WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with a new blog on jrsbarbq.com. Here are some highlights from this entry:

- Many fans are still buzzing about the return of the enigma known as Brock Lesnar. Lesnar is a complex, dominating and driven athlete who made an immediate impact last week when he F5′ed John Cena without warning.

- The WWE Title picture certainly became even more interesting Monday night when reigning Champion @CMPunk found himself with a bull’s eye on his chest not only from the challenge last week of Mark Henry but also from the renewed pursuit of Chris Jericho @IAmJericho, @TheRock who said that he would be WWE Champion again, @JohnCena who always has his sights set on the top prize in WWE plus Brock Lesnar who certainly feels that he is the alpha male in WWE but to validate such must be WWE Champion.

- After watching HIAC from WM28, challenging because I don’t like listening to myself (I know…I could have muted the sound but my wife wanted to hear the commentary) I am hard pressed to name any match that was more better executed that what I saw between HHH and Undertaker. Their match stole the show, in my opinion, and was one of the best bouts that I ever had the honor of calling. The gutteral physicality was extraordinary.

I don’t have a crystal ball but I’d be surpirsed to see HHH, @ShawnMichaels and the Undertaker, all together, ever being in the ring as participants at a WrestleMania or any other WWE event ever again. The final chapter of an amazing book was seemingly written and the book closed on Sunday in Miami.

- Speaking of FCW, keep an eye on Damien Sandow who debuted on Smackdown Friday night. He’s bright, athletic and motivated. I fully expect him to be successful at the next level. I love his ‘Lou Thesz-like’ robe and towel combo. I have high expectations for Sandow who’s got a solid work ethic and is a student of the game notwithstanding a well spoken individual.

Labels: Damien Sandow, jim ross, triple h, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

John Cena called The Rock out to the ring at the conclusion of Monday’s Raw SuperShow, but was instead greeted with a brutal F5 courtesy of Brock Lesnar. WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross went on Twitter to address the recently-retired mixed martial artist’s shocking return to sports entertainment.

“Why’s Brock Lesnar back? I’d suggest 2 earn BIG money. He’s done w/ UFC & still young. He’s a complex, supreme athlete. Interesting times,” he wrote.

Ross continued, “I don’t know of Lesnar’s contractual matters w/ WWE. None of our business. I did his 1st few deals. Let’s not over think this. Brock’s back!”

Ross also responded to a remark stating that he once said that Lesnar would never return to WWE, writing, “Never full time IMO. But enough to matter.”

Labels: Brock Lensar, jim ross, john cena

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that he's not scheduled to be at Sunday's Survivor Series pay-per-view:

"I'm not booked at Survivor Series @this time. I am booked in Waco to see OU-Baylor Sat. IF I set up sauce stand @ MSG Sunday, wud u come by?"

Labels: 2011 survivor Series, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:54 AM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has answered several fan questions on his Twitter account, @JRsBBQ. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote on Tuesday morning about:

SmackDown Moving To Tuesdays:

"Will WWE move Smackdown to tuesdays live on Sy Fy? Heard nothing official but personally I like the idea. Live TV hard to beat. So, TBD."

WWE's New Cable Channel:

"WWE Network moving forward briskly. Not sure of details but tv biz buzzing & interested. 'Assume' nothing other than it's gonna be a hit."

What He Thinks Of TNA Wrestling:

"Have many friends there & wish them no Ill will & only success."

Rumored WrestleMania 28 Matches:

"Amazing how many folks think I actually known the WM28 card here in September. I'd guess NO ONE KNOWS the card. NO ONE."

What He Thinks About Zack Ryder's Potential:

"Working diligently to become a player & I hope that he makes it."

Labels: jim ross, wrestlemania 28

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

It was pointed out after Monday’s RAW that Jim Ross seemed like a “third-wheel” on commentary during the show. Ross being kept off SummerSlam, not speaking much on RAW and having his hat stomped by Dolph Ziggler was noted by a few people backstage.

Labels: jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

Plans for Monday's RAW have Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler calling the whole show. Ross is back full-time and will be calling pay-per-views and upcoming international tours where WWE will be taping shows. Unless things change, RAW will continue with a three-man commentary team.

