Wham Bam trip to Cleveland and back to record this week’s WWE Superstars bout for Thursday’s WGN America and Friday Night Smackdown that will air on MyNetworkTV. These 3:30 a.m. wake up calls coming off the heals of a taping day become more and more challenging. Nonetheless it’s time to kickoff these proceedings…
Jerry Lawler and I will make a rare, personal appearance (for me any way) this Sunday at the much anticipated Dragon Gate wrestling event in Chicago at the Congress Theater. The event starts at 6 and we will do our signing prior to the first bell. I look forward to the experience which will be coming off the heels of the OU-BYU game in Dallas Saturday night on ESPN after which I will drive the Mrs and me back to Norman and fly out of OKC to Chicago on Sunday around lunch time.
Speaking of Dragon Gate, Bryan Danielson will also be signing at that event and wrestling. Bryan, trained by HBK, has apparently agreed to a deal with WWE which is a smart move on the WWE’s part. I think Danielson should have been signed long ago but that’s just one man’s opinion.
Danielson’s skill level is superb even though he isn’t the biggest dog in the hunt which, thankfully, seems to be meaning less and less these days. Talent comes in all sizes and shapes and having a roster full of look alikes helps no one. The wrestling business has always been built on individuality and uniqueness. I am a firm believer that every prospect doesn’t have to be 6’2" and weigh no less than 240 pounds and look pretty in an 8X10. It’s hard to measure a man or a woman’s passion by how they look in a still photo.
I have no clue as to what WWE brand Danielson will migrate to first but it would not surprise me to see him hang his hat in ECW. For the record, that’s not an official declaration but merely an opinion. WWE honchos could bring Danielson to Smackdown and it wouldn’t hurt my feelings. I’m just saying.
We got a ridiculous amount of emails this week damning the Chavo Guerrero-Hornswoggle storyline. WAY too much venom for a non main event issue. It looks like Chavo & Evan Bourne will be competing soon which should allow those emailing us with major issues on this matter to chill.
“The Price is Right” TV legend Bob Barker is an alleged lady’s man so when “Mr. Come on Down” guest hosts Raw in Chicago it might be a good idea for the smart, sexy, powerful Divas of Raw to beware or it could be a “vintage” May to December romance opportunity. The late, Ray Combs of “Family Feud” fame told me many “tales” of Barker’s legendary eye for the ladies. Not that there is anything wrong with that, for the record.
Let’s hear it for Bob!!
For some reason, I see the silver haired, TV Icon crossing paths with Santino Marella in Chi-Town not to mention that there could be competition to see who Monday’s “Barker Babes” might be if a Raw version of “The Price is Right” is conducted.
About 9,000 tickets for “Breaking Point” in Montreal have been sold with about 10 days to go. It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd gathers as the trend these days, with the economy as it is, is for the week “of business” becoming more significant. When I first started in the wrestling biz, “the walk up the day of the event” was the key to success. This trend has changed over the years whereby the first day of ticket sales has become much more significant. Fans with less disposable income due to the economy, etc will be making ticket purchases later in the process while the economy struggles for all of us. I do think Montreal will sell out “Breaking Point” at the end of the day.
It will be great to see Trish Stratus in Toronto in a couple of weeks guest hosting Raw in her home town. As a matter of fact, it’s always good to see “Canada’s Greatest Import” anywhere. Perhaps I can persuade my Ryan Seacrest-like partner Todd Grisham that we need to be at the TO Raw even if we don’t do our solitary, WWE Superstars match that night. We will be in Hamilton on Tuesday for Smackdown on this Canadian run and will be basing out of Toronto on Monday and Tuesday. BTW Trish and Stacey Keibler are on the cover with yours truly of our “J.R.'S Cookbook” which we personally autograph and sell in our on line store for $9.95 and they were originally $16 when they were released.
I will be starting a radio gig Wednesdays at 5 central time on www.1560thegame.com which is the site with streaming audio of sports talk powerhouse 1560 The Game in Houston. We’ll talk some 'rasslin and Big 12 Football. Tune in if you can.
You can also catch me Friday mornings at 6:45 central time on the Oklahoma City Fox 25 Morning Show. I’ll be doing a short segment doing football predictions. Rising at 5ish in the morning and driving up to OKC at that hour there is no telling what I may say in my morning delirium.
Smackdown rocks this week without question and is arguably the best WWE TV broadcast of the week largely thanks to a three segment IC Title Bout between Rey Mysterio and John Morrison. This one is “restaurant quality.” I remember years and years ago, wrestling announcers used to hype TV bouts as being good enough to be “a main event any where in the country.” Yes, hyperbole has been around since the inception of TV but I will promise you that Mysterio and Morrison turn it on Friday night in one helluva wrestling match on MyNetworkTV. SD has been fortunate to have featured some outstanding wrestling the past several months, particularly in the last few weeks, but this contest will standout in most, objective fans eyes. Try to put the IC Title controversy and all the “dirt” and other speculative BS aside and sit back and enjoy this match for the story that’s told bell to bell.
Plus, Matt Hardy vs C.M. Punk is a stout bout too Friday night. It’s another longer than normal TV match that delivers the goods. If Rey vs. Morrison had not preceded it earlier in the show, most fans, including me, would be loudly singing that show closing bout’s praises even more.
One of my favorite new franchises, The Hart Dynasty, gets back in the spotlight on Thursday night’s WWE Superstars on WGN America.
My first “7 Points to Ponder” column is going to be posted Wednesday or Thursday on www.ouinsider.com. Suprise…this will be about OU Football and their upcoming game.
From my perspective, it seems as if several, young talents are beginning to start to understand what it takes to be a star in the wrestling business. It is not an overnight process and it isn’t about who simply “gets the push.” Several things have to come together but consistent, hard work and a little luck are both necessary to make it. I like to refrain from overselling any young talents because I feel some of them might become less hungry plus if someone deserving is inadvertently omitted it does them no favors. Long story short, based on what I have personally been observing, several young wrestlers seem to be taking positive steps with their careers. These folks just need “game time” and to get their hands on the ball in order to see if they can actually “make some plays.” Yeah, football metaphors all but it’s that time of the year.
Wrestling fans every where are seemingly waiting to see “new” on their TV sets in viable roles and added to existing stars who are currently staples of their respective programs.
Steve Austin is scheduled to wrap the latest film he’s starring in on Wednesday in Vancouver. In the last few days of filming, Steve ran into an “I” beam and severely gashed his bald head. He emailed me a photo and it was gnarly to say the least but Steve said that he “didn’t sell it and never left his feet.” And when I say gash, I mean gash. Austin’s legend of being “hard headed” is not folklore I assure you. Steve may be starting yet another film, perhaps in Vancouver, in November, TBD.
We are putting together some new packages of products from our on line store and will have them on the site in the next few days. These packages will save you money on many of our most popular items and many will also include FREE SHIPPING for our customers who reside in the USA.
I also invite you to check out our ramblings on the Smackdown page at www.wwe.com which is usually posted on Thursday afternoons.
Boomer Sooner!
J.R.
