MTV Replaces WSX With...; Jim Ross' Latest Blog; WWE / Demolition Smash; Snuka Q&A
For those interested, MTV has replaced next week's timeslot which would have aired Wrestling Society X with:
"High School Stories: Scandals, Pranks, Controversies"
Gee I hope none of these pranks were worse than the evil fireball!
In their latest installment of 'Where Are They Now', WWE has profiled Barry Darsow. A man of several gimmicks over the years, he will be most remembered as Demolition Smash, and of course Repo Man. It's a pretty good read and worth checking out.
CLICK HERE to read the article.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a quick Q&A posted with WWE Hall Of Famer Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka.
CLICK HERE to check it out.
Here is Jim Ross' latest blog from his official website, jrbarbq.com:
Where’s the Respect?
Wow… I get back from yet another trip to the west coast and we have over 400 responses to our last blog including someone who wishes I would have a stroke because I can’t personally facilitate Randy Savage being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at the end of the month. That’s always great to come home to after a three day trip. It sure makes me happy I decided to do a website where fans could communicate with each other and me, but if I continue to get inundated with negative B.S. I might as well be re-establishing communication with my ex-wife which I find no value in doing whatsoever and stop trying to go the extra mile on this site and respond to as many comments as I can. I would even suggest that some of the biggest complainers have never spent one nickel on merchandise or sauce but sure relish in the opportunity to hide behind a fake screen name and make ridiculous and hurtful comments. I love this business and have been a fan for 50 years but there are prime examples on our last collection of comments as to why I am sometimes embarrassed for some of my “civilian friends” to read our comments as they love to tease me about all wrestling fans being crazy and dangerously obsessed, which I passionately disagree. However, I have a hard time defending the business when some fans write such asinine emails.
Why has this Savage thing regarding the Hall of Fame taken on such a life of its own? How did I get in the middle of this embarrassing mess when I can’t affect it one way or another. I made a list of suggested 2007 Hall of Fame potential inductees months and months ago and provided it to the WWE. Savage was on my list of suggestions. What more can I do? I guess I could continue to get deluged with comments from people who pay little attention to what is written here except for what they want to read or to believe. Some poor soul asked me about a “rumor” about Savage and Stephanie and called me a wimp for not dishing the dirt. I sincerely have no idea of what in the hell this person is talking about. I never heard of this outlandish, unfounded, and ridiculous rumor until someone posted the question. Where does this stuff come from? Is it all simply based on rumor and innuendo? Are there ANY facts to back up this tall tale? For the record, I hope I don’t have a stroke, as some have wished, but this reminds me of emails I used to get at my WWE office when I was doing commentary with Paul Heyman back in the day on Raw. I know I am not a wimp nor am I the National Enquirer as I will not write about gossip as if it is fact and I am not going to lie to people just to accommodate someone’s conspiracy theories or unquenchable thirst for gossip and B.S. You can find that sort of info elsewhere.
Wrestlemania 23- I look for this to be an outstanding event in a memorable environment. What match is the main event? That’s a subjective question but arguably Taker’s 14-0 record is a major marketing element, but don’t be surprised if HBK doesn’t “steal the show” no matter who goes on last. I hope this ‘Mania is not over booked with too many matches, as it is not everyone’s right to be a part of Wrestlemania, in my opinion, but should be considered a privilege to be booked to participate on this event. I think it will be a great 4 hour PPV. I prefer to look at any glass half full rather than half empty, for the record.
I am not 100% sure who is inducting The King in the Hall of Fame, but William Shatner’s name has been bounced around as has Sheryl Crow’s, as both are big Lawler fans. Andy Kaufman would have been perfect, if he were still alive and you know Andy would have loved to have been a part of the festivities.
For those of you that asked the first Doink, it was Matt Borne, as far as I know. Matt, the son of Tough Tony Borne, was a great hand.
Adam- I am not quite sure why Albert/Matt Bloom hasn’t made it yet in the WWE, but who’s to say the big guy won’t, some day. This business is not a lay up and some people, even great athletes like Matt, take longer to get a feel for what is going on than others. Matt is a high character guy and one I would sign again if given the opportunity.
Tez - The Midnight Rider still exists, as I hear, “The Dream” watches the tapes every Sunday afternoon. Only kidding. But, yes, that material is still around.
Tomas - I have not heard Bret Hart’s interview regarding Owen Hart not going into the WWE Hall of Fame. There is no doubt that Owen is a future Hall of Famer, in my eyes. If I had a vote, Owen would sure get it.
