Wow…what a road trip to Baltimore and New Jersey, not only from the pressure cooker atmosphere both Sunday and Monday nights, but also horrid driving conditions for yours truly and the King Monday morning from Baltimore to East Rutherford via a rain soaked I-95. One thing about the interstate highway system and that is the 18 wheelers are the "Bull of the Woods". Thank God we found our normal sanctuary, "The Cracker Barrel" for lunch to make the close to 5 hour odyssey tolerable.
Some hotshots fly on private jets or in limos, but we don’t need no stinking jets or limos (or badges) as long as we have "Never Lost" and "Cracker Barrel".
It seemed that even though every one had a few days to recover from he international tour of a week ago, that many folks were just a tad "edgy" Sunday and Monday, which sometimes bodes well for the physicality inside the old squared circle. In other forms of the presentation, that edginess isn’t so palatable.
Oh Well, as has been said time and again, what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger. That must mean I am Ted Arcidi strong today. (more…)
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
Noah
JR,
Where do the TV trucks go after Tuesday? Do they go to a “Home Base” Of sorts? Or are they always on the road heading to the next week’s TV City?
They move on to the next TV locale.
J.R. Says
Pat
Hi, huge fan, all that good stuff. Seriously, you’re great at what you do. I have two questions, one being what I tink is a seriously good idea. Since the HOF started really becoming a big event every year (no thi sisn’t another one of those questions, dont worry haha), we have seen them how that it’s not ALL about the wrestlers. They induct announcers, managers, I’m surprised they havent inducted refs yet! But question is this: What are the odds of seeing actual MATCHES put in the hall of fame? I mean, not a ton, but maybe every year, there could be one match. Who would argue that Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage at Wrestlemania III, or Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog at Summerslam 92. I think that would be great, and really add some depth.
My second question is an easy one, that I’ve asked before but you never answered it. Who is the guy who does the voiceovers for upcoming events? Ever since I was 10 years old, I always loved the enthusiasm he put into it. “Next time on RAW” “Tune into Survivor Series!” I’d love to know who it is, and if you could pass along to him that he’s got a fan.
Thanks for always answering our questions! You’re the best!
- Pat -
Thanks for the kudos….refs are eligible for the HOF and some day I am sure one will be inducted. I don’t know the voice over guy’s name, as he is an out of house voice over talent, but he has some pipes without fail. Speaking of the Hall of Fame, I would like to see it moved to the Friday before Wrestlemania instead of the night before.
J.R. Says
Steverino
Hey J.R. -
I have a two-part question about managers. First, who do you think cut the best promo - Jim Cornette or Bobby Heenan? I say Cornette, but just by the length of his tennis racket. Second, has the role of the manager all but disappeared due to economics or due to an evolutionary shift in fan reaction? Or is it something else entirely? I certainly haven’t minded the growth of the diva role in the last decade or so, but I do miss the managers on the outside of the ring. What do you think? Thanks!
Steverino
That’s like asking me if I like ribs or brisket better. How can one go wrong with either guy? You won’t get an answer on this one from me as I love both guy’s work. Why aren’t there more great managers? Do you think guys like Jim Cornette or The Brain can be invented. They are people that come along only every so often in our lifetime.
J.R. Says
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In my list of a the handful of great Ric Flair opponents, I inadvertently left off Sting. No intentional diss on my part, as Sting belongs on the list, without question. I broadcast the first ever Clash of the Champions and the bout that Sting was "made" by Ric from Greensboro.
Jim Cornette is taking huge Matt Morgan under his wing, it seems in TNA, and if JC’s instincts are right, and they are more often than not, Morgan could be a big time player. Morgan is a classic example that when he was originally signed by the WWE, if Matt could have spent a few years in the territory system before being exposed on national TV he would have been much better off. No one in Cornette’s current organization can touch him on creatively developed story telling.
