J.R.’s Q&A
Please note: These questions are accumulated over time and some of the answers may be dated by the time we are able to post them, but we are getting to all your questions that we can as quickly as we can. The volume of questions J.R. receives is overwhelming.
Webmaster
It’s awesome to see you addressing all the latest rumors & news.
The Big Show/Mayweather thing is stupid. Mayweather looks like a punk right now. If it does turn out to be a legit boxing contest, Big Show will kick his ass. If it’s a wrestling match, Big Show will kick his ass. I don’t see Mayweather accepting a boxing contest with Show. And I can’t see Big Show putting over Mayweather in a wrestling match. I’m definitely interested in seeing where this goes though.
It is a helluva opportunity for Big Show to make a lasting impression on the media if he chooses to. I think Mayweather is crazy for doing this no matter what he’s getting paid. Oscar De La Hoya must be loving Floyd’s foray into wrestling.
Hey J.R. I live over in Connecticut, and how come there are barely any events in WWE’S home state?
We were at the Mohegan Sun in December and play Bridgeport about twice a year. Does Hartford have a new arena?
Hello Mr. Ross,
I love your Blog. I’m a long time WWE viewer & also admire your dedication to the Business. I have a question & hopefully you can answer it. I noticed The Undertaker was scheduled to be @ the WM Press Conference on Monday, Feb. 25th. But for some reason his name was taken off. Why was that? Taker is such a big part of WM, he is 15-0, that is his Legacy. He should be part of the Conference as us Wrestling fans believe he should have been included.
Thank you for your time & have a wonderful & safe weekend. God Bless.
Regards,
Rosa
Taker usually doesn’t have much to say in those particular environments. Perhaps his name was listed erroneously.
02-23-08
MrRossI watch or tape your show and you and the King do a good job If you don’t mind I would like to ask a few questions no 1 how longdo you think that you and the king
will be announcing the show no2 Do you think the storyline goes on for to long and finally when a wrestler gets hurt how long does he stay out of action and one more thing Are all the dvas who wrestles are they married to the wrestes onthe prograOne more thing does the owner gets along with everybody including the little guy
Thanks I hope I wasn’t to much of a bother
Thanks and keep up[the good work
I can’t speak for the King about how much longer we will be announcing. I would like to hang in a few more years if the quality of my work stays acceptable. The WWE will eventually replace us both as that is inevitable and simply the way all entertainment businesses essentially work, but I hope it is no time soon. However, traveling 51 weeks a year is challenging to say the least. Wrestling relationships are challenging at best and many more fail than survive unfortunately.
JR,
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer questions for us on your blog.
I was wondering if we could hear your opinion on
Tri-branded Pay-Per-Views as opposed to the single-brand PPVs that WWE offered for several years. Do you prefer having all three brands represented on each PPV, thus creating more title matches and generally speaking, only the company’s big stars on each PPV? Or, if it were up to you, would you rather have single-brand PPVs that would have fewer “Main Event” caliber matches but would also allow for more wrestlers from that particular brand to appear? The reason why I ask is because I am still not sure if I am completely sold on Tri-branded PPVs. On one hand, it is nice to see a more “loaded” show that sounds good on paper (meaning that the World Champions from Raw, Smack Down, and ECW will all appear). On the other hand, though, single-brand PPV shows seem to make World title matches mean more (since there would only be one of those matches on the card instead of two or three), and it was also nice to be able to see some of the lower card performers get PPV time to put on longer and usually better matches than they could on Free TV.
Anyway, I’m just curious to hear your opinion on this. Thanks!
I think the fans get more bang for their buck with the tri branded PPVs.
Although it is highly unlikely (see: 100% NOT going to happen) I would enjoy seeing Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24.
Not necessarily with both careers on the line, as we know Flair’s is probably ending at WM and he deserves to ‘go over; in his final outing, and personally I wouldnt want to see him end Hogans career. Would be nice to see the Hulkster lay down for Naitch and I cant think of a bigger star to do it, nor a guy who’s career arc has been so intertwined with Flair’s over the years.
Hogan vs Flair has never happened at WrestleMania and both guys, although old and broken down, know how to WORK, and could pull out a good match with a ton of heat at the big show.
I for one think its a shame WWE dont at least look into it. Instead we will likely get Flair vs HBK, which will be a superior wrestling match I suppose, but nowhere near as heated as it would be with Hogan involved and really, since when has WrestleMania been about wrestling match quality? Last time I looked, it was about spectacle and ‘WM moments’.
