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

Thanks for all the comments this week. Our website is growing much more quickly than any of us that are involved could have imagined. That’s not a bad thing for sure. Plus, the sales of our 4 sauces and our 4 flavors of Beef Jerky are selling really well. We now have our beef jerky in several retail outlets in Oklahoma, mostly in the OKC/Norman area. Business is picking up without question and we are so thankful to the many of you that are shopping with us. I assure you that your business is appreciated by the entire Ross family. There sure were lots of internet rumors over the past few days about Michael Cole replacing yours truly this fall as the voice of Monday Night Raw. I have no idea how this sort of information gets out there and then takes on a life of its own as if it is factual. I fully expect to continue my tenure with the WWE for years to come and no one in the decision making process has indicated anything to the contrary to me. Do you actually think these executives are speaking to the wrestling internet world? Me neither. These rumors upset Mrs J.R. and my family more than they do me. I still get excited about going to work every week on Monday Night Raw and I am still having fun. I would also like to think that my work doesn’t suck pond water. Perhaps I am wrong. Nonetheless when my run on Raw comes to an end, whenever that may be, I will look back on my WWE career with no regrets. I have had a blessed career and life in our wonderful business over the past four decades. There is plenty of fuel left in this tank, so don’t count me out just yet. I feel, for many reasons, that my best years in broadcasting are ahead of me and I feel really good about the future. Finally, I suggest that you don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Just as I wrote here a few days ago, the proposed match between Jerry Lawler and Hulk Hogan in Memphis was never a done deal and that it had the potential to fall through. That’s exactly what happened. The reason is simple and that is contractually The King cannot appear on VH1 without the consent of the WWE, and this match was to be a part of “Hogan Knows Best” which airs on VH1. Miscommunication in wrestling is nothing new and neither is controversey and for some it seems to follow them around. I assume the King is probably disappointed for the false start, so to speak, with this booking in his hometown, but he did not seem overly upset to me when he called me a day or two ago. As a matter of fact we did not even discuss it and instead talked about our travel to Italy and England and where Adrian Peterson might go in the draft. The King’s Cleveland Browns have the #3 pick in the upcoming NFL draft and they need a running back of which AD is the best coming out of college this season. We got several comments about comments Hulk made about the WWE, etc on The Bubba The Love Sponge Radio Show. I did not hear the remarks so I won’t comment on them specifically. Many fans wonder if Hogan will ever perform in the WWE again or if his tour of duty with the WWE is finally over. I don’t have the definitive answer by any means. I am not in that loop, thank goodness, but I learned a long time ago to never say never about this business. If the money and the opportunity are in place, anything could happen. Reconciliation is a way of life in the wrestling business and it has been that way since the day I got in it in 1974. This is a unique business in case you haven’t noticed, and some unusual things occur seemingly on a regular basis. That’s one of the things that has kept it interesting for me for these many years. No one can rest on one’s laurels and while one may get a thank you for what you contributed “yesterday”, it is “today” that counts. Sounds like the NFL, Major League Baseball, and the movie business to me, so no one should be shocked that the wrestling biz is unpredictable at times. The stories I could tell! I watched the 4 Horseman DVD over the past few days and really enjoyed it. I wholeheartedly encourage all real fans of wrestling to buy this one. It brought back so many great memories and not only are the matches featured classic stuff, but the interviews from the Horsemen’s heydays and the candid comments by those interviewed were honest and nothing was held back. There will be some ruffled feathers over some of the remarks that were made, but such is life I suppose. I was mentioned in a review of the DVD on a website saying I took a “cheap shot” when I talked about the NWA Title back in the day when the Champ traveled the world and wrestled dozens of different opponents during the year while being on the road no less than 50 weeks annually being the time that the NWA Title really meant something special. I assume some conspiracy theorist ascertained that I was taking a shot at today’s NWA Title which is simply not true. If I had wanted to knock the current NWA Title picture I could have done so, but why? I also was called out in this review regarding something I said about WCW wanting Luger to become their Hulk. That wasn’t going to happen. Same results on the Lex Express. It just wasn’t in the cards. I simply gave my opinion, which is not against the law last I looked. Some fans were curious as to why Ole Anderson and Lex Luger were not interviewed for this must see DVD. I don’t know. Perhaps they were not interested or perhaps they were unavailable. Having the outspoken Ole make his feelings known would have been especially interesting, but even without Ole and Luger this DVD is awesome. I hope you will check it out and relive some of the most fun years I ever had in the business. I am thankful to have survived it because there were many mornings I did not think I was going to. When the Horsemen wanted to party it was an all nighter and then some. The “then some” is what bit me in my Okie backside more often than not. Nonetheless I would not have traded any of those all nighters for anything and the fun I had, especially with Ric Flair and Arn Anderson, would make a whole week of shows for Dr. Phil. What a reality show it would have been simply having a camera follow the Horsemen around when they were running wide open! It would have definitely been a made for premium cable vehicle. Thank goodness I met Mrs. J.R. when I did, which changed my priorities or I might simply be the answer to a wrestling trivia question nowadays. Speaking of Horsemen, Barry Windham is now working with the WWE and seems to be enjoying the experience. Getting used to the travel is challenging for anyone who has not been on the road on a regular basis, but Barry was always a good traveler and I feel good that he will adjust well. What an in ring performer was B.W., the son of WWE Hall of Famer Blackjack Mulligan who was also a former New York Jet. Blackjack also once decided that he and the late Dick Murdoch would “take out Andre” when the three were doing some major league drinking way back in the day. Needless to say, Andre came thru this wild west-like scenario without a scratch which is extraordinary, especially when you understand that Mulligan and Murdoch were two tougher than a $2 steak son of a guns. I will been providing you updates from my “European Vacation” over the next few days. It’s to Milan first and then on to London for a few days preparing for Monday Night Raw and seeing the sights of England. Look kids…Big Ben! BOOMER SOONER! J.R.