I have said it to young talents for years….pay your taxes. I said it so much it got old and was tongue in cheek repeated by the young talents. Now many of them thank me for it. Uncle Sam always wins. Uncle Sam will retire as the "champion". Independent contractors must pay their quarterly tax estimates, without fail. Failure to do so is isn’t smart. Just ask actor Wesley Snipes who has just gotten sentenced to jail time. (more…)
Greetings from the barbequed, Sooner State of Oklahoma as yours truly gets ready to head to Baltimore for Sunday’s Backlash and perhaps a crab cake or two. (That’s an obligatory food reference from WWE’s resident rookie restaurateur.)
This week’s selection of the Monday Night Raw Superstar of the Week is so simple that a “pet coon” or a vision impaired wrestling referee could make the right call. (more…)
After reading what some people have said regarding the three primary United States Presidential Candidates appearing on last Monday’s Raw and the fact that now these eligible voters now are NOT voting is incredulous to me.
The price that our forefathers paid to insure that all Americans had the right to vote was a steep one and to declare that one isn’t voting because the candidates briefly appeared on Monday Night Raw is "box of rocks" stupid. That’s akin to the outrageous Howard Stern saying he would never vote for an individual for President of the United States who watches wrestling. I have heard other "reasons" as to why some candidates won’t get some folk’s votes including, "I would never vote for a woman"…."I would never vote for a person of color (or variations thereof of that ignorant statement)…or "I would never vote for a person who is 72 years of age".
When I hear this logic employed, the old cliche of "Pet Coon Goofy" becomes applicable. Please vote if you are eligible and don’t be adumbass. (more…)
The KOR Tourney Monday night in Greenville, S.C. certainly had its moments that featured a strong first half of the bracket and a perplexing second half of the tournament bracket. KOR winner William Regal is arguably one of the more underutilized talents in the biz and even though Regal can definitely talk, which all General Managers must obviously be able to do, he adds a valuable element of experience and expertise to any bout in which he is involved. In the immediate future one has to wonder if Regal is likely to continue to be the Raw G.M. or will Regal focus more on his wrestling career now that the U.K. native from Blackpool, England is the reigning King of the Ring?
Howard Stern says he would not vote for a President of the United States that watches wrestling. Seems like a strange thing for Stern to say. Apparently, Stern has a very low opinion of the wrestling business. Now that’s irony coming from Stern, who is one of the last guys I thought would have an antiquated, wrestling bias.
I mentioned here last week that I thought it was a sound, promotional idea for the American Presidential candidates to appear on Monday Night Raw in some form, but I will admit that I was shocked when Clinton,Obama , and McCain all recorded messages specifically for the Raw audience. On the eve of the all important Pennsylvania primary, the Democratic hopefuls got the opportunity to be "regular Joe’s" as did McCain who looks to have the Republican nomination for President locked up. None of them should quit their day jobs and look for work in ‘rasslin, but they all seemed to be good sports in their recorded, cliche laden spiels. (more…)
As I write this, I have no idea who will be in the King of the Ring Tournament this Monday night on the 3 hour Monday Night Raw TV Special presented by the USA Network. I bring this up for a couple of reasons. One, I wanted to make some predictions, if I could actually lay eyes on a tournament bracket, just as many of us did during March Madness. Plus, I wanted to do a little extra preparation for Monday night and I guess I will have to do it by reviewing the past 17 King of the Ring Winners with the first being Don Muraco, a WWE Hall of Famer. All I know is that all three WWE brands are going to be represented in the perceived 8 man, single elimination tournament that normally would create 7 bouts including the finale.
