Planned Announcers for Wrestlemania
According to Bryan Alvarez, the plan (at least what WWE wants) right now is for Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler to announce Wrestlemania with Todd Grisham, Matt Striker and Josh Matthews doing backstage interviews and such. JR's role on the show is still not confirmed at this point.
Jim Ross Posts Contract Update
Jim Ross posted the following on JRsBarBQ.com:
"I will be signing another contract extension this week with WWE to allow us to get past Wrestlemania and to give us more time to finalize our newest agreement which will hopefully see me remaining with WWE for the long term future. At least, that's the goal for all involved. I'm going into this negotiation with a positive frame of mind and hopeful that all will work out to everyone's mutual happiness at the end of the day."
Cheech & Chong Suggest Medical Marijuana to Jim Ross
Jim Ross wrote the following on Twitter the other day: "Cheech & Chong suggested that I get a 'script for medical marijuana 4 Bells palsy treatment. Now that's 'far out.'"
Jim Ross Says Reuniting With Jerry Lawler is Highly Unlikely
Jim Ross posted the following on JRsBarBQ.com in regards to a possible return to commentary with Jerry Lawler:
"I don't think that WWE is interested in putting me back on weekly TV and all the travel that comes along with it at this time. Would I love to work with King again? Certainly. Is this my call? Nope. Do I think that I will ever be paired with Lawler again on a regular basis? Highly unlikely."
Update on Iron Sheik’s Reported Arrest
As noted earlier, there was an unconfirmed report that The Iron Sheik was arrested last week after behaving badly on a flight. Mike Aldren says that, according to Sheik's rep, he was not arrested. Jim Ross made mention about the incident on his website and Twitter last week.
JR wrote on his blog: "Small world....an old friend of mine was on a flight from Vegas to Atlanta this week and was seated on the same row, row 10, with a reportedly rowdy Iron Sheik. My friend, who is not in the wrestling biz, sent me a few text messages describing the scene which apparently was a little wild. It's hard to believe that when I first met the Iron Sheik that he was quiet, weighed about 195 pounds or so, had hair, and was then a regular traveling partier with Danny Hodge."
Ross later wrote the following on Twitter: "Friend called from Vegas airport boarding flt 2 Atl. It was loud & noisy. Reason: Iron Sheik was boarding! Maybe 2 many jabroni's" and "My friend called me and Sheik got met by PO-leese @ ATL airport. Ouch, Daddy."
Jim Ross Blog
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross updated his blog with his thoughts about last night's Monday Night War, what he thinks about women's wrestling and WWE's new Shawn Michaels DVD set. You can check out that full blog as well as JR's delicious line of BBQ products at JRsBarBQ.com. Here's what JR said about:
- RAW vs. Impact: I am not going to analyze the Monday night wrestling sagas of last night for many reasons. One, I'm not unbiased and two, there is PLENTY of analyzing going on from wrestling websites that do that sort of thing for a living. It can be said, however, that those fans who are yearning for longer matches and more matches in general on TV are likely still yearning. Plus, and finally, some people forget apparently that they are producing 'episodic' television.
- Women's Wrestling: We're still getting emails from peeved fans about my stance on women's wrestling. For those who love to rant, not read and not pay attention to what I have said, let's try this again. I am a fan of women in wrestling. I hired some major, female stars in my time. You can ask any female that ever worked on our roster and they will tell you that they were never disrespected by me. But, still, it is what it is. Women are currently positioned in the wrestling biz in a support role and one could easily make an argument that women in the wrestling biz, as a whole, are somewhat underutilized.
- WWE's New Shawn Michaels DVD: Fans of HBK or wrestling in general should grab the new Shawn Michaels DVD that is available today (Tuesday). I've seen it, I love it and it brings back a truck load of memories. I only wish I had been available to be the one interviewing Shawn for this project but that apparently wasn't an option. Buy the DVD and I promise that you will love the amazing array of bouts that, arguably, the best in the biz today, performed in on a high level even when he was a hot headed kid. I remember Shawn from his first territory and even remember the big Cowboy fining Shawn right after Shawn made his Mid South debut for inadvertently missing a TV taping because he did not know that EVERYONE came to TV whether their name was on the booking sheet or not.
Jim Ross Posts Preview of Raw – Will the Undertaker Be on Raw?
Jim Ross posted the following message on his Twitter page:
"Expect Raw 2 b red hot nx 3 wks. McMahon vs Cena is intriging Mon nite. Will U-Taker appear @ Raw? Raw will b loaded w/ WM26 upon us."
Follow more JR tweets on Twitter @ JRsBBQ.
Jim Ross Answers Fan Questions
Jim Ross answered some Q&A's on his website. Here are some :
Q: "In your opion do you think that TNA will put the WWE out of business?"