Sean - Arn Anderson was one of the all time greats on wrestling promos and still works with young WWE talents on helping them refine their skills when called upon. AA had natural verbal skills that most do not. AA was a true student of the game, paid attention to older, established stars and saw what made them successful while I feel that many of today’s younger wrestlers are not attached to the heritage and past successes of our business.
Marc - My thoughts during the Goldberg-Lesnar match at Wrestlemania? It was obviously uncomfortable, especially when one knew how good it could have been. Not the best day at the “office.” I have termed it before as “disappointing.”
TJ - The last I heard of, Sean O’Haire he was involved in mixed martial arts. As for J.R. being involved in any more matches, forget it. I am retired from those debacles. Many of my “matches” drew great TV ratings, but I personally felt they set the business back a decade or two.
Chris M - I respectfully disagree about saying “goodbye” to Edge. I feel Edge is one of the top 10 in ring performers in the world. If I ever had to assemble a roster, Edge would definitely be on it.
Lima 316 - ECW simply needs to steer the course, continue to allow new faces to evolve without force feeding them to the audience, build up the Originals vs. the New Breed and realize that it will take 1-2 years for this brand to take its place with Raw or Smackdown, as it relates to TV ratings and global perception.
Steve L.- My friend, Mean Gene Okerlund, will M.C. the 2007 Hall of Fame this year, as he should in my perspective. But, we will have Thursday night cocktails if you want to spread the news. However, we will not be drinking and driving.
Brandon - Or to any one wanting to work for the WWE, please log on to the WWE Corporate website and make your inquiries to the Human Resources department. If I truly wanted to work for the WWE in ANY role I would be calling the WWE Human Resources department and not emailing old J.R., not that I don’t appreciate the thought. I have answered how one works for the WWE at least 100 times it seems, for the record.
Joe F - HHH is healing ahead of schedule and should be back in action by, hopefully, Summerslam if all goes well. It could be September before he is back as it all depends on how fast The Game heals. But the bottom line is that HHH is doing really well.
Jermaine- I have mentioned before that I feel the Road Warriors will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the future. They are locks.
D.J.- I don’t “feel” your idea about a Brutus Beefcake interview segment with Mr. McMahon and The Donald. But what do I know?? You were obviously a bigger Beefcake fan than me, not that there is anything wrong with that.
Jesse - I have not traveled in Scandinavian countries as of yet. Looking forward to it, though. On a side note, I wanted to spend the week between the Milan and London Raw TV’s in April in Amsterdam but that idea was nixed by the Mrs.
Dan - Ray Traylor, aka the Big Bossman, had a great career with the highlights being him portraying Big Bubba Rogers and his first WWE Bossman run. I could see Ray getting Hall of Fame acclaim some day. However, I have tried my best to forget about the Kennel from Hell match Ray had vs. Al Snow many moons ago. Ray was one helluva athletic big man. At 380, he was freaky.
Trey - I have said many times the Von Erich’s deserve Hall of Fame recognition and some day I feel they will be justly rewarded. They are like so many stars that fans write about here on the site. So many are deserving and will go in someday, in my view, but when is the question. Does it matter when, as long as it happens? Some would say yes, while I am not so sure.
Will - Yes, I have eaten at Wild Horse Mountain BBQ MANY times! Loved it and miss it. I refereed many games in that area, including a ton for the Sallisaw Black Diamond football and basketball games and for many other teams in Sequoyah County. The Sooners recruiting class was solid and filled their needs, but it will pale in comparison to what the 2008 seems as if it be. Huge in a word.
Derek - Why in the world would you think I am anti Canadian? I definitely am not. I have hired many excellent Canadian athletes who I am very proud of. I have many Canadian friends. Plus, who ever told you I was a Republican? Did you read it on the internet? I may be, but then again, perhaps not. Does it really matter? I don’t trust professional politicians in general, no matter their party.
Stevie - Ric Flair’s son Reid should be thinking of getting a college education before venturing into his Dad’s business of wrestling. Reid may be a natural, I don’t know, but his Dad is going to cast a long shadow, no matter how good Reid may be. From what I have seen of young Reid, he has a better than average chance of being a player in the WWE someday, based on his aptitude, attitude and natural wrestling abilities.
Tex - Will the job I currently have now be my last in the business? How in the world would I know? I don’t know where all the talk of me retiring is coming from. I take my contract one year at a time, which I feel is the right thing to do. I don’t have any desire to hang ‘em up. I do like my less busy, less corporate schedule as when I was Vice President of Talent and Executive Vice President of Business Strategies a few years back. That was literally a 7 day a week job. I still stay very busy as “Senior Advisor,” which means I have the opportunity to make suggestions, but it doesn’t always guarantee that those suggestions will be utilized.