Labels: jim ross, michael cole

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross wrote the following on Twitter about last night’s RAW: “That was one of the best Monday Night Raw’s in years. Amazing mic work, gr8 ending, bodacious build 4 Sun’s PPV. Bravo. 1 irony of the strong attitudinal Raw w/ edgy elements, reality feel was that its still rated PG. Good PG works.”

Labels: jim ross, RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with a 4th of July blog over on his website, jrsbarbq.com. Here are some highlights from this entry:

- Speaking of Australia, WWE Raw talents are finishing up a 5 day tour there today. This tour will generate well over $3M in ticket sales revenue notwithstanding what the WWE will garner at their merchandise stands. Two live events had whopping 1.1M gates.

- Happy belated birthday to our good friend and WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart whose B-Day was yesterday if I’m not mistaken. @BretHart was a pleasure to see when last we were in Stamford together for the HBK/Hitman DVD. Bret looks great and seems to be very happy. He will always be one of my favorite wrestlers and Bret is often overlooked in how much of a positive influence Hitman had on Steve Austin’s career in WWE. These two had some amazing bouts including one of my all time favorites at WM13.

- Another emailer took me to task about my opinion on hunting and particularly endorsing Shawn Michaels new adventure/hunting show on the Outdoor Life Network. I assume it’s a generational thing as my Dad used to hunt and we processed and ate everything he harvested over the course of the year from Venison Sausage to quail. Dad’s hunting helped our struggling family with our grocery bill and provided a source of lean, protein to supplement the beef, pork and chicken we raised on our farm. Another issue is the over population of some species. Either hunters are allowed to harvest these animals in a systematic, controlled manner or a respective state’s wildlife department will handle it.

@shawnmichaels- _ can be followed on Twitter and I hope that fans support his show and stay tuned for more great things coming from Shawn as he begins ‘phase two’ of his professional career now that his in ring wrestling days have ended.

Labels: bret hart, jim ross, Kevin Nash. Shawn Michaels

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com. JR talks about a number of topics, including the premiere of Shawn Michaels' new hunting show, his online BBQ store, the Shawn Michaels - Bret Hart DVD project he is a part of, a top UFC fighter suspended for steroids and much more. He also spoke at length about CM Punk's memorable shoot promo from Monday's RAW. Here's what JR said:

"CM Punk's show closing promo on MNR is still seemingly the talk of the wrestling biz. It was the best promo that I've heard on TV in years. Can't say it was the definitive 'best ever' but it ranks among the best that I can recall. Steve Austin, who cut some memorable promos in his day, was extremely impressed with Punk's work as were several other great promo men such as JBL and Mick Foley."

"Normally when a talent is extremely passionate about a topic or an issue and speaks from their heart and not from a memorized document, the promo has a fighting chance at being stellar."

"The first thing that must be in place for a promo to be great is that it must be natural ala from the heart and not from memory plus the talent must believe in what they are saying and not simply verbally filling time. Every promo must have a reason for taking place much akin to why most matches occur especially on PPV or in TV main events"

"Talking on a wrestling show should be special, and that means all talk, and with the special meaning that all talk should have a purpose. Too much talk for talk's sake waters down the product, slows the process and disconnects with many viewers especially when it is obvious that the talents that are talking are not skilled and/or are simply reciting what they've memorized."

"Punk says that he is leaving after the MITB Ladder Match PPV in Punk's hometown of Chicago in July. He also says he's leaving WWE with the WWE Title. Those two elements certainly should make for some compelling TV on Monday Night Raw. Whether Punk wins or doesn't win the WWE Title is a hill I choose not to die upon but Punk staying in WWE is something that I personally hope happens in some shape, form or fashion. punk has as much to say about that eventual decision as anyone and as we have seen if one can predict what Punk's going to do next then take those instincts to Vegas and make some big money."

"Punk's promo was reminiscent of the Attitude Era but it was totally PG. PG can be edgy but it doesn't need to travel an uncreative, low road to be attitudinal or cool. "

Labels: cm punk, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross blogs on tonight's PPV in Washington, telling WWE fans that on paper, it looks like a good show.

WWE Capitol Punishment is in Washington, D.C. tonight on PPV. Card looks solid on paper and after reviewing each scheduled match, there isn't any valid reason that I can foresee that should preclude any bout from being very solid if not much better.