I respect your opinion, Chris, but I personally had much rather see HBK wrestle Flair than Hogan wrestle Flair.
Dear JR…
It was a honor to meet you and your lovely wife Jan today at the resturant. I really like JR Family BBQ and I been telling everybody I know about your resturant. Best wishes to you and Jan.
Respectfully yours
Loretta Bear from Seminole, Oklahoma
We were honored to have you as our guest. Come back and see us……even though I am a "grumpy old man". :)
What do you think about Santino Marella’s promo skills? I just think he’s amazing on the mic!
Great talker….big league skills on the mic. Santino might eventually make a helluva manager.
Isnt it obvious who should induct Ric Flair into the hall of Fame. Arn Anderson should induct him, Both Arn Anderson and Ric Flair we’re in the original Four Horsemen back in the NWA/WCW days, so that’s why i think it’s OBVIOUS and i hope the WWE think so too!.
It is all up to Ric, but Double A would do an awesome job.
JR kind of a dumb observation here, but the other day I was watching the WWE 24/7 legends roundtable about the top wrestling “bad asses” and while I agreed with everyone on the list (and thought all of you did a great job giving us viewers some back story on all of them) I was kind of shocked that Ken Shamrock was left out of the discussion.
I have been a MMA fan since the very first UFC, and in the early days of the sport Ken was one of the true greats. I know that ever since he returned to the sport since his WWE stint that he has struggled a little bit but that has to do with him being past his prime, and not really evolving with the sport during the time he was wrestling…which I also thought he was solid at as well.
So my question is this…do you feel that Ken was deserving of being mentioned with those other guys you mentioned, and was he maybe just not mentioned because his time in the WWE was relatively short?
Anyways keep up the great work Mr. Ross, you are the greatest announcer of all time and after watching you for over 20 years I am still enjoying your work as much as ever.
Shamrock definitely belongs on the "Bad Ass" list but we roll tape on that show and work with few notes so we are apt to forget certain things from time to time. Mean Gene is going to host a couple of Roundtables coming up and they are already in the can.
Hey J.R.
What are the chances of a Wrestlemania in the Big Easy in the near future? New Orleans seems like such a perfect choice. Great wrestling tradition, the party atmosphere of the city, and of course the legendary Super Dome to host it all. What do you say?
The WWE chose New Orleans to film their next movie starring John Cena so, who knows, perhaps a Wrestlemania in the Super Dome would be in order. I have so many great memories of New Orleans from my many years traveling there on a weekly basis. I once shared a suite for almost a week with Muhammad Ali at the Hyatt across from the Super Dome as we were doing promotional work for a big Mid South/Dome show.
hello JR,
i wanted to comment about your comment of sebastian coe and his remarks about wwe being fake and careless of drugs
well he isn’t so wrong after all, everyone know that the outcome of wrestling matches is scripted, so yes it’s fake
and many of the injuries happening needed to be looked at under the aspect of performance enhancing drugs, especially all the completely torn muscle injuries happening in recent times
and john cena looks so juiced up after his surgery that it is almost ridicoulus, especially with that nice wwe spot about drugs and shortcuts
sorry JR, but sometimes it’s better to just keep his mouth shut
don’t get me wrong i like wrestling and don’t even critice the use of steroids or whatever, but the hypocrisy surrounding them in wwe
in the end the wwe is nothing but a show, a spectacle and circus but has nothing to do with real sports, these times are long gone
peweez
Wrestling may be "showbiz" in large part but I refuse to use the term that it is fake. If it were fake then no one would ever be injured, right? I do agree that there should be a zero tolerance for performance enhancing drugs in all forms of sports and entertainment. Finally to infer that pro wrestlers are not athletes is ignorant.
Well…….I have stewed over it for three months, but it seems as though now is the time to get over it. Despite the anticipation and excitement, three months after the fact I am left with only one question: What the hell did the WWE do with the return of Chris Jericho?
The mismanagement of Jericho’s return has sucked the wrestling life right out of me. Why did they blow the mission on this one ??
It seems as if it is sort of like the thrill of the chase beats the hell out of the capture. Jericho is a talented performer who can get hot in a heartbeat so I wouldn’t give up the ghost yet.