As far as fans knocking Jerry Lawler going into the Hall of Fame and not Savage, apparently on March 31, what does one thing have to do with the other? Is it assumed that Lawler took Savage’s place and bumped Randy out of the running? That is not the case. Jerry Lawler deserves to be in the Hall of Fame as much as anyone there and not just because we are friends and broadcast partners. Any long time fan who studies the business can easily see Jerry’s body of work and the success he had in the 70s, 80s, and 90s inside the ring, not to mention his broadcasting career which has been an important part of the success of the WWE’s most successful TV franchise, Monday Night Raw. How mature is it for Lawler to be knocked by Savage fans because Randy has not been selected to be in the Hall…yet. I firmly believe that Savage will be in the WWE Hall of Fame someday, but I think it could be during the 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania, which I feel is extremely significant. That’s a guess on my end, but the class of 2009 really needs to be big in my opinion. Savage would add a “bigness” to those special festivities. This is merely a suggestion and I am not prodding any obsessed “Macho man” fan to author more diatribes on the subject, as I am merely making an observation, which I think I am allowed to do.
Adam- Good finishing maneuvers are those that don’t take a week to set up and that can be executed on anyone, no matter the opponent’s size.
Lisa - My favorite city to work in? There are many to be honest, but I have to say it is Oklahoma City because my friends and family get to attend, it is a car trip and no plane flight, and I get to sleep in my own bed in good, old Norman, Oklahoma. Yes, again, I have endorsed The Fink to be a Hall of Famer.
Mac’s Daddy - I don’t know if the WWE has any interest in Ruling Gardner these days but they did at one time. I don’t think Rulon had any interest in getting into the business of sports entertainment at that time. I don’t know the details, as I never talked to Rulon personally, it seems as if I did talk to his representative, but I don’t remember the specifics of the conversation. I would suggest that the Rulon/WWE relationship is a moot issue, but could change with a phone call.
Lateesha - I have NO IDEA what you are referring to regarding me having EXCLUSIVE info on Randy Savage. I have not seen, nor have I spoken to Randy in years. I have also clarified and will again that I made a flippant remark about wanting security if I ever did a sit down interview with Randy. It was a joke, friends and neighbors. Please lighten up Francis! We are talking about a wrestling hall of fame here, not the war in Iraq or a family member suffering from a serious illness.
I got several comments about the WWE preparing to have Michael Cole replace me on Raw and Michael do both Raw and Smackdown. This is another dead wrong internet rumor. This one doesn’t even make any common sense. Will I be replaced some day. Oh, Hell Yeah. That’s the nature of the beast, but it won’t be any time soon if I, or more importantly, my work has any thing to do with the decision. I have worked hard, fought thru illnesses and firings to keep my ringside seat on Raw and I will remain there for the foreseeable future, if all goes well with my health and I don’t get another “bullet.” If I do get the inevitable “bullet” someday, I am sure I can find plenty of things to keep me busy. Hell, I might even buy a lawn mower! Plus, we plan on building several Bar-B-Q joints, plus I have some potential plans to do some work on the Food Network, if all the details can be worked out. Plus, I would love to do something with OU Football, so I don’t think I will have a hard time finding projects to work on, if I found myself out of the WWE. I just hope that day doesn’t come any time soon.
Setzer - I strongly believe that the WWE could have a viable weekly radio show, if they chose to go in that direction. It seems like a natural evolution to me as time marches forward. A weekly, national satellite wrestling radio show sounds like a winner to me.
Phil - Mr. Fuji is doing well and living in Tennessee and is and has been considered for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, for as long as I can remember. Fuji and Toru Tanaka were a great team. I saw them wrestle recently on WWE 24/7.
Ryan - Paul Bearer is alive and well and working in a funeral home in the Gulf Coast, along with keeping his finger in the independent wrestling scene from time to time. I knew PB when he was known as Percy Pringle III.
John - Sorry to hear of your bout with Bell’s Palsy. I have adapted and disregard what wise ass people say from a distance about my “look” or condition. People that make fun of other’s illnesses are usually cowards and don’t have the Spauldings to say something “cute” to one’s face. I hope you have or are seeing a good neurologist and started taking Prednisone ASAP after you were diagnosed. I have worked thru two bouts of the damn thing but still have paralysis around my mouth, but I look around and see so many other people who are truly challenged because of various handicaps, that I don’t even think I have any issues any longer. Hang in there and don’t lose your confidence. By the way, acupuncture helped me too.
