I may be a little edgy or attitudinal today, because one simply has to be that way to make it big here on WWE.com, OR be a hot Diva of which I am not, nor are there enough surgical procedures in the world to accomplish such.

Nice Great American Bash Sunday in Long Island, where I noticed that most folks talked differently than I. Nonetheless, I enjoyed signing autographs and such at Franklin Square Video on Long Island with Jerry Lawler and Mick Foley, the first time all three of us were together in one place at the same time for a signing. Cool couple of hours, and I discovered what to get my pal Mick for the holidays, a Rand McNally Road Atlas or one of those little GPS systems.

SmackDown had a good Bash, and the SmackDown announce team even got to sit in the middle between the Raw and ECW announce duos … which is a spot usually occupied by Monday Night Raw. It’s sort of like being in the center square on the old Hollywood Squares TV show. “Let’s go to Mick Foley for the block.”

It looks as if Edge has many more pressing issues on his professional agenda these days other than focusing on Triple H and the WWE Championship. This “Hellacious” prophecy will be made abundantly clear before Friday Night SmackDown leaves the air this week.

Yours truly likes the skill set of Jimmy Wang Yang, but the Asian Redneck has to lose the “black” cowboy hat. This “gimmick” infringement thing is getting out of hand. Yang has a nice one-on-one non-title match with the new United States Champion Shelton Benjamin this week on SmackDown. Benjamin has every tool in the box he needs to be a star in WWE, but the question will always remain until Benjamin answers it himself: Will the Gold Standard remain focused and do all he can to get better each and every outing? Gifted athletes often times find their comfort zone and are content to remain in said zone. If the new U.S. Champ can avoid this matter, the sky is the limit for the native of South Carolina.

Hawkins and Ryder have brought the WWE Tag Titles back to SmackDown, which is a good thing, but I still have a helluva time telling the title-holding duo apart. They cause me major problems in discerning one from the other.

Did you know that the original “Dark Knight” was WWE’s own Howard Finkel? Howard has the leotards and body armor from the El Gigante collection to prove it.

Lot’s of locker room maneuvering going on these days on Friday Night SmackDown. Many folks seem to be willing to sell out their friends to better themselves, no matter the cost. Loyalty and character seem to be a fleeting trait for some within “The Family.” Gosh, it reminds me of working in the offices of a couple of wrestling territories I passed through years ago. 

I am not sure when it will be, and it could even be 2009, but some day Vladimir Kozlov has a legit chance to be a BTP (big time player.) Athletic, 6-foot-6 300-pounders don’t grow on trees.

Yours truly is generally not a fan of Battle Royals, but the Six-Man Battle Royal featured this Friday Night on SmackDown exceeded my expectations by a long shot. By the way, I pronounce it “battle royal” and not “battle Roy-AL” if anyone is keeping score at home. The winner of this Battle Royal faces the WWE Champion at SummerSlam in Indianapolis on Aug. 17 … the same day my friends, ZZ Top, are coming to Oklahoma City … dammit!

Congrats to Michelle McCool for becoming the first ever Divas Champion. Someone can and will be “next,” but no one can ever be “first.” Michelle was an outstanding, three-sport athlete while playing basketball, volleyball, and softball in high school and was a Division I athlete at Florida State University, Ron “Damn” Simmons’ Alma Mater. Michelle was also a former high school teacher in Florida. 

Brian Kendrick looked to be channeling the late Brian Pillman on SmackDown this week, as you will see when you tune in on Friday night. Kendrick is developing quite the “attitude” of which Mick Foley says that Kendrick has had all along and that Brian has always been a jerk. I never noticed that particular trait, but I will take Mrs. Foley’s baby boy’s word for it. The things a wrestler like Brian Kendrick would do in the ring to headline a PPV are frightening.

I have yet to see Ezekiel in action but he is one, put together, big dude. For some reason, I don’t think ‘Zeke is a traditional bodyguard, but, of course, I could be wrong … which is another term for “straddling the fence” which is big in this business. BTW Kendrick’s Sliced Bread No. 2 finishing maneuver has been changed to “The Kendrick” by Kendrick himself. 

Did you know … that fans in the Oklahoma City area that come to J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q can watch Friday Night SmackDown on the many flat screen TV’s we have available? Plus, we are launching a new look on our Web site which you all know, love and occasionally visit, www.jrsbarbq.com. 

My best wishes to Raw broadcaster Michael Cole and his family during the onslaught of Hurricane Dolly which hit Cole’s south Texas home area with a double-breasted vengeance. There may be something wrong with using the word “Dolly” and double breasted in the same sentence.

The next NBC Saturday Night’s Main Event is slated to be taped this Monday in Washington D.C. as I understand it. I am not sure who is broadcasting the event, but I do know I am looking forward to the Tuesday night SmackDown taping in Hershey, Pa. This SNME is slated for one hour, and will decidely be more exciting than the middle leg of the “Tour de France.”

Thanks for checking in, and finding our space. By doing so you have just qualified for the F.B.I. Academy.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.