Cena vs. Truth....WWE Title...Cena likely wins but if Truth upsets Cena as I mentioned earlier in the week the Raw deck is reshuffled considerably. Without question, this is Truth's biggest professional opportunity ever IMO. The newly minted villain has only one chance to make an impact in his first ever, WWE PPV main event. How Truth comes out of D.C. is intriguing.

Orton vs. Christian...World Title...might be the show stealer especially now that Orton has been cleared of concussion issues. It would be interesting to see Christian win (Sheamus??) as Orton feels as if he would be a nice fit to 'chase' Christian for the World Title. Bottom line is that these two have the potential to have a great match. I like this paring because it can realistically go either way.

Ezekiel Jackson vs. Wade Barrett...IC Title...long way from the days of Steamboat vs. Savage, among many others, for the IC Title. IC Title needs to be repositioned and it seems as if Ezekiel might be headed in the direction to attempt to do so. One can only assume that this will be one of the shorter bouts on the PPV. Its time for both these men to raise their individual bars. Good money awaits guys like Zeke and Barrett who transition from 'new guy' to 'main event guy' who becomes rooted in main events. They need to go for it within what they are able to do well inside the ring.

Ziggler vs. Kofi....United State Titles...much of he IC Title logic applies here. US Title has lots of clout from over the years but also needs some shine. Absolutely no reason that this can't be a super in ring bout considering the level of athleticism of each participant. Would love to see a true hunger in these two high level athletes to steal the show, enhance their reps and turn heads. Love them both as athletes but they, not any one else, must make me care about their in ring persona's.

Miz vs. Riley...this has been a nice, developing story. Miz seems Teflon coated, which is a good thing for an antagonist, and he is still one of the most viable, new main event talents in WWE while Riley 'spun out' from being aligned with Miz and is try to gain a foothold. I like Riley's aggression and raw athleticism. He seems to be headed in the right direction and a win tonight would be helpful but a loss doesn't kill A. Riley either. This match is another classic example of where WWE is in today's market; attempting to feature, highly athletic, big upside, young guys in hopes of them evolving into permanent, main eventers. Both these two performers are seemingly big parts of WWE's future growth.

Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk....looking forward to this bout as much as any on the show because I am a big fan of both men. Love the in ring stylings of each and they have a nice back story that can be told. Punk is arguably the best in WWE at what he does especially now that Edge has retired. Rey is so unique that no matter the outcome, if these two have the time, this will be a superb performance.

Big Show vs. Del Rio....Show is PO'ed...this story has been well told over the past few weeks...Show's absence from TV after the car incident helped better tell the story. Another match that likely won't go too long due to the circumstances coming into the bout. The fact that there is a clear cut reason for this bout helps one invest in it.

Professionally and from my former position within the business, I look at this PPV as extremely important for several talents to compete to impress tonight.

Labels: 2011 Capitol Punishment, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross announced in a blog posted on Sunday that he will be undergoing stomach surgery this week.
To read the full blog, including news on JR's online BBQ store temporarily closing, head over to JRsBarBQ.com.

Here's what Ross wrote about his surgery:

"I will be undergoing abdominal surgery this week. I am bothered by a traumatic incisional hernia that needs to be addressed. My surgeon is the same one who performed colon surgery, and no, not the beloved Dr. Heiney, a few years ago on me. He's a great doctor who actually was a former Oklahoma Sooner footballer back in his college days.

This issue evolved just over the past 3-4 months and I'm told that getting it repaired now would be timely and prevent other related health issues going forward."

Labels: jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with another blog over on jrsbarbq.com this week. Here are some of the highlights from this entry:

- @IAmJericho, Chris Jericho is looking at doing a 3rd book! Amazing. I can’t even put a plan together to write one while wanting to stay away from a full blown autobiography at this time. Jericho is uber talented in many areas and has likely not wrestled his last WWE bout. The thing about Jericho is that he’s going to do things on his time line and that he enjoys doing. When or if he becomes ready to return to WWE he will. The Winnipeg native and Fozzy front man certainly doesn’t ‘owe’ any of us one more match.

- Yes emailer….Alex Riley has upped his game the past two weeks on Raw while beating up The Miz. The key to Riley’s rise to stardom and latching on to something tangible at the next level is his continued ability to shine and to get on a roll. The roll has started but how long will it be sustained? That’s always going to be the question no matter the talent. Riley-Miz has been some of my favorite, MNR content the past two broadcasts. It feels new and fresh.