JR U seem upset this week. Going of on the internet wrestling sites, who like them are not, they are right about there info abpout 60% of the time. I think about 2-3 months ago they said Mr overrated HHH would main event Wrestlemania. If your hero HHH wasn’t with Steph he would be as big 10 titles give me a break.HHH could not carry Stone Cold, Rocks, or Hogans jock strap.U going off on Celeb rehab show why? Because Chyna is on it? I love WWE, been watching forever. 1 of the highlights of my life was being 3rd row center and Wrestlemania 3. Lighten up JR. Oh wrestling web sites was reporting months ago Y2J was coming back, good thing they was wrong about that LOL…
I will lighten up Johnny and if I wasn’t going to lighten up I would have deleted your enlightening email. I don’t hate the wrestling Internet sites by any stretch nor do I hate Celebrity Rehab and as a matter of fact I don’t know exactly what I do hate in this aspect of my life. I also have located spell check on my computer which I suggest you do as well. Have a nice day Johnny. LOL
Grettings from not-so-sunny at the moment Pensacola, FL! First of all, I respect you and admire your work as a broadcaster, and have so for all the years I’ve been watching professional wrestling, WWF/WWE in particular. I had to fortune of seeing Raw live in Mobile last month, and it was an experience like no other. A lot of people give the WWE and other wrestling companies crap because of the writing, matches, wrestlers, etc. but what I saw was a lot of people working really hard to entertain us.
Its a really liberating thing to be able to scream and holler at the guys you hate and cheer the guys you love. I even got a few autographs! Ashley in particular was a class act and signed my shirt. Anyways, I’ll be taking a long drive come Wrestlemania weekend down to Orlando to see my first Wrestlemania in person! Can’t wait to be there.
God bless and take care!
-Jeffrey “Darkside” B
Drive carefully to Orlando and I hope you have the time of your life.
Hey JR!
big fan of the BBQ sauce
Being a die-hard Undertaker fan for 16 years, I want to see his streak go as long as possible. My question is, do you think he has it in him to continue it? I mean he has amazing strength and for his size he moves fast, but he’s getting old. Whats your opinion on the streak
Thanks for using our sauces. If there was a betting line on the Undertaker’s winning streak either continuing or ending at WM24 I would take the over…..Taker wins…..again!
Hi again Mr.JR,
I’m writting to u again…this is my 4th letter…i havent seen u reply my last 3 mails. I know that u r busy & u had to reply hundred of mails…and i think that Mr.Mcmahon wont agree with HULK HOGAN wanting to meet Ric Flair. Ric Flair is much more better than HULK HOGAN…I think Ric Flair should face the ECW champion…another GOLD for the future Hall of Famer would be nice. Dun u agree? I’m a big WWE fan & even i’m disturbed by TNA trying to provoke WWE in every way. My question for u is that isnt Mr. McMahon have any trouble with that? I think TNA is becoming like the old WCW…trying to kill the WWE. And i dun know why Kurt Angle is saying all the bad stuff about WWE…WWE is the one who made KURT ANGLE what it is today…he’s a low down back-staber.
thz for the time…i hope u reply all my mails…best wishes for u & your whole family…
Myat Aung Khyne
burma
We do our best here, Mr. Khyne in Burma, but I can’t answer all the comments we receive. I love the Flair vs. HBK match. Flair vs. Chavo Guerrero, the ECW champion, doesn’t have the same sizzle. We live in a free country and Kurt Angle can say what he wants as he creates a buzz and more publicity which the USA loves to cover especially the controversial stuff and the "dirt".
JR, Thanks for doing the blogs on your site, I have missed your stream of conscienceness since you quit doing the ROSS REPORT on WWE.com.
My question is who do you think should introduce Ric Flair at the Hall of Fame ceremony. I am an HBK fan and I know he and Flair are “Friends”(I know they are on camera, but I don’t pretend to know for real) but I don’t think that would be my choice. I can think of three people Harley Race, Rickey Steamboat or Sting(the wrestler not the singer) Sting would be my choice. They used to tell such a great story in their matches in 89-92 and they had chemisty both in the ring and with the mic. Who do you think would be most fitting and would there be any roadblocks to Sting being at the Hall of Fame, since he never worked for the WWF/E?
Harley, Steamboat and Sting would all be good choices but at the end of the day it will be Ric’s choice and I have heard several names discussed with HHH’s most prominent.
hi jr,
do you think the european title will ever return? it was nice to feel represented.
Dan UK
No disrespect meant Dan but it seems doubtful that the European Title will be resurrected.
