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

I will be addressing several of your emails about a variety of questions and topics in this particular blog. Hopefully, you all understand that I do my utmost best to keep the material here current but there is no physical way I can answer each and every one of your emails. Don’t take it personally. I want this to be a fun site and not one where we try to “change the wrestling world”. I certainly hope that many of you more passionate fans have as much passion in your everyday lives as you seem to have when talking about specific wrestling topics. If so, I applaud you. Is the WWE coming to my area? I suggest you stay in close contact with wwe.com as they will have the latest scheduling info. I usually don’t know any earlier than you but you can find out by checking there. Again, the rule of thumb is that if the WWE has a TV outlet in your area that you watch regularly the possibility of live events strongly exists. This includes Alberta, Ontario, Australia, North Dakota and all points in between. For those wanting jobs in creative, there is a procedure one has to follow via WWE Human Resources which can be accessed via the corporate website. I have never been in this loop so I can’t be any help to anyone in this area for the record. WWE Superstars are independent contractors and their retirement plans must be handled by the individual. I feel badly that some well known, old school wrestlers retire with little assets but everyone knows that the money doesn’t last forever and that planning for retirement is a part of being a responsible adult. As the former head of Talent Relations, I always encouraged the talent to save their money with a professional they could trust and never get themselves into tax trouble. Some listened and are now financially stable while others did not listen and live week to week. It takes two to tango and if an individual doesn’t have the self discipline to save their money they really have no one to blame but themselves. It is akin to having a drug problem. One of the first steps to recovery is admitting one has an issue. These matters start with who one sees in the mirror. Many wrestlers made HUGE money and squandered it just like pro football, baseball, and basketball players and it is sad no matter who the individual is. There has to be a certain amount of personal accountability for an individual’s post wrestling career to be something other than a sad story. When I talk of an athlete being “consistent” that means, to me, in front of and behind the camera. That means coming to work on time and being physically and mentally ready to be productive. It means never “calling in” a match and always giving 100% effort. Lazy, moody, “dressing room lawyers” are a pain in the backside that should not be rewarded for those traits even though some may have “potential”. Remember, as I have said, do all you can to solve the problem but if that is simply not possible eliminate the problem. I appreciate all the interest in me writing a book but I still feel that it would be best to write it after I am done with being anyone’s full time employee. Can you handle the truth? There are definitely exceptions to my tag team rule that single stars are more marketable and draw bigger money over the long term including the Freebird-Von Erich rivalry. But ask any promoter or wrestler and I think the vast majority will agree with my philosophy. I did not invent this concept but it is learned behavior that I have acquired over the past 30 plus years. Masata Tanaka is certainly talented enough to be on a WWE roster. I get a great deal of questions as to who my favorite match, favorite wrestler, worst this, best that, type questions. I generally don’t answer those for a reason and that is I have to work with many of these people and I don’t choose to hurt any one’s feelings or create an unnecessary issue with any talent. Some day I will get more specific about these type questions and my last cookbook has some of that in it too. Those cookbooks are autographed and available here on our site. People have asked me if I “like” Joey Styles. The answer is yes, as a professional and as a person. Joey is a true wrestling fan who loves the business and works hard at his craft. He is a reliable, well prepared professional who is only going to improve with age and more experience as he settles in the WWE approach of broadcasting sports entertainment. When wrestlers have “behavioral issue” there is always a reason. The reasons may be lame or they may be valid. These individuals’ issues should be addressed and solved or eliminated. Sports entertainment often times breeds paranoia much like one finds in the NFL (T.O.), the NBA (A.I.) or throughout show business. Most professional performers generally operate within some level of paranoia or dysfunction, from my observations. Over the years I have began looking at wrestler’s entrance/theme music as being more important to their presentation and perception than I once did. I have been privy to meetings with wrestlers with long faces who did not like their entrance music. Tattoos- I am not a huge fan of them personally but