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A telephone call from "The Naitch"...Kimbo...Warrior tell all...New Generation of Wrestlers Unequipped?
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 4:46pm — J.R.
Posted in:
Bloggin' my BBQ'ed brains out....random thoughts that hopefully won't get me fired.
Before leaving for the 175 mile drive down to Dallas for this Saturday's 103rd meeting of two of the greatest college football programs in existence, OU vs. UT, I made a list of a few things that were on my mind. In no particular order or subject, here they are:
If Kimbo Slice can be "re-built" by CBS and EliteXC, it will be a miracle. In pro wrestling it would be called being "re-packaged" including getting an updated persona and accompanying vignettes on weekly TV for several weeks. Kimbo is a one dimensional fighter who got exposed and will be exposed again if he fights anyone with any substantive ground game. I admired Kimbo taking the high road in his post fight comments but for him to be the "face" of CBS martial arts events seems like an up hill climb to me.
Right now the face of CBS MMA is a pretty one, Gina Carano. It is easy to see that women have a shot at playing a major role in the marketing of MMA down the road especially as "attractions" even though they likely will never be consistent headliners.
I can't remember when I felt compelled to read one "wrestling" book twice but the Bret Hart book is the first. If you are a real fan of the business and you don't read this book then you are not really a fan of the business. Make sense? The book is now available at Amazon.com and would make a great holiday gift idea. Just don't expect Bret to sign yours as he signed mine. :) Bottom line (thanks Stone Cold) is BUY THE BOOK!
Back to Kimbo....told you I was a rambling man...CBS could do well to market Kimbo's next fight as "do or die" and match the man with the big right hand with another puncher and let them beat hell our of each other. Ken Shamrock might not be that guy but the fight would be potentially entertaining.
Kenny (as in Shamrock) what in the hell were you thinking? Busting your eye in training basically hours before the fight?
Listening to some young wrestlers talk amongst themselves recently, I was shocked to hear of the variety of subject matters they so "profoundly" discussed. IPods, IPhones, "I" period but nothing about wrestling, counters, submissions, paying their taxes, saving their money, hiring a financial planner, preparing for their future....you get the picture. It is easy for many of today's wrestlers to bitch and moan about their position in their chosen profession or lack thereof and provide an overall woe is me version of their lives to whomever will listen but change for the better, or worse, starts with looking in the mirror. I walked away from this inadvertent eavesdropping shaking my head but thinking that young wrestlers are no different than young stockbrokers (bad analogy), young professionals, etc. All company's can do a better job in putting the right tools in the hands of their people but only the people themselves can make the tools work for them. Broke and seemingly helpless wrestlers from any era can largely blame themselves for not having the common sense or discipline to prepare for their futures.
The "Naitch" called yours truly today from L.A. He sounded great and was, surprise, staying REALLY busy. He wanted to wish the Sooners good luck this Saturday against the 'Horns. Ric sounded refreshed and happy and truly excited about some upcoming projects that he could not elaborate on at the moment but one could tell he was jacked about the future. I wish my dear friend nothing but the very best and hope that all his ventures are "hits." It sounds as if a MAJOR announcement will be forthcoming from Flair's "people."
I read of the proposed "tell all" book about "The Warrior" to be written by his ex-wife. Sounds juicy and sensational based on the press release that I read. I doubt that "The Warrior" and yours truly will ever exchange Xmas cards but I don't feel good about this project as I am not a die hard fan of "tell all's" that love to dish the dirt. Warrior is his own man, is outspoken and has every right with which to be so whether I personally agree with him or not but to have one's former life exposed to what ever level is tough to swallow. Even if the book is embellished to a degree some readers will believe every word of it. Perhaps in the eyes of some this story "needs" to be told but I don't see it. It will be interesting to see how well this book sells, any pending litigation that it may incur, etc. Based on societal trends, the book will likely sell well.
Be well everyone and don't forget to visit our store.
Boomer Sooner!
J.R.
P.S. Don't forget to catch yours truly Friday afternoon on ESPN's College Football Live at 3:30/2:30 central.
