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

My new Smackdown-based schedule allows for me to be at home on the weekends, which is a helluva perk for a budding restaurateur and for a guy who likes to see his young granddaughters. This is really the best work schedule that I have ever had and I am really happy that I wrote so many blogs about not wanting to move brands during the draft or, as "sources close to the decision makers" say, it might not have happened. :)

Yours truly will arrive in Baton Rouge early Tuesday morning for this week's Smackdown taping and will be home Wednesday morning which is a great travel schedule for this coming week. I also did some more research on the rumor that Smackdown was going to be changed to a live broadcast on Friday nights and my "sources close to the decision makers" say it is absolutely not going to happen. Take that as you may as some folks would rather believe rumor than factual info. more »

Friday Night Smackdown was a really fun show to tape Tuesday night in the Tulsa Convention Center and brought back some really great memories of yesteryear. My first time to ever step foot in a wrestling ring was in that arena to referee a 10 minute time limit draw between Mike George and Treach Phillips around 1974. Because Tulsa is finishing a new arena, the BOK Arena, next door to the Convention Center that will seat approximately 16-18,000 when it opens this fall, Tuesday night's SD taping was likely the last wrestling event ever in the old home of the UWF. Too bad the "Big Cowboy" wasn't there but Bill Watts is not a big fan of wrestling these days and Bill not attending Tuesday night did not surprise me. One a side note, I mistakenly walked into a storage closet which I mistook for a make shift office that was one door over and I remembered "busting" a well known wrestler smoking pot in that room well over 20 years ago. My how times have changed. There was not "Dr. Black" back in the day....unfortunately. If you listen to the commentary Friday night with Mick Foley and me, you just might mine some interesting nuggets out of the show which very well could bring a smile to your face. Mick and I are working diligently to improve our commentary and we remain steadfast with our goal of becoming the best broadcast duo on any WWE TV program. One of my mentors, the late, WWE HOF'er Gorilla Monsoon used to tell people not to break their arms patting themselves on their back and I don't want to do that but I am confident that our mission statement will come to pass much "Sooner" than expected. I will say this, there is much more in ring action on Smackdown than Monday Night Raw which fits my wrestling tastes to a "T". This Friday's show is no exception and if you are sidetracked by July 4th activities, as many of us likely will be, please record the show and view it at your leisure. I saw one Internet report that said it was a great event to attend and another fan who took the opposite point of view. It is certainly subjective but I felt that this week's Smackdown was really solid and that, hopefully, the commentary will add a little something extra to the presentation that the fans attending live did not get. Lots of erroneous info being floated out there about what "J.R. earns" as if it is anyone's business what another person earns. Some of the numbers that I saw was old data based on when I was a corporate officer in the WWE, an Executive Vice President, of which that ceased in about 2004 as best as I recall. With no longer being a EVP, it also means that one doesn't receive stock options or stock grants being in the role of an Advisor, as I currently am. Someone dug out old info and used it as if it was current but why let the facts get in the way of a good tale? Nonetheless, I have made a great living in the WWE and unlike some of my peers have saved most of that money and have been fortunate enough to make some sound investments. No "poor me" B.S. here but what many of you have been reading isn't accurate info, if that matters to you. I assure you that I was never "over paid" when I was in the corporate world, at least in my less than objective opinion, but I was always fairly compensated. Now, do I think that I am underpaid in today's climate? Oh, Hell Yeah! Don't most of us that have jobs feel that way? Remember, it is all about the "MON-NAY"! Also another interesting theory floating around out there in 'rasslin gossip world is this one, "those close to the decision making process" have said that these blogs helped perpetuate me moving from Raw to Smackdown via the WWE Draft. That's another one that is a little hard to digest but it sure does make for some interesting reading I suppose. If those "close to the decision making process" are talking freely to outside sources then how trustworthy are these people? Secondly, at the end of the day, I think I went to Smackdown for the right reasons although I obviously did not like it initially. "What else could McMahon do? J.R. essentially challenged the Chairman inasmuch as J.R. said he wasn't going to change brands." I do not think that me moving to Smackdown was done for any reason except that the WWE wants to enhance the brand, make it more viable and more of an asset to the company in the very important and competitive world of network television. Who's to say that IF Friday Night Smackdown is successful over time on MyNetwork that the show couldn't move to Fox Network to join other franchises like the NFL and NASCAR? It is certainly possible if the ratings warrant such. Yes, I personally feel I have been dealt some challenging hands in the past, but who hasn't in their lives, but I absolutely do not think that this is one of them. But you know what, just believe whatever in the hell you want because all I know is that I am having a great time and have no issues paying the utility bills of which I am VERY grateful. It's also humorous to read that "the WWE can't rely on J.R. forever." True. But who can the WWE or any other company for that matter rely on "forever"? Manure like this just serves as motivation for a hard headed, competitive, old school guy like me. Read a rumor where Friday Night Smackdown may go "live" several times a year which is also new news to me. I feel it is "highly unlikely" that this will happen but time will tell I suppose. My money is on that it won't happen with the exception being the Friday night prior to WM25 in Houston. Even if it does, I have no issue with it as long as I don' t have to miss any OU Football games then the Friday night business could become an issue. :) For the record, I talked to people even closer to those close to the decision makers and they don't think this will happen either except on a rare occasion. It is too expensive and would take completely retooling the schedule. Plus those who know the match results from the Tuesday tapings is such a small # that who cares? I found it somewhat insulting that TMZ's website would discount Mark Henry's athletic abilities and entertainment skills pretty much in total by inferring that Henry became ECW Champion simply because of his ethnicity. Henry's entire career has been marred by injuries plus let's not confuse the difference in a traditional wrestler with a wrestling "attraction" a la Andre The Giant which is what Mark Henry is in my professional opinion, an attraction. Mark deserves this opportunity because he has earned it and now it will be up to Mark to raise his game and run with the ball. Henry's "look" and verbal skills intrigue me. Hats off to HHH and Jeff Hardy who are headed to Peru of all places to wrestle once as I understand it before returning to the USA. That's the damnedest "one off" I have ever heard of and HHH and Jeff should be commended for making a hellacious round trip for one event. Nice to see former OU starting QB Paul Thompson, who has signed with the Tennessee Titans, at the Tulsa Smackdown Taping Tuesday night. ECW's Atlas Ortiz, if that is his real name, once played college football for Tulsa University and played on the Golden Hurricane team that upset Oklahoma prior to my friend Bob Stoops taking over the Sooner program in 1999. Nice ratings for Raw Monday night and congrats to all including Michael Cole who is a great friend and who is a guy who deserves the success that's coming his way. During the first part of the program which started out in just over 3 million households, over 400,000 new households joined in the shenanigans in the first 15 minutes that involved yours truly, Edge, Batista, and C.M. Punk. Thanks for checking out our blog. Don't forget my weekly column on the Smackdown site at www.wwe.com. We also appreciate everyone's business. I am looking forward to heading to the heart of the old Mid South Wrestling territory next week for Smackdown, having a little Gumbo, visiting with old friends, and, no doubt, telling a few Ernie Ladd and JYD stories. Be well everyone. BOOMER SOONER! J.R.

