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

Feedback time:

Sean- I felt like Joey Styles did a fine job while hosting Monday Night Raw. No issues from me whatsoever. He’s a hard working guy who is a life-long fan. Both of those traits score points in my book. The WWE style of broadcasting, as compared to the old ECW style, is quite different and Joey is making that transition. He also likes Bar-B-Q, so there you have it!

Kevin- The King loved the Cleveland Browns NFL Draft. Getting a franchise left tackle in Joe Thomas, a potential answer to their lingering QB issues in Brady Quinn, and an awesome cornerback in Eric Wright, who dropped to the 3rd round because of off the field issues, equated to Cleveland’s best draft in years. GM Phil Savage is a sharp cookie.

Jeff- I don’t do “all-time favorite matches” lists, simply because there are so many of them that I really liked, it is just too hard to name one or two. Just imagine how many famous classic matches I have called from ringside the past 30 years in Mid-South Wrestling, the UWF, NWA, WCW and WWE! All those Starrcades, Clashes, Bashes and every Wrestlemania from 9 to 23, plus all the other great WWE PPV events held all those years. I have seen them all and am fortunate I had that opportunity! Now, how could I list my favorite match from all those choices? And there would always be a debate about it, no matter what I, or anybody else says. There are just too many to pick from, plus the styles and qualities of each match are so different. As far as the biggest and most spectacular events I’ve seen, those would be any the Wrestlemania’s, because each year the experience is different depending on the venue, but they are all grand and spectacular. Some day I will study this question closer, as it might be a nice chapter in a book in the future. I also don’t answer questions as to who my all-time favorite wrestler is, etc. Those are questions for another day and another time. When one starts making these types of declarations, inevitably someone would get left off the list by accident, which I don’t want to do. I am not big on hurting other’s feelings.

Marik- No, when I am in Memphis I stay at a hotel. Everyone needs their space, even though I am sure I could stay at King’s home if I asked. I have been there plenty of times and have always been treated like family. Same goes for when we produce Raw in OKC, King stays at a hotel, even though he knows he is welcome at our house. We frequent travelers just get accustomed to our “travel quirks,” and are definitely creatures of habit.

Alabama Fan- I think Chris Masters is showing significant improvement in his in ring work. He is only 24 years old, I believe, and one would think would have a great career ahead of him if he continues to study his craft and work hard. Are you warming up to Alabama Coach Nick Saban yet? I hope he does well, because I have great respect for the Crimson Tide and the late Bear Bryant, but Saban seems to really like himself….. a lot. I guess if he wins a National Title for the Tide that won’t matter.

Dennis- Thanks for the ideas for the restaurant, regarding names of dishes, etc. Our menu has been completed for quite some time now, and we do have some wrestling themed items, such as the appetizers are called “Opening Matches” and the entrees are called “Main Events”. And

watch out for “Ribs.” Just kidding there. Someone suggested serving “Cross face chicken wings”, but that may be taking it too far! We will also have a ton of memorabilia on display from my 30 plus years in the business, and from collecting “stuff” that we feel would be unique and fun for our customers to see. Some of the biggest stars in the history of the business have donated items to display at our eatery.

Jeffro- Why is opening pyro sometimes skipped? Usually it is ventilation issues at the arena. Sometimes it might be a fire marshal matter, but usually it is simply that the arena has poor ventilation.

Brian- Albany, New York has always been a good wrestling town, the times that I have been there. When I lived in Connecticut for all those years, making the drive, and not having to fly to Albany was enjoyable.

Vinnie- We are not close to getting our products in grocery stores at this time and I don’t see it happening any time soon. We will have product available on our site and at our restaurant, plus the beef jerky is available in several convenience stores in Oklahoma, with many more to come. We ship via Federal Express at this time, and you can get your product in simply a matter of days.

Rock- I have no recollection of Kerry Von Erich ever wrestling Hulk Hogan. It would not surprise me if they did, but I just can’t think of where. Perhaps someone can help us with this one. I certainly don’t remember it occurring in Dallas. Even though it was said, apparently on commentary of some show you saw, that doesn’t mean it is true. Unfortunately, we wrestling announcers are not guilt-free when it comes to embellishing or repeating what we are told to say, on occasion. Sounds like politicians, doesn’t it?

Rob- Nice idea on the ad sales for our website. We are investigating selling ads on the site, but are still in the process of fact finding. A good idea nonetheless. Anyone out there with specific expertise that is willing to suggest things such as this, are welcomed feedback.

JVR- I don’t know that Washington, D.C. has NOT been considered as a Wrestlemania site; only that it hasn’t hosted one….. yet.

Big Brian- Delivery time for our products is only a few days, as we utilize Federal Express at this time and they work quickly, albeit somewhat expensively. I don’t really have too many specific thoughts on the Hogan/Memphis event. I wish The King could have been involved in his hometown, because if he had, the event would have sold many more tickets. As it was, I have heard that the event may have broken even. Nonetheless it accomplished its goal of providing some footage for Hogan’s VH1 show.

