to me.. anywhooo I don't watch, for five years.. not a stitch of wrestling, than One Night Stand happens.. there was no question in my mind, I would be watching ONS.. I did, it was great, it trully was that "closure" us fans never got before.. I give up again.. cause RAW/SD don't wet my whistle, in-fact The WWE over-all style of limited wrestling time/moves and killing great wrestlers with horrible gimmicks never ever appealed to me. {example: 2 Cold Scorpio. becomes Flash F'N Funk? no thanks.} So anyway, 6 months ago I hear there is gonna be another ONS and ECW was coming back to TV.. all I could think was "Great" because I've missed being a wrestling fan.. so again, lets make this long story short, the WWE doesn't understand ECW, the wrestlers are working there asses off, thankfully and what happens? Vince starts ruining things.. Now I know this isn't a WWE site and your not Vince McMahon, but I have a question you may be able to answer, from one fan to another.. question: why should I watch anymore? I like wrestling, Vince seems determined to make ECW even more watered down than the other WWE Products, and everytime I start to enjoy the way things are going Vince does something that makes me fear I won't be able to continue watching.. Because the WWE is gonna kill ECW again. For the record TNA's directionless booking annoys me.. why should I watch? Honestly? The WWE claims to listen to the fans, and ECW's fanbase still is the most vocal fanbase, the only thing I can think is we aren't good enough to listen to.. so, if we don't matter? why should we watch? What hurts is I'm starting to get into the new ECW, and everytime I feel good, I read a tremendously disturbing story from a dirt sheet about recent WWE meetings/decisions regarding ECW.. for the record J.R. contrary to your belief/ and Vinces; ECW wasn't based on Trackwreck matches, it was based on solid wrestling and wrestlers allowed to put on a good show.. Not limited by some ego-maniac.. and TV time. I again, know your not Vince, but honestly J.R. why did we get stuck with him as dictator? why can't someone else Book.. So my main two questions are: why should I watch? why won't Vince give Paul the book? Be the final say but allow Paul to book the more ECW becomes the WWE the less people watch, not vice versa.. Obviously you can't answer the second question, but if you could please help me understand some potential I can't see.. why should I watch? Cause I enjoy things and then I read things will be changed again.. Vince wants to change peoples "perspectives" publicly regarding ECW.. Ya know what I think? I think Vince fears the fact that in the hearts of hard-core, long term wrestling fans ECW is more important than his sports entertainment is.. the worse he can make ECW nowadays the faster people will forget what it was..

Sun, 10/29/2006 - 23:25 — J.J. Veshio (not verified)

hey JR... why must the WWE continue to diminish the once great name that is ECW? Now they are using an elimination chamber at the december to dismember ppv. the roster is small enough as it is, now theyre putting 6 men in the main event, and in a match that seems a little too gimmicky for ECW. My guess is that Vince feels the need to inject his WWE into it and more RAW/SD guys will be on the ppv... i just dont get why Vince cant let ECW be its own entity and stop with the cross-branding

Sun, 10/29/2006 - 21:18 — scott (not verified)

J.R, What are your thoughts on CM Punk? In many peoples opinions he is the future of the wrestling world, and is often compared with Bret Hart.Harley Race compared him to Shawn Michaels. His matches are great, his mic work is amazing, and his gimmick is untouchable. which wrestler from the past reminds of you CM Punk? and out of everyone in WWE which wrestler would you like to see CM Punk face? please respond, thank you

Sun, 10/29/2006 - 20:55 — Andrew (not verified)

JR what were your thoughts on Tony Schiavone as a person and as an announcer? I have seen you guys call shows togethor but am not sure if you guys like each other.

Sun, 10/29/2006 - 14:01 — Kriss (not verified)

Hey JR, Two questions for you, if I may: 1. As I write this it's two days until halloween... What's your favourite halloween character/gimmick match of all those you've witnessed? 2. As a former colleague of the late, great Gordon Solie, what's your favourite memory of the man? Also, SuplEX or SuplAY?

Sun, 10/29/2006 - 09:00 — dreamboy3000 (not verified)

I don't see anyone complaining to Jim Ross about the product. People on here respect him and understand he is not on creative. We as fans are simply giving our voice a platform to be heard. WWE do not answer your emails, they don't have an official forum which is a stupid idea etc. So this place is where we come to voice our concerns. I to am glad our comments are not deleted and edited. It's very good of Jim Ross to let us reply to stuff. I would hope someone in WWE reads his website and takes the voice of the fans opinions on board. If someone has a sign slagging off Cena. Then they should be allowed to keep it, without security getting rid of it.

Sun, 10/29/2006 - 08:35 — Tommy (not verified)

I think that the piledriver ( the spike piledriver) not the tombstone one that UT uses is banned because it has previously killed and injured people. Could you send ME a list of the banned moves?

