11-24-2002, 12:19 AM
Greetings from under the black 200x Resistol hat while heading to my home state of Oklahoma for two WWE “on sale” promotions and the Sooners football game Saturday night in Norman.
Random Thoughts and Opinion:
I enjoyed the RAW broadcast Monday night, live from Harbor Yard. Another improved show as we continue to make slow, albeit positive, strides in improving our flagship TV property. I maintain that this will be a slower process than many of us, our fans, and certainly our critics will like but that’s generally the nature of any re-building process. Our goal Monday is to improve over last Monday’s show – it’s that simple. That’s our challenge and I feel we are all up to it.
Survivor Series was a solid show and seemed to be well received by most. Elimination Chamber delivered. How Triple H made it through the entire match after being injured is amazing. Lots of guts.
SmackDown! aired very solidly, thanks in large part to the great work of the WWE TV department who work unbelievable hours to make this show as perfect as possible.
Brock Lesnar’s slow evolution to becoming a fan favorite seems to be working. Over time, Lesnar should develop quite a following. He will be worked a little less over the next few weeks to allow his broken rib to heal a little faster.
Edge seems to have taken another positive step in his on-going development. I see a ton of untapped potential here with this young Canadian. His growth reminds me somewhat of the great Bret Hart, back in the day.
Rob Van Dam must really be looking forward to his 1st ever match with Shawn Michaels this Monday live on RAW from North Charleston, SC. RVD may appear to be laid back, but my instincts say he is very excited about this opportunity. I’m really curious to see how this one plays out.
Great promo by Booker T on RAW referring to being “overlooked” and “not noticed.” Sounds like art imitating life to me, but of course, I could be wrong. Booker T is a main event level talent.
Good to see the Dudleys back together again. Seems to have lit a fire under all the “siblings,” especially D-Von. Hope the Dudleyville residents add a spark to the tag team scene on RAW. That’s what I’m expecting.
Valbowski is a welcome addition to RAW. This Toronto native can certainly verbalize and is a helluva in-ring talent who has been under utilized in my view. If Valbowski is aligned with Bischoff, I can see some interesting days ahead. I’m anxious to see where this goes Monday.
Several months ago, I spoke of the tag team potential of the Guerreros when Chavo was barely appearing on SmackDown! Today, Eddie & Chavo are as good as any team in WWE. Watch these two continue to evolve and add more than moves to their arsenal. I could watch them every day.
Speaking of teams, Jericho and Christian continue to get better and better, too, but the team that may have the most legs long term is Regal and Storm. I would not be surprised to see Regal and Citizen Storm wearing tag team gold someday. They have great chemistry.
Now would be a great time for some young talents on RAW or SmackDown! to turn heads. The field is wide open for all the much sought after “top spots”. These young talents should strive to make every match a Damn good one with great execution and physical story telling. It’s easy to throw water on this concept buy those who follow the business on the “outside” and perhaps by some talents themselves. Bottom line, as I see it, is that during any rebuilding period, and I’ve seen plenty of them, the powers that be are desperately looking for the next “star” or main event level talent. Through hard and effective work at live events, and TVs, plus coming to work with a few ideas in mind an ambitious talent, increases their chances of getting to the promised land. The glass can’t always be half-empty. There is more opportunity here now than in years. Oops, I almost fell off my soapbox.
I admire the dedication and hard work of all our Divas who are all trying to get better at executing in the ring. Even though some critics like to say that the WWE Divas will never be as physical as the Japanese lady wrestlers, I say so what? With the way the Japanese ladies are trained in their DoJos, I’m not sure this is a fair comparison. I would not trade our roster of female talent for any in the world and I am proud of the match that Trish and Victoria had at Survivor Series. Their gutsy performance and overwhelming work ethic really impressed me and many others in our company. That’s not to say I wouldn’t love to have a Aja Kong or Bull Nakano, in their prime, on our roster but that dog doesn’t hunt anymore.
Looks as if Kurt Angle will be getting his knee scoped sometime in December.
John Cena and Matt Hardy both have huge upsides as young, abrasive antagonists on SmackDown! Cena’s verbal skills are especially strong for such a young man.
Charlie Haas and Red Dog have been turning a few heads recently on the road
They realize that every match at this stage of their career, and with the company reloading, is an important one that provides them with that magic word, opportunity. No different this time of the year with football coaches looking for players to make plays.
Entertainer Michael Jackson is obviously a little “unique,” shall we say, but there is no doubt he would fit right in on Tough Enough 3. Every week when I watch TE3 from the comfort of my La-Z-Boy, I am amazed with the diverse personalities still in the house. The story of the house itself is a little “unique”, truth be told. Can you say goofy as a “pet coon?”
All seems to be going well with the RAW talents in India. No major injuries or incidents to report. As I write this on Thursday night, the crew is safely in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, preparing for their second event of three before arriving back in the states Sunday.