As I write this I am preparing to drive from Norman to Tulsa, a two hour drive, to broadcast Friday Night Smackdown for air this Friday night. This will be my first broadcast in the Tulsa Civic Center in over 20 years since the UWF days of Cowboy Bill Watts. I have great memories of that period of my professional life highlighted by Steve "Dr. Death" Williams ascension to becoming UWF Champion and having epic and physical battles with Big Bubba Rogers aka The Big Bossman and the One Man Gang. I wonder how many guys in the business today could or would hold up to the physicality that Watts demanded back in the day. I have a feeling that some "superstars" would fold their tents and head to the house with "injuries" because few men can or feel motivated to maintain the physical style of wrestling that Watts demanded on a regular basis. This will be my second Smackdown with my new color analyst Mick Foley and we should be better than we were last week which I did not think was a bad effort. Developing chemistry takes time and I know without fail we will arrive at that desired destination as it is just a matter of when not if. Let's hope the Smackdown trend of having more wrestling than talk continues. Talk is great but the more talk the less the talk means and TV viewers are simply regular human beings with lots of their plate who have short attention spans and have 142 hours to devote to their lives until the next two hour wrestling broadcast. Point being is that less talk will mean more and will be better remembered and all talk should lead to something directly related to the program preferably "tonight's" program. At least that's my two cents on that topic. The Night of Champions ended up being a solid, decent investment of a PPV and the huge crowd at the American Airlines Center selected the matches in which they emotionally invested and supported them in kind. I thought the last two title bouts of the evening were especially top notch and apparently the live audience did as well as they seemed to be into them. Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman and her son and pal who were my guests in Dallas, I know, had a great time at the live event. Being able to address the crowd in OKC was a nice opportunity that is greatly appreciated on my end. OKC grossed north of $400K with well over 11,000 fans on hand which is more than attended the WWE's first PPV in the market, Unforgiven, a couple of years ago. I know our Bar-B-Q place in Norman had a HUGE day of which we are thankful. I had a challenging time getting through the in ring promo as a million thoughts were running through my mind about my years on Raw, especially my OKC experiences, beginning my career in my home state, etc. I did not "write" any thing down to say nor did any one else if you are keeping score at home or simply just need to know that info. From what I understand neither did Edge. Certainly Raw was an unpredictable program which has been its trademark over the years which is essentially the reason it is live every week. The OKC crowd was hot and helped make this roller coaster ride of a program a really fun TV show to watch. I know that WWE broadcast 1A :) will continue to be like Monday night. 1A. Many of the WWE superstars and staff were at J.R.'s Family Bar-B-Q in Moore Monday night after the show and many of us left there after 2 a.m. which was after the WWE group was well fed and had a great time. The Raw talent don't leave OKC until 5 p.m. Tuesday at which time they will fly to DFW and then onto Santiago, Chile. I'm glad it is them and not me traveling this week and I also suggest that the travelers hang close to their hotel rooms from what info I have read and the information that the Superstars have received about this tour. Please, no nasty emails or comments about Chile, Peru, etc. I'm just providing the facts ladies and gentlemen. BTW the J.R.'s in Moore opens July 14. WWE Superstars HHH, Mick Foley, Jerry Lawler, Tazz and Smackdown GM Vickie Guerrero and her daughters plus the duo of the Brooklyn Brawler and new author Bruno Lauer all stopped by J.R.'s in Norman during the day Monday which is greatly appreciated by the Ross' and our "Q" team. It will be interesting to see how the new members of Smackdown step up on this week's show to capitalize on the opportunity to make a positive "first impression". I hope this TV taping rocks Tulsa like we used to do on two Sunday nights a month when basically everything happened in the ring which kept the fans in attendance emotionally attached to the show and never let them "relax". Thanks for checking out the site and for your business. Take care. Boomer Sooner! J.R. All is good in the land of Smackdown and Bar-B-Q.