Sun, 10/29/2006 - 07:05 — Kevin (not verified)

Jim, thanks for taking so much time and effort into making this blog one of the most insightful things on the internet. My questions is to ask you opinions on the downfall of the male manager within the WWE? Despite the best efforts of Mr. Estrada, the male manager has been on the wane in the WWE for sometime. Do you think that certain superstars could benefit highly from an intelligent mouthpiece, i.e. Shelton Benjamin? Do you think this is something that he been done consciously by the WWE, or has it just happened due to the changing times?

Sun, 10/29/2006 - 04:10 — Christian (not verified)

JR, people seem to realy be upset at your comment about changing channels and while I can see there point I just think the best thing to do is stay positive as times have been alot worse need I remind people of the TL Hopper/Goon/Freddie Joe Floyd era. At the end of the day with a couple of key signings I think in the immediate to short term (2-3 years) would be over ie Lesnar, Jericho just on the potential match ups alone. However I realy think the weakest of the 3 brands is Smackdown and maybe it would be time to dust off the old WCW logo and let rip as most of the Key people are already on the roster and the big changes between WWE Raw and WCW Smackdown with people defecting would be realy interesting without the formality of the Draft. The posibilities are endless and i realy think if it was started correctly ie with a big debut maybe even Monty Brown/Jericho or best of all Lesnar at the offset it could put the Invasion angle to rest once and for all.I realise that there is a lot of what ifs in this but some some of the best angles have been started with a what if. Thanks for your time JR.

Sun, 10/29/2006 - 00:44 — Jeff (not verified)

JR I don't know if you will know this or not but why does Triple H's body look so much rounder then it did 2 years ago? For example watch Wrestlemania 19 where he takes on Booker T, there he looks in tip top shape but now he seems bloated up and not as defined? Your thoughts on this? Did married life make him lazy or is old age catching up to the game?

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 22:18 — Lena Lambert (not verified)

JR you are very brave taking all the heat for the WWE! Like I said before you are one of the reasons I still watch Raw, that and the old WCW stars. And I love Cena. I don't know why these guys are complaining to you about the WWE product. It's not like you can fix any of the problems mentioned, or have anything to do with the problems mentioned. You are my hero! No one and I mean no one can sell a match or story line like you!

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 21:11 — Kevin Can't Read Good! (not verified)

Good Ol' JR Who do you think it will take to end Umaga's undefeated streak? But I have a question about that, is he really undefeated in the WWE or just as the Umaga gimmick? I'm just asking because I thought he was defeated a couple of times when he was Jamal from 3 Minute Warning. My main question is, in the record books, at the end of the day how does his record show for the WWE? Is it two seperate colums, one for each gimmick or is it just Umaga\Jamal because in kayfabe they are diffrent charecters? On your next e-Mail could you answer if in the record books some one with 2 or more gimmicks is serated from each gimmick for kayfabe purposes or it doesnt matter what name they used in the record books everything is added together? Thanks

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 21:00 — International Object (not verified)

Hey JR, How Day Hangin? Do you remember back in the day in the 80's when Ted Turner had a policy on his networks, not to yse the word "foreign". He insisted they say international instead. So, for a period of time the TBS announcers would say international object as oppose to foreugn object. I think thats hilarious. I'm sorry but I don't recall if you were one of the broadcasters. But my question is, if someone use a weapon on RAW with in the next couple weeks, as a joke could you please call it an international object. Do it for us the fans. Maybe, it's not as funny as I am making it out to be, but stupid comedy is the smartest comedy. Just one time, Edge just used that international object on DX, my God. Your the man JR and will be for along time. PS. What do you think about CM Punk, and if it was your decision what would the team name be for Edge\Orton?

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 19:05 — The Sentry (not verified)

JR, I don't know where else to go with this, but I thought I would ask, since you are familiar with the legends. I'm a fan of Ricky Steamboat. I've watched his matches over the years, and there is no doubt in my mind that he is one of the greatest performers ever to step between the ropes. I've heard that he works for the WWE now...is there even a miniscule chance that this man would get into the Hall of Fame? Maybe I'm mistaken in this opinion, but I believe that Steamboat deserves to have his own DVD, and his name mentioned in the same breath as legends like Flair, Rhodes, Piper, and Slaughter. Thanks for reading.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 18:08 — The421Don (not verified)

