J.R.'s Blog 2/25/07

The Next Big Thing.. Cruisers.. Sting.. Personal Issues.. Sonny’s BBQ.. Honkytonk Man.. Personal Issues.. Harley.. WCW Returning.. Lita.. Snuka/Muraco.. J.R. Lost His Smile.. Adrian Peterson

As promised, here’s a few of your questions answered before I have to high tail it to the OKC Airport to head to Fresno.
Phil- Who is the next new WWE Superstar? It could be one or more of several individuals. There are many who have potential, but will hopefully not use the tired, lame excuse of the company or other circumstances beyond their control are the only things standing between them and super stardom. To earmark 1-2 stars would put unfair pressure on them and until I see many of the developmental talents in person, I will withhold my guesses.
Steve - I have made it abundantly clear that I am a wrestling fan, therefore I like Cruiserweights the same as the other weights. That’s just me.
Tex - Will Sting ever go into the WWE Hall of Fame? It would not surprise me one bit somewhere down the road. Steve Borden is a wonderful human being.
Azam - “You guys?” You been paying attention? I can’t “bring back” Chris Jericho anymore than you can. It’s not a bad idea though.
Cameron - I have always liked the Honkytonk Man because he is a talented, old school wrestler and he is a survivor. I won’t “knock him” for mortal fear of being put on his “ass whipping list”….again!
Bobby - I don’t think the entire Wrestlemania card is completed and if it is, I have not seen it, so I don’t know who Melina is going to wrestle or if she will wrestle on April 1. Stay tuned.
Alex - Rivalries are akin to personal issues and personal issues have always sold more tickets than simply a “cold” title match.
Sean - I don’t know how you can compare Lashley’s wrestling with Chris Masters. I mean you can, but I can’t see it. There is no comparison, considering Lashley’s background.
Craig - I have absolutely eaten at “Sonny’s BBQ,” especially when I used to travel the Carolinas back in the day. I fondly remember good food at that time at Sonny’s, who seemed to have a bunch of locales.
Ramone - Not only was Harley Race an absolute natural in the ring, made a great team with Larry “The Ax” Hennig,” but as NWA Champion Harley, had no equals. Not to mention that out of the ring, Harley was one bad hombre. An old school badass.
Tonnie - I do not remember, off the top of my head, a wrestler by the name of Michelle Star. Any help out there?
HOF ‘07 - I think it is too early to induct Austin and The Rock in the WWE Hall of Fame, but they are locks down the road.
Anthony - Only my opinion, but I don’t see the WCW brand returning. It would seem to me, with 3 brands, the WWE has all it can say grace over.
Frank - I have heard of Torrie Wilson’s divorce from Billy Kidman. I have a feeling the lovely Idaho lass won’t have too many lonely nights.
Will DX reunite when HHH gets healthy? I hope so, but that’s up to HBK and HHH.
Mark - I remember a manager named Nikita Mulkovich back in the day, but no details.
Starkman - I assume Sylvester Terkay is better suited for MMA competition, than the sports entertainment world, as it would seem. Whatever makes one comfortable. Sylvester always treated me respectfully, as I did him. Sylvester is a great athlete who may need to work on his “killer instinct.” But not with me!
J-Roc - I think I came up with a proposal to do a Legends Video Game before I left the corporate world of the WWE. It may be on the drawing board or out in some form. I am not too video game savvy.
Mike - If I never see another Brawl for All, it will be too soon. It may have been great for some fans, but for those of us who had to care for the injured talents, it was not a great experience.
Jamie/UK - Every arena has something about it that makes it stand out, or at least they do to me. DavyBoy may have had a different perspective, but each arena has its own personality.
Shawn - The Rock ‘n Roll Express still tag on occasion. Robert Gibson is doing some training in the WWE developmental areas. I can’t imagine Ricky w/o Robert or visa versa. This was one of the top 5 teams….EVER!
Steve - Was I nervous in 1993 when I went to the WWE and debuted at Wrestlemania 9 wearing a toga. Absolutely. Can’t B.S. you on that. It was a much different emotion than being cut loose from my job nine months later, while healing from my first bout of Bell’s Palsy.
Ron - The Extreme Expose might not be for everyone. I look at it like an NBA Dance Team performing during a time out. I can tolerate looking at nice looking ladies for a minute or two with no problem.
Giovanni - I can definitely see the WWE doing a Bruiser Brody DVD someday. I also can’t wait to read the book on Brody, written by Frank’s widow and Larry Mataysik, comong out soon. Abdullah “retire?” You have to be kidding me! It will never happen.