We have finalized the date for J.R.'s #2 to open at the 19th street exit off I-35 in Moore, Oklahoma to be Monday July 14. Luckily for me I will be able to be there with the Smackdown tapings being on Tuesdays. Now that I don't go out of town every Sunday, my football season, as far as traveling to away Sooner games and watching the NFL on Sundays at one of our restaurants, is not only possible but will happen. I've been reading about recent NWA news and it is hard for me to relate to today's NWA even remotely resembling the original version and that is said with no offense to those who are diligently working with today's organization. With out all the great territories who had weekly, first run TV shows in syndication that usually garnered great ratings featuring some of the biz's biggest stars, it just "feels" like an indy organization with a famous name. I am a big proponent of all wrestling doing well including the hard working folks at Ring of Honor but there will never be another true NWA, Mid South, Georgia Championship Wrestling, World Class, etc due to the financial make up of today's business which cable TV has enabled for one or two (that's being optimistic) wrestling companies to earn money and stay a float. I do admire the individuals who are attempting to keep the NWA name alive and sincerely wish them the best of luck but that ship seems to have sailed to me but if these folks can make it work to their satisfaction than my black hat is off to them. Nice interview recently with Jake Roberts whose sobriety is more important to me personally than any thing else in his life. A clear headed Roberts has a brilliant mind and it will amaze me at some point if Jake's creativity isn't utilized to some point if for nothing else to provide creative decision makers grocery lists of ideas or scenarios that take place over an extended period of time for a specific talent. Not in the too distant past, long term, creative planning was the order of the day. Young creative types can learn a great deal from experienced, focused and naturally creative men like Jake Roberts even if it is for the short term. Recently I had to look up the definition of what a "Faustian Bargain" meant. I think that's the first time that I recall the words "J.R." and "Faustian Bargain" were ever used in the same sentence. Unique analogy to say the least. Oklahoma City's RAW has already sold more tickets for Monday than was sold for the WWE's only PPV in the market, "Unforgiven" a couple of years ago. Beth Phoenix and yours truly did a whirlwind media tour Friday from 5:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. that included hitting every TV station in the market, many radio stops, and two personal appearances. Plus, the Daily Oklahoman did a nice piece on yours truly on Friday that you can check out by going to www.newsok.com and clicking on the sports section. I expect several WWE Smackdown talents to stop at JR's Family Bar-B-Q in Norman just off I-35 at exit 109 on Monday while many of them drive to Tulsa for Tuesday's Smackdown taping. I will be at our Norman store on Monday but will certainly be at the Ford Center to watch and enjoy Monday Night Raw. This is a huge event for our home base and I feel like I have a vested interest in the success of the WWE's longest running TV program. Yes, I do "carefully word" my blogs, Mr. Stone, and you did notice that I did not say "A" show as we Smackdown guys have something to say about that matter which will become abundantly clear in a matter of weeks. The big crowd at OKC's Ford Center will be red hot Monday night and their signs could be most entertaining...at least for some. I hope the OKC fans are hot and loud which helps any broadcast. For the record, the Ford Center does sell cold beer. Ah, red necks and beer quite the combo. :) For many years, it seems I spent every other Sunday night at the Tulsa Convention Center taping UWF Wrestling produced by Cowboy Bill Watts. This Tuesday marks the first time that I have been back at that arena to broadcast wrestling in what I think is about 20 years, maybe more. Nonetheless, what a nostalgic feel it will be to walk out to the broadcast position Tuesday night in my original, home market. We just need Danny Hodge, Dr. Death, General Scandar Akbar, The Freebirds, Dick Murdoch, Killer Karl Kox, Colonel Buck Robley, the One Man Gang, Eddie Gilbert's Hot Stuff International, the occasional visit from the Von Erich's and of course the Junk Yard Dog to make the evening magically complete. My broadcast partner back in those days of the UWF was Michael Hayes who was one of the most underrated color commentators of any generation. Like I used to say to Paul Heyman, Hayes' TV persona was terribly easy to dislike which made working with him fun and unpredictable. Of course if the Big Cowboy was in the back raising hell and cursing like a sailor to any and all the even would be perfect. I will have a complete blog of my Sunday jaunt to Dallas for Night of Champions in a matter of hours. Thanks for checking out the site which is intended to be here to help us sell Bar-B-Q products unless some of our less intelligent readers haven't gotten that one yet. For those of you that have gotten that point and have become customers please accept our gratitude and sincere thanks. BOOMER SOONER!! J.R. For our first full broadcast together, I felt like Mick Foley and I had a solid outing but we still have plenty of work to do but the goal is still the same...to become the absolute best broadcast duo on TV all the while helping the program we work on become the clear cut # 1 broadcast of its kind on TV.

It is always good to visit Texas for yours truly as it's one of the closer road trips I have to take living here in Norman, Oklahoma. San Antonio is an awesome city and the WWE HQ hotel there was the Hyatt on the River Walk which was a superb locale. Plus, the Hyatt wasn't under renovation, which broke a recent string of several hotels we have stayed in that were "under construction to better serve you". Of course, the Annual WWE Draft spawned several sensational, Internet stories and conspiracy theories about why people were drafted to particular brands, etc. I have read that I knew that I was leaving Monday Night Raw prior to the draft. Wrong. I had no clue as to the move....had no travel booked to go to Houston, including no hotel room there booked prior to Tuesday nor did I take an extra suit to wear Tuesday night as I thought I was coming home, as usual. Thanks to Southwest Airlines I made it to Houston by the middle of the afternoon and then had to go purchase a new suit. After seeing about a zillion TV commercials where GeorgeZimmer touts his Men's Warehouse Stores and how they can help a man out who is in need of emergency apparel, I gave them a try. Men's Warehouse came through just as they say they will on their ads, which was greatly appreciated. However, at the end of the day people are going to believe what they choose and why should they let the truth in the way of a good story? There has also been some amazing stories that "J.R." is in some way a part of the Mr. McMahon business that occurred on Monday Night Raw at the end of the evening in San Antonio. Unless these amateur Oliver Stone's have "inside sources" that are feeding them info that I have not heard this one is also another lame theory. My "angry blog" earlier this week was admittedly ill advised, but it was honest on my end, even though I broke one of my own cardinal rules of writing, never write when angry. That's not advisable for anyone who writes for public consumption. I tend to look at thingsun-objectively when I'm P.O.'ed and the result is usually a "poor me" piece of business. I hear that some folks within the WWE were all over this particular "angry blog" and wanted to make sure that the heavy hitters in the company were aware of my "ire". Of course, many of these sycophants acquit themselves by saying, "I'm just doing my job." Right. The second blog was written while I was sitting in the San Antonio Airport during a flight delay to Houston and had calmed down and took a more objective look at the opportunity that was presented to me by moving to Smackdown. I have a chance to contribute to the essential re-branding of the network program that could lead to