JR after Randy Orton slapped the ref. (Unforgiven) Orton DQ’d “YOU,” made a sadistic comment about WWE fans loyal to Randy Orton! Say what you want about our “Legend Killer,” your virbal attack on Randy Orton fans was uncalled for, many of us have been with Randy since hs OVW days, his entrance to WWE Raw & Smackdown! Randy has had his ass kicked, in the ring,’round the ring & everywhere in the areana! Randy’s escapades are well publisized, while other wrestlers have been
in trouble, nary a word is said???
After Orton RKO’d Cena, was out for 38 sec. before ref
stared counting! Chris
I was going to delete this one but it is too damn entertaining to not have it on our site.
Hello there Good ol JR.
I hope you can answer this question because it would mean a lot to me.
In Sweden, wrestling isn’t very popular, which is sad. But I know at least 100 people that would do anything to be wrestlers, it feels like that the people in Sweden that did watch wrestling in 99-2002 (it was the time when Wrestling aired here in Sweden) are die hard fans now, including me and my dream is to become a wrestler. The only problem is, how…can the wrestling business accept a Swedish wrestler?
And will the WWE in a near future visit Sweden somehow, and do some advertisement or something similar?
- Alex
I know of no wrestling schools in Sweden. there are some in the UK but if you want to realize your dream you might want to try and migrate to American and check out Danny Davis’ school in Louisville, Kentucky. Check out www.OVWrestling.com
JR love the comments as always. Gonna defo come visit your establishment when come over from the UK. Probably coming July/August 09. Love the Yanks and the way I was looked after as a member of the forces.
Anyway what Seb Coe said was that WWE is fake and he did mean storylines and how people won’t care about the races as they will think that it is all predetermined anyway like WWE. He said he respects the athleticism of most of the athletes and his fave wrestler was Triple H and that his son is a fan. He wasn’t being critical of the WWE per se. I know this as I emailed him.
Thanks Neil for clarifying the situation as Mr. Coe’s comments were either taking out of context or he was misquoted.
Always a pleasure to read thoughts from the man under the black hat. This may be a dumb question, but if Shawn Micheals had gone to WCW during the war, or Sting had come to the WWE, who do you think would have made a bigger (Stinger) splash?
Helluva question. It would have depended largely on how each man would have been utilized but I can’t see HBK being out-wrestled by Sting. Sting was an amazing attraction but HBK ranks right up there with Flair as one of the greatest ever in ring performers.
Hey JR Im a huge fan, and believe you to be the best thing about the WWE!
I relaise that the Rock is deeply immersed in his movie career, but in his book he couldn’t stop stating how much he loved wrestling and the WWE. Why does is seem so unlikely, just because he has got a new career, that he will not return? Because you stated in a blog that you doubt you will se a Shawn Michaels vs Rock match in your lifetime. He must miss wrestling, because he loves the business so much, so has he not expressed any interest about returning, at least for one event??
And I hope this question is not out of bounds, but I unfortunately, like many Attitude era fans, do not like John Cena. Does it not bother you, or Vince, that the top babyface in the WWE hardly ever gets all cheers, and many times actually prominantly boo’ed?? Why is he the TOP guy? Have the WWE not caught on and AT LEAST want to turn him heel?? This could save his career, and give him the desired reaction from ALL fans! Do merchandise sales matter that much to the WWE that they are willing to anger so many of their loyal fanbase, many attitude era ones, who helped WWE to conquer WCW, by keeping him the top babyface??
The Rock will be back for the HOF Ceremony but I don’t see him doing much more than that at this time. Rock has changed careers which is pretty much the end of the story. I never speak for "Vince". As a matter of fact, I rarely speak with "Vince". I think as long as fans continue to pay to see Cena either win or lose things seem to be rocking along o.k. My suggestion is that if you don’t like Cena boo him and call it a day.
How long will it be until WWE comes back to Calgary…I mean they JUST started to come to Canada since the whole Benoit Tradegy and that is all the way across the whole country where they are going.
I’m guessing around 2-3 years maybe even more?
Contact your arena but I think it is sometime in 08.
Your comment in your last blog about Sportscenter anchors taking more shots at WWE made me think of something. They can take shots without hesitation but they still, I’ve yet to see one (in mainstream media), actually realize the beatings these guys take and what talented athletes they are. How do you think WWE could can make these people respect its very talented and athletic performers?