Matt - I have NO IDEA what is going on with Bob Backlund in Orlando and his long walks to and from the hotel looking for and finding loose change on the ground. Bobby is a different, not bad understand, and unique human.
Kevin - Fink still does the occasional ring announcing, but usually not on TV. He’s still the best.
Ric - I am not overly familiar with Mistico, other than some I have spoken to that say he is talented. Whether the WWE attempts to sign Mistico or not is not my call, but if he is that good, the WWE should sign him up.
David - Mark Henry is back in the ring and trying to get over his last injury, patella surgery. Mark is a wonderful young man, but he must be able to stay healthy or he must move to the next phase of his life. Having surgery every year or two is not the way to live.
Michael - So you have spent over $2,000 for Wrestlemania. I applaud you and suggest you will not be disappointed. ‘Mania has never been about one person, nor should it be. I think the two main events and the hair match, not to mention Money in the Bank, are the nucleus of a great card. My instincts tell me you will be happy with your investment.
Shane - “One has to Kiss Ass to be in the Hall of Fame.” Come on Shane, that’s not fair or intelligent. I know many wrestlers in the Hall who kiss no one’s ass. If this is all about Savage, again, please let it go.
Kevin - The Undertaker losing at ‘Mania is a distinct possibility, but my money is on the Demon of Death Valley.
BBD - I never heard that Snuka and Muraco had serious out of ring issues. I don’t think there is anything to that rumor.
Mark - Khali is in the WWE because he is an “attraction” and the business has had attractions in it for generations. The Swedish Angel, The Elephant Boy, Haystacks Calhoun, The McGwire Twins, Andre, etc.
Shawn - I felt Lita’s departure from the WWE was a little underwhelming to say the least. Lita deserved more, in my opinion, and I miss seeing her every Monday. She has a wonderful soul and has great passion and I wish her nothing but great health and success. She was one of my hires and I am still a huge fan of her, as a woman and as a wrestler. Who knows, maybe someday she will be back.
So many have asked about HHH being at Wrestlemania 23. I assume The Game will attend, but I can’t see how he can be physically involved with his quad in the midst of healing. But then again……
Jarid - I don’t think I have ever been snowed in or missed a booking due to weather related issues. I even broadcast a Great American Bash in Baltimore one year that was lowlighted by an ill-advised Scaffold Match after a kidney stone had fragmented, and I was passing particles of it during the live PPV. I am not sure what was the most painful, the horribly executed PPV or the kidney stone. I was in the emergency room at a local “medical facility” within 30 minutes of the show ending.
Jon - The Waylon Mercy character was akin to Robert DeNiro’s role in “Cape Fear.” Dan Spivey was perfect in the role and if Dan had been healthier, at the time, he would have been headlining major WWE events, in my opinion.
Yes, I communicate with Dr. Death virtually every week. His new book is available and I sincerely hope you will order it. It is not only a great story of courage and faith, but it will help the Good Doctor tremendously.
Gordon Solie in the WWE Hall of Fame? Oh, hell yeah. Without a doubt “The Dean” is a hall of famer. As I am not on the Hall of Fame committee or involved in the selection process (see the hundreds of Randy Savage comments I have tried to make), I can’t say when, but Gordon Solie is definitely a Hall of Fame announcer WAY ahead of the rest of us. Lance Russell and Bob Caudle deserve the honor too.
Will Bill Watts ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame? I would say “maybe,” but at this time it might be more of a long shot than at the head of the class. I do know the WWE will be inducting more and more wrestlers as the years move forward, or so I hear, that were not WWE branded much like Verne Gagne last year.
I heard a little rumor about the next WWE HOFer to be announced Monday night in Fresno and all I will say is it made me smile. OK, I smiled as best as my Bell’s Palsy would allow. Yes, I know, I remember the sign on TV that said “J.R. Has Lost His Smile.” Very nice. Thank you very little for that particular sign, whoever you were.
Adrian Peterson will be the # 3 or 4 pick in the draft at worst and the former OU running back, who I got to know his first week on campus, is NFL ready without a doubt. The King, a huge Browns fan, is hoping AD will be a Brown. For King’s sake, I concur, even though the Houston Texans would look like brilliant marketers if they could some how snag the Texas native, who runs in the high 4.3s at around 220 pounds. I cherish my signed AD stuff, which will be on display when our Bar-B-Q place opens in Norman in the spring.
Enjoy Raw Monday night! Take care everybody.
J.R.
P.S. Our store is open. Hint. Hint.