bigger and better things for the company that pays the Ross' "light bill". Because this piece was largely positive, I would assume that the WWE suits were not made aware of this bit of journalism but that's only one man's take on a matter that really, at the end of the day, isn't that big an issue. I have also read where I have "changed my tune" which is essentially true, I suppose, but this "change of tune" wasn't a result of being reprimanded as some have suggested but simply a matter of cooler heads (mine) prevailing. However, the reprimand theory does make for a better story. As a football fan, moving to Tuesday's is going to really be nice as I will be able to hang at one of our restaurants and enjoy the NFL on Sundays not to mention enjoy the Oklahoma Sooner fans who are in town on home game weekends. Plus, travel to the UK, for example, will not mean I have to juggle OU Football and flights and arrive on Monday morning as I have in the past and then broadcast Raw on Monday evening there. I can leave Sunday night or Monday morning and still get my work done. But still at the end of the day, this is simply a wrestling announcer moving from one show to the other and really nothing else. Much like theNBA's Allen Iverson once said about "practice," the same analogy can be made about this issue. It's a "wrestling announcer" changing addresses. The vast majority of TV viewers, in all candor, do not tune in to hear a particular announcer broadcast a show anyway. Some "might" but if the product sucks and is lacking in wrestling then the channel changer is in full force....favorite announcer or not. My first Smackdown experience with Mick Foley was well received internally and I thought it showed that we have the potential to be an entertaining team. We will work diligently to get better each week. Much like The King and I, Mick and I are great friends with a great deal of mutual respect which is not in long supply in this business. With that foundation to build upon, there is no reason that we can't evolve along with the Smackdown brand itself which as anyone can see has a viable, new roster with many fresh faces and a much higher corporate priority than it ever has. Be sure and check out www.wwe.com for all the roster changes. I hope that you will check out Smackdown Friday night and chime in with your thoughts on the announcing on the show. There was more in ring wrestling to call than I have been used to on Raw which was nice. Texas has been good to the WWE for a long time, not to mention all the great Texas bred talent that the WWE and the biz in general as featured over the years, but at the box office also. Over the past few days, Amarillo, San Antonio, and Houston were all sold out or near capacity. Those 3 markets alone grossed just under $1M Sunday-Tuesday. LasCruces and Albuquerque also did well over the weekend selling almost 20,000 tickets for the two events. Dallas has sold out the American Airlines Center Sunday for the "Night of Champions" and let's hope that the in ring wrestling product delivers to these great WWE fans. It will also be interesting to see what announcers call what matches. That will likely be decided Sunday. I have many friends attending the event Sunday in Dallas including basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman along with her son T.J. and some of his pals. Plus the former MVP of the Orange Bowl and former OU Sooner DB "Dr." Bud Hebert who really should take the Mrs. and me to Del Frisco's on Saturday night for one a great steak. I also expect to see long time friend and former business associate Dennis Brent, and his wife Lynn, at the event. Dennis is hooking up with Mick Foley over the weekend as Dennis has an awesome collection of wrestling memorabilia and is getting ready to launch a website featuring much of his collectibles and swag. Monday night I absolutely plan on attending the OKC Raw as how could it be an OKC Raw without me getting my ass kicked in some shape form or fashion? :) Seriously, this is a major event for my home market and one that I am supporting as tirelessly as possible especially considering that the ticket header says "The WWE and J.R.'s Family BBQ present Monday Night Raw". I have a ticket but please don't ask me for any comps as I am fresh out....wow I did not realize I had so many friends. As a matter of fact the Monday Night Raw Superstars and crew will enjoy catering from J.R.'s Family BBQ on Monday and many Smackdown folks are planning on stopping by our original store Monday which is at exit 109 at I-35 and Main in Norman. OKC's Ford Center, which will be the home for Seattle's NBA team at some point in the future, is a great facility and I expect more fans to attend this Raw based on advance ticket sales than any event ever promoted by the WWE in OKC including the Unforgiven PPV of a couple of years ago. I will be doing a ton of media for this event on Friday in OKC with "TheGlamazon" who will join me for lunch at J.R.'s Family Bar-B-Q in Norman around 1 p.m. Friday. With Smackdown heading to Tulsa next Tuesday, it will give me the opportunity to broadcast a wrestling show from the Tulsa Convention Center which was the home base of Bill Watts'UWF Wrestling TV show and the site of some great nights of in ring physicality. I don't think that I have personally broadcast a wrestling match in Tulsa in over 20 years. Perhaps the "Big Cowboy" will show up and do a "walk in" and let some poor soul run into Cowboy's rather large fist. Just like old times. Thanks for checking out our site and for all the support that I have received this week. It has been an eventful week, including receiving emails that said I was going to "burn in hell" for working for the WWE, calling me Vince McMahon's bit*h, that I am a "sell out" and on and on. Classy and courageous stuff, eh? However, I have received much more support than the negative, wise ass remarks and feedback that I have see on some websites. Let me simply say that all is good in Norman, I assure you. My health is good, my family is great, our new, bigger restaurant in Moore, Oklahoma will be open soon and business in our original store in Norman is awesome. Plus, the Sooners are having hellacious summer workouts. And last but not least I am still involved in wrestling which has made up a large part of my life over the past 34 years and with a new challenge a head of me. Nice way to recharge the batteries and see where the next phase of my career takes me. Boomer Sooner! J.R.

Changes in one’s life take some adjusting to especially at my stage of the game. This week I received an unexpected change in my professional address. Within hours of writing an emotional blog, I am positively moving on. I am going to do all I can to make Smackdown the best program the WWE produces. Working side by side with Mick Foley should be fun. It will be entertaining I assure you. Mick is a great friend and a man I greatly respect. The Smackdown roster is loaded with exceptional talent and the WWE wants the brand to grow and I intend to do all that I can in my role to facilitate that growth. The abruptness of the “trade” shocked me. I most likely responded in a non professional way in the eyes of some fans. That’s their prerogative and each has the right to their opinion, As do I. Not to be cliche, but wrestling has been great to my family and me. I owe it to the business to “man up” and to kick ass on Smackdown. That’s my plan. My emotions are what they are and I will not apologize for my candor or honesty. My feathers were ruffled...poor me. I still bring bona fide passion to every broadcast and fully expect to deliver come show time. As I write this I am in the midst of some travel delays, but I will definitely be in Houston and will be looking forward to “business picking up”. I will practice what I have preached and feel that after sleeping on this major change all things happen for a reason. Life is good. My tank has been re-fueled. Let’s have some fun. For those of you that were offended by my earlier rant I apologize. For those that think “old J.R.” can’t get the job done, I suggest you sit back and watch. I wish my good pal The King and Michael Cole great success but my professional priority is to help Smackdown kick ass. In more ways than one, “the game is on”. Boomer Sooner! J.R.