It is not going to happen. Main stream sports people generally have and always will look down their noses at pro wrestling. That’s o.k. because Monday Night Raw generally blows any thing away that ESPN airs with the exception of the occasional NFL game,etc. Certainly SportsCenter doesn’t garner the ratings that Raw does.
hey… i don’t have 24/7… i asked you about a REGIONAL wrestling promotion dvd… it would be a good idea even if you spoke about it on the round table. those of us with direct tv can’t get the channel…. and if you give me sarcasm again… you’ll be less a fan.
Scott, why so hostile? I don’t know the answer to your question. If the WWE had all the tapes of some of the great regional territories I am sure it would make for an informative and entertaining DVD but it’s unlikely to see the light of day because of 24/7.
Hey JR,
I have always felt that bringing in celebrities to the wrestling business was a bit annoying. It bothers me that hard working men and women who have worked years to perfect their craft have to be bumped from TV so people like Donald Trump, or Kevin Federline, or Floyd Mayweather,or two nascar drivers, can get even more exposure.
Now, I realize that it’s good for publicity, but from what little ratings analysis I do, I never really notice a ratings spike from these appearances. So I’d just like hear your thoughts on these celebrity appearances and whether you think its good or bad for business. I apologize in advance if you have fielded this question before.
Also, I recently mixed a little of your BBQ sauce in some ranch dressing and used it on a salad and it was phenomenal! I suggest you and everyone try it.
Nice use of the old BBQ sauce. The celebs simply get the WWE main stream publicity that they normally would not get. I look at it like a little sizzle to the steak.
Hey JR how’s it going? I love sitting at home in Toronto, ON watching and hearing you every Mondy on Raw. My question for you is how do you feel about this whole charade that Vickie Guerrero still using that stupid wheelchair even though we all she clearly doesn’t need it? Why does the WWE keep milking something like this which is planly just a stunt to make us feel for her when clearly she doesn’t deserve it.
My other question is any of you food items available in grocery stores? I would love to get some of your BBQ sauce, but cleary can’t pay for it online.
It seems the Vickie Guerrero storyline has struck a nerve with you which is what it is supposed to do. Getting our products into the grocery store world is a daunting challenge we may never conquer.
I was just wondering if you have ever heard of the Pro Wrestling Report? It is the most watched Professional Wrestling news program in the WORLD! I’m a big fan of it and i was just wondering if you’ve ever heard of it.
The people that host it are also play by play and color commentators, Dameon Nelson and Meathead.
They are going to be holding interview with The Iron Sheik and “cowboy” Bob Orton. You should check out the site.
pwrshow.com
Keep up the great work on Monday nights!!!
Thanks for the tip. You successfully got in your plug.
Hey J.R.,
Despite your frequent comments stating that you do not watch TNA, the timing of your “wrestling weddings” comment seems to reflect the train wreck now going on there with Kurt Angle’s wife, and the Phenomenal One… Was there some other wrestling wedding recently that I missed?
There have been a ton of wrestling weddings, none of which I loved, which is what I was referring to. If I feel the need to take a shot at TNA I will do it blatantly but that wasn’t the case Alan.
JR,
Is there anyway I could meet you? Also, what did you think of the OU men’s basketball game against Baylor last week?
I am not hard to find if you drop by J.R.’s Family BBQ in Norman. I think Coach Jeff Capel is awesome and in time the Sooners hoops team is going to be special.
jr one i didn’t know you had resturant.so any way will cowboy bill watts the spoiler be in the hall of fame i haven’t heard any thing
I have not heard either name mentioned.
Hey J.R.
I’ve been listening to you since you took over for Boyd Pierce in Mid-South oh-so many years ago. (My first match I remember was the The Grappler v Don Diamond, so I guess I’m kind of an old fart too). I think you are one the absolute best announcers in sports today, and I wanted to thank you for making so many Monday nights (as well as pay-per-views) enjoyable and memorable.
I have two questions: 1) Are there are websites offering old Mid-South wrestling on VHS or DVD? I’d love to be able to go back and watch some of that stuff.
2) I am currently in law school, and would like to pursue a career with WWE (not in-ring) once I graduate. Any advice?
Thanks! And keep up the great work!
Check out www.universalwrestling.com for Mid South tapes. Others may have suggestions also. I would get familiar with the Corporate website and the HR department. And what ever you do Marcus, never become a grumpy old fart like me.
It’s ok J.R. Seb Coe is an embarrasment to us brits as well, have you seen the logo he ok’ed for the 2012 olympic games? A 2 year old could have made a better job.
He should have stuck to athletics and retired gracefully.
