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

It was great to see my friend Stone Cold Steve Austin Sunday in Los Angeles prior to the taping of Monday Night RAW.

Steve looks to be in as good a physical shape as he has been in years and it is easy to tell the “Texas Rattlesnake” is still working out regularly and takes his diet and physical fitness seriously.

Steve has bought a home in Southern California to be based there while he tries his hand at breaking into the film business. Steve spent approximately 4 months of the year down under in Australia filming “The Condemned” for WWE Films, an action adventure film with a very intriguing plot that will be out in 2007.

It had been so long since Steve had been able to spend any significant time back stage at a WWE event, I assume Wretlemania was the last, that he mentioned to me that there were so many new faces he did not know it felt a little surreal. Of course, many of the veteran WWE Superstars were familiar faces that had the opportunity to visit with Austin and renew old times and talk of rivalries of days gone by.

I hope the younger wrestlers took the time Sunday to pick the brain of one of the most intelligent and analytical Superstars in history.

There is no doubt in my mind, and I feel like I know Steve better than anyone in the business, that Austin would love to wrestle again if his neck issues were not as they are. Steve loves that adrenaline rush an athlete gets when performing before a live and loud audience. Being in great physical shape is not an issue as Steve is as good a shape as many active competitors. Plus, Stone Cold has huge respect for the wrestling fans worldwide.

The one thing that made Stone Cold arguably the greatest box office sensation in wrestling history is the fact that he was harder on himself than anyone and demanded perfection from himself, first, and everyone else involved in the equation, second. I have called more Austin matches than anyone alive and I have seen Steve in some amazing scenarios that I thought were blow away awesome. Then upon talking to Steve after the match one would find out that the Edna, Texas native would be thinking that there were two or three little things he could have done better in the match. OU Head Football Coach Bob Stoops is that way as well. Even when the Sooners win a big game the Coach will eventually mention things that his team could have done better and that they need to work on. That’s Stone Cold to a “T”. Neither man ever makes excuses.

Great individuals and highly successful people are rarely satisfied with their performances or the results they achieve. Things can always be better and performances can always be improved upon. I truly believe if you asked Stone Cold if he ever wrestled, in his opinion, a perfect match, he would say “no”, without a doubt. (Probably, “Hell No” more than likely.)

Steve was a big proponent of watching old tapes to see how the masters of other generations honed their skills and perfected their craft. I wonder how many young wrestlers of today take the time to watch these same classic video tapes to learn valuable nuances that are necessary to be the best they can be. I know that Ric Flair was another wrestler who watched a great deal of tapes as does to this day HHH who is a genuine student of the game hence my nickname for him of the “Cerebral Assassin”.

I think that some younger wrestlers could learn from the greats of the game by watching videos of stars from other generations rather than spend valuable time figuring out how they can break more tables or better utilize inanimate objects.

I may be wrong but my instincts tell me that not enough of the younger generation of wrestlers watch these treasure chests of video tapes that are available to them by simply requesting them or as easily as watching WWE 24/7 which is awesome TV.

I get the question all the time will Stone Cold ever wrestle Hulk Hogan and my answer is always the same. No. Steve is the type of wrestler than before he would step in the ring with anyone Steve would want to go back out on the road for 3-4 months and get his timing back down, his cardio at its highest level, and be fully prepared to give his fans more than their monies worth. With Steve’s new career there simply isn’t enough time or days in the week to pull this off. As I said my friend Stone Cold is a perfectionist and making sure the fans don’t see “Stone Cold Lite” is important to him.

Now does this mean we have seen the last of Stone Cold Steve Austin? Oh, Hell No! I would be shocked if Steve were not a prominent part of WWE TV programming when “The Condemned” begins its advance promotion. I don’t even know how one could have a Wrestlemania without a little “Rattlesnake flavor” added to the festivities either, in my opinion.

Another question could be asked is 2007 the year that Steve Austin goes into the Hall of Fame? That’s certainly not my call but as a fan of the product one can’t make a valid argument that Austin doesn’t belong there but it is only a matter of when. Perhaps by waiting that “small window of opportunity” that Steve might consider stepping back into the ring one last time might open a little wider. As I said, my opinion is that it will not happen but you know what some say about opinions…everybody has one and we have learned to never say never in this business.

Nonetheless, it was great seeing a happy and healthy Stone Cold on Sunday and my wife and I look forward to his next visit to our home in Oklahoma where he is a valued member of our family. I might even go on that long awaited deer hunt with Steve this fall as every deer camp needs a good cook or someone who at least thinks he is a good cook.

Here is a little known, useless trivia fact. The black hat I wear every week on TV is one of two gifted to me by Steve himself. I have had numerous offers to sell them but they are not for sale at any price…just like our friendship. I fully expect to be buried, hopefully many years from now, with one of those black hats with me.

The wrestling business is tough on relationships. One can generally count their true friends, even after 3 or more decades in the biz, on one hand. I am very blessed that Stone Cold and yours truly have remained friends through all our challenging times together during our unique journey in the wrestling business.

When I was thought to have had colon cancer approximately one year ago at this time, Steve was the first to call and the first to volunteer to fly from California to Oklahoma to help out.

Lesson learned here is that true friends don’t come along every day. If you have a long time friend you have not reached out to lately, then perhaps today would be a good day to simply say hello and thanks.

J.R.

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