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

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.