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

What busy times we are in the midst of these days. First there was the OU-Mizzou game in Norman on Saturday evening and then a noon flight to Chicago from OKC Sunday that connected to a late afternoon flight to Manchester arriving there at approximately 9 a.m. on Monday morning. Then it was close to a 2 hour car ride down to Birmingham to get ready to broadcast Monday Night Raw. After a quick breakfast and a siesta it was on to the arena and on the air for Raw in front of an enthusiastic and lively crowd in Birmingham. As soon as the show was over, it was back in a car and back to Manchester for a very short night of sleep and on to the airport for a morning flight to Chicago connecting to OKC putting me back in Norman around 6 p.m. Tuesday evening. Whew. This week will somewhat resemble last week’s schedule as I fly Today from OKC to Los Angeles for an appearance at the electronic show in L.A. for THQ which is this afternoon. After that two hour appearance, I am on a plane from LAX to Omaha where I will base out of as I attend the OU-Iowa State college football game on Saturday in Ames and then back to Omaha to layover for the Monday Night Raw in Omaha a couple of days later. No worries here, as I am doing things I love to do and the travel, albeit challenging, isn’t like driving from New Orleans to OKC to referee an entire card alone and make a whopping $40, like I did back in the day. That also included me driving 2 or 3 snoring wrestlers the entire trip and then usually getting my rear chewed out by the Big Cowboy for something I did. That’s when I learned how much of a sycophant-like business I was in, as many individuals love to throw people under the bus for a variety of lame-ass reasons, including feathering one’s own nest and for the sheer sake of creating chaos. Indeed, only the strong survived back in the wild west days of the business. We are in the midst of planning our second Bar-B-Q Restaurant, which I have mentioned before, will be located in Moore, Oklahoma just west of I-35 near the 19th Street exit, next to the new multiplex theatre that is being constructed. We will be near a Wal-Mart and a Lowes which should be super for us. Our original store in Norman is still doing huge business, of which we are appreciative. Last week was one of our biggest weeks, thanks to all the homecoming and football activity at OU. The customs officer in Chicago Tuesday had an interesting story to tell me, while he was checking my passport and doing his job clearing me at his custom’s post at O’Hare. The officer’s mom lives in Norman and she was recently talking on the phone to her son while dining at J.R.’s in Norman, when yours truly walked into the restaurant. She told her son she had a great meal and that we even had a nice visit while she was there. Small world isn’t it? It sure seems that I am signing a great deal of cookbooks lately, no complaints here, and we will continue to offer our autographed J.R.’s Cookbooks as long as supplies last. These make for great gifts for virtually any occasion and in addition to a ton of easy to execute recipes, this labor of love that I dedicated to my Mom has several Bar-B-Q and Grilling tips, plus a ton of wrestling stories and wrestling top ten lists I think you will have fun reading. I hope you will order yours today and remember that shipping in the continental U.S. is FREE. We have also developed a really cool J.R.’s Gift Basket that I hope you check out as it too makes for a super gift idea and it also includes an autographed cookbook, 4 sauces and 2 bags of Beef Jerky. We ship these all over the world and if you order now there will be no issue getting your J.R.’s Gift Basket to you before the holidays. I think these baskets make great gifts for any occasion. Please check them out. We will ship them anywhere in the world. Feedback time: Lawrie- I always enjoy meeting the fans and have had few negative experiences that I can recall. I am still a fan myself, so meeting other fans is usually a fun experience, unless I am right in the middle of eating or “occupied” in the mens’ room. For the Super Bowl, one would be hard pressed to not objectively look at New England as the current favorite to win the big game in February. Indy is another great team but one of the two AFC rivals will eliminate the other prior to the Super Bowl. Scott- I am happy we have converted you to being a Sooner fan. I write a column every Thursday for www.ouinsider.com, about Sooner football, which I enjoy. The team is still in the hunt for a BCS Bowl game and perhaps even a shot at our 8th National Title, but we have to run the table, plain and simply. The Sooners are a young, exciting team who, as you know, I am greatly attached to, as I know the coaches very well, some of my best friends, and I am treated like family within the organization. I will be on the sideline again this Saturday in Ames for the ISU game, which will be televised by Fox Sports at 11:30 a.m. Central time. Look for my black hat, unless it is really windy. Rob- Fans ask all the time why an event hasn’t been held in their area for an extended length of time, or that they have a great facility in their community that would be a wonderful locale for the WWE to produce a show. The issues that determine what facilities