Mike Tyson is set to fight again, February 23, in Memphis. I hope this fight comes off as planned, but I’m not holding my breath. Boxing is crazier than our business, but I know Mike needs this payday and a victory to set up another bout with Lenox Lewis. There is really no one else for Lewis to face as boxing does not have an over abundance of heavyweight stars. Sounds familiar. Hey King, get us some primo tickets.
Brian “Spanky” Kendrick starts on the road this weekend, as does the wrestler formerly known as Guido in ECW.
Albert has made significant strides in the past couple of months, but I’m still begging for a name change. I really believe in his potential and feel the former Pittsburgh O-Lineman will be a main eventer someday, hairy back and all.
I sent my get well wishes to Steelers QB Tommy Maddox after his recent injury. The former XFL MVP is one helluva great guy and as competitive as anyone I’ve ever met.
We had a great meeting with Simon and Schuster on Wednesday to discuss the layout of the cookbook. Also got copies of Hogan and King’s books. Hogan’s book is an easy read and is better than some will probably think. I have enjoyed many parts of it and suggest you try it on for size. King’s book is a “page turner”. I’m reading it this weekend and it is going to be in stores in early December.
Fat kids suing McDonald’s for making them obese is as crazy as some “wrestling lawsuits” I have witnessed.
We are close to finalizing our deal with Australian Nathan Jones, 6’10”, 300lbs
And hope to have him join us before the end of the year if possible.
It’s hard to believe that the NY Knicks or the defending Eastern Division Champs NJ Nets rarely sell out this season. Most NBA and NHL teams, with a few exceptions, are not drawing as well as their ownership would like. It’s probably their “writers” fault. Or the fact they are not winning. Or those Damn all night gas stations opening up and passing out free donuts. (You can tell it’s getting late on this lovely American Airlines flight).
Early call Friday morning with my first in studio radio performance at 6:30 a.m. Looking forward to lunch, no jokes please, as I have been invited down to Norman to break bread with some of the OU football coaches. Our on sale at the Cox Arena is from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. with the new Worlds Heavyweight Champion, Shawn Michaels for our December 21 RAW taping. I am scheduled to do an interview with TBS Sports during the second half of the Oklahoma-Texas Tech game Saturday night. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. EST. Then early Sunday morning it’s a 100 mile drive to Tulsa for a noon-2:00 p.m. on sale at the Convention Center with Lita. From there, I fly to N. Charleston for RAW. Busy days, but I love it!
Take care.
JR (Boomer Sooner)
P.S. – We really need this game!
Random Thoughts and Opinion:
I enjoyed the RAW broadcast Monday night, live from Harbor Yard. Another improved show as we continue to make slow, albeit positive, strides in improving our flagship TV property. I maintain that this will be a slower process than many of us, our fans, and certainly our critics will like but that’s generally the nature of any re-building process. Our goal Monday is to improve over last Monday’s show – it’s that simple. That’s our challenge and I feel we are all up to it.
Survivor Series was a solid show and seemed to be well received by most. Elimination Chamber delivered. How Triple H made it through the entire match after being injured is amazing. Lots of guts.
SmackDown! aired very solidly, thanks in large part to the great work of the WWE TV department who work unbelievable hours to make this show as perfect as possible.
Brock Lesnar’s slow evolution to becoming a fan favorite seems to be working. Over time, Lesnar should develop quite a following. He will be worked a little less over the next few weeks to allow his broken rib to heal a little faster.
Edge seems to have taken another positive step in his on-going development. I see a ton of untapped potential here with this young Canadian. His growth reminds me somewhat of the great Bret Hart, back in the day.
Rob Van Dam must really be looking forward to his 1st ever match with Shawn Michaels this Monday live on RAW from North Charleston, SC. RVD may appear to be laid back, but my instincts say he is very excited about this opportunity. I’m really curious to see how this one plays out.
Great promo by Booker T on RAW referring to being “overlooked” and “not noticed.” Sounds like art imitating life to me, but of course, I could be wrong. Booker T is a main event level talent.
Good to see the Dudleys back together again. Seems to have lit a fire under all the “siblings,” especially D-Von. Hope the Dudleyville residents add a spark to the tag team scene on RAW. That’s what I’m expecting.
Valbowski is a welcome addition to RAW. This Toronto native can certainly verbalize and is a helluva in-ring talent who has been under utilized in my view. If Valbowski is aligned with Bischoff, I can see some interesting days ahead. I’m anxious to see where this goes Monday.
Several months ago, I spoke of the tag team potential of the Guerreros when Chavo was barely appearing on SmackDown! Today, Eddie & Chavo are as good as any team in WWE. Watch these two continue to evolve and add more than moves to their arsenal. I could watch them every day.
Speaking of teams, Jericho and Christian continue to get better and better, too, but the team that may have the most legs long term is Regal and Storm. I would not be surprised to see Regal and Citizen Storm wearing tag team gold someday. They have great chemistry.
