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

Random thoughts while hoping all are well and relatively sane. I just want to make it clear that I really try to answer as many emails as possible but I will NEVER be able to answer them all. If you email me back and say you are still waiting on my response it really helps me to include the question you want answered (Debra Hollon). I get lots of emails about Bret Hart. I admire and respect The Hitman tremendously but let’s make one thing crystal clear, to the absolute best of my knowledge Bret Hart is NEVER going to wrestle again. The stroke he suffered and being comfortable in retirement will likely prevent Bret from having another match no matter what you may hear. I am looking forward to Bret’s autobiography that will be out, I think, in 2007. Shelton Benjamin has the “potential” to be an amazing wrestler. Why Shelton has not migrated to the next level and stayed there is the big question. The reason could be many things. I think he will rise to the occasion and become the star we all hope. Yes, to all that ask, Owen Hart deserves to be in the Hall of Fame but when he goes in is anyone’s guess. I do feel the Hall of Fame should incorporate fan voting as a part of the selection process. With Edge and Randy Orton now the World Tag Team Champions, one would assume that the tag team scene on RAW will be vastly improved. I sure hope so. This is no revelation, but my favorite WWE TV Show is the one that I participate on and that pays my salary, Monday Night RAW. However, I do watch Smackdown and ECW regularly and enjoy both of them most weeks. For the record, I don’t buy into “A” shows or “B” shows, etc. Someone asked about morale in the locker room. It’s about the same as usual as best I can tell with what little time I am around it. Wrestlers are their own worst enemies and usually like to complain and moan about their situations to whomever will listen. Rarely do wrestlers contact their willing sources to tell these sources how good things are going. There is no story in hearing good news. Morale is normal, some guys are happy and some are not. Those that aren’t happy are usually upset about where they rank on the cards or their perceived lack of TV exposure and like to blame others instead of looking in the mirror and deciding to not be denied any longer and personally doing something about it. For young people, including young wrestlers, the age of entitlement is the kiss of death. Most won’t suck it up and work hard to get noticed on a nightly basis but continue to telephone or email their sources and bitch and moan. It is my “opinion” that Stone Cold will never wrestle another match due to his neck condition and the fact that Steve would not want to come back and be less than what Steve was in the ring and as we all remember him. However, if Steve does decided to wrestle a “retirement match” let’s say, it will be totally up to Steve as he will not be forced to do anything he doesn’t want to do which is “The Bottom Line”. I do expect Stone Cold to have a major, still to be determined role at Wrestlemania 23. The rumors of Jerry Lawler leaving the WWE are ridiculous including the fact that some people have reported that King works in the WWE without a contract which is equally as misinformed. I have so much respect for Roddy Piper trying to tough it out on the recent International Tour while attempting to pass a painful kidney stone. I have experienced this horror once while broadcasting a Great American Bash in Baltimore in the late 80s and I truly wanted to be put out of my misery. Piper is a strong willed man who knows what it is like to “play with pain”. Monty Brown is now a WWE signee. I don’t know if Brown will be called the “Alpha Male” in the WWE as it doesn’t seem like that moniker has become a household name for the outstanding athlete who is another that has great potentially but, as most of us, needs to work on his game because the sky is the limit for Monty. I get questions all the time about Mid South Wrestling and I really miss those days. For one, I was a helluva lot younger then and the style of the wrestling we featured was right down my alley and appealed to my personal tastes. Mid South was “hardcore” long before ECW was even someone’s day dream and many of the great talents that worked for Mid South went on to earn fame and fortune for other organizations. I like physicality and Mid South always seemed to provide an ample helping of physicality during their one hour, packed show. If the WWE books a “road agent” battle royal for Wrestlemania I will ask to take a bathroom break and encourage someone else to do the play by play. Wrestlemania should be about “the now” and not the “then” in my opinion. A little nostalgia is awesome but a “road agent” battle royal scares me and would be a comedy segment like the “gimmick” battle royal at Wrestlemania 17. My opinion certainly doesn’t make me right but if this match were booked then someone who might be deserving to be on the card gets left off. I have casually followed Japanese wrestling over the years and have great respect for it. I think it was better a few years ago than it is now, that can be said about a lot of wrestling, but that’s an uneducated opinion as I have not watched any Japanese material in a while now. Every time a wrestler’s contract comes up for re-negotiation the speculation is that wrestler is leaving. The same goes for Big Show. Is Show leaving? I have no idea. I hope he doesn’t but I do hope Show will take the necessary steps to get healthy which might include treatment for his back and dropping some needed pounds. I have always liked the big guy and want to see him around for many years to come. Who is the next big star in the WWE or any where else? I wish I knew. So, I would assume, do the company’s in involved with the process. There are people who have “potential” but potential doesn’t buy groceries for too long. Until someone can consistently compete in main events and sell tickets, pay per views, and merchandise then the jury is still out on who the next big star will be. It may surprise us to see who it will be as time goes on. K-Fed’s divorce issues shouldn’t prevent him from “wrestling” John Cena on January 1 in Miami on RAW. But who knows as things could change drastically by then for K-Fed. I do know this about January 1, 2007 and that is I have never taken a vacation day from RAW EVER in the 13 plus years I have been with the WWE and if Oklahoma is playing in a January 1 Bowl game ‘ol J.R. will be at the Bowl game and will miss RAW one week out of hundreds of broadcasts. I have been getting lots of emails about Kurt Angle. I can honestly say I wish Kurt well and that he get and remain in great health. Kurt is a ultra talented wrestler who can be one of the most focused athletes I have ever been around. At this stage of Kurt’s career, Kurt’s health is my biggest concern. Kane is always a viable contender for any title. That includes the World’s Heavyweight Championship as represented on Smackdown. It’s hard to argue that Kane isn’t the most physically intimidating superstar on Smackdown and that includes The Undertaker and Batista among many. Many of you have asked me to provide a main event or two for Wrestlemania 23. Not so fast my friends. That’s not an easy one to accomplish. Do I have my own thoughts about a Wrestlemania 23 card? Absolutely and they staying in my head until I am ready to reveal them. I will say that one train of thought might be Taker vs. Batista and Cena vs. HBK but tomorrow I may have a different “vision”. I hope you tune in live to Monday Night RAW from Baltimore on the USA Cable network. This will be the final RAW prior to the Survivor Series in Philly in about a week so that alone should make this a unpredictable Monday night. Let the Slobber-Knocking begin! Thanks for stopping by and for ordering our sauces and merchandise. I sincerely appreciate your business! J.R.