are utilized and which are not, include routing the event, must be compatible with previous few days events and the following few days events as it is preferred to not be an isolated “one off,” the building’s availability to hold the event and the building’s interest in hosting the WWE. Some arenas, who are the only facility in town, in essence can make the financial dealings with the WWE so tough that it makes even a well attended event not profitable enough to promote. Many, many times the local venue has as much if not more to do with why a WWE event has not been held as does the WWE. Usually it is simply a matter of geography and routing that precludes the WWE from promoting in a given market. Plus, the fans usually never take into consideration how badly their local venue wants a WWE event as it relates to the financial arrangement. Everyone involved needs to make a profit and some buildings are so independent that they don’t care if the promoter makes a buck or two or not. Paul- No one has ever spoken to me about moving over to Smackdown and replacing Michael Cole, who would then go to Raw. That move would not interest me whatsoever. I like my Monday schedule, working with The King, and I am emotionally invested in the Raw brand from the many years I have been a small part of the proceedings. I have a great sense of pride with being a part of the flagship broadcast of the WWE, the unchallenged “A” Show of the company, trust me. After all these years of announcing on Raw, I feel a sense of “ownership” of the brand which keeps me motivated, competitive and excited about every Monday that I work. I watch Smackdown every Friday night, but as far as being on their broadcast team I have no desire to move brands. Andrew- I thought the “Ego Bowl” was a fitting descriptor for the Orton-Kennedy match this past Monday on Raw. Both young athletes are extremely self confident and like themselves very much. Kennedy does indeed have a growing fan base it would seem but so does Orton for that matter. I have no issues with “mixed reactions” from the live audience as it relates to who they cheer and who they jeer. When athletes are good at what they do and entertain fans, it is very challenging for the reaction to be simply black and white, as it was in previous generations. Sameer- This will be the last time I answer this question about a proposed UK Pay Per View and I hope our illustrious webmaster never posts this query again. I DO NOT know when the WWE will produce another PPV in the UK. Once again, I DO NOT know when the WWE will produce a PPV in the UK, HOWEVER, I do feel that the odds are definitely in the favor of the UK for this to occur. The UK business is immensely vital to the global success of WWE and a major WWE PPV originating from the UK seems to me to be a layup. The question isn’t really if, but when, in my opinion. This matter is officially closed as it relates to this forum. Next. Peter- Our theory regarding the growth and development of our Bar-B-Q Restaurant is that once we have 3-5 stores running smoothly, we will entertain the thought of franchising them to owner/operators across the country and perhaps even outside the USA. So it is possible and feasible that a J.R.’s Bar-B-Q could be built any where, once the time is right and we have perfected our process. No region or no part of the world is off limits as most people enjoy eating, no matter what their addresses may be. Drake- Bill Dundee overcame the stigma of being a shorter, smaller wrestler, to do very well for many years primarily based out of the old, Memphis territory. Dundee was a former circus performer way back in the day and was discovered, I believe, by the late promoter Jim Barnette in Australia. Dundee was a successful front office hand for Bill Watts and utilized many of the ideas he had seen work in Memphis successfully in Mid South. I sat in on many creative meetings with Watts and Dundee over the years and learned a great deal from that experience. I personally never had any issues with Bill, but I assume others apparently did which isn’t unusual in this biz, when an active wrestler is also a front office guy, which constitutes a conflict of interest in an often times paranoid world. Jack- The WWE women’s wrestling scene is not unlike any other phase of the business, including the announcing, promoting, the wrestling of the men, etc. as every area has significant room for improvement. I have always said that when one stops improving or growing, that one starts dying. I will say that the WWE Divas have several young women who work extremely hard in their efforts to improve their in ring skills, so that they don’t have to simply rely only on their sex appeal to maintain employment. Whether you personally like the current WWE Diva product is your call, but I feel strongly that their in ring work will continue to improve. But as you indicated, if it is too hard for you to watch that is why the remote control is normally close by. Alex- I do like native Texan HBK’s cowboy hat, which is along the lines of my friend and country music singer Toby Keith’s style of head gear. David- I heard the alleged “knock” of my Bar-B-Q place at “No Mercy” from JBL during the spaghetti eating contest and thought little about it. JBL’s job is to anger people and that was what he was trying to do, I