Now would be a great time for some young talents on RAW or SmackDown! to turn heads. The field is wide open for all the much sought after “top spots”. These young talents should strive to make every match a Damn good one with great execution and physical story telling. It’s easy to throw water on this concept buy those who follow the business on the “outside” and perhaps by some talents themselves. Bottom line, as I see it, is that during any rebuilding period, and I’ve seen plenty of them, the powers that be are desperately looking for the next “star” or main event level talent. Through hard and effective work at live events, and TVs, plus coming to work with a few ideas in mind an ambitious talent, increases their chances of getting to the promised land. The glass can’t always be half-empty. There is more opportunity here now than in years. Oops, I almost fell off my soapbox.
I admire the dedication and hard work of all our Divas who are all trying to get better at executing in the ring. Even though some critics like to say that the WWE Divas will never be as physical as the Japanese lady wrestlers, I say so what? With the way the Japanese ladies are trained in their DoJos, I’m not sure this is a fair comparison. I would not trade our roster of female talent for any in the world and I am proud of the match that Trish and Victoria had at Survivor Series. Their gutsy performance and overwhelming work ethic really impressed me and many others in our company. That’s not to say I wouldn’t love to have a Aja Kong or Bull Nakano, in their prime, on our roster but that dog doesn’t hunt anymore.
Looks as if Kurt Angle will be getting his knee scoped sometime in December.
John Cena and Matt Hardy both have huge upsides as young, abrasive antagonists on SmackDown! Cena’s verbal skills are especially strong for such a young man.
Charlie Haas and Red Dog have been turning a few heads recently on the road
They realize that every match at this stage of their career, and with the company reloading, is an important one that provides them with that magic word, opportunity. No different this time of the year with football coaches looking for players to make plays.
Entertainer Michael Jackson is obviously a little “unique,” shall we say, but there is no doubt he would fit right in on Tough Enough 3. Every week when I watch TE3 from the comfort of my La-Z-Boy, I am amazed with the diverse personalities still in the house. The story of the house itself is a little “unique”, truth be told. Can you say goofy as a “pet coon?”
All seems to be going well with the RAW talents in India. No major injuries or incidents to report. As I write this on Thursday night, the crew is safely in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, preparing for their second event of three before arriving back in the states Sunday.
Mike Tyson is set to fight again, February 23, in Memphis. I hope this fight comes off as planned, but I’m not holding my breath. Boxing is crazier than our business, but I know Mike needs this payday and a victory to set up another bout with Lenox Lewis. There is really no one else for Lewis to face as boxing does not have an over abundance of heavyweight stars. Sounds familiar. Hey King, get us some primo tickets.
Brian “Spanky” Kendrick starts on the road this weekend, as does the wrestler formerly known as Guido in ECW.
Albert has made significant strides in the past couple of months, but I’m still begging for a name change. I really believe in his potential and feel the former Pittsburgh O-Lineman will be a main eventer someday, hairy back and all.
I sent my get well wishes to Steelers QB Tommy Maddox after his recent injury. The former XFL MVP is one helluva great guy and as competitive as anyone I’ve ever met.
We had a great meeting with Simon and Schuster on Wednesday to discuss the layout of the cookbook. Also got copies of Hogan and King’s books. Hogan’s book is an easy read and is better than some will probably think. I have enjoyed many parts of it and suggest you try it on for size. King’s book is a “page turner”. I’m reading it this weekend and it is going to be in stores in early December.
Fat kids suing McDonald’s for making them obese is as crazy as some “wrestling lawsuits” I have witnessed.
We are close to finalizing our deal with Australian Nathan Jones, 6’10”, 300lbs
And hope to have him join us before the end of the year if possible.
It’s hard to believe that the NY Knicks or the defending Eastern Division Champs NJ Nets rarely sell out this season. Most NBA and NHL teams, with a few exceptions, are not drawing as well as their ownership would like. It’s probably their “writers” fault. Or the fact they are not winning. Or those Damn all night gas stations opening up and passing out free donuts. (You can tell it’s getting late on this lovely American Airlines flight).
Early call Friday morning with my first in studio radio performance at 6:30 a.m. Looking forward to lunch, no jokes please, as I have been invited down to Norman to break bread with some of the OU football coaches. Our on sale at the Cox Arena is from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. with the new Worlds Heavyweight Champion, Shawn Michaels for our December 21 RAW taping. I am scheduled to do an interview with TBS Sports during the second half of the Oklahoma-Texas Tech game Saturday night. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. EST. Then early Sunday morning it’s a 100 mile drive to Tulsa for a noon-2:00 p.m. on sale at the Convention Center with Lita. From there, I fly to N. Charleston for RAW. Busy days, but I love it!
Take care.
JR (Boomer Sooner)
P.S. – We really need this game!
![[Image: nathanjones.jpg]](http://www.upw.com/superstars/images/nathanjones.jpg)
![[Image: DSC07953.jpg]](http://www.upw.com/images/DSC07953.jpg)