Thanks but enough on Coe already.
Hey JR! Just curious as to who is in the “gorilla” position these days? I remember seeing in footage it was usually Vince and Patterson in the late 80’s early 90’s. Who are you more likely to run into nowat Raw, Smackdown, ECW? And is the term “gorilla” position in relation to Gorilla Monsoon?
Yes the Gorilla position is named after Gorilla Monsoon. Lots of people hang out there and come and go but Gerald Brisco is always front and center.
Do you think the fact that most quality NCAA and Olympic wrestlers are going into MMA instead of pro wrestling will hurt the sport? I know i loved to watch Kurt wrestle while he was in WWE and I liked Brock, and I still enjoy Shelton Benjamin but man i hardly ever watch any of the shows because i cant stand the guys they push as champions. Big Muscled up body builders like Cena and Batista just dont put on enjoyable matches in my opion. What do you think?
It won’t do it any favors but there are plenty of guys who want to be sports entertainers and there will be several MMA guys who will consider migrating to sports entertainment when their MMA days are over.
Hey JR, if the WWE’s drug testing system is so legit then why do none of the really big muscled up main eventers get caught? Since Cena’s return his arm looks like its filled with helium, its twice as big as Orton’s, Hell he looks more massive than HHH right now. And Batista, nothin agaisnt him but come on look at him. Why dosent WWE let states test the athletes like MMA and Boxing if they have nothing to hide?
As far as I know the WWE Wellness Program is improving and is for real. I am a zero tolerance guy. I also realize that there is nothing I can say on this site about the WWE drug policy that will satisfy everyone. I can only tell you the truth…..I think the program has new found teeth and will make a difference over time. At least, I damn sure hope so.
JR, I love your sauce, but the shipping for 4 bottles of sauce is 20 dollars, thats much too much for me or id imagine many others to afford, I know youve mentioned in the past that its out of your control, but if you ship media mail it would really cheapen the cost of the consumer, yes it takes longer to arrive, but thats fine. I work hard for those 20 bucks.
I agree Jim and I will pass your suggestion on to the proper folks.
J.R.,
You and the king are the best announce team ever..
I noticed that ECWs roster is really small and the show honestly isnt that good.. I was just wondering, Whats in the future for ecw? I mean do you guys have any big plans for it? I know smackdown is partnered with it right now but it doesnt seem to be helping.. Thanks JR, Bryan
As best i know they will continue to do their one hour broadcast on Sci Fi and we will hopefully see some younger talents emerge from their small but potential filled roster.
I just wanted to thank you for answering my post JR. You have to understand this is a really tough time for fans right now. As I’m sure it’s tough on everyone in the industry.
Hang in there Dana. We could be in fatigues over in Iraq getting shot at. It is only an entertainment show, right?
Hey JR, Greetings from England.
I’m a big HBK fan but it seems his current role is building people up to become main event wrestlers. Do you think there is any chance of him ever becoming World Champion again? The people really want to see it happen, even for one month!!
Absolutely.
I agree that Sebastien Coe’s statement was an unfair swipe at WWE considering their ever evolving attitude towards the welfare of their athletes. I do however feel that it doesn’t help that the past of wrestling as an industry is that it has caused much injury and pain to many workers. I however applaud WWE for being the industry leaders in changing the way workers are treated. It does upset me that people who say they are real athletes feel they can diss the WWE. Lord Coe has all my respect but it was a cheap shot.
JR thanks for keeping it real and honest on your blog and i am really look forward to seeing you live next time you come to the UK.
The WWE will be all over the UK in April as I know I fly to London on April 12. Looking forward to it as well. Wrestlers are treated better today than at any time that I can recall but things can always be better just as in every walk of life.
Hey Big time Sting fan here, and wrestling is my passion. I love to wrestle, and like to think I model alot of my ground game after sting, and Ric Flair. Now I’ve been hearing that he’s thinking of retiring at the end of the year. I know he wrestles for TNA, but what are the chance of seeing him in a real wrestling ring (WWE) in the near future before the curtain calls. By the way what’s up with the 6 sided ring?! Just want to hear your thoughts on that because every time I ask tna.com I get no response. I just can’t get used to that, and I’ve tried tremendously. I love wrestlin so I still occasionally tune in, but honestly ever since sting just disappeared without a trace after the last TNA brand bound for glory ppv in october. I stopped watching. It’s all raw, smackdown, and ecw for this man now…Who knows maybe you’ll see ol JD in a wrestling ring one day. I’ll keep workin hard everyday. Keep up the blogs, and the BBQ. By the way I’m sorry but it’s all about the nebraska. Blackshirts 4Life~~~
It would be great to see Sting compete in the WWE for even a short time if he was of the mindset. Sting wrestling at Wrestlemania some day would be cool.
