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

I hope that every one is having a great weekend. It's a beautiful day here in Norman, Oklahoma as I prepare to travel to Cleveland late Monday afternoon to be a part of the Tuesday night festivities in "The King's" 2nd favorite city. Without further ado.....

Jeff Hardy and C.M. Punk had an excellent TV match Friday night on Smackdown with Punk winning and Hardy leaving.  For these two men to put forth the effort just hours after their TLC match at Summerslam is a personal and professional testament to both Jeff Hardy and C.M. Punk and their work ethic and passion for the business. 

My hat is off to each man for going above and beyond the call of duty for the fans.

Jeff will be away TFN for a much needed sabbatical,  for the lack of a better term. I think Jeff is being very wise in taking some time off of a business that has no official off season unless one makes one for one's self. Jeff has a myriad of interests outside wrestling which is also smart for any performer. No one should be one dimensional in their life and those that eat, sleep, and breath their jobs usually find that formula not to be healthy over the long haul.

Jeff has spoken of being a part  of a reality TV show in the past but that is still in the talking stages as I understand it and may or may not ever be green lighted.  Nonetheless Jeff Hardy has earned the time to do what ever he chooses and enjoy life while allowing his body to heal and recover. It's all about recharging one's batteries of which I have always endorsed for all talents.  

Chris Jericho has been a shining star since he returned from taking a year or so off to explore other projects of which he was interested. Jericho was always superb in whatever role he undertook but Chris has never been better, in my opinion, since returning from some time away from the wrestling business.

I often look back and am regularly reminded by my wife that in 16 years with WWE that I have filled out, to the best of my knowledge, one vacation request form. I never took a week off of Raw or whatever it was I was doing to go on vacation. I don't recommend this manic and obsessive pace to anyone and I need to do something to reverse this unhealthy trend. I have lost countless days of unused vacation time which is really senseless when one thinks about it. 

BTW I don't consider battling two bouts of Bells palsy, even though I was terminated after the first attack, or battling colon cancer issues and undergoing surgery that removed 13 inches of my large intestines and a tumor from my colon as "vacation time," for the record. Nonetheless I count my blessings every day for these and many other reasons. I still feel that I lived a blessed life.

Bottom line, is that I do expect to see Jeff Hardy back in a WWE ring some day but I have no idea when. Plus,  I could be wrong. Jeff may absorb himself in other projects of interest and not want to return to the never ending grind of in ring activities.

One can make an argument that Jeff has "wrestling in his blood" and that may well be true. I know when I hired the Hardy Boys that they were huge fans and just getting in a WWE ring was a huge thrill for the two brothers who have been life long fans and grew up watching Mid Atlantic and WWE Wrestling. 

Jeff Hardy has made me proud on many occasions but his performances the past few months have been amazing, awe inspiring and profoundly professional. 

No superstar, with no exceptions in my humble opinion, has been more popular than was Jeff Hardy with the WWE fan base the past several months.  

That's not bad for a kid who learned to wrestle on a trampoline and who used to make his own ring attire sitting at a sewing machine. 

Enjoy your time away Jeff and the door should always be open for your return.....but only on your terms and time table.

Interesting fight Saturday night in Portland when UFC legends collide in the main event. Former Oklahoma State Cowboy Randy Couture faces Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria in a heavyweight battle. Couture is a physical marvel at the age of 46 and still in freaky physical and mental condition. Randy weighed in at 220 while Nogueria, who is 13 years Couture's junior, tipped the Toledos at 231. This card doesn't captivate me but I will likely buy it any way simply because of my respect for Randy Couture and my interest in seeing how a 46 year old handles the octagon in what has to be one of his last, handful of bouts. Mother Nature never loses and when she decides to make some one tap that's what happens. If Couture wins, which isn't necessarily a lock, then Randy is right back in the chase for the UFC Heavyweight Title. Couture winning the Heavyweight Title again would be the equivalent of MMA rapture as no one in MMA has earned more respect from their fan base than has Randy Couture. 

Couple of quick notes.....no, Rey Mysterio will NOT be in Montreal performing at Breaking Point no matter what advertising you have or are seeing. Rey getting suspended by WWE is still so personally perplexing. I have no idea the circumstances nor have I discussed this matter with any one in WWE so all I know is that the rules were violated and the offender has been sent home without pay. The amount of money Rey will not earn as a result of this misstep and subsequent suspension is considerable and will likely be equal to the equivalent to an entire year's earnings for main event level talent back in the day. 

Classic Q&A question....Uh, no, I have NO interest in becoming Jack Swagger's manager. Less than NO interest. Please, stop the pain will you? That's all I need is to spend MORE time on the road and getting bounced around the ring at the age of 57. Duh. Plus, Swagger doesn't' need a manager not to mention the last time I looked WWE doesn't' utilize managers as many consider wrestling managers as too passé. Plus, my managerial skills would likely to be comparable to my wrestling skills....non existent.

In addition to working on a deal to do a weekly shot on Norman's KREF AM1400, which is available on the worldwide web, I am also in the process of finalizing a deal to do a weekly appearance with prestigious, Houston sports talk station 1560 The Game on Wednesdays with Sean and John talking Big 12 football and JR's BBQ. I'll have more details asap but the Houston appearance will likely start this Wednesday at 5 p.m. central and will be a 10-12 minute piece of business. 

Plus, I am scheduled to start a weekly, Friday morning appearance on the Fox 25 Morning Show in Oklahoma City also discussing football, JR's BBQ and whatever else comes up on the live show. Fox 25 is the OKC, Fox affiliate and produces one of the top rated, local news programs in the market. I'll keep you informed of the segment time as I think that it's accessible on the worldwide web as well. What isn't?

Busy but fun times lie ahead and I will get to promote our BBQ brand and talk a little college football and obviously WWE will be included, too.

Please don't forget to check out my weekly blog on www.wwe.com which can be found on the Smackdown page of the site. I think you will enjoy it and perhaps even get a chuckle or two out of it.   

Thanks for your continued business in our on line store as that is the ONLY way we can keep this site a float. Please keep us in mind for purchases for any occasion. BBQ Sauces, Chipolte Ketch and JR's Beef Jerky doesn't have a season and we think we make outstanding products. I would never put my image on a product just for the hell of it and to simply make an extra few dollars for the short haul. We make great products and you can decide for yourself if you give them a try. Thanks for your consideration. 

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.