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Hey JR, sorry 'bout that Sooners game. Question for ya: do you think it would ever happen--or even be a cool idea--to induct actual matches into the Hall of Fame somewhere down the road? Maybe once they get a physical location built, they could induct 2 or 3 historical matches each year (Bret/Shawn Ironman, Savage/Steamboat at WM3, Flair/Steamboat, etc.).
I probably wouldn't make as big a deal out of it as I would inducting individuals, but maybe give each match a video package or something. And when you get a physical location built, fans could walk thru and see the matches on little TVs or something. I dunno, just a thought I had. Keep up the good work!
Just finished Bret Hart's book. It was an honest thing of beauty that I look forward to reading again.
JR, does that exchange between the young wrestlers really surprise you? Given that the greatest success story in this pro wrestling generation is "I married the boss's daughter and so I will be given more title reigns than Naitch with less than half his wrestling ability," what sort of wrestler do you suppose that produces?
Hello JR. I was exposed to wrestling by Verne Gagne's AWA and Dick "the bruiser’s WWA. Later, I was exposed to NWA ( Mid Atlantic) and World Class Championship Wrestling . The WWF came on television much later.
Hello JR. The Warrior's ex-wife is wrong. Marriage is sacret. We all have a person life and we share it with people we trust. They also have children. JR, I am sure your ex wives can tell us about you. JR, What happen in the UWF with helwig? JR, have you wrote a book? You should.
Kimbo has a great look and he can draw money. The UFC can learn from EliteX and The WWE. The old UFC had many unique commercially viable individuals. Jeff Hardy should be wwe champion. He has problems, but he is over. I suppose, he can attract negative publicity to the WWE as champion but it would be worth the risk. HHH doesnot need the title . He is HHH . he has reached his peak as champion.He is like The Undertaker and HBK. Make other Superstars. Pass the torch and build others or the product becomes stale.
JR, have the times changed to where the younger generation of wrestlers are less "hands on" with development of their persona, storylines, interviews, matches, etc.?
From reading books such as Austin, Foley or Hart's, they seem to have had a lot of input on their character's direction, however, Foley's Hardcore Diaries, Austin's and DiBiase's books talk about more and more creative power being taken from the wrestlers and dictated by the writers, much to the disdain of the authors.
Does this hold any water? Can talent be forthcoming with the office in regards to this? Are they stuck in a "yes sir" or "no sir" situtation?
Hey JR-
I don't think it's just a case of "Old-Fart-itis" that self-absorbtion and entitlement is pervasive in many of the younger folks in the work force. I've been in the Printing and graphic design industry for 25 years and I recall myself as having a wealth of respect for the expereience of my seniors. I don't get disrespect from the younger workers, but the sense that my experience is (as JBL would put it so nicely) irrelevant. It sounds like it's the same in wrestling. I kinda hope MVP and Kennedy weren't part of that group you overheard. I think they have real potential. They don't have to get in a time machine to see how it's done. Just study what HBK and Y2J are in the middle of right now.
Mark D
Hey JR, hope all is well! After reading your blog about the "new wrestlers" I get the feeling that the work ethic and attitude is no longer the same as it were in the 70's 80's and early to mid 90's. I'm no expert but it appears in today's generations that many up and comming talents expect to be given their stripes and not earn them. The passion seems to of faded from the younger talent. No longer are people willing to spend 6 to 10 years working their arses off to gain credability, define their in-ring skills, their mic skills, perfect their style and work their way through the ranks. With todays MTV generation it seems many younger workers expect to get a contract, have a belt thrown on them, 3 year shelf life, get everything they can out of it, then complain about being misused or neglected and move on. The longevity and shelf life is no longer there as the patience isn't there. I guess the people who blame the business for not getting ahead are the people who can blame themselves for not getting ahead and taking better control.
as my father always told me: "age and experience always overcomes youth and ability"
Take care, thanks for listening.
Hey JR, I'll be routing for your Sooners on Saturday, since I don't believe my buckeyes have a chance this year, especially since they have to face a very good Penn State team in a couple of weeks. But if we did manage to get to the championship game I would be honored to lose to the Sooners! Ha!
Anyway, I think your comments are right on about Kimbo, and if Elite XC does go down with their star I would hope Dana White would consider adding a Women's Division to the UFC, as Gina Carano and the other ladies of the sport deserve a larger media outlet.