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

Here's hoping everyone is having a good weekend. many of us are on basketball overload as the college hoops action on TV is seemingly everywhere. I enjoy tournaments as they are one of the most organic forms of episodic television. Let's get started with some random thoughts:

I had an interesting day Saturday as I  spent several hours in the emergency room with some sharp pains in my upper left chest. I had been experiencing these knife like pains for a few weeks but they also coincided with my return to the gym so I really didn't think any thing was that wrong. I made the mistake of mentioning this matter to my wife on Friday night and by Saturday morning I had no choice but to go to the hospital or be driven nuts by my over protective and loving bride. The diagnosis was walking pneumonia so it was a good thing that I followed her instincts. My Dad died of complications following a bout of pneumonia that went uncared for as Dad's lungs eventually filled with fluid which caused him heart failure at age 64. I plan on being in Corpus Christi Tuesday night for the last (thank goodness) Smackdown doubleheader of which the first program taped is Friday Night Smackdown # 500. 

Smackdown #500 is going to really be a loaded show from what i hear with talent from all three WWE brands and some of WWE's biggest stars making appearances including some involved in some major WM25 bouts. It should be a fun night for the fans in Corpus Christi on St. Patrick's Day. 

Monday night Raw from San Antonio is close to being sold out as I write this. This, too, should be a big night especially as it relates to the Road to Wrestlemania. It will be interesting to see how the San Antonio crowd treats the Undertaker who is teaming with hometown hero HBK against JBL and Vladimir Kozlov Monday night. I would suggest and hope that Taker is treated respectfully just as he has earned. HBK is 2-0 against the Undertaker in one on one matches including a Hell in a Cell victory and a Casket Match win.

Is there an IC Title bout in WM25's future now that JBL is the new Intercontinental Champion? How long has it been since there has been a hot, IC Title bout at Wrestlemania? Just like those old, Wolf Brand Chili commercials, "Well, that's too long." It will be difficult for any IC Title bout to ever overshadow Steamboat-Savage from WM3. Nonetheless it is good to see the IC Title get some "shine" at 'Mania if that does occur.

WM25 in Houston's Reliant Stadium is a real coup for Houston and will no doubt dump millions of new dollars into the strapped, Houston economy. One would hope that the city fathers and the folks at Reliant Stadium would embrace this event and I'm sure that they are.

Tickets for Wrestlemania 25 have topped the $6M mark and with selected seats still available this number will obviously grow. 

Speaking of tickets, just for my dollar tickets for the WWE Annual Draft is a hot ticket for Atlanta on Monday April 13.  Tickets for this event for the fans down Atlanta way are still available for which should be a major night in WWE's year. 

WWE has already sold out late April events in Dublin, Ireland (2), Glasgow, Scotland (2), and Strasbourg, France. Several other European markets are close to being sold out as well. For those readers in that part of the world, if you plan on seeing WWE live then I suggest you contact your local box office or ticket outlet for ticket info on these upcoming post Wrestlemania events. Many markets are "this close" to being sold out so don't delay.

Does Wrestlemania need celebrities dotting the broadcast? That question is usually discussed this time of the year. Some fans like to see celeb's in attendance, I know I do, but have often criticized celebrities being overly involved in major wrestling events. For example, Jay Leno wrestling was a little too much for me but then again I am terribly "Old School."

I mean, we have Slammy Award winning announcers, the lovely pair of Grisham & Striker, and the "World's Angriest Announcer" so what else would a body need?

Due to my bout with pneumonia, I laid low and caught the Will Ferrell special on HBO Saturday night and thought it was well done. Ferrell seemed to channel "Ricky Bobby" from Talladega Night fame which didn't bother me as I loved that film, "Shake 'n Bake." Come to think of it Ricky Bobby and George W do have a few things in common.

Scary moment for Rey Mysterio Saturday night as he tweaked his knee in a main event tag bout but is apparently o.k. from what I understand. Rey had to be helped to the locker room area and was administered to by WWE medical staff who were on site.  I have not heard any other news on Mysterio's knee status other than he was o.k. Saturday night but Sunday could bring other news as sometimes the next day tells a different story on joint injuries. 

I talked to Steve Austin a couple of times this weekend and he is excited about the opportunity to be in the cast of Sylvester Stallone's "The Expendables" which will begin filming in Brazil, I think he said, soon. Steve will have to commute from there to Houston for the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony of which he is the headliner. That's an even worse trip than the weekly trips many made while working in Bill Watts' Mid South Wrestling territory. I remember back in the day when I would earn a whopping 2 cents a mile from each passenger I had in my vehicle on these trips. Believe me, those few dollars were a big help back in the day but you would also be amazed at how many guys didn't want to willingly pay the few dollars they owed for their trans. I can assure you that no one aside from Randy Couture who's also in Stallone's cast will come close to the physical condition Steve is in. One of the things that made Steve Austin arguably the greatest WWE Champion ever was his focus and singular mindset to attack a project or an opponent, for example, head on. Steve has immersed himself in preparing as diligently as humanly possible to become as proficient in acting as he was inside a wrestling ring. I'm still taking the under on whether or not Austin writes a complete speech for the WWE HOF. He may have plenty to say but it will come from his heart and not from a piece of paper. I see bullet points and a speech from the heart of the Texas Rattlesnake (Thanks, J.R.) on Saturday night April 4. Not many tickets for the WWE HOF are still available and if you are thinking of going, and I strongly suggest that you do, check with the Toyota Center box office or ticket outlets in Houston ASAP. This is going to be a helluva night that one hour of TV can't do the proper justice in my view.

I have been asked to write a story for WWE Magazine with the subject being the 10 Greatest Matches that I have ever called. I am working on this list, and this isn't an easy task, but would love your top ten favorite "J.R. called bouts." 

Thanks for stopping by and for those of you who are shopping in our on line store and taking advantage of the packages we have assembled that include significant savings on the packages and the shipping of them. Take care.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.