As many of you know, I was “drafted” to Smackdown Monday night in the “random lottery”. Obviously that means I will be leaving Monday Night Raw and my long time partner Jerry Lawler. I am not happy about this surprise development. I also contemplated calling it a career Monday night and not going to Houston to tape SD. After speaking with my wife and thinking on this matter until 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, I have decided to do the right thing for the fans who care and the talent who care and begin my new assignment. It has been explained to me that the WWE’s Smackdown tenure on My Network is a high priority within the corporation. Allegedly, my presence is needed in that effort. Many are speculating about when I learned of this development...the same time those of you were watching at home. I should have detected something with the demeanor of certain individuals either thru their plastic, poker faces or the perceived smirk that I thought I might have seen on some of their faces during the day. As far as going to Connecticut each week to do Smackdown post production, that’s not going to happen. Either Mick Foley can handle it or the WWE can install a DSL line in my home to facilitate the work. I will miss working with the King as the wrestling biz is one in which a guy can count his legit friends on one hand...even after a 30 plus year career. King has been like a brother to me....albeit an “older brother”. ;) We will remain friends no matter that our team has been corporately imploded. I believe that I have been strongly loyal to the WWE no matter the hands that were dealt to me over the years. In my tenure there I have earned a good living of which I am thankful. I will fulfill my commitments that I have made because unlike many in the business, my word is still my bond. I can’t predict how long my Smackdown tenure will be, but I can promise that no matter how long or short it is that I will do my utmost best while sitting at ringside. I am not the kind of man who will “phone in” a damn thing. My sincere thanks to all of you who have supported me on RAW over the years. I hope I was able to provide you a memory or two. Hopefully, we can create new memories now on Smackdown. Based on my professional experiences, I look at each broadcast as potentially my last, which helps keep me motivated. So with that said we begin another chapter in my crazy life in the unpredictable world of ‘rasslin. I still plan on attending RAW in my home market of OKC next Monday and I hear that tickets are still available. Any one have any extras? Boomer Sooner! J.R.

The shows that yours truly was a part of on Thursday night are going to likely be as controversial as any ever featured on the Legends Roundtable....that is if they air close to what was actually said during the 3 plus hour taping session.   No holds barred might be a nice way to describe the marathon taping session. But a helluva lot of fun, too. I am not sure when these programs will air on WWE 24/7 but I do strongly suggest you stay tuned. Without question, for my money any way, WWE 24/7 is the best bang for your wrestling buck out there.    I arrived almost an hour late after traveling a total of 12 hours from OKC to LaGuardia Airport in New York City, Mother Nature is undefeated and the airline industry is on the cusp of chaos, so we all went right to work as soon as I walked in the studio.   The two subjects to be discussed were "wrestling's greatest factions" and "the most significant moments in wrestling history". Both topics were so diverse that 2-3 shows could have been devoted to each topic.   The panel consisted of our Host, Mean Gene Okerlund, Ric Flair, Mick Foley, Tazz (substituting for a vacationing JBL) and yours truly. There were, without question, some controversial statements made on this program especially from the always entertaining and outspoken Flair who was in rare form especially after being on the road so many days away from home in his role of WWE Goodwill Ambassador. Ric was entertainingly "on edge" and it showed when he talked about many aspects of Turner's WCW especially his candid thoughts on the NWO being considering as one of wrestling's greatest factions. A faction, by our definition, is a group of three individuals or more who stay together long enough to develop name identity and earn a discernible track record.   There was a great deal of 4 Horsemen stories that were told which were highly entertaining and I hope that they make air especially a couple that Ric and I told which hopefully will be suitable for VOD. I want to point out that these stories took place when I was a single man living in Atlanta....for the record.     Each panelist was asked to name their favorite or top three factions/groups based on selling tickets, delivering in the ring, TV ratings, etc. This created some interesting debate, often times spirited, from the diverse albeit entertaining individuals who comprised the panel including Mean Gene who was in rare form as well. The panel was also asked to list their three all time least favorite factions which again got the debate rolling.   For example, I mentioned that the Spirit Squad was one of my least favorite presentations, not because of the individuals within the group who actually worked hard and had/have talent, but because the representation of "evil" or bad-ass male cheerleaders didn't do it for me. That theory was met, believe it or not, with significant, opposing view points.   Lots of groups were discussed in some degree of detail especially the NWO which got some deserved props and some not so flattering endorsements, the 4 Horsemen, the original DX, the Heenan Family, Gary Hart's Army, Devastation Incorporated and the Hart Foundation that included Brian Pillman, which I brought up as I recalled the amazing atmosphere that was created at the Calgary Stampede one year in the main event that saw the Hart Foundation rock the house.   There will be apparently another show devoted to the "most significant moments in wrestling history" as one hour is not nearly enough time to adequately cover this topic. We discussed every thing from the development of Lou Thesz beginning with his first title win in 1937, the forming of the NWA, Bruno Sammartino beating Buddy Robers in 1963, Hogan defeating the Iron Sheik that launched Hulkamania, the Austin/Mr. McMahon/Attitude era, the WWE going national, the advent of the term "sports entertainment", the 1997 Montreal Survivor Series (which sparked a great deal of debate but I am personally tired of addressing this matter because I think the world of both Bret Hart and HBK and am quite frankly ready to tap-out about this moment in time), and even the WWE buying out the WCW highlighted by Shane McMahon appearing on Monday Nitro.   After all the ups and downs for yours truly during my tenure with WCW the last voice heard on a Nitro broadcast was mine which is somewhat ironic but I don't think it was mentioned as it certainly doesn't belong in any discussion of any highlights in wrestling history.   