if a wrestler or potential wrestler chooses to go that route I would suggest to not get anything overly “politically incorrect” unless one is able to cover it. For some reason people are interested in the story of how Jeff Jarrett left the WWE under somewhat an umbrella of controversy. Short version is Jeff’s contract expired the day before a PPV in Cleveland and I was under the impression we had made a verbal agreement and signing the contract was going to be a formality. I took the talent at his word. The talent changed his mind, demanded a large payoff to perform his last match, he was paid, the match took place and we all lived happily ever after. The “blackball” aspect of the story is far fetched and inaccurate as far as I am concerned. I hold no ill will toward Jarrett as he did what he thought he had to do at the time. However, under no circumstance did the expiration date of the contract “fall between the cracks”. I do and did accept responsibility for the snafu and learned some valuable lessons from the experience. It is all water under the bridge now. If Austin Idol were in his prime today he would be printing money in the WWE. O.K. for the last time…..the UK is a HUGE marketplace for the WWE and will always be treated as such. With that said it would seem to be inevitable that a MAJOR PPV would originate from the UK some day. When? I DO NOT know. Why? It is not my area of expertise and I find out usually just before the info is released to the public. I don’t need to know any earlier than that. I don’t endorse too many wrestling schools, OVW in Louisville is a fine one, but I have to assume that Lance Storm would have an excellent school as well. Lance is very intelligent and understands wrestling psychology and fundamentals well. No one should make a decision on a wrestling school without first visiting the school and talking to others that have attended them. I agree that there is a great deal of “T&A” on wrestling shows these days but that should come as no surprise when the most viewers are younger men. I do not think the end of women’s wrestling is near however. Brock Lesnar vs. Bill Goldberg at Wrestlemania 20 was an aberration in my opinion and did not represent either talent’s abilities from a wrestling or marketing standpoint. Both had decided to leave the WWE and the fans who knew were vocal in their displeasure as many of the fans took the news personally. Lesnar and Goldberg, on a level playing field, could help any company. Mike Tyson was awesome to work with from my interactions with him. I will write about Mike some day at length but overall I really enjoyed being around him and he was nothing like many in the media have painted him. I think Mike had too many negative members of his “posse” that did Mike no favors. Mike would be tough to beat in a WWF trivia contest. Jake Roberts has a fertile, creative wrestling mind. Whether Jake has the inclination or desire to fit into the established environment that is creative is a call only Jake can make. If all the necessary elements were in place, Jake could be an asset in creative or teaching youngsters the fine art of pro wrestling. There were lots of emails this past week about RVD. I look at RVD as being one of the cornerstones of the new ECW. Rob is a talented and unique performer, obviously. I know Rob has done well financially in the WWE and has earned every penny of his cash. I hope Rob has a long productive future with the WWE but in the end that will be Rob’s call. I did enjoy hearing Brad Armstrong on ECW Tuesday night. I am not sure where that is headed if any where but it was fun to listen to Brad and Tazz verbally joust. I would like to see several local wrestling territories open back up to provide a place for more wrestlers to learn their crafts and earn a living. I miss Mid South Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, the AWA, World Class and to a lesser degree WCW which is not meant to draw any one’s ire. My opinion was asked and I have simply responded. Bottom line, the more the merrier but it won’t happen due to financial issues, the investment it would take to keep one alive until it established an audience, and the lack of available box office stars who can sell tickets. I personally would not invest in such a venture even though I would love to see them operating. Of course I still love the business but I don’t embrace the travel it takes to pull it off. The highlight of my professional week is broadcasting RAW but the travel and wear and tear that goes along with it 51 weeks a year is a “bear”. Sometimes a live Raw can be especially challenging which takes away from the “fun” of it but I try not to expose our fans my “bad nights”. My hat is off to all those involved with Armageddon as it seemed to deliver better than many expected. The Ladder Match and the Inferno Match were better than I had expected they would be. I think it would be fair and accurate for me to suggest that you check out Armageddon if given the opportunity on DVD, etc. Vince Russo called me a year or two ago and we cleared the air of any issues there might have been. I refuse to live my life immersed in “hate” or overt negativity. Why? Life