Does comedy in wrestling sell tickets or pay per views or is comedy in wrestling simply a "let me up" on the drama or serious presentations of wrestling? There probably isn’t a right or wrong answer to this question, but I will gladly provide my personal opinion because, as has been pointed out elsewhere. "J.R. is a master bulls******" (my thanks to whoever proclaimed that one). Comedy in wrestling is best served when it occurs naturally and if it is not a natural act, interesting choice of words, then it must be delivered by someone who has natural comedic timing. Simply writing something that is perceived to be humorous, no matter who says it, is no guarantee that the line will score. I am a fan of comedies in general and many of my favorite movies are comedies….check out the classic "Hollywood Nights" when you run out of something viable to do, as it is an off the radar comedy classic…but it seems that quite often, comedy in wrestling doesn’t work as intended. Does comedy sell tickets or pay per views? No. When organically executed does comedy have a place in wrestling? Hell, yeah. (more…)
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
Ben
Hi JR,
I saw a documentary called “beyond the mat”. There is a part where Mic Foley brought his wife and kids to the royal rumble 99′ match where he had a match with The Rock and he tooks tons of unprotected chair shots. It was very touching and sad to see his wife and kids getting upset and worried for his life. Why does Foley want to put his family through this ordeal is beyond me.
That was then and this is now….Mick won’t be doing that again. Hindsight is usually 20/20 Ben.
J.R. Says
Paul Francis
Hi JR
Can i just ask your thoughts on what it felt like to be standing infront of friends, family and fans when you were inducted into the hall of fame
Many Thnks
One’s mind races with memories of days gone by….the trips….family sacrifices….personal struggles….friendships….triumphs…..heartbreak….and wishing my Mom and Dad could have been there to enjoy the moment. A challenging but wonderful moment. I was actually more nervous this year inducting Gordon Solie than I was going in myself.
J.R. Says
loganpars
I really wish they would unify the tag team belts, keep just one belt, and make the tag team division mean something again.
But enough of that rant. Of all the people the WWE has released in the last few years and never made it big in the WWE, who do you regret being let go the most?
Hope you feel better!
Personally, I would have liked to have seen Dr. Death get a chance at a "run" but that’s not being overly objective on my end.
J.R. Says
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The uproar that many wrestling fans have displayed over Mike Adamle replacing Joey Styles as the play by play voice of ECW is one of the more far reaching and passionate displays of opinion in recent memory. I find it to be a really good thing that Joey has so many, and deservedly so, fans of his work that he has cultivated since the days of the original ECW. Two points here…some saying that Joe leaving ECW definitively says that the "ECW as we knew it is finally gone" seems like a day late and a dollar short. The original ECW "passed away" long ago, for better or for worse, and a new televised wrestling vehicle called ECW is now being broadcast. Secondly, others have predicted that the ECW TV rating will drop because of Adamle. That assumption is highly unlikely. Announcers rarely influence the ratings, even though I would love to say that they do as it might mean a little more "cheese on my Whopper" come pay day.
Another case in point regarding the original ECW. Without question, on the original version, Tazz was the baddest dude in the jungle and one of my all time favorite wrestling persona’s to watch compete. I enjoyed seeing Tazz beat people’s ass on a regular basis. What fan of the original ECW would have ever thought they would see the "Human Suplex Machine" dancing on TV as Tazz did Tuesday night on Sci Fi? The problem with this statement is that Tazz is no longer "The Human Suplex Machine," but a sports entertainment broadcaster. Yes, times have changed and what is left of the "old ECW" is simply the initials. (more…)
Greetings from the “Barbecue State” of Oklahoma from under the black hat after arriving safe and sound back at home after a quick but eventful trip to London. Next stop … Greenville, S.C., and the special three-hour Monday Night Raw that will see a new King of the Ring crowned.
There were 17,363 fans that sold out the O2 Arena for Monday Night Raw in London with ticket sales topping $1.2 million, which is amazing data. The fans of the U.K. are tremendously supportive of the efforts of the WWE Superstars, which is why every wrestler I know loves to be a part of the tours to the U.K. I love reading the signs of the fans and one was especially funny – “J.R. ate my horse” – but I wish it had been a little more creative and had said “J.R. BBQ’ed my horse”. (more…)