- The THQ rendition of the WWE12 video game is going to really be slick. THQ has some very educated and intelligent fans of the genre working on this game and I look for it to be the most ecstatically pleasing and exciting to play video game that THQ/WWE has done to date.

Labels: alex riley, jim ross, the miz

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

Kharma started her own blog and here is what she wrote about her promo from RAW this past Monday:

“I’ve been told that a lot of people are taking pot shots at Jim Ross lately.
If @JRsBBQ hadn’t shot from the hip all those years ago, I wouldn’t of had the fire to succeed as much as I did. I wouldn’t of had the strength to sacrifice being with my family, my country, my native tongue to live in Japan for 6 years and learn this craft. I owe Mr. Ross a great gratitude. Not only for setting me on my path to success, but also being there with open arms at the end of my journey and escorting me to the finish line. Many of you may not know this but JR lobbied for my recruitment to WWE. We met at the Cauliflower Alley Club reunion in Las Vegas and I became fast friends with him and his lovely wife. He had heard the noise I was making in the industry and graciously gave me kudos. You never have to worry about where you stand with JR. He’ll give you constructive criticism when you need it and praise when you’ve earned it. He’s no sycophant and that is something to be celebrated. I’m hoping you all send him a thankful salutation, I know I will.”

Labels: jim ross, kharma

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross posted the following messages on Twitter last night after Kharma mentioned him on RAW:

"Kharma will never be a standard issue wwe diva. She's a wrestler. And a keeper. JR shout outs always welcome on Raw. :)

Lots of angry folks. Ask @Kharma the story. She's a wrestler & not a typical WWE Diva. King havin fun w/ OKC Thunder. Yes, I'm fat. Duh.

Kharma My fat arse getting all kinds of evil Tweets. I'm a Kharma fan BTW. Does every female wrestler HAVE 2 be a 'Diva?'

Thnx to those that understand the @Kharma issue. I met her 4 1st time 3 yrs ago @ CAC w/ Steve Austin & we both endorsed her to WWE."

Labels: jim ross, kharma

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross blogs at his site at JR's BBQ about the Friday passing of former WWE Champ Randy "Macho Man" Savage.

It's been a challenging week. First, the untimely death Thursday of 22 year old Oklahoma Sooners middle linebacker and a young man I befriended, Austin Box. Today we get the shocking news of the death of Randy Savage. Life is so fragile.....a few thoughts.

I was never close to Randy Savage but I had immense respect for his in ring work. Savage was a gifted high flier, had uncanny crowd psychology and a tough, athletic persona that could not be duplicated.

'Macho Man' Randy Savage was a legit star in the world of pro wrestling and one of the most famous wrestlers of any era.

My first exposure to Savage was in the early to mid 80's when Bill Watts was preparing to bring Savage into the Mid South territory. We had received several interviews and other video tape from Randy to compile 4-6 weeks of introductory vignettes that would intro Savage to the Mid South TV audience most of who had never seen 'Macho Man' Randy Savage in person.

I can still vividly remember working with fellow Watts employee Scott Munz on the edit of the vignettes while writing copy and then voicing over the features.

Ironically, after working several long nights on this project the vignettes never aired. Savage never made it to Mid South.

At that time, according to a text message earlier today from Watts himself, Savage was running 'opposition' against the Jarrett/Lawler 'Tennessee' territory. This business strategy put Savage on the wrong side of many promoters especially those who were friends of Jarrett and company and certainly those who supported NWA camps.

According to Watts, Savage was in need of bookings and the paydays that went along with them and wanted to come to work for the big Cowboy. I recall looking at the footage of Savage with Bill and we were both obviously impressed with what we saw.

Watts had a good relationship at that time with Jerry Jarrett, they even did a talent trade once upon a time that helped both territories, and Bill knew that if Jarrett/Lawler/Savage could work together that they could all make money as the volatile 'opposition' plot line had received main stream, local publicity and had piqued the publics interest.

Watts was able to help broker 'peace' between Jarrett and Savage by having, as I recall, a very stern, man to man talk with Savage about missed opportunities and the fact that most old school promoters would always look upon Randy unfavorably because of his family running opposition especially if Randy was not willing to extend the olive branch.

The rest is essentially wrestling history. Peace was restored in the Jarrett/Lawler/Savage area while King and Macho Man launched one of the hottest issues ever in the business. The two artisans sold out the legendary Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky that held well over 20,000 fans with more fans buying tickets to that event than virtually any other indoor event of that era including such famous arenas as Madison Square Garden.

