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

I sure bumped into a ton of wrestling fans down in Dallas over the weekend where, along with the Mrs. and some great friends, we attended the OU-Texas 101st meeting which UT won 28-10. I will have more on “the game” and other football news and views in a blog that should be up soon.

It was quite a surprise running into Steve “Dr. Death” Williams, and his son Wyndham, at the massive State Fair of Texas. Doc is feeling good and thanks to the grace of God is cancer free. Doc still can’t talk “hands free” but will hopefully be able to after he has another surgery to address the matter.

For someone who has had so many struggles and life threatening challenges in the past couple of years, Doc’s attitude and outlook on life is inspirational and amazing.

Many people would, no doubt, have a “woe is me” attitude if they were dealt the good Doctor’s hand. Doc told me long ago that he put his total faith in his Lord and Savior and would accept what ever fate awaited him. That is courage and a true believer, my friends.

Doc still does a few wrestling dates and also helps instruct young wrestling students in Louisville and Atlanta from time to time. Doc has a great message to tell these young wannabes and future stars. I think Doc’s future is in telling his story publicly and he is being booked thru The Switzer Talent Agency in Norman, Oklahoma.

I think Doc would be a huge hit on the speaker’s tour especially with church youth groups as Doc’s story is truly inspirational.

Someone asked me the other day about how good the tag team of Terry Gordy and Dr. Death were back in the day including in Japan and in their short run in WCW. Well, that is an easy one. Williams and Gordy were awesome and if both were in their prime today they would be printing money. This duo was what is known as a wrestling team first but two, refined brawlers as well. This deadly duo’s matches with the talented Steiner Brothers were at times simply excellent and amazing in the crazy times in Turner’s WCW. There were so many wasted resources in the old WCW that we could write a book about it but that has already been done more than once.

Gordy and Doc meshed as one but each came from totally different backgrounds. Williams was a high school phenom who excelled in wrestling and football. Doc was one of the most recruited high school athletes in American when Doc graduated high school where he originally got the nickname of “Dr. Death”. Doc went on to Oklahoma University where he was a multiple time All American in wrestling and a 3 year starter in football including making all Big 8 as an offensive guard.

Gordy never finished high school and started wrestling professionally at age 15, some have said 14. Terry was obviously big for his age and was much more natural at the pro game that was Doc when Doc broke in between his junior and senior year of college at OU. This is no knock on Doc as Terry Gordy as a teen was the most natural in ring performer I ever saw in my 30 plus year career. Terry left us all much too early and the former badass of the Fabulous Freebirds will be missed by all of us who had the privilege of knowing him. The ‘Birds were ahead of their time and no team in wrestling today has the fans ready to respond like the Freebirds did in their prime.

Doc and Gordy could “feel” the game. Neither played the role of a wrestler or what they perceived a wrestler should be. They WERE wrestlers in the most natural sense much like Stone Cold, Bret Hart, The Rock, Ric Flair, Harley Race, the Brisco’s, and the Funk’s from back in the day.

If we look at today’s wrestling landscape there aren’t as many “naturals” who have the experience and ample time left in the ring to display their wares. Certainly HHH, HBK, The Undertaker, and Chris Benoit are on a short list with a few others that possess the total package of skills any promoter would look for in a perfect world. There are many others who are “this close” to achieving that status as well.

I have said on many occasions that there has never been a better time for talented athletes to migrate to the world of sports entertainment. If a young man or woman is athletic enough, focused, and a student of the game, the opportunities to make it in this great business have never been better. By that I mean never been better since I got in the biz in the mid 70’s.

I am enjoying reading all your emails and comments, and will try and answer some here on the site this week. I also want to thank so many of you for ordering our sauces from our online store. We are still a few months away from having our eatery open in Norman, Oklahoma and are working on a grocery story deal as we speak.

Thanks for checking us out and please tell a friend!

J.R.