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

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2007 brings each of you great health and happiness. Here we go as I attempt to address some of your emails. After broadcasting Raw in Miami on Monday night and getting back to my hotel room, where I celebrated a low key, New Year’s Eve with room service, a diet Pepsi, and cable TV, I got back to the hotel and caught the 4th quarter and the overtime of the Oklahoma loss to Boise State in what many people are saying was one of the greatest college football bowl games ever televised. My congratulations go out to the Boise State team for a great effort and finishing a magical year at 13-0. Heart and effort go a long way in determining one’s success in life and the Bronco’s desire to win the Fiesta Bowl is a testament to that philosophy. Of course I am somewhat heartbroken my Sooners couldn’t pull this one out but I am not a fair weather fan and will be anxiously awaiting the 2007 season for OU which will be highlighted by a home, non league game with the Miami Hurricane in September. Miami has a magnificent football tradition and this game will no doubt get national coverage early in the season in a “must win” game most likely for both squads. I will always remember the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and will certainly remember where I was when this classic college football game was played. Again, Boise State deserves tremendous credit for their memorable victory. It’s not like I am going to boycott potatoes or stop admiring Boise’s own Torrie Wilson because Boise beat my team either. People ask me all the time about Ric Flair’s future and that’s a tough one to answer. I think Ric feels he can still be productive in the ring and certainly Flair has a magnificent legacy. My hope is that Ric doesn’t stay “too long” which can tarnish one’s image and usually comes with an injury that will nag the individual for years to come. As long as Ric is healthy I think he should still do what he loves to do and that is to wrestle. Flair is still better than the vast majority of wrestlers I see on TV these days even in his mid 50s. Is there another title run in Ric’s future? My guess would be “probably not” but who knows in today’s marketplace. I never thought K-Fed would beat John Cena either. I can’t predict a winner of the Royal Rumble but I do know the event in San Antonio is sold out which is always nice. I don’t even know who is going to be in the Rumble and how the entrants will be divided between Raw, Smackdown, and ECW. I am not up on the Sky censoring Raw issue but I SERIOUSLY doubt if the WWE does the censoring especially for the live broadcast of Raw. I do know there is some editing that goes on but not sure of the process. Did Brock Lesnar have “potential”. Absolutely and he still does. I vividly remember the Brian Pillman vs. Jushin “Thunder” Liger match in 1992 in which I worked with Jesse Ventura. Liger was amazing and had a great rep and Brian used this match to help put himself on the map. These were not giant athletes but what Pillman and Liger lacked in size, in some folks eyes, they more than made up for in athleticism and action. Any one who thinks a wrestler HAS to be around 6”5” and no less than 275 pounds to be a success simply isn’t paying attention or is completely out of touch. John Cena still a “white rapper”? I swear I have not looked at John in that light in a long time. The rapper thing seems to have dissipated. Who would be a great opponent for the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 23? There are many viable ideas but what about Hulk Hogan? Taker has never lost at ‘Mania and is Hulk the legend to pull it off? Remember, this is fantasy booking. Who are the stars of tomorrow? I don’t know. I don’t watch the amount of tape I used to, nor do I go to the developmental areas and scout talent. If I did, I could answer this question, but answering now would only be guessing. I know the WWE has some bright prospects who will be stars some day if they are allowed to stay down on the farm longer than current trend. Perhaps I will make some trips to Louisville and Atlanta in 2007 and be better able to address the new “stars of tomorrow”. In regard to stars of tomorrow, I have not seen tape of Seamus O’Shaughnessy from Ireland. He sounds interesting however. If he is anything like Fit Finley I would sign him in a heartbeat. Cryme Tyme, at the current time, feels more like an entertainment duo than a street fighting, wrestling team. I hope to see JTG and Shad in more matches in the future to be better able to access their in-ring abilities. Going back to the Kemper Arena in Kansas City as we will this Sunday for New Year’s Revolution always brings back memories to me of Owen Hart’s tragic death there. I sure miss that talented prankster. Angel I enjoyed your stories of your Mom’s exploits at wrestling events. She sounds like a colorful lady. Maybe she should have gotten into the biz. Of course I watched WCW when it went head to head with RAW. I usually caught the replay after RAW ended. I have said on numerous occasions that I think Ricky Steamboat is one of many deserving wrestlers who have earned being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Several people have input into this matter but at the end of the day the Chairman makes the final call. Interesting email about Al Costello of the Fabulous Kangaroos tag team. The Kangaroos were one of the greatest tag teams ever, I assure you. I don’t hate TNA’s 6 sided ring but I prefer the old school “squared circle”. There are laws that have been put in place since 911 that prohibit us from shipping our