JR: "Hell, no. WWE likely wont' be dinted by TNA and WWE shouldn't be TNA's obsession. TNA should just worry about improving their brand and making more money and producing more compelling TV. WWE is way too strong and too well organized to be noticeably impacted by any one in today's marketplace in pro wrestling."
Q:" Do you think its time that the WWE started mentioning other wrestling organizations on there programming. Obvious reasons would be Daniel Bryan & CM Punk being a ROH champion and Christian and R-Truth winning TNA Championships. Maybe we could get history on some superstars instead of these guys either disappearing for years and or just appearing out of no where. I mean Vince must have seen these guys before he signed them so why explain where to the audience."
JR: "I'm not big on mentioning other brands personally and I highly doubt that McMahon saw either talent you mentioned to any serious degree before the talent relations department signed them which isn't unusual or necessary."
Q: Why does Eric Bischoff poke fun at WWE yet they pick up former WWE stars because they are incapable of building stars on their own.
JR: "I can only assume Eric does it to get folks talking such as you with this question. Personally I would never infer to WWE especially with TNA going head to head on Mondays. What does it do to help make TNA a better show to watch?"
Q: "Why doesn't the WWE incorporate more history into current storylines? It seems to me if two wrestlers have a decade of history together than it would significantly add to the current storyline and give it added depth much like a rivalry in the NFL."
JR: "You'd have to ask WWE that question. I don't know. Perhaps they don't feel that history and nostalgia plays well to their fan base. "
Q: "Do you think Cena vs Rock will ever happen? Also, since The Rock is coming back this summer to guest host Raw, Do you think Cena might come out when he hosts to confront him?"
JR: "To quote Gorilla, "Highly Unlikely." "
Q: " So with TNA moving to Monday nights and rekindling the Monday Night War, do you see WWE moving away from the PG rating?"
JR: "I don't see this Monday night stuff as being a "war" nor do I see WWE deviating from their PG rating."
Q: "If Sting signed with WWE, how would you see him being used? gimmckwise and storyline wise?
JR: "I would see him used sparingly, well positioned and as a legendary attraction"
Q: "What do you think of Ric Flair coming out of retirement?"
JR: "If Ric is happy then I am happy. If used wisely, Ric can still be an asset as a wrestler but will always add to any show if he isn't overexposed."
Q: "Do you think that WWE should bring back the Cruiserweight title? People like Evan Bourne, Yoshi Tatsu, and Jimmy Yang will probably never hold a major title due to their size. And do you think that Hulk Hogan giving Abyss his Hall of Fame ring is a slap in the face to Vince McMahon?
JR: "The cruiserweights should only be brought back if they are going to be featured and not just lip service like TNA's X Division. Hulk giving Abyss his WWE HOF ring was fiction and I did not find it offensive at all. I don't speak for McMahon.
Q: "what are thoughts on bret hart vs vince mcmahon at wrestlemania 26"
JR: "I'm intrigued by it and hope that it is enjoyed by all. Likely the last time Bret will ever be in the ring in this role. That's big."
Q: "I was reading vince mcmahons twitter and he sais you are returning for wrestlemania 26 is this true thanks"
JR: "That's news to me. I did not know McMahon even had a Twitter page but I am not yet contractually obligated to attend WM26 even though that is my goal."
Jim Ross Blog
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com. Here's what JR said about visiting at WWE RAW last night from Oklahoma City...
- Being at RAW Last Night: "It was great seeing so many of my friends from the WWE world Monday at the Ford Center. It is always good to catch up with long time acquaintances and how they and their families are doing. If I was asked once, I was asked a 100 times, 'When are you coming back?' I don't have the exact answer to that question but my standard and honest response remains the same and that is that my goal is and always has been to return to WWE at Wrestlemania 26. If all the necessary arrangements can be made from a business perspective then that goal will hopefully become a reality."
- Meeting With Bret Hart At RAW: "Bret Hart and I had a long conversation Monday of which I enjoyed immensely. Bret is one of the all time greats, a WWE HOF'er, and has battled thru amazing adversity in overcoming a serious stroke to get to where he is today. Bret, as we discussed, will never be '100%' but his heart and spirit are strong and he will no doubt do all he physically and mentally can to provide the fans their monies worth at WM26 versus Mr. McMahon. I personally can't wait to see this attraction. Bret and I even talked casually about doing some appearances together, perhaps even some Q&A's."
Update on Jim Ross’ Status With WWE
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross posted a blog update on JRsBarBQ.com Friday morning with an update on his health and future plans in the wrestling industry. Ross wrote that nothing is finalized yet, but potential plans are in the works and he hopes to attend Wrestlemania 26. Ross wants to return, but WWE's hectic schedule might be too much for him at this point. He questions whether he can still handle traveling 51 weeks a year while performing at the level he's expected to.
"Thank God I'm feeling better but many, major decisions have to be addressed," Ross wrote. "I can only say that time will tell over the next few weeks and the best decision will be made. This by no means that my love for the business has diminished whatsoever."
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