assume. Plus this was the day after my Sooners beat his Longhorns, so perhaps he was having a bad day. If it was intended to be a personal shot, which I doubt, then it is JBL’s problem not mine. No sleep lost here, I assure you. Yes, we ship all our products worldwide and I hope you will take advantage of such and do some business with us. We do appreciate it. Adam- There is no “mandate” on how many years must elapse between Wrestlemanias in a given city, but I strongly suggest that there be ample time between returning. Perhaps a minimum of 5 years or so, as there are many, many viable sites for this annual event. I do know that planning is on going about future sites for the next several years, which will remain confidential at this time. Joe Washington- Taker is still “the Man” and can have a good match with an inferior opponent and can still have a great match with an average opponent. Just think of the kind of contest the Deadman could have with a bonafide main event star. There is plenty of fuel left in The Undertaker’s tank, but I do get concerned about him staying physically healthy and not becoming over exposed. Taker vs. Batista at WM23 was strong. BeelO- WWE’s 24/7 Legend’s Roundtable is a hoot to be a part of and the new episodes will be debuting soon, as I understand it. This feature is the most popular of all the content on WWE 24/7 and it is one of the most enjoyable on which to work. These broadcasts are free wheeling and not over produced to any degree and that promotes an open and entertaining “debate” among the participants. It’s like going to a bar and having a few beers with one’s friends and “shooting the breeze.” The last panel consisted of Mick Foley, Michael Hayes, Tazz, Pat Patterson, and yours truly. Joseph- I found Gorilla Monsoon to be one of the finest men I have ever met in any walk of life. Within the wrestling biz itself, Gorilla was a saint. His word was his bond and he told it like it was. One always got the truth from Gorilla. He took me under his wing, when it was not the popular thing to do, when I first came to the WWE and treated me like a son. He offered me advise and became a confidant. I loved the big guy. Gorilla lead like a tough minded coach and had no issues expressing himself to anyone. He was extremely distressed the second time I was terminated with the WWE, but we still kept in contact and I did not hesitate when he passed away to fly from Atlanta to attend his funeral services in New Jersey. Gorilla was never the same after his son, referee Joey Marella, was killed in a car accident. I sincerely wish that Gorilla’s two grandsons, Gino and Joey, had been given the opportunity to get to know their grandfather, before he passed away, as Gino “Gorilla Monsoon” Marella was one helluva man. Men with Monsoon’s character and integrity are in short supply in this world. God Bless my friend Gorilla, one of my mentors. Matt- I have no plans to leave the WWE any time soon but, based on my track record, who knows for sure? That’s a little joke Matt. To answer your question, if I wasn’t in the WWE, I would spend my time developing our Bar-B-Q Restaurant concept, watching OU sports, doing some appearances and speaking engagements, and spending more time with my family, which I still don’t do enough. As for coaching football, I think I would enjoy working with younger kids like in the Pop Warner League if I were to do some coaching. Nonetheless, coaching football, much like broadcasting football, has always been a dream of mine since I was a kid. Sam- I have not seen the “Guest Booker DVD” with Kevin Sullivan. As far as re-tooling the 1984 WWE roster, I would have to study it much more before giving you an answer, but not featuring Hogan would not be in my plans, I can assure you. Mike- IF, in his prime, Randy Savage were in the last WWE Draft, I would assume he would be included on the Raw roster as that is the top priority broadcast of the WWE, but Randy, in his prime, would help any of the brands. A vibrant Randy Savage would help any one’s roster whether it be in the WWE or elsewhere. What’s not fair, is to consider the Randy Savage of today vs. the Randy Savage in his prime, as it relates to being an every day wrestler, which would not be a fair scenario to put Savage in these days. Some how some crazy Savage fanatic will most likely take umbrage to this statement, but I mean no disrespect by my comments. Eric- I never had many negative experience in my years of working with and traveling to OVW event in Louisville. Working with Danny Davis and Jim Cornette was more often than not a breath of fresh air, as it took me back to my roots of a small, wrestling territory. I also enjoyed doing the occasional “cameo” on TV and had fun being able to do some play by play on the OVW TV show from time to time. I am very proud of the contributions that OVW has made to the WWE and the stars that were produced in Louisville under OVW’s watch. Honestly, my most enjoyable times in OVW were not on camera, but in the afternoon having lunch with Danny and JC and discussing the young wrestlers and who was “getting it” and who wasn’t and what we all collectively needed to do to help produce more stars for the WWE. The WWE has no more important department, in my view, that their developmental programs which produce tomorrow’s superstars. First