In 1985 Savage roared into the WWE and his star was hung prominently for the entire world to see and did it ever shine brightly!

BTW after Savage left WWE and doing huge business while earning mega bucks, Randy called Bill Watts to thank Bill for Cowboy's advice back in the day which eventually got Savage noticed as a potential, main event acquisition for WWE.

Randy Savage is arguably one of the top 2-3 wrestlers that helped establish the WWE as the dominate promotion of its kind in the world. Savage deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as Andre, Hulk, Piper, etc.

When I arrived in WWE in 1993, Savage was, unknown to me, on his way out. Randy, Bobby Heenan and I broadcast WM9 from ringside at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas on my first live, TV assignment for WWE. Broadcasting with 'Macho Man' was never easy but it was also never dull. He was as unpredictable wearing headsets as he was in his wrestling tights.

Unpredictability and breaking molds is a marketable trait and without question 'Macho Man' Randy Savage was one of the most marketable, unforgettable persona's to ever grace the squared circle.

Savage as a pitchman for Slim Jim was an instant success and forged an unforgettable image for the Slim Jim company that Randy literally put on his broad shoulders and carried to prominence back in the day when Slim Jim was attempting to gain a foothold in the snack food market. Some might argue that Savage is as well known for his ubiquitous Slim Jim commercials as he was for his wrestling exploits.

In my over four decades in the business, I have never encountered anyone who I perceived was as intense, 24X7, as 'Macho Man' Randy Savage. He was a gifted athlete, he played minor league baseball a handful of years, and brought artful athleticism and raw reality to his profession.

Before I ever stepped foot in WWE, I thought, as one who was earning a living in the business elsewhere, that the Savage-Steamboat match from WM3 was the best WWE match that I had ever seen. A handful of other bouts since then have ranked right up there with it but after a quarter of a century the 'Macho Man-Dragon' encounter from the Pontiac Silverdome still holds up today as an all time wrestling classic.

One never had to guess where they stood with Savage and he never had any issues expressing himself. He was, seemingly, always on edge or, perhaps more specifically, on point. Randy carried himself as one not to be trifled with and as a man who had great passion for his profession and unmatched intensity.

Fans of the genre of pro wrestling lost one of the most famous and skilled performers of all time this morning in Tampa when the former WWE Champion apparently had a heart attack while driving his vehicle with his wife of one year who was the sole passenger.

Our condolences go out to the Poffo family, Macho Man's friends and fans and to all whose lives were touched by 'Macho Madness.'

RIP Macho Man Randy Savage.

Labels: jim ross, randy savage

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross has posted a new blog entry on his official website, www.jrsbarbq.com. Highlights are as follows:

Drew McIntyre: “What do I think of Drew McIntyre? Lots of potential, nice look, seems to be athletic but it needs to be established as to who the Scot is and what his immediate objectives are.”

Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan: “I did enjoy Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan’s match on Smackdown a great deal and the involvement of Chavo Guerrero into the Cara mix as well. Cara is developing nicely, was a predictable, HUGE hit in Mexico last weekend for WWE, but Cara needs to accelerate his learning to speak English so he can communicate with a large portion of the WWE audience.”

WWE utilizing Hall of Famers at live events: “Yes…I like the way WWE is using WWE HOF’ers to add to the live event experience ala The American Dream this weekend in Lake Charles, La and Dream’s hometown of Austin, Texas. These specific bookings provide many potential resources including meet and greet opportunities, advance PR/media work, a reconnection to previous generations of fans, and adds much needed star power to the live events. I’d pay good money just to hear Dusty cut an impassioned promo about any subject that he chose. Perhaps WWE should draw suggestions for a Dusty promo from a hat and watch him go to town…..if you will.”

TNA placing billboards near WWE HQ: “I heard about TNA putting up billboards in Stamford, Ct, which is the world HQ of WWE. Thoughts? A complete waste of money unless obscure mentions such as this one is what TNA is looking for. Silly expenditure of money IMO. One would think that organization would have bigger and more important fish to fry. However, what TNA does isn’t any of my business or concern but the question was asked and has now been addressed. I would guess that many WWE, Stamford based employees learned of TNA for the first time via the local billboards.”