sauces to the UK. We are hoping to find a distribution source there with an established food distributor. I agree with a fan that Shane McMahon could have been a standout performer if he had decided to pursue that path from the “get go”. Shane is fearless and obviously has the business in his blood. One never has to worry about the effort one will receive from Shane in any match he is involved. Shane has passion which is the intangible that can make an average talent a great talent. Who hit me the hardest in my many unfortunate in-ring experiences? That one is easy...Steve Austin in Oklahoma City a couple of days after Wrestlemania 17 as I remember it. I have been kicked by cows that hurt less. I totally disagree that HBK should retire. Losing HBK off Raw would be a crippling blow to the flagship brand in my opinion. Shawn Michaels is one of the top 10 wrestlers I have EVER seen. I have heard that Sabu points to the sky as a tribute to this late uncle, the Original Sheik. My feelings on Hulk Hogan have not changed in years. I feel Hogan is an icon in the wrestling business who blazed the trail for all that followed him to make a ton of money. Hulk may not have been the best technical wrestler I ever saw but he put butts in seats and made everyone associated with the genre more money. Who else can say that? I am a HUGE Sopranos fan and after thinking about it for a moment I think Tazz would be excellent in a cameo on the “I wish it were on tomorrow” mob drama on HBO. Hey, Herman take it easy on the women’s wrestling issue. I don’t know where it is headed but young men do like to look at beautiful young women as a rule. In a perfect world these beauties would be able to wrestle but time will tell. I don’t think women’s wrestling on Raw is going away but I have seen many things occur on Raw I would not have been able to predict. I love the NwO DVD idea. It would be great to hear candid remarks from the key players in that entity. The UWF as promoted by Cowboy Bill Watts ever being a part of WWE 24/7 is solely dependant on the owners of that tape library selling the asset for a marketable price. I would love to see the UWF on the 24/7 platform that I am a big fan of. There was a young announcer on that show, I can’t think of his name, that wasn’t bad for an Okie with a Southern drawl. I will NOT disagree that the Ultimate Warrior doesn’t belong in the WWE Hall of Fame. Warrior does belong. Warrior’s acceptance speech would be “Iron Sheik Classic’. I do not think that there should be many more new titles added to the WWE brands. I think we are maxed out on titles and less is more. The more titles that there are the more watered down they become. Who brought out the best in J.R.’s commentary over the years? The King is the easiest to work with. Heyman got my legit ire up more than anyone. Cornette was so intelligent and knew what and what not to say at all times. Heenan made me laugh out loud on air many times. Gorilla was like announcing with your favorite uncle. I loved the man. Michael Hayes was a red hot bad guy who was the equal to Ventura or Piper back in Michael’s heyday and was fun to work with. Ventura was very bright but did not like to prepare which bothered me when it really shouldn’t have. Jesse was really good nonetheless. Randy Savage was a unique broadcaster in that one was never quite sure what Randy was going to say or when he did say something what did it exactly mean. Savage brought energy to the announce table. Buckeyes or Gators? Helluva game next week for the national title of college football. I have to go with the Buckeyes of Ohio State until someone proves that they can beat the men from Columbus. If Florida wins, is Boise State the national champion? I am looking forward to being a part of Wrestlemania 23 at Ford Field in Detroit, however with my track record in the WWE who knows for sure if I will make it until April 1, but I think the atmosphere is better in an arena like Madison Square Garden as it keeps the noise within the confines of the ringside area and stimulates all involved better. But it’s Wrestlemania so if you need more than that to get jacked up then you have a serious problem. I have also really enjoyed the stadiums we have done ‘Mania in over the years. Who is the bigger star, Hulk or Dusty Rhodes? Dusty himself would honestly tell you that the answer to that question is Hulk Hogan. That doesn’t mean Big Dust is a plate full of hash as the charismatic Texan will probably be inducted in the 2007 Hall of Fame if I had to place a bet today. I think the Dudleys left the WWE over a money issue, but it might have been creative. It will usually be one of the two whenever a wrestler leaves one company for another. I like dry rubs on my baby back ribs and then I will sometimes, not always, brush a little warm Bar-B-Q Sauce on them just as the ribs are finishing the smoking process. Sounds good doesn’t it? One of the reasons the shipping costs are high for our sauces is that they come in glass jars which are obviously heavier than plastic. We are addressing that matter. However, we make a premium sauce not the stuff you can buy for a buck 99 at a discount store which is mostly water and vinegar. My best wishes go out to Konnan during his current health issues. Rey Mysterio in the ring is a marvel. Simply amazing no matter his size. I disagree with some who felt that Rey is too small to be World’s Heavyweight Champion. Someone asked if WWE creative read all the emails they received from fans. Beats the hell out of me as I only see the creative team one day a week as a rule and we usually don’t get involved in long chit chat. We’ll be back later in the week with more. Thanks! J.R.