WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross updated the blog section of JRsbarbq.com. The following items are among the highlights. To order J.R.’s BBQ products, visit WWEShop.com.
–Ross on the WWE Draft: “WWE will hold their Draft Tuesday night on the first live broadcast of Smackdown Live on the USA Network and there’s already predictable, second guessing from many after they read the rules and the Draft format. This is simply the way of the world on many things especially considering that there is so much info online available for fans to digest and then to regurgitate said info with their own assumptions. This speculation cements the thoughts that I have made that no matter how the Draft turns out and no matter who is Drafted where that many fans will pan the process even though it can’t be intelligently judged as to it’s long term success for months. I’ve suggested that the jury will be out until Wrestlemania 33 in Orlando when we see the main event that the separated brand will produce for the biggest pro wrestling event in the business.”
Powell’s POV: While JR is right about the likelihood that we’ll need plenty of time to fairly judge the draft, I continue to say that the NFL Draft would be very boring if they just held the draft and then fans and the television analysts agreed that “only time will tell” and moved on. I think it’s implied that only time will tell when it comes to drafts, but half the fun is breaking things down afterward and giving that instant analysis.
–Ross on Brock Lesnar: “Nothing new on the Brock Lesnar drug test failure until the B sample is tested and the results are returned and subsequently made public. If the B sample test is negative, I’m under the impression that the matter will be dropped but many insiders are not optimistic that the B sample will be any different than the original test sample. I’m still amazed that this matter even happened considering that it is illegal and the huge amount of money that a fine/suspension could likely cost Lesnar who made well north of seven figures for UFC 200.”
Powell’s POV: I am very curious to see how WWE proceeds with this should the failure stand. Yes, they could suspend him if the B-Sample comes back dirty and within the next couple of days, and possibly have enough time for him to serve 30 days yet still be eligible for SummerSlam. However, there’s also the matter of public perception with WWE’s 30 days looking like a slap on the wrist when compared to the two-year suspension that a failed test can trigger in the UFC world. It’s even worse when you consider the fact that Lesnar works limited dates for WWE, so a 30-day suspension is just another 30 days away for Lesnar, who doesn’t work many house show events.
–Ross on OklaMania: “OklaMania in OKC was a hit as we had a full house of approximately 1,000 fans in the OKC Cox Convention Center Sunday night. The card was based on old, school fundamentally sound pro wrestling as we used time limits, kept the action inside the ring, and did our best to book competitive bouts that seemed to entertain the fans which should always be the goal of any promotion. The IWR staff and talents are great to work with and I look forward to doing more projects with them in the future. The bouts were taped and voiced over on site as I’m told that a DVD and perhaps even a spot on the FITE TV App at some point down the road. may happen.”
Powell’s POV: It’s good to see the event drew over 1,000 fans. Still, one can only wonder if it would have done better had promoters done more to spread the word. I can’t speak for the Oklahoma area, which would be the wisest area to target, but I can say that the only hype I saw for the event came from JR. With so many names big names appearing, perhaps this could grow into more of a summer vacation destination for die-hard wrestling fans if they hold more events in the future and do more to spread the word. At any rate, I hope the event is made available. Ross had a lot more to write about the show, including the Sting appearance, in his actual blog, which can be accessed via the link at the top of the page.
Other topics include CBS boxing with JR on the call airing Friday night, several upcoming Ross Report guests, and more.
Be the first to comment