Hi JR, Long Time viewer first time typer. I do hope you find the time in your busy schedule to reply, as i was just wondering why the wwe seems to have lost the emphesis it once had on large groups/stables ‘a-la-attitude era’? Also do the wwe plan on bringing more stables into the show. You know like DX and the corporation. These where big storylines and me and my buddies agree they musta pulled in lots of viewers…..Could you please offer your input on this J.R?
I have said on many occasions that I like the stable concept and that stables and groups, if properly positioned, can help establish talent. It might be a trend we see re-emerge in the future. What’s old becomes new as a rule in the wrestling biz.
Hey JR,
I was curious, but who owns the tapes to the Leroy Mcguirk wrestling out of Tulsa/OKC from the 70/80’s..where I believe you got your start?..will they ever be released on DVD?. Great stuff and growing up here in OKC we watched every week. Do you know whatever happened to Ron Mcfarlane/Jerry Brown/Billy Starr, etc?..great history before Mid-South took over these parts. Great BBq Jr as I just ate at the Norman resteraunt as I’m out of Moore. See ya on the Sooner sidelines!…
Shawn/OKC
I have no idea and I don’t know even if they still exist as many of those shows original tapes were not kept as the tapes were usually recycled.
Savage deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and personal differences, no matter who is at fault, should NOT be a factor. Randy delighted and thrilled us fans for many years,, and starred in top matches. To not nominate him is a travesty of justice. And as far as Ric’s retirment match, the only one to fight him that makes any sense is Hogan. Triple H? Batista? Undertaker?Micheals? These are ’stars’ that have no significant history with him, and theyre fighting and beating him would not be a monumental event. Two old schoolers would be best.
You said your two cents Daniel but Hogan vs. Flair isn’t going to happen. Neither is Austin vs. Hogan.
J.R.,
I am concerned with MMA intermixing with Pro Wrestling. Not from an athletic prowess point of view but from an entertainment one. To quote Vince ” I am in the Sports Entertainment Business”, I happen to be a fan of MMA and WWE; but I find MMA athletes to be horrible wrestlers. Not from the technical aspect of it but from the entertainment aspect of it. Prime example was Ken Shamrock, amazing technical wrestler great in ring performances but totally lacked any value out side the ring. It seem like the writers who create the entertainment aspect had a hard time with Ken’s story line basically do to his complete lack of acting range. I barely watch WWE or any wrestling lately because it been lacking freshness to stagnate story lines. I am far from an wrestling expert just a fan who grew up watching Hulk and Macho Man many others during the mid 80’s to current. The biggest problem is in the first 20 minutes of Raw and Smackdown the basic match line ups have been said and I simply and tell you who going to win who going to loose, then I can get an extra hour or so of sleep instead of watching wrestling. I normally watch the complete 2 hours on both shows unless I am tired and I know who going to win any way because the writing has not changed and just got pitiful. I am going hate to see what happens if we start getting MMA talent intermixed in wrestling.
But wrestling is going down the tubes. Where are the break out stars where is the next generation of super stars? Where is the next Hulk Hogan , Undertaker , Steve Austin , Rock? To be honest I see some that have the in ring talent to really be the next great break out stars of the WWE but the limited by poor story lines and simply bad acting.
Then we have lame celeb matches like the Big Show maina match. These matches are always a joke and cant believe WWE could not come up with a better idea. Some of the really bad ones that come to mind off the top of my head , Tyson , Butterbean , LT from Dallas Cowbows vs Bam Bam .
Next on my hit list is Vince and Raw. Take Vince away Raw is not as entertaining, but on the other side too much Vince just get repetitive and annoying. Again it points back to poor writing.
When are we going to see the next great breakout Wrestler.
I mean just not a great wrestler but one who transcends wrestling and that you simply can go up to person and say do you know who is and they know because they are just that great of a talent.
Examples of this would of my wrestling experience Hulk Hogan , Undertaker , Steve Austin , The Rock. I know people who dont know the first thing about wrestling who I can say Stonecold. And they know Austin 3:16 Says I just kicked your ass. And That’s the Bottom Line Cause Stonecold Said So! Everyone knows Taker they can discribe him and recongize his music and maybe only flipped though channels. Right now do to lack of real writing talent I have not seen any talent really step out.