Sheldon- Always nice to hear from you. M.I.T. was a fun experience. I really enjoying talking about the business and my experiences to students, etc. I have a ton of referee stories, but in general I ref’ed in the 70’s when there were no barricades surrounding the ring and very little security to protect the participants from unruly, and oftentimes drunk fans. I cannot remember a week that went by that I did not get punched, have various liquids thrown on me, including urine, not to mention verbal abuse that followed one to his vehicle and some times to the hotel. There were a few bullies, like Bruiser Bob Sweetan, who enjoyed “accidentally” physically abusing young referees. I have been in the middle of riots, including one in New Orleans where the concessionaires actually sold their cold beer in glass bottles one night, and Ernie Ladd and I were showered with glass bottles on our way out of the ring going back to the locker room. Referees today have it easy, compared to the “old days”.

Jason- I am a big believer that champions should wear their title belts AROUND their waist and not carry them over their shoulders. I don’t know who started the over the shoulder trend, but it could have been an overweight champion who couldn’t snap a title belt around himself due to girth. And yes, Curt Hennig is definitely an all time great.

Aaron- Who is the most improved WWE Diva in the WWE as it relates to in-ring performance? Tough question, but if I had to make a list, Maria and Candice would both be on it.

Matthew- I hired Doug Furnas and Phil Lafon as a tag team in the WWE after they had a very successful run in Japan. In Japan, Doug, a native Oklahoman, and Phil were a productive and significant duo, but did not achieve the same level of success in the WWE. It was not due to a lack of effort on anyone’s part, but it was the simple fact that they just didn’t “click”. Their lack of marketable, verbal skills did them no favors, and perhaps they were not paired up with the proper competition to bring out the best in them. I enjoyed working with both of them. Doug is from my boyhood hero Mickey Mantle’s hometown of Commerce, Oklahoma.

Big Tim- Bring your big appetite to our restaurant, which is located on the east side of I-35 at the Main Street exit in Norman, Oklahoma, which is about 20-25 miles south of Oklahoma City. We expect to open in mid-June, if construction continues to go well. Our place will be very visible from the interstate and sits in front of the Super Wal-Mart in Norman.

Travis- Another question we have addressed here in the past, is why don’t we see the proliferation of managers in wrestling today? Just like main event wrestling talent, big time managers don’t grow on trees. The Heenans, Cornettes, Heymans, Jimmy Harts, etc. don’t come along every day. Perhaps some day we will see more performers focus on being great managers in the image of a Bobby Heenan, etc. Bottom line answer is depth issues. I am a fan of managers too, by the way. Josh- I have no idea if Teddy Hart will ever be hired again by the WWE. Not my call. Teddy has physical talent without question. But the business is about much more than just in-ring skills and should be even more about these intangibles, as times goes on in my humble opinion. I think it would be a shame to see the second generation of the Hart Family be saddled with following the legacy of the original Hart Foundation, especially early on in their careers. Comparisons to the legendary Calgary wrestling family will be made regarding these kids their entire professional lives, to some degree.

Joe- Thanks for the T-shirt ideas. I hope others will suggest T-shirt or cap ideas or any product you feel fits in with what we are trying to do. The best research we can get here is from you! You know what you will purchase and what you won’t. Bottom line is, if we don’t sell some product, we won’t be around as long as we would like.

Bryan- I think JBL has plenty of matches left in him and I know he thinks that as well. However, JBL has back issues, and unless those problems can be solved, it is unlikely JBL will be able to continue wrestling, and certainly not full time. I hope his back gets better so he can return to the ring and end his career on JBL’s terms and not a doctor’s. JBL can always go back to the announce table, as he has proven to be a quality broadcaster at ringside who is only going to continue to improve.

Ben- I lived in Santa Rosa, California in about 1961 when I was in the 3rd grade and never made it to the Cow Palace. As I have mentioned, I did watch wrestling on TV, which was promoted by Roy Shire if my time line is correct. I do remember some of the famous San Francisco wrestlers and I also got hooked on Roller Derby and loved to watch Charlie O’Connell skate and fight for the Bay Area Bombers. Ann Cavello, who I met years ago, was an awesome performer and personality too.

Angelo- I have not heard that Curt Hennig’s son is interested in getting in the wrestling biz. However he’s a good looking kid with nice size. If he has his Dad’s and Grandfather’s athletic ability, I would encourage him to go for it, if that is what is in his heart.

We will answer more of your comments soon. Thanks for stopping by and please tell a friend about us. Finally, thanks for all your business and if you haven’t tried our Jerky or Sauce, I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you do. Many are raving about them, which makes Mrs. J.R. and me very proud. Plus, keep those ideas coming about shirts and other products!

BOOMER SOONER!

J.R.