Off camera we all talked about Monday night's 3 hour Draft on Monday Night Raw on the USA Network which starts at 8/7 central which is one hour earlier than usual. Not one person on the panel or the crew had any concrete information as to what WWE Superstars were going where. I swear that I don't think that even as I write this on Saturday that the draft has been finalized. If you are like many wrestling fans, including me, and like surprises then Monday night is certainly the night for you. I would wager a case of "J.R.'S BBQ Sauce" that virtually no talent knows for sure what fate awaits them come Monday night. Indeed speculation is running rampant regarding Monday's Annual WWE Draft but that's all it is or can be at this point....speculation.   I was asked by a WWE fan in the DFW Airport on Friday afternoon if I thought any of the announcers would be drafted and I answered "no" because at the end of the day does any one truly care who announces what brand and the same goes for the referees. I would be shocked to see any draft pick wasted on an announcer or a referee as WWE fans want to see major superstars change addresses and begin new rivalries along with making fresh matches. I still hope that trades are incorporated in this presentation including driving traffic to WWE.com with "after hours" trades which might give some wrestlers a chance to make a fresh start, so to speak.    We drove by our new restaurant Friday afternoon to check on the project and it is really looking awesome. Most of the memorabilia has been hung on the walls which makes our second J.R.'s Family Bar-B-Q Restaurant even more special. We will have it open in Moore, Oklahoma in about 3 weeks but definitely after the July 4th holiday.   Next Friday, yours truly will join Mr. Kennedy in OKC for a media day and a couple of appearances including a lunch at J.R.'s BBQ in Norman around noon. I will provide you the complete schedule on our next blog which will likely be our post draft thoughts unless there is late breaking news between now and when I leave for San Antonio on Sunday afternoon.   Thanks for reading and for shopping in our on line store. Our Beef Jerky sales have been especially awesome and we thank you for it. Boomer Sooner! J.R.

Is there a right answer when one asks the question of who is the greatest group in pro wrestling history? I think it might depend on where one lived at their height of being a wrestling fan and what TV shows said fan watched regularly. Certainly the NWO, DX, Evolution and the 4 Horsemen would get votes from many of today's fans. In the WWE such groups as The Nation of Domination, the Corporation, The Corporate Ministry, and The Brood, among others had their moments as well. Several stars spun out of these groups to become single stars which is why it amazes me that this philosophy isn't incorporated more on today's Raw, Smackdown, or ECW. Smackdown's Edge lead "Familia" is the closest thing to this concept I can think of off the to of my head. The Human Oddities would not have made my list and belonged more on the Howard Stern show than on Monday Night Raw. But, as usual, I digress. What about other groups that made their mark in the business such as Gary Hart's Army in Florida, General Scandar Akbar's Devastation Incorporated in the UWF and in Texas, Paul Heyman's Dangerous Alliance in Turner's WCW, the Heenan Family in the AWA, Jimmy Hart's Army in Memphis, the Fabulous Freebirds, and the Hart Foundation? This list just touches the surface of the factions or groups that had an impact on the pro wrestling business over the years. This list is far from complete but there is enough here to get one thinking. I would personally like to see some of the WWE's young wrestlers, especially the second generation ones, form an entity and see what cream rises to the top over time. Plus it would provide some new TV faces which never hurts. We will be talking on an upcoming WWE 24/7 Legends Roundtable program about the most significant moments in wrestling history. This is really a loaded subject and as subjective as one can find. Could it have been in 1937 when the great Lou Thesz won his first world's title that began to establish Thesz as the benchmark star in the wrestling business? What about the formation of the NWA in the late 40's which actually organized a multitude of wrestling promoters for the first time to such an extent and that changed the course of pro wrestling? Would the Great Moolah winning her title in the mid 50's that she seemingly held forever make the list especially as it relates to Moolah's gender? What about Bruno Sammartino beating Buddy Rogers to become the WWWF Champion in 1963? That's a significant milestone in my book. The start of Bob Backlund's long title reign has to be on the list too. So does Ric Flair's first NWA Title victory. Hulk Hogan beating the Iron Sheik which started Hulkamania which was a boom for the entire business is a lay up. Ted Turner putting Georgia Championship Wrestling on Super Station TBS was a milestone. Hell, the WWE going national which signaled the end for many local promotions has to be one of the most significant moments in wrestling history. The Monday Night Wars was a highlight in the history of the biz as was WCW going out of business with a whimper after roaring through the late 90's. The Austin era could certainly be considered significant as it lead the "Attitude Era" of wrestling away from kids and more toward young, adult men. And on and on. This is one topic that we could debate and discuss for hours, perhaps even days. This subject should make for a great TV show but I think it will be challenging to do it justice in a one hour broadcast. I am a fan of WWE 24/7 as many of you know and think it is the best bang for one's wrestling buck out there today. I have some friends who have seen advance copies of "Get Smart" and have raved about it. I was a quick behind the scenes look at the making of "Get Smart" and it looked like a hit to me. Dwayne Johnson has always had a great sense of humor and working with Steve Carell should really allow Dwayne's comic abilities shine. While in the WWE "The Great One' was one of the funniest guys behind the scenes on the roster and his quick wit was one of the things that appealed to yours truly when we signed him to his first WWE contract. Plus the fact that he was an athletic freak of nature and had natural timing did not hurt things either. I have enjoyed re-living many of the memories "The Rock" made in the WWE on his new DVD but I am not going to miss "Get Smart" which allows me to go to the movies with the Mrs. and not have to see a "chick flick". BTW, Dwayne wrote the foreword for Bruno Lauer's new book, "Wrestling with the Truth" which was a classy thing to do. A friend of mine sent me a link to a website where a fan, I assume, stated that if there was no Hogan that there would be no J.R. Boy is my late father going to be pissed. Speaking of the beleaguered Hogan's....I have great empathy for the entire and unfortunate situation especially for the young man who was so severely injured in the car crash but for the media to bring Hulk's divorce and personal life into this tragedy seems like piling on to me. I still think Hogan got bad advice going on the "Larry King Show" last week but that's just one man's opinion. I