Name- Will Barry Horowitz ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame? Firstly, I have no vote. Secondly, most likely not. Charlie- Lilian was referring to the fact that she was accidently knocked from the ring apron to the floor when Charlie Haas inadvertently bumped into her. Lilian tore her ACL skiing and apparently the injury is still lingering, even though she looked great during the live performance of a few weeks ago. King’s Court- After being granted his release, will Booker T be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year? I would suggest that as in most phases of our lives that “timing” counts for a great deal and this might not be the best timing for Booker to be inducted, if you smell the “Q” that Ol J.R. is cooking. This is only one man’s opinion as I would suggest that Booker will remain active in the ring for the next few years. Booker’s accomplishments certainly are deserving of Hall of Fame consideration, without question. Brainman 214- I have great memories of being a part of Power Pro Wrestling, the sister program of the UWF Flagship show. For the longest time we produced the Power Pro Show in Bill Watts’ tiny garage behind the Bixby, Oklahoma offices and even did a few shows from Watts’ barn on his estate outside Bixby. Then we started doing an arena show, which was more fun. I know that Steve Austin was a big fan of Power Pro Wrestling as a young fan, as we have talked about those days over many a cold beverage. Watts was really hands on going into a broadcast by preparing all involved with exactly what he was looking for, but once the cameras started rolling his involvement with the announcers lessened and we were free to relax and have fun and tell the stories that we saw on our monitors. Tyler- The APA was an entertaining duo to say the least. I too wish they had the opportunity for another “run,” but that is not likely to happen it would seem at this time. Their backstage material was often times more entertaining than their matches, which more often than not, resembled a bar fight. Birmingham, Alabama is certainly Bar-B-Q Country and one never knows if an enterprising businessman won’t open a J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q there some day. I think we would give Dreamland a run for their money. Al- I was on the OU sideline at the Texas game with Adrian Peterson, who was enjoying his bye week with the Vikings. We even stayed at the same hotel in Dallas. AD is a special young man who has been a polite and genuine kid to me since I met him when he was a senior in high school. He is making plans to eat at J.R.’s when the NFL season is over, as he still has family and friends here in Norman. The Good Lord doesn’t gift too many people with being 6’2”-220 pounds and being able to run a 4.35 forty yard dash. The first time I shook AD’s hand I thought he was channeling Danny Hodge, as #28 has a vice like grip. His 3 TDs and north of 200 yards of offense against the Bears last week won’t be his last big game, I assure you. AD is a throw back to the days of the great Jim Brown….Walter Payton and others who were simply the best in the history of the game. It is too early to anoint Adrian Peterson that distinction, but the potential is there. The only things that can sidetrack AD are injuries and avoiding making ignorant decisions like the Pacman Jones’ and Michael Vicks of the world, who don’t always utilize good, old fashioned common sense. Aaron- I have never personally heard of any wrestler/author getting too much grief over what they have written about their peers. Most of the wrestlers don’t generally read the books of their associates for some reason of which I have never fully understood. Ric Flair and Mick Foley had a short lived “issue” over something Ric wrote in his book or that Mick wrote in his book…I really have lost track of this less than earth shattering matter…but that’s really the only significant issue that comes to my mind. Perhaps that will change in the future and it really depends on how much “dirt” is thrown on a wrestler by another wrestler turned author. I look for more wrestlers to do more down and dirty “tell alls” as time goes by, as it seems the public can’t get enough of this sort of stuff. Kevin- Who is Austin Scott? Matthew- “Will Hart ever be in a WWE ring?” Which Hart are you referring to? Nick- Everyone, including you and me, can have a bad day. There has been and always will be wrestlers who do not function well for what ever reason around fans in an uncontrolled environment. I am not their keeper and neither are you, thank goodness for both of us, but sometimes we only hear one side of a negative experience when their are two sides of every story. I am in no way condoning unprofessional conduct by any wrestler, but as I have said before, some fans can be very relentless and obsessive when it comes to getting multiple items signed, taking unwanted photos with cell phones, and asking personal questions spawned by internet gossip. We should all try to be nice to each other no matter our vocation, but no human is perfect, unfortunately. Back in the early days of my career, if a wrestler wasn’t a fan favorite, he would NEVER sign an autograph because he WANTED the fans to hate him and buy tickets to see him get his ass handed to him by the local hero. Times