Heading to California, where I was born January 3, 1952 in Ft. Bragg, for Sunday’s One Night Stand in San Diego and then a nice little 200+ mile drive up to Bakersfield for Monday Night Raw. The King and I are Road Warriors, not of the Hawk and Animal variety, but enjoy traveling together and often times drive for miles without talking about wrestling but when we do we generally "re-book the territory". 
It will be interesting to see what bout closes the show on Sunday Night but my vote would be for it to be the TLC Match for the World’s Title between Edge and, if he doesn’t win it he leaves, The Undertaker. These extreme rules PPVs are challenging to broadcast because if everyone doesn’t pay attention there is the opportunity to duplication in some bouts which is always something one attempts to avoid.
I am anxious to see what changes are initiated on Monday Night Raw this week as it seems that several changes are rumored to be on their way. Last Monday’s lackluster TV rating for Monday Night Raw would certainly be reason enough to move these changes along as no one could ever be content with a 2.9 national cable rating. Personally, I am for longer match times and to see if some of the younger, talented individuals who have been developing, some for quite some time, can add to the mix and provide a "fresh feel" to the presentation. The announcers are talking less, which I have zero issues with quite honestly as it is television and not radio, but one could also make a case that the televised, talking segments could be more succinct as well. One man’s opinion. (more…)
WE’s resident BBQ aficionado who is anxious to see what debauchery transpires this Sunday in San Diego at WWE’s latest pay-per-view attraction, One Night Stand.
It will be a night of “extreme action” and yours truly might be motivated to shriek out a “Cat fight!” during the Diva “I Quit” Match and channel the esteemed WWE.com guru and former voice of E-C-Dub, Joseph Styles.
This week, we have the rare occurrence of having co-Raw Superstars of the Week and they are both extreme – there’s that word again – opposites. (more…)
Coming up on June 7 in Atlanta will be a Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). I am not overly familiar with this specific event nor am I totally aware of who is still a member of the once powerful NWA. Nonetheless, congrats go out to the inductees that include: Nikita Koloff, a charismatic, intense individual who had the good fortune to be surrounded by people who could embellish Nikita’s marketable skills back in his prime….Tommy Rich, who was a classic hero with "fire" in the old school wrestling world and got plenty of mileage out of defeating Harley Race for the NWA Title of which Tommy held for about a week….The Midnight Express, no matter if it was Dennis Condrey/Bobby Eaton or Eaton/Stan Lane this team was one of the most amazing duos I ever saw and if they were in their prime today they would be printing money even though tag team wrestling seems to be a lost art and a low priority in many places….plus this team had manager extraordinaire Jim Cornette which would have made the "Ding Dongs" a viable entity….and the Iron Sheik who will likely rival M.C. Jim Cornette for the best sound bytes of the evening….I first met Sheik when he visited my small, department store in Westville, Oklahoma back in the 70’s along with Danny Hodge after appearing on a wrestling event in the area. Sheik weighed about 185-190 pounds then and was just getting his pro career started and to say that the infamous Iron Sheik has changed over the years would be the understatement of the year. Again, congratulations to all the inductees and in case you are wondering there is no doubt in my mind that, in their prime, each and every one of the aforementioned people would be big stars today if provided the all important opportunity. (more…)
The first three people I saw when I walked down the hall in the locker room area of the Pepsi Arena Monday afternoon were three Mid South Wrestling alumni, Steve "Dr. Death" Williams, Ted DiBiase, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan, having a friendly conversation. In their prime, each of these men brought something different, but special to the table. Doc was a natural, as far as the physicality goes in the wrestling business, and started working for Bill Watts between Doc’s junior and senior year in college at Oklahoma. I saw Doc’s college wrestling coach, Stan Able, Tuesday afternoon following our friend Jack Mildren’s funeral services and Stan said Doc, a former 4 time All American heavyweight at OU was the most loyal athleteS Stan ever coached and at times the most frightening.