Labels: Daniel Bryan, jim ross, Sin Cara

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with another blog update on jrsbarbq.com. Here are some highlights:

- Monday Night Raw was an interesting, two hour broadcast. Thought the Lawler stuff was the most compelling content of the night other than Cole invoking the Mother's Day dialog that I found to be uncomfortable. Having been to the rodeo a time or two, I realize that was obviously Cole's intention.

- WWE promoting Smackdown inside Raw was strategic and timely. Nice positioning. It also tells me that Christian losing the World Title wasn't any where near his 'professional, death knell' as some fans declared and that Christian just may be set for a significant period of time of his career especially considering the overall lack of depth within the business, as we speak.

- Good news on John Morrison's surgery to repair a neck issue. Not major or overly invasive and Morrison should be back in the ring in a month or two or so we assume. John would be best served to return later rather than sooner, make sure that he's 100%, at a minimum, not to mention it would be cool seeing him on Raw rehabbing himself back into ring shape which builds anticipation for his return. One suggestion to Morrison is to watch various Shawn Michaels bouts from different times of HBK's career to see how Shawn kept reinventing himself in route to becoming the best in the business.

Labels: jim ross, john morrison

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sunday night Michael Cole again got the better of his two fellow announces - Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler, as he rolled up and pinned Ross in their tag team strap match at "Extreme Rules."

After the match, WWE doctors confirmed to Ross that his right hand is broken, an injury that took place two weeks back on RAW when he punched Cole and busted up Cole's lip.

Here's the Tweet from Ross - "WWE doctor confirmed 2nite my right hand is broken. That's not an excuse 4 losing. As King says 1 can't grieve 4ever."

Labels: 2011 Extreme Rules, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross doesn't believe he will remain on WWE programming on a regular basis. However, tonight's WWE Draft could change his assumptions

Ross wrote on Twitter, "I'd be shocked if I return to wk'ly tv in any form on a regular basis. Draft could change my assumptions. I do miss Mon nites w/ King."

Labels: jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here is what JR had to say about the WWE career and future of Adam "Edge" Copeland ..

"Edge’s retirement this past Monday on Raw was a shocking surprise. I had no idea that it was going to happen even up until the time Edge came to the ring and gave us the emotional news. There are no wrestlers in the business that I respect more as a performer and a man than I do Adam Copeland aka Edge. When I signed him in the 90′s, he was a lanky, over achieving kid who simply wanted to live his dream of making it onto the WWE Roster. He and Christian were like brothers and both fed off the other in the ring as they each worked diligently every day to improve their game. I honestly can’t remember a single day when Adam Copeland ever did anything to disappoint me or cause our department or company any problems.

Edge has a brilliant mind, a kind soul, patience, and would be a great teacher, producer, broadcaster, scout, or whatever task he may want to undertake in WWE. I look for Edge to take some much needed time away from the business and enjoy the North Carolina mountains and his dogs that he loves so much. He deserves no less than to return to WWE in whatever role that creates a win/win for Edge and the company but only whenever Edge is ready to re-engage.

In my role as the head of WWE Talent, I signed many athletes/performers who ended up excelling in WWE but none, and I mean no one, was more of a pure joy to work with and to watch grow from a mid card, tag team wrestler into one of WWE’s most prominent and enduring superstars who will no doubt be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame some day.

I shutter to think what would have happened to Edge in another generation of the biz as it relates to accurately diagnosing his injury. Most old timers would have ‘worked through it,’ or attempted to do so, until their body completely shut down. That’s sad and unnecessary. Modern medicine and the WWE attention to such matters regarding their talent’s health were a blessing for Edge who will now be able to lead a somewhat normal life. I am especially pleased that one of my guys has attained financial independence and that he was able to live his boyhood dream.

Notwithstanding the touching farewell address by the popular native of Ontario, no one can debate that this story did not have a happy ending. Good things more often than not happen to good people and Adam Copeland aka Edge was one of the truly ‘good guys’ I ever had the privilege of knowing in the business. Now, Adam, if he so chooses, can start phase two of his WWE life and potentially gift the younger talents with his wonderful knowledge and passion for the genre.

Do it on your schedule Adam. Enjoy those North Carolina mountains and reflect upon a job well done. It’s people like you that make me extremely proud to be in the business."

Labels: edge, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:52 PM | Permalink | Comments