This is my last post on the topic... I was there in 96-97. I was there since 85. Yes, there was a boom. Yes, the shows were great. Yes, it can happen again. But no, bitching will not help. As much as people want to be the next booker, the WWE knows what they are doing. Sure, they get stale once in awhile, it happens. It'll pick up again. And they weren't going to go under, regardless of the hype everyone tries selling. Sure, it coulda turned into the shows you see at 300 AM on a Sunday morning, but it wouldn't have disappeared. Cena sucks, but the young fans like him, the kids. That is why he is pushed. He has character. Basically, JR is probably sick of everybody posting on HIS blog whats wrong with the WWE's product. So, if it is that big of a deal, change the channel. It is entertainment, it is not something to get upset about. Watch it or don't. ENJOY it... or don't. I am done. I am not going to disrespect JR's blog any further with this fanboy nonsense.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 12:27 — kevin (not verified)

once again I don't agree with all the things being said, but if you insist that the wwe always know what there doing you must be oblivious to the fact they almost went under in 97. Why? Because they were putting out a bullsh$t product that was starting to dramatically drop and I mean drop in ratings, ppv buys, and live attendance... kinda like now. What happened? Well if you were watching back then somehow somehow their ratings skyrocketed ppv buys and live attendance within the matter of weeks! Then we got the boom period everybody remembers and that killed the competition. After that.. back to nothing. If you seriosly watched that transition in the wwe in 97 then you are retarted for saying they are tryng their best and it can't get any better because it obviously can. Were not starting a petition telling everyone to change the channel in fact thats just the opposite( That was the directions we were given). For as much ridicule as the average wrestling fan has to take for simply watching the product you would think the people they are supporting would have want to hear our opinions not just say "well if ya dont like it change the channel" Thats bad advice to give when considering in the last couple of years the ratings have literally dropped in half. In closing if you think that you have to just eat what they feed you you must have not been a fan around the 96/97 era. No I dont agree with every thing dreamboy and chris said ( just like they probably dont agree with all things i said), but some are obious..Cena the champ, Eddie storyline. Didn't Mr. McMahon say on his dvd he would be doing a disservice to the fans if he didn't allow them to boo him... what about cena? The last time I checked you can still watch wwe while switching over to the other "bandwagon". You must have gotten confused with nitro, you dont have to pick just one anymore. And you say wwe cares about the fans, then why when everybody goes to a raw show with a negative cena sign it gets confiscated? Me and a friend went to a raw a couple weeks back and he had a sign that said Cena sux and a sign that said spirit squad love weiner. Guess which sign got taken away from security... Cena sux. I guess wwe cares so much we are officialy not allowed to root for who we want. I can bring a sign referring to the heels as gay but you cannot boo cena? True story. For what it is worth I have been watching raw since the very first match in 93-Koko B. Ware vs. debut of Yokozuna and have been watching ever since. That means, Ray, I have been watching the shows and according to you I can speak!

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 09:46 — Paul (not verified)

J.R. I have to call you on that comment about their being a shortage of good women's wrestlers. In your promotion alone you have Mickie James, Victoria, Melina and the injured Beth Phoenix, all of whom are as talented in ring performers as most of the guys. Unfortunately the focus remains on the likes of Kelly Kelly and Candice Michelle which is fine for T & A but certainly not fine for those who want to see good women’s wrestling. On a larger scale though women’s wrestling in the US is as strong as it has been since I started watching twelve years ago. I don't know if you are familiar at all with SHIMMMER: Women’s Athletes but they now have eight shows under their belt all of which showcase the tremendous women’s WRESTLERS that are in the business right now. Girls like Daizee Haze, Cheerleader Melissa, Mercedes Martinez, Sara Del Ray, and Jim Neidhart's daughter Nattie are all fine examples of quality women’s wrestlers that could change the face of the WWE women’s division if they had any desire to go in that direction. To the WWE's credit they did recently sign both Nikita and Shantelle Taylor who are both beautiful and extremely talented. I look forward to seeing them on TV soon and I just hope that they are allowed to have competitive matches and showcase their abilities. I really enjoy this blog J.R. and think you do a very good job at being fair to everyone but I just wanted to point out that while the WWE women’s division might be lacking right now, there is not a shortage of talented women’s wrestlers in the business right now.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 07:48 — Jeff (not verified)

Hey JR Ive been a big fan of your work for a long time. I was interested in youre opinion of the William Regal Vs Chris Beniot match on the last SmackDown PPV. I personaly thought it was awsome. The best no nonsense stlye match in a long time. Personaly i think would love to see alot more matches like that. I Think Regal is the most underused wrestler in the WWE.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 07:12 — Kevin McT (not verified)

Hi J.R. Do you plan to write a book on your experiences in the wrestling business? Also, out of these two who do you currently see on the RAW Brand as the "true" talents in the business Carlito or RKO?

