JIM ROSS' BLOG ENTRY FOR APRIL 29

A uniquely, intense two days. Warrior vs. Mr. McMahon. Hardy DVD a winner.
Link: http://www.jrsbarbq.com/2008/04/29/a-uniquely-intense-two-days-warrior-vs-mr-mcmahon-hardy-dvd-a-winner/
Wow.what a road trip to Baltimore and New Jersey, not only from the pressure cooker atmosphere both Sunday and Monday nights, but also horrid driving conditions for yours truly and the King Monday morning from Baltimore to East Rutherford via a rain soaked I-95. One thing about the interstate highway system and that is the 18 wheelers are the "Bull of the Woods". Thank God we found our normal sanctuary, "The Cracker Barrel" for lunch to make the close to 5 hour odyssey tolerable.

Some hotshots fly on private jets or in limos, but we don't need no stinking jets or limos (or badges) as long as we have "Never Lost" and "Cracker Barrel".

It seemed that even though every one had a few days to recover from he international tour of a week ago, that many folks were just a tad "edgy" Sunday and Monday, which sometimes bodes well for the physicality inside the old squared circle. In other forms of the presentation, that edginess isn't so palatable.

Oh Well, as has been said time and again, what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger. That must mean I am Ted Arcidi strong today.

I read on the vaunted Internet that the Warrior has challenged Mr. McMahon for a bout at WM25 in Houston next year. Certainly a provocative idea, that I seriously doubt would ever come to fruition, but it may be an idea that Dana White might want to explore for aUFC attraction. But as we all saw Monday night, as Monday Night Raw so abruptly went off the air on the USA Network, anything can happen in the WWE. Much like a grotesque car accident, one would have to at least peak at a Mr. McMahon-Warrior encounter.

So, Raw General Manager William Regal is not going to give up his G.M. Title which makes the current King of the Ring have a fair amount of stroke in the 'rasslin world it would seem. If Regal is ever going to take his wrestling game to the next level, he may well never have a better opportunity than now. I suggest strike while the iron is hot because this sort of timing might not be replicated again any time soon.

Is Santino Marella naturally too funny to ever be considered a bona fide wrestling villain? Here's another one for you, is Santino's long term calling as a wrestling manager? One thing I can say is that Santino showed more aggression in his bout versus Cody Rhodes Monday night than I have seem out of Marella perhaps ever.

My pet peeve of the week, other than some smart ass Internet geeks who actually wish others to have strokes and die and the webmasters who actually print the immature trash, is the overall lack of wrestling time on wrestling shows. Perhaps I am too old school, but I simply don't "get it". I'm not sure what is accomplished when wrestlers compete at aNASCAR pace.

Natalya Neidhart, who we barely saw Monday night but is going to be special, told me her Uncle Bret Hart was in Florida and I just hope that someone will invite Bret to the Florida Championship Wrestling training facility to talk to the prospects. Few men I have ever known in this business have the vision and complete understanding of what is needed bell to bell as does Bret. I look forward to sharing a few stories and perhaps a cold beverage or two when I see him in June at the Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion in Las Vegas. Bret is going to be providing us some "game worn" swag for our second J.R.'s Bar-B-Q, which will be prominently displayed. If you think you know all that there is to know about in ring psychology, watch Wrestlemania 13 and closely observe theHitman-Stone Cold match. Classic stuff that will be hard to ever top from a psychology standpoint.

We have a personally autographed photo of country music legend and fellow Oklahoman Garth Brooks that we will hang in our new Bar-B-Q place and I am sure glad Garth gave it to us before Trevor Murdoch did his rendition of the Brooks' Classic "Friends in Low Places" Monday night. I sure had a nice view of Murdoch's ass which wasn't one of my personal, career highlights. What in the hell was Murdoch thinking? I need help understanding this one. It was sort of a "Purell moment". It was like Larry the Cable Guy after he had been sniffing paint fumes or smoking the NBA players alleged favorite "herb of choice."

I had a nice visit with Dusty Rhodes Sunday and Monday and he looked healthier than I can remember seeing "The Dream" in quite some time. Working in Florida seems to be agreeing with Big Dust. He sure is high on several of his "kids" that are learning their trade down in the "Sunshine State". I wouldn't be surprised to see Dream move back to Florida some day, which would make his life even easier.

I'm trying to figure out how to get as much media stretch from the WWE for our Bar-B-Q Restaurants and products as JBL is with his mamajuana. Perhaps that is why JBL is a self made millionaire and Ol J.R. is still trying to get there by selling the best "Q" around. If I tried JBL's level of self promotion I have a feeling I just hear a raised and angry voice in my headsets. It looks like John Cena and John BradshawLayfield are on a collision course that will likely culminate at Judgment Day in Omaha in 3 weeks. It will be a "Battle of the Johns" which sounds like an episode ofHBO's "Cathouse".

Mick Foley did a stellar job as Michael "Deliverance 2" Cole's broadcast partner at Backlash. Mick is a natural for this role, but he might want to work on the old wardrobe..or not. Foley will offer brilliant observations and analysis that will certainly raise the bar on Smackdown. Mick did borrow my 1977 line I was going to use about Superstar Billy Graham beating the legendary BrunoSammartino in Baltimore for the WWWF Title and the one regarding Ron Simmons becoming the first African American World's Champ when he defeated Vader, as I remember it, also in Baltimore in a title tilt I had the privilege of broadcasting. Nonetheless, It is great to have Mick among the ranks of the broadcast teams in the WWE and I am sure that THE Tazz would agree. That just reminded me that I need to send THE Tazz some more Bar-B-Q Sauce and his favorite theChipotle Ketchup.

Former HBO, Deadwood star W. Earl Brown, who played Dan Dority, recently send me an email telling me he had lost 20 pounds and 6% of his body far on, as he called it, the J.R.'s Beef Jerky diet. Our Beef Jerky is 97% fat free if you're keeping score at home.

Joey Styles is already making a huge difference at www.wwe.com and you don't have to take my work for it just check out the site. It's amazing what a bright guy with actual product knowledge can do in a role such as Joey has now. He too seems really happy with the way things are working out but he also readily admits that he is still on his "honeymoon period".

Thanks for checking out our site and we are still working, I know you've heard this before, on our site overhaul. I did not believe it would take this long but I also readily admit I know little about this sort of thing. Hopefully, these much needed improvements will be done in a few days. Please come back and see us.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.

Credit: A1 Wrestling Newsletter