Example being, Steve Austin, I remember him on WCW and ECW and he was a good wrestler and I saw him on WWE and still good but not break out he was just another hired hand of the Million Dollar Man. But he started to get my attention with Jake the Snake fight which gave birth to Austin 3:16, then the Stonecold Character developed. Which made him a break out good guy but like one we have never seen before he was not the Drink your milk take your vitimans, whatca going to do brother type of Hero that Hulk was. He was the Anti-Hero and that developed in to Steve vs Vince story line and it was amazing it developed Vince Ahole persona to the audience and gave some one to cheer when Vince got the living crap beat out of him but Austin. But it seems that all these years later we have not moved on from those glory days and were still trying to put the talent in this Hero/Anti-Hero vs Vince and it old. The concept of the Anti Hero is now old people will look back on it as someone simply trying to copy Steve. I feel that this next generation should find it own niche. Steve would never been the superstar he is if he tried copying the previous generations uber superstar Hulk Hogan. It is when this current generation finds there own voice and plot writers then catering to the personalities of the wrestlers and not the artificial feeling personas that the WWE makes them put on.
Thank you for your time,
Rob Snyder
Long post Rob but we got it in the rotation, so to speak. Based on the WWE’s quarterly income, I would suggest that they are not going down the tubes. I, however, would love to see more wrestling on all wrestling TV shows. I wish I could tell you who and when the next "breakout" star is going to be but I can’t and I doubt if any one can. The fans make that call and it usually just happens and sometimes when one least expects it a la Stone Cold.
Hi J.R. as an Englishmen, in fact a Londoner i couldn’t agree more with your comments about Seb Coe, that guy is an ass. I look foward to seeing you at the 02 Arena over here on April 21, i don’t know if you plan to just come over for the Raw taping but if you get the chance then take a look around London, go to a good old pub and get yourself some fish & chips. Take it easy Jim.
I will definitely spend the Sunday prior to the London Monday Night Raw following your advise.
Hi JR. Not sure how much basketball you follow, but whom do you predict will be in the Final Four and, of those four, who will be crowned National Champion?
North Carolina and Duke look to be locks. Kansas and Texas are pretty good too as is UCLA. I will increase my hoops viewing during the month of March.
Greetings to the voice of wrestling to millions! Who do you think should end Rick Flair’s career? Thanks for your time and all you do for the fans.
This is a done deal Jimbo….HBK vs. Flair is on.
hey J.R. do you think HBK gets enough credit for wrestling with his broken back at WM 14, i know he was hard to work with back then but still. also is HBK lilian garcia’s favorite wrestler because when she announces him to the ring she has a little extra flair (not ric) and when hes in the ring doin his thing, or the DX thing before the match shes always smiling and i never see her do that when someone else is in the ring can you ask her and post it thanks
You never know James, Miss Lilian just may be sweet on HBK who is happily married I should add. HBK is second only to Naitch when it comes to the in ring stuff on many fans lists.
Hey J.R. First I have to say your a hero of mine and the sauce is delicious! I was wondering why The Undertaker never gets any camera time at the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremonies. Does he not go, or he is just kept off camera?
My sources tell me that the Undertaker loves the HOF Ceremony and watches it from a "secure locale" every year.
Hello J.R I Have a question i hope u can answer, Will Kennedy remain a midcard talent? and there is a lot of anti-cena talk around lately and seeing the boo’s he recieved at the wrestlemania press conference (yeah i was there)cemented this feeling. Will cena get a new gig from WWE’s creative team (A heel turn, or change of direction), as i like many others have grown tired of him and feel he just aint a rock, or austin type talent. Thanks for years of top notch color comentary, Keep going JR And Long Live the King!!!
Kennedy seems to be heading north as in up the cards. Comparing Cena, or anyone, to Austin or the Rock isn’t fair.
Jr,
Has the WWE ever thought about or plan on posting FCW matches and/or full FCW tv episodes (after they first air on tv) on the company’s website or a site like youtube? I think it would be great if they did because it will give fans like me a chance to see the development talent as they develop their in-ring and on mic skills.
Alex
I know the FCW shows are going to be airing on cable in Florida beginning soon but I don’t know all the details. I would assume that the WWE will keep their young pups off "Broadway" as much as possible but I honestly can’t be sure.