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 07:05 — dreamboy3000 (not verified)

Ray, i cannot speak for the people that have backed me up. But i watch Raw and Smackdown every week so entitled to an opinion. I have watched WWE for years. It just seems like WWE don't care as much now as they did when WCW was around, when it comes to the product that comes out. If i didn't care about WWE then i wouldn't make so many points about it. New stars need to be made now. Instead of so many re-hashes of old stuff like DX. See Chris Masters is now a jobber. That shows that WWE only ever cared about him because of his size. Edge i am a big fan of (even if he is a ass in real life). But to be a huge star in the top tier, he needs a new finisher. Put it next to Rhino or Goldberg (who i hate) and it's without doubt 3rd best.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 06:30 — Ray (not verified)

Shut up all you ppl making a big fuss about the changing channel line! The ppl who are bashing wwe you probably havent been watching any wwe shows, so if u dont watch the shows then dont say anything. JR I just have 1 question: Can you please give the list of banned moves in the wwe please?

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 06:17 — Jonny S (not verified)

Thank you for answering my question J.R! One more thing to ask, what is Eric Bischoffs status in WWE? Will we ever see him as General Manager of Raw again?

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 05:11 — Adam (not verified)

JR I really dont understand how you can say there is a lack of depth in the tag team division, you look at TNA and you see a bunch of tag teams most of which are better then any team on any brand. Maybe its not that theres a lack of depth but rather the people who should be hiring them in the WWE arent doing their jobs that well. Luckily for the WWE, TNA cant book worth a damn and suck when it comes to producing a good show. I say that because even though I've watched WWE since I can remember (literally I have pictures of me as a baby using a Wrestlemania Tshirt as a blanket from when it was in Toronto) TNA has better wrestling matchs most of the time (excluding that stupid fight for right reverse battle royal thing). and with Angle thats only going to happen much more often. I hate bashing the WWE and still enjoy the product very much I just think theres room for improvements. But theres no excuse at all for TNA having a more talented and better line up then the WWE. Alright enough bashing for me on to some positives. SD! last night was probably the best SD! Ive seen in a while (and no its not because Cena was there). By the way is there any chance SD! can go live it would be a better show and would get better ratings for sure. Im estatic about the news of the 4 Horsemen DVD Im only 18 so most of what I know about the Horsemen is from hearing not watching and I cant wait for that to change. I was upset to hear Kid Kash was released I saw him in the old ECW teaming with RVD for a little bit and this guy can be awesome when he wants to be or is allowed to be, but I understand he had a attitude problem so its no surprise. Hopefully Jamie Noble gets a good push I think him and Helms could have a good feud over the cruiserweight title. I liked the RAW last week Mickie James seems to be getting better in the ring, and the main event was good it was predictable but good. So heres my question when are we going to see the piledriver, 450 splash, Shooting star and whatever other banned moves back in the WWE? You got Rhino piledriving Christian from the apron through a table on one show but WWE wont let people do it in the ring through nothing? makes no sense!! if you know how to do it (which if your in the WWE you damn well better) then it shouldnt be a problem. and do you think we will ever see Dean Malenko back in the ring? Please respond to this one I understand theres a lot of people who post here and your extremely busy but ive posted 4 other times and I got nothin :(

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 21:36 — Bill (not verified)

J.R. I saw on wwe.com that Davey Boy Smith's son, Harry, is set to sign with WWE. What do you know about Harry? What impact do you think he'll have in the WWE? Bill

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 19:43 — Dustin (not verified)

Hey JR I was wondering if you had read Eric Bischoffs Contraversey Creates Cash book & i read in their that it was bill watts idea to get rid of the ringside mats & how he thinks it effected the product in a negitavie way What are your thoughts on that & what was it like trying to sell that idea off to the the viewers at the time. Thanks for you time Sincerly Dustin

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 19:32 — Billy (not verified)

Do you take offense to fans using "insider" terms like heel, babyface, kayfabe, etc.? Also, what match do you believe should be the so-called money-match for this WrestleMania?

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 19:01 — Fred (not verified)

The WWE product is finally become what it was when it was fun for everyone (in the late 80s and early 90s) The Attitude era sucked for it made wrestling fans become too involved and now we have to deal with people who open up websites and act like they know something when they rip apart something they say they love. Oh and Stacey Saunders, Stone Cold Steve Austin is and forever will be a bitter guy who got lucky by ripping off The Sandman's gimmick and making a career out of complainging about Eric Bischoff firing his lame _______, kinda like a certain announcer of Monday Night Raw

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 18:15 — Marko50 (not verified)

Gotta say I disagree somewhat with 421Don. No question that Vinnie Mac built an empire. But that doesn't necessarily mean that he (still?) knows what he's doing. It's a fact that us boomers are now the biggest group in the country [we're talkin age, here, JR :-)] and whose getting programmed to? Not sure it's necessarily any one my age. There's too many juvenile storylines. I'm thinking VKM is programming for himself more than anyone else, and than blaming others when the ideas tank. And just what DOES happen when people change the channel? Remember a show by the name of HEAT? Velocity? Thursday Night Thunder? Ratings matter a whole lot! Saturday Night's Main Event may not be back on NBC, and if Smackdown was somewhere else besides the CW, it probably wouldn't be, either.