is simply too short. I have zero ill feelings toward Russo and wish him continued good health and a happy life. Again, this is water under the bridge. The wrestling media all have their style in “judging” matches or events. I don’t have an opinion on the style, 5 stars, etc, but I pay more attention to who the reviewer is rather than the style in which something is reviewed. At the end of the day it is just someone’s opinion any way. My opinion is no more important than yours. With the Horseman DVD in production people have asked me my opinion of Ole Anderson. Firstly, the Horseman DVD won’t be as good as it could be without Ole’s input. Secondly, Ole was a brilliant, wrestling mind who was a tough son of a gun and an excellent wrestler. He might never be elected Mr. Congeniality but that job doesn’t pay too well as best I know. Ole was challenging to work for at times but I learned a great deal from him as it relates to the business. I don’t think he likes me much but aside from that I have great respect for him and regard him as one of the best in ring talents I ever saw. His partnership with the late Gene Anderson was awesome. Ole is also not one of those old school wrestlers who got out of the business with no money. I suggested the WWE do a through story of the Von Erich Family on DVD with Mrs. Adkisson and Kevin Von Erich having the floor to tell their side of their family’s tragic story years ago. It is also a story of success, for the record. The Von Erich’s have a great legacy within the business and it should be memorialized accurately. I expect we will see plenty of World Class content on WWE 24/7. Just a shout out to Jan Jr. in the USAF stationed in Turkey. Be well and thanks for serving our country. I would bet money, and I’m not a big gambler, that without question some WCW wrestlers will someday be in the WWE Hall of Fame. If you are reading where “X” match has been booked for Wrestlemania 23 then I have some beach front property in Oklahoma to sell you. Point is I doubt very seriously that a Wrestlemania card has been finalized but I am sure it will be the best one available and most doable when the card is released. It is Wrestlemania after all. I am unaware that HBK and Hulk truly have personal issues with each other. I know they respect each other professionally and that is all that matters to me. Whether they exchange Xmas cards isn’t my concern or none of my business. If there is a professional rivalry it will simply join a long list of those that exist today and have always been around since there has been a wrestling business. Competition is a good thing. Period. On all levels. End of story. Competition takes on a variety of faces but in general it is good for every business. Good to hear from a fan in Bixby, Oklahoma where I used to live and where I worked for Cowboy Bill Watts who still lives there. I miss the “Freddyburgers”! I too will be pulling for OU in the Fiesta Bowl. Now that’s a shocker, right?! I think a Legend’s video game, one I suggested years ago prior to the WWE starting its “Legend’s Program” is a viable idea. I would love to watch, for example, The Rock and his father Rocky Johnson take on the Wild Samoans or Stone Cold face Sammartino, etc. The combinations are endless. Paul Boesch the former wrestler and long time promoter in Houston was a class act. He was fair with the talent and had great, old school wrestling integrity. Paul wanted to and did promote hard hitting, logical pro wrestling at its finest. He was not too keen on me joining him on commentary in the beginning but he came around and we got along fine. I represented a different generation to him and like many old timers he resisted change at times. Just like I do today. Boesh may have had the most famous ears in Houston, maybe the entire business. I haven’t changed my tune on the ”$1M Challenge”. No, I don’t think the WWE should or ever will acknowledge it. It is a “publicity stunt” designed to get folks talking and to help draw ratings and sell PPVs. Will it? You tell me. A C.M. Punk vs. Gregory Helms match would be one I would like to see IF they both slowed down a notch and allowed me to absorb their contest. My old broadcasting partner Bob Caudle is alive and well living in North Carolina and enjoying retirement. Bob was a wonderful man who welcomed me with open arms when I went to work for Crockett’s NWA when many others did not. Bob was not afraid of “losing his spot” and did not operate on “wrestling paranoia”. Bob is a wonderful person. Matt Hardy underutilzed? That’s a very subjective question. I love Matt and wish him nothing but good health and success. Matt is another talent that would be well served to slow down his in ring style and continue to work hard on perfecting his verbal skills. Matt is a keeper and could work for me on any roster any time. His time will come if it is meant to be. I sure hope so. I think it will be a year and perhaps longer until we see clearly the direction the new ECW is going to take and the overall style of the brand. It needs to have its own identity that’s for sure. I am simply a fan of the brand and watch it weekly like many of you. I am patient though