certainly would suggest that Hulk lay low and let the process play out but the same can be said for the media that wants to exploit all aspects of the Hogan family. O.K., I got it....there is no "the" in Ring of Honor. My mistake. I would like to blame The Mike Adamle for the over use of the word "the" but it's simply my mistake. Apparently the WWE grossed approximately $5M on their recent tour of New Zealand and Australia. I still remain steadfast in my belief that the New York Giants talented, big time tight end Jeremy Shockey, from Ada, Oklahoma still wants out of New York just as I mentioned here many weeks ago. I thought the G-Men would have traded Shockey by now especially after his latest shouting match with Giants G.M. Jerry Reece. Sounds like the fiery Shockey is trying to move his exit along. It will be shocking if Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, an old school guy, allows this matter to fester especially with his team being the defending Super Bowl Champions. Just as in wrestling, if a guy doesn't want to be on the team, work out the best deal you can and help him move on and eliminate the chance for any distractions. In wrestling, "dressing room lawyers" are a pain in the arse and need to practice their occupation elsewhere. Congrats to old acquaintance Doc Rivers for leading his Celtics to the NBA Title by essentially winning the equivalent of two straight falls in a two our out of three fall match. I am especially pleased for Kevin Garnett who toiled tirelessly for the Minnesota Timberwolves in Garnett's most youthful and productive years without great success. KG now gets his title and can join many of his contemporaries in the Promised Land of NBA Champions. I recall meeting Ray Allen one Monday night in Toronto at a Raw many years ago and he was a class act too and the dude can shoot those 3's. Nice guy. Is it true that the WWE's Ashley recently got a body tattoo of a dragon that covers her ribs and abdomen? Why? O.K., I admit I am out of touch on many of today's hip trends, and yes my grammar isn't always to some people's liking, etc, but a giant tattoo of a dragon on one's ribs and abdomen? I need some help with this particular act of freedom of expression. Bottom line, I suppose, if Ashley is happy I should be too. I am becoming a great fan of the UFC and MMA in general as you might have gathered if you read this blog regularly. Look for the UFC to begin to make significant inroads in marketing and international growth as time goes on and this will happen much sooner than later. Some of the monies I have heard that the Affliction folks are paying their fighters is extraordinarily high, to be kind, but I am all for fighters/wrestlers, whomever making all the money they can. However if the numbers I have read are accurate then Affliction is going to be operating at a significant deficit for the foreseeable future which might be their strategy. Nonetheless there is no organization that is even close to the UFC in public perception which reaffirms my thoughts that UFC officials would be much better off continuing to improve their product and letting the other groups mismanage their way to obscurity. It is all about building stars and building a brand identity and that, whether it be MMA or pro wrestling, isn't going to change. Much like watching CBS's coverage of Elite XC, the brand Elite XC got less mentions or so it seemed than CBS which isn't in the MMA business....yet. Elite XC missed some opportunities to build their brand on CBS which is certainly not say that I did not enjoy their presentation because I did. With a three hour Raw on tap Monday in San Antonio, one of America's great cities, I expect major movement among the top stars on the three WWE brands. I can't see how the WWE could make the desired impact to what is hoped to be a huge TV audience and not really shake things up. Non main event stars won't make the impact that I suspect the WWE is seeking. It would be interesting to know the draft format but perhaps that is part of the mystique. USA Network is expecting big things Monday night and that seems to mean that some of the WWE's biggest names will get new addresses. This is purely personal speculation as I would be willing to beat a bottle, hell a case, of J.R.'s BBQ Sauce that this matter will be discussed internally all the way up to show time of 8/7central or close to it. It should be an interesting night plus there is no reason we should not see some big time wrestling bouts with every WWE wrestler required to be in attendance. Thanks for your business in our store and let the sauce flow. Plus, check out our specials on J.R.'s Beef Jerky. Gracious. Boomer Sooner! J.R.

The WWE had an awesome crowd in Salt Lake City, arguably the hottest crowd of the year, for Monday Night Raw. The fans in the arena can make or break a show with their enthusiasm or lack thereof. I've always thought when all is said and done that it's up to the promotion to provide the fans with an exciting product which normally leads to the desired crowd reaction. Plus the WWE not having been to SLC in such a long time did not hurt things either. Great job Salt Lake City and thanks for making being in the E Center Monday night a helluva good time. I read on the 'net where someone was wondering why Ric Flair was sweating so profusely Monday night. A..it was 90 degrees in SLC Monday (Naitch wasn't the only one sweating wearing a suit) and the arena was hotter than hell and B...Flair is a habitual sweater from way back. Remember those old Crockett and TBS days? Nonetheless "Naitch" looked to be in really great physical condition and continues to work out diligently. He indicated to me that he was on the road 19 days last month, which is a busy month of travel, but that he usually gets to be home on the weekends. Ric loves his "Ambassador" role as Ric does exceptionally well at private functions where he can converse with corporate types. There are no plans for Ric to wrestle again but I liked seeing him on Raw even though one can argue that by promoting his appearance that it might have helped increase interest in the broadcast. Hindsight is usually 20/20 and reasonable arguments can be certainly made that the return of the legendary Flair could have been handled with more fanfare and impact. Chris Jericho has arguably been, at least, the verbal star of Monday Night Raw the past couple of weeks. Nice illustration that one doesn't have to yell to make one's point while executing a big time promo. It's hard to fathom producing Raw in San Antonio without HBK but that might be the case this coming Monday in Shawn's hometown thanks to this to Michaels issue with Jericho specifically the HBK eye matter. In the old days none of us would see the injured individual for several weeks to allow the personal issue to evolve which most likely means Shawn Michaels will on Raw from his hometown Monday night. Does any one remember the Freebird-JYD "blinding" issue of yesteryear? By the way, JYD's been gone now for a little over a decade if my memory serves me correctly. That just doesn't seem possible. There are seemingly endless questions regarding the format of this Monday's tri-branded, WWE