I still write a column for www.wwe.com that is posted on the Raw page of the site every Friday afternoon. Check it out.
Jeremy - I am not comfortable discussing my political views in this forum. My folks were life long Democrats and never voted for a Republican. I have on occasion. I generally vote for the person and not the party, but have little trust whatsoever in today’s professional, double talking politicos.
Greg/UK- I have not heard of any bad mouthing from the Roaddog about me, but I guess it goes with the territory if he did. Everyone has a right to their opinion. I know I can honestly say I always treated Brian fairly and still think he is a talented son of a gun. If he chooses to knock me, he won’t be the first, or the last. Being in charge of talent for several years puts one on people’s “bad list” fairly or not.
There are lots of rumors out there about the WWE signing some of Mexico’s top young stars. I don’t know exactly how that is going, but if these athletes are good, then by all means they should be recruited and signed. The WWE should have the best stars from around the globe no matter their size, color, or creed.
Mike - I have never heard of a Slaughter/Sheik locker room fight, but I assume it could have happened. I witnessed the Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels fight in Hartford, CT and a few shoving matches over the years, but by and large, back stage fights are a rarity.
Seth - I am not sure what all Jonathan Coachman does w/ WWE TV when he is not on Raw, but I do know that Coachman is doing a great deal of sports broadcasting for CSTV, including a ton of football and now college basketball games.
Dave - Is the WWE Corporate Website honest? I would say absolutely yes. Strange question.
Diamond K - Terry Gordy was a prodigy and was better at 16 years of age than most talents in the business are today at twice the age, which would make them a ripe, old 32. Gordy was a natural and one of the all time greats. His own personal demons were the only opponents Bam couldn’t handle. He was truly one of a kind.
I don’t dislike the fact that 8 deserving talents will be in the Wrestlemania Money in the Bank Ladder Match. It has been a match with 6 participants, but adding two more doesn’t hurt my feelings, nor will it adversely affect the match, which will be a crash and burn piece of business.
Cheech - What do I think of Brock Lesnar or Kurt Angle competing in the world of Mixed Martial Arts? I wish them great success, but feel as they compete against the more skilled fighters that both Lesnar and Angle will be sternly challenged to be successful. Brock and Kurt were great amateur wrestlers, but MMA is a whole different breed of cat. I think both athletes would be better off sticking with pro wrestling and calling it a day. I also think the MMA world will “use” both Brock and Kurt to help establish some of Mama’s young stars who need a “rub” or a big win. Speaking of MMA, Bill Goldberg did a really nice job of broadcasting a MMA event recently on Showtime.
Speaking of tough guys, don’t forget to check out Dr. Death Steve Williams new book. Plus, the good Doctor is NOT my son. I would have fathered him at 12 or 13 which may be the thing to do in your neighborhood, but not in J.D. or Lizzie’s house in eastern Oklahoma back in the day.
We have a fair amount of RVD fans that visit us and I consider myself a fan of RVD as well. So with those things said, I know of nothing over the top as it relates to RVD and the current head of talent relations for the WWE having bigger issues than normal, or that others may have with the person in this position. Having served in that capacity for many years, it is one of the most unpopular jobs in the business as in damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I hope the talks that are on going between the WWE and RVD’s representatives are productive and that Rob stays with the WWE the rest of his career. Financially, Rob would be smart to do so, but as I have said many times, no matter what one does for a living, one really needs to be be happy doing it. If Rob leaves the WWE, which I doubt will happen, the WWE will continue to roll and I am sure Rob will do just fine as well.
Thanks to the vast majority of you for your comments. It is great interacting with wrestling fans. I also hope you will shop in our store and remember that all our merchandise can now be shipped worldwide. We are still working on shipping our sauces abroad but because they are liquid we have issues due to terrorism issues as we have explained before. Nonetheless, we are still trying to work around this matter and may have to find a business in the UK, for example, who wants to be a licensee for our sauces and merchandise too, for that matter.
I really enjoyed Raw Monday night and the sold out crowd in Fresno was red hot and helped make the show so much better. Phoenix is sold out this coming Monday, as well, and I hope the good folks in Arizona are ready to rock, because I have a feeling the string of strong Raws will continue from the Desert.
We will have one or two more blogs this week, so keep those questions coming! Thanks for all your support as me and my family really appreciate your business. If you ever have any suggestions as to T-shirt slogans, merchandise ideas, caps, etc please let me know. Take care everybody. Count your blessings.
Boomer Sooner!
J.R.
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