Duggan was a brawler along the lines of Bruiser Brody and Mick Foley on their best days, and the former SMU Mustang football player is a former state high school champion wrestler from Glens Falls, N.Y. After the Junkyard Dog abruptly left Mid South Wrestling for the greener pastures of the WWE, Duggan carried the ball for Watts and replaced JYD as the territory’s top hero.
Duggan and Doc, both legit bad asses, have been blessed to have each beaten cancer.
DiBiase, whose 241 page autobiography is one that I highly suggest that you read, was arguably the most well rounded performer of the aforementioned trio and Teddy’s Million Dollar Man persona was one of the WWE’s best and most viable personas. (more…)
I lost a great friend this week when cancer took the life of former Oklahoma University Quarterback and former Lt. Governor of our state, Jack Mildren, at the age of 58. Jack was one of the toughest men I ever met and had been battling the "Big C" for over two years, but rarely mentioned it to any of his pals. Jack was the Sooner QB in the "Game of the Century" when OU lost to Nebraska 35-31 in a battle of #1 vs. #2, a game that has been replayed on ESPN Classic numerous times. I’ve broadcast that game and 100s of other OU games in my head since I was a little boy. Oklahoma’s greatest quarterback ever was the star of many of my personal broadcasts. And then, when my wife Jan and I moved back to Oklahoma to be closer to family, I met Jack and we became instant friends. For me, an OU Football fanatic, it was like meeting two of my other heroes, Mickey Mantle and John Wayne. I had met and befriended one of my football heroes. Jack worked his radio shift in afternoon drive this Tuesday on Jox930 in OKC, a sports talk station, and then passed away on Thursday. I listened to his show when I returned from my Omaha/K.C. run and old #11 sounded somewhat fatigued, but unwilling to sell the pain he was in due to stomach cancer that had spread throughout his body. Unexpectedly on Thursday the Good Lord finally got His QB to run the wishbone in heaven. My friend Jack was only 58, just two years older than yours truly, which certainly is sobering impetus for a guy at my stage of the game to stop and give pause.
Selfishly I could say that I have personally had better weeks but I also know that I am a better man for knowing Jack Mildren. (more…)
Greetings from under the custom made, black hat from the “Baron of BBQ” and from a guy who will never win “Dancing with the Stars” – as the fans who stayed with us after Monday Night Raw went off the air in Kansas City night will attest. I “heard” this footage was actually on WWE.com, but out of kindness to you I won’t link it here, so find it at your own risk. Hopefully, it is buried on this site and is harder to find than an on-camera for the Raw announce team.
This week’s Raw Superstar of the Week is Mr. Kennedy … Kennedy after defeating “former” Raw General Manager William Regal in a Loser Gets Fired Match. Kennedy has major league verbal skills (i.e. he likes to talk, not that there is any thing wrong with that) and certainly seems to have ample potential. It will be interesting to see where this significant victory takes Kennedy … Kennedy, but lest we forget that Mr. McMahon isn’t too high on the gregarious Green Bay native. Having resided on that same list for some time now, I can assure Mr. Kennedy … Kennedy that being one of The Chairman’s “endangered species” isn’t as enjoyable as eating slow, hickory smoked ribs (gratuitous plug and a clever segue if I say so myself). (more…)
I received an advance copy of a new WWE publication entitled "Ted DiBiase, The Million Dollar Man" that is set for release to the general public soon. This soft cover, 241 page book is a quick and easy read with contributions from many familiar names within the wrestling business. I like the format, as it is Ted telling his story and other’s responding to the same periods of time.
Ted holds nothing back, as he is upfront and honest about his life in the fast lane and how it almost ended his marriage. In the book, Ted says, when referring to his WWE tenure "I’d conducted myself in a very immoral and unprincipled manner. Not only was I drinking and using drugs, I was unfaithful in my marriage. Although I’d been happily married to Melanie for more than a decade, my overinflated ego led me to womanizing."