Draft. What brand drafts first....will this be a random lottery drawing....what happens if a champion IE Matt Hardy who is the reigning United States Championship which appears to be a Smackdown title is drafted to Raw? Does the wrestler leave the title behind or does the title come to a new brand? I know that these types of things have occurred in the past but is there a hard, fast rule on matters such as this here in 2008? Will there be trades as there has been before? Who will represent Raw which has no General Manager? Nice seeing Cryme Tyme and the World Tag Team Champions Monday night....for all of what, 8 seconds? Thanks for coming fellas. Regarding the conclusion of Raw Monday night, lots of folks are wondering, why Lance Cade? Why did Cade insert himself in the main event mix near the end of Raw? I suggest, why not? The only way new wrestlers are going to rise to the next level is for them to step in the deep in of the pool and either sink or swim. Any TV presentation can always been over analyzed and sometimes certainly for the better but I like the fact that, philosophically, someone new is getting a chance to perform with the big boys. The key to this matter will be the follow up come Monday night. Hearing from a passionate Cade would be a nice start. Bottom line here is this...no wrestling promotion has any bigger or more important challenge than developing tomorrow's main event stars. For example,who will headline the next Wrestlemania is always a viable question. Not just in 2009 but the year after than and so forth. Long term planning is crucial to the success of any business including a wrestling business. For those of you keeping tabs on things such as this, it took yours truly, thanks to Mother Nature and good 'Ol American Airlines, 10 hours to get home Tuesday from Utah. Let's hope I get to New York without any issues this Thursday for the taping of two WWE 24/7 Legend Roundtables. Between JBL, Mick Foley, Flair and yours truly our host Mean Gene Okerlund should have no problem hosting some entertaining and sure to be controversial programming. I have to do some home work on some of the greatest factions/groups in wrestling (I can freely say "wrestling" on this blog) and the most important moments in wrestling's history. That last topic really covers a lot of ground and is very subjective. This taping has the chance to be one of the best WWE 24/7 offerings yet. I can't wait to "debate" my fellow panelists. I thought the money give away on Raw was a much better presentation this week but, as usual, I would love to have seen more wrestling. Call me crazy but I still think fans tune in on Monday night's to see people compete against each other, whip some ass, have some compelling, wrestling bouts and do things athletically that can't be seen on any other program on TV. I like to see lovely ladies in bikinis as much as the next guy, I might be on a diet but I can damn sure still look at the menu, but was Monday night the right place for the out-of-the-blue "fashion show"? Perhaps it was but I would have enjoyed more physicality and longer wrestling matches but that's just me. Monday it was nice to see the sparkle in Harvey Whippleman aka Bruno Lauer's eyes when he talked about actually getting his new book published. The big time wrestling stars usually get all the accolades and glory (and certainly the bulk of the money) but it is nice to see someone who has traveled many of the same miles if not more for a whole helluva lot less money be able to tell their story from an entirely different perspective. "Wrestling with the Truth" is damn sure a honest account of one man's long and interesting wrestling career even though it may not make Bruno (who used to live in Jerry Lawler's back yard in a shed with no plumbing) overly popular with everyone mentioned in this new publication. Mark this down on your calendar if you are in the Long Island/NYC/New Jersey/Connecticut area the night before the Great American Bash at the Nassau Coliseum as Jerry Lawler, Mick Foley and I will be appearing at a signing on Saturday July 19 from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. at Franklin Square Video located at 984 Hemstead Turnpike, Franklin Square, N.Y. 11010. I have not done too many appearances ever and I have never done one that I can recall with The King and Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy. I hope you will find the time to drop by and say hello. Speaking of Mick Foley, his old pal Al Snow was seen at J.R.'s Family BBQ in Norman, Oklahoma Saturday while in OKC for a wrestling event. I did some TV color with Al in Smoky Mountain Wrestling way back in the day and he was really entertaining. Good guy too. But that Avatar character..... Is it just me or does any one else think that the UFC pays WAY too much attention to the fledgling MMA groups out there? The UFC is the NFL of MMA but there will always be a place for the small "Arena Football League" groups that will only serve as a feeder system to the UFC from where I sit. Los Angeles Laker fans will be hard pressed to live their dream this season of winning another NBA Title with Boston needing only to split at home to win it all. Isn't it ironic that no matter the level of hoops that at the end of the day more often than not it comes down to home court advantage and free throw shooting that decides many games? I knew Celtics' coach Doc Rivers when he played for the Atlanta Hawks and when I had courtside seats courtesy of TBS' Ted Turner and Doc was a helluva good, down to earth guy then and still seems to be the same today. It is coincidental when incidents occur with athletes and entertainers(pro wrestling has its share lately too) that these knucklehead moves usually happen after midnight? I know that this point has been made in this space before but when will the offenders and their keepers get it? If one is going to party after midnight use common sense...please. Why young wrestlers hoping to make it to prime time continue to make these same mistakes over and over are beyond me. I have been DVR'ing AM RAW and using it for show prep for Monday nights and I have to say the one hour version of Monday Night Raw is a quick, fun show to watch. Some times I watch it live as I am a night person who watches NBC's Poker After Dark virtually every night it is on so staying up until 1 a.m. central isn't that challenging. for the record, in another life I would like to be a profession poker player....or domino player. :) Our new restaurant in Moore, Oklahoma is really looking awesome. This place is going to be super for any wrestling fan to visit. Our memorabilia there rivals our original store in Norman and we have so much new wrestling, football, Mickey Mantle, and John Wayne swag for the Moore store it has to be seen to be believed. Of course, swag is nice but one doesn't eat swag but never fear the food will remain kick ass I assure you. We hope to open after the 4th of July and I will keep you apprised. Remember "sauce is good" but only if it is J.R.'s Bar-B-Q Sauce. Try some today in our online store and don't forget to order some delicious beef jerky which is 97% fat free. Thanks. Boomer Sooner! J.R