and anxious to see the direction ECW heads. Without a doubt Howard Finkle deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. Fink probably has the best chance of any broadcaster, joining Mean Gene Okerlund, to be the next inductee from that particular category. No one has been more loyal to the WWE over the years than Howard Finkle. If I had the choice as proposed to me about either going to the Ohio State bowl game for the National Championship or buying a new TV I would attend the game. There are no guarantees when or if the Buckeyes will compete in another National Title game and I hear TV’s are for sale every day. Will The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at Wrestlemania ever be broken? I suppose it could but for some reason I hope not. It depends on the level of competition and Taker’s overall health as the year’s progress. Savage watch continues. I “know nothing” as Sgt Schultz used to say. That’s a fact. I will stick with my story…Macho Man Savage deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and I am totally unaware of if or why there are personal reasons keeping Randy from being inducted. This will not be the hill I die on. Don Jardine, aka The Masked Spoiler” was an awesome talent and I was saddened to hear of his passing. I was hoping it wasn’t true. I traveled with Don over 30 years ago and he taught me a great deal about life on the road, saving money, and becoming a good listener. He would always drive his immaculately clean vehicle, no smokers allowed, no booze allowed, and listened to classical music while he espoused the various philosophies of the business and his experiences in different territories. Don was a unique man who was somewhat reclusive at times but highly intelligent with uncanny ring psychology. I really liked the AWA DVD and plan on watching it again over the holidays. I could easily see a volume two if this one does well. I do recommend this first WWE produced look at the AWA. I never prepare to call a match projected to be a boring one but if I get the occasional stinker one can only do their best and be careful to not over sell it. I have experienced plenty of these bad matches and have probably contributed to a few myself. Wrestlers are released for a variety of reasons but the one that stirs the fans the most is when there are no creative plans for someone’s favorite. Personal issues obviously contribute to some releases but not as much as someone’s persona being perceived to have run it’s course creatively. We accept all thanks here. I don’t want to break my arm patting myself on the back! (Thanks, Gorilla.) Sincerely my thanks for the many kind words we receive here. An Outback Bowl prediction…..I love JoePa and the Nittany Lions are a talented bunch but I think I have to toss my hat into the Tennessee Volunteer’s ring on this one. Should be a helluva game. I wish I could be there but I am a little bit of a football freak if you haven’t noticed. Speaking of that, on a side note, no I will not be attending the Fiesta Bowl featuring my beloved Oklahoma Sooners but instead will be in Miami, Florida for the January 1 Raw featuring Cena vs. Federline. Not receiving an off day as requested is not a tragedy. I am not angry. I am disappointed to miss the Sooners’ game but it won’t ruin my day nor will it affect my work. I cash the checks the WWE sends me and I have for a long time so I have no issue doing my job. Would I be happier attending the game on this specific day? Obviously, but I am also very curious to see how the Cena-Federline issue evolves and what is going to happen between a gut and quartered DX and Team Rated RKO. Also, Monday in D.C. was a real challenge for yours truly especially doing the first 30 minutes of the show alone. Calling a 30 Man Battle Royal solo is tough and it is really a two man job. Nonetheless I did the best I could with it and hope it wasn’t offensive to those “students of the game” who need a seemingly endless supply of info during a broadcast. I enjoyed the 3 hour show overall but could have used a visit to the men’s room about 2 hours and 45 minutes in. The end of the show was powerful and I never knew when we went off the air and kept describing what I was seeing…..very up close. I ruined a nice suit which ended up covered in HHH’s blood but such are the hazards of the job. It could have been worse, it could have been my blood! Doing live TV is always a challenge but some nights are more challenging than others for a variety of reasons and Monday night was one of them. The rating for the 3 hour marathon was really solid so my thanks to all that tuned in. This week The King and I have the privilege of doing the voice over work for the Christmas Night Raw, A Tribute to the Troops: Christmas in Baghdad which we will do this Friday in Connecticut. I am looking forward to seeing this material as everyone who was a part of it said it is great stuff and an experience they will never forget. We’ll have more updates this week so check us out. My thanks to all of you who are shopping at our store and have become customers. We can’t stay a float if we can’t sell a few products along the way. Happy Holidays! J.R.