have changed for the better. James/Scotland- I am pleased you enjoyed the show in Glascow and that you got to interact with HHH. Remember this….smart wrestlers, and wrestling personalities for that matter, learn to connect with the fans, if the individuals want to make it over the long haul. That is just being a smart business person, not to mention being a good human being. Grim- The internet has changed the way many genres are evaluated and perceived. Wrestling is right there among them. Most internet wrestling sites work hard to produce a good product and some have professionals running their operations, but many have to depend on part time journalists/writers, who have full time jobs but are fans of the product to contribute creatively to the sites. Based on today’s marketplace, controversy is what sells, and websites like TMZ make a fair buck selling “dirt” and gossip. Sensationalism isn’t a wrestling exclusive as the Nancy Graces, the Fox News talking heads, Real Sports, and politics in general of the world are knee deep in sensationalism, too. Mark and Christy-It is an honor for me to have the privilege of being on the Sooner sideline for OU Football games, I assure you. My wonderful wife, Jan, and I moved to Oklahoma to improve our quality of life and we have been successful in doing just that. She made a great sacrifice for me, one of many she has made on my behalf, as she is not a native Oklahoman, but is from Pittsburgh. That’s why Pittsburgh is such a special place for me. My wife has endured my various ups and downs with the biz and has never once questioned my vocation or my love of the whacky business I choose to make my career. That’s what happens when one is lucky enough to marry one’s best friend. I hope to see you at J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q soon. Samer- Does Stu Hart deserve to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Oh, Hell Yeah! That one is a definite no brainer. Deanuk- Has The Rock earned the right to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame? That too would be an “Oh, hell yeah!” When, is the only question, as no one may ever match the Rock’s natural charisma and his athleticism in the ring for years to come. Ed- I don’t know the details of why Daivari was released, but it may have been his idea. Perhaps he wanted to grow faster as a professional than he felt he was growing in the WWE. I think Daivari is a talented young man who is a true student of the game and is an intelligent individual, who will do well no matter where he hangs his hat, so to speak. Brandon- “What’s up with J.R. and Lilian?” That would be…..nothing, Brandon. Sometimes I am raring to go and she takes a little long finishing her ring introductions so perhaps I need a cup of Sanka or to simply take a deep breath or she needs to pick up the pace. Phil- Just like any performer, Stone Cold doesn’t like to read negative reviews of his work, but who would? Steve was extremely proud of his efforts and the finished product of “The Condemned” as he should have been. It was a helluva film, as is evidenced by the number of DVDs being sold as we speak. Austin is a perfectionist and will never be totally pleased with anything he does, as he always keeps working hard to do the perfect project which may well not exist. Pam- HHH was not on Raw Monday after experiencing the Umaga assault of a week earlier. However, there was plenty of HHH oriented material on the show as evidenced by Umaga’s exposure in the slobber-knocker beat down he gave the grappler from the UK. Plus, with HHH sidelined for that episode it allowed more spotlight to be focused on the returning HBK which is a good thing. Derek- We referred to HBK as “the Kid” Monday night because that was what the graphic said, which I assume was a shortened version of “The Heartbreak Kid”. OR…perhaps it is some covert, conspiracy theory of which I have been not been made privy to. Lynx- I am not aware of any outstanding young Aussie wrestlers the WWE is currently scouting, which certainly doesn’t mean that they aren’t. I would bet an autographed J.R.’s Cookbook and a stash of Beef Jerky that the WWE would LOVE to sign some top flight youngsters to train for the main rosters of the WWE. Australia is a major marketplace for the WWE and will be for years to come. Jeremy- I am sure that the King would love to wrestle more on TV if given the opportunity. He still enjoys the in ring stuff and would most likely rather wrestle than do commentary. Do I think that the Lawler/Booker incident occurring and then Booker leaving the WWE hurts Lawler? Absolutely not. Most fans have already forgotten that matter and have moved on to other issues. I do think that Lawler wrestling younger talents especially on the road at non televised events would be a great teaching aid for some of the younger wrestlers who need to slow down and use some logic in their approach to their craft. Thanks for checking in with us again and for telling a friend or two about our site. We appreciate those of you that have become customers as you help keep our site going. I wish others of you would take a moment to shop in our store as well. We are preparing several special offers including J.R.’s Gift Baskets for your many gift giving occasions. Be well and check back soon for more feedback. BOOMER SOONER! J.R.