The former West Texas State football player also talks about his neck injury that ended his in ring wrestling career in great detail….wrestling for Giant Baba and what Mr. Baba meant to him….turning down a football scholarship to the University of Arizona to attend West Texas State because the Canyon, Texas school had developed so many pro wrestlers….working for The Funks, Bill Watts, in Georgia, and for Vince McMahon. These topics just touch the surface of this upfront and honest book. (more…)
Tuesday’s announcement that William Regal has been suspended for 60 days from the WWE is regrettable on many fronts. When I was in charge of the WWE talent roster a few years ago we sent Regal to drug rehab as he struggled to overcome his issues. Regal eventually became a success story as he cleaned himself up and got on with his life and career. In recent years, Regal has been a hard working, reliable and viable member of the talent roster. As a talent perhaps even to the point of being under utilized in the eyes of some. I do not know the details of his recent 60 day suspension but I do not think that Regal has "fallen off the wagon" and retreated to his misdirected ways of years gone by. Nonetheless, something went awry and the WWE Wellness Program, which is more thorough and organized than ever before, dropped the hammer on the talented Brit. With no pay for 60 days, two strikes against him and a family to care for, Regal finds himself in a challenging position. Some weak minded individuals could "poor me" it and say to hell with it and revert back to those aforementioned issues, but, I do not think Regal fits into that category.
This should be a great lesson for every one on the roster….be careful of every thing one ingests, including over the counter supplements that might contain even traces of banned substances. Education again becomes a key term in this issue as it is incumbent on each individual with which this program applies to know what is banned and what is not. (more…)
What an amazing world we live in. The Internet will take comments from anyone at random, it seems, print them as fact, and then actually print the psychological analysis of what the writer perceived was said.
I did a radio interview Friday morning with my friends Rick and Brad on the KATT in Oklahoma City. A listener of that broadcast wrote his own analysis of what he heard, interpreted it as he saw fit and then it became fact on the ‘net thus it takes on a life of its own.
Amazing.
I was on the radio and on TV in the OKC market Thursday and Friday to promote the Monday Night Raw event coming to the Ford Center on June 30 by working several, long hours to help the WWE sell as many tickets as possible for the event in my home market. (more…)
I would like to tell you about my week, which started Sunday by flying to Detroit then to Tampa on Tuesday then to OKC on Wednesday and doing Monday Night Raw media Thursday and Friday in OKC before catching another flight Saturday to Omaha to prepare for Sunday’s Judgment Day PPV and then driving the 180 miles from Nebraska to Kansas City on Monday for Raw…but, I won’t because it would come off as "poor me" (Gosh, I miss "The Sopranos") and, quite frankly, I’m healthy and having a great week. I actually like staying busy because, as my Dad used to say, it sure as hell beats picking up rocks and digging post holes.
Tuesday and Wednesday saw yours truly spend a whirlwind couple of days in Florida visiting Florida Championship Wrestling’s new facility and observing the WWE Developmental talents wrestle on Tuesday night and do ring work on Wednesday. Both days were positive experiences and the facility in Tampa on Dale Mabry Blvd is going to be state of the art once the construction is completed. In my personal opinion, I don’t think the WWE has any aspect of their business that is MORE important than the development of new stars. Problem is, stars don’t grow on trees. Athletes either have "it" or they don’t and "it" can’t be manufactured. As time goes on, we will all see how many of these hard working young kids discover if they have "it" or not. Nonetheless, the WWE has some exciting, young people working diligently to learn their craft in hopes of some day being the main event at Wrestlemania. That’s how I look at this process. If one is wanting to make it to the Promised Land of one of the three rosters, with the opportunity to earn big cash, appear on weekly TV and their goal is NOT to want to headline ‘Mania, then they need to update their resumes.
The Bottom Line…thanks Stone Cold…is I like what I saw. (more…)
