From the land where people love’s J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q Restaurants more than they adore Olympian Michael Phelps, your resident Okie has a weekly helping of SmackDown and some delicious “side dishes” for your sports-entertainment taste buds.

Raw’s John Cena and Batista are now not on the other’s holiday card list. There’s a significant physical confrontation between these two this Sunday at the 21st SummerSlam. This one won’t resemble a Funk vs. Brisco mat classic from the 1970s, and my best guess is that we are going to see a slobberknocker of a brawl along the lines of those of yesteryear in my hometown tavern on a payday Friday night.

Prediction: I’m taking Batista and the points.

CM Punk, who is World Heavyweight Champion last I looked, is sort of the Rodney Dangerfield of WWE, it seems these days. Punk can’t seem to get any respect with a fist full of hundreds. I have the solution to the talented Punk’s dilemma ... Win. It’s like Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders always preaches, “Just win, baby!”

Punk won’t win a fist fight with JBL, but if Punk can utilize his feet and knees, then I like Punk’s chances to silence more of his critics. If JBL wins, then the Brooklyn Brawler and Harvey Wippleman will be organizing a parade in the tall former Texan's honor at the verbose one’s mandate. JBL, who was a great champion, and Punk have clashing styles, which can be either feast or famine for the combatants and for the fans.

Prediction: Take Punk and the over.

The highlight of SummerSlam is arguably the Hell in a Cell match that I suspect will close the show and will feature the commentary of the “Human Suplex Machine” and his partner. Taker has more Cell experience than any man alive, and may function better in that destructive environment than any one any of us can think of. Edge has never been in Hell in a Cell to date, but there is no doubt that Edge has been to Hell. I hear that Edge bought a condo there with a great view. (That could be more of those internet “rumors” which is another world for fertilizer.)

Mentally, and thanks to Mick Foley of all people, Edge may be in the best, and I use that term loosely, frame of mind of any Undertaker foe inside Satan’s Playground. There will be casualties in this one and something tells me that if any Hell in a Cell match ever comes close to the Undertaker vs. Mankind of 10 years ago, this one just might be it. We’ll all see Sunday in Indianapolis.

Don’t repeat this but there may have to be an intervention between Tazz and ECW’s newest broadcaster Matt Striker. I think Striker reminds Tazz of a teacher Tazz once had in school. You know the one Tazz choked out in the fourth grade. Yeah, that guy. Every Tuesday catering is the place to be (no jokes please “Mr. I Only Eat Chicken Breast Guy”) at the regular WWE events to see the former ECW Legend verbally assault Striker. (BTW, who's favorite movie is Airplane. But, as usual, I digress ...)

If we do have the intervention, I am nominating the esteemed and levelheaded Joe E. Styles to moderate this budding conflict. Apparently, Tazz thought he got “Koskeyed” on Striker’s first night on the job and Brooklyn’s Baddest doesn’t easily forget. No, I have no idea what getting “Koskeyed” means.   

When I was a broadcaster on Raw, remember those days, I always traveled with "The King" Jerry Lawler. We made some great trips together and had tons of laughs. We became like brothers, me being the youngest of course. Do you think now that I am a proud member of Friday Night SmackDown that I travel with Tazz? Nope … Tazz travels with all his friends. He (damned pronoun) travels alone with his orange towel and a heavy foot, just like in the "Old West" ala Eastwood. I hear Tazz drives 90 miles per hour while sending text messages using both thumbs to type. Not even Clint Eastwood could do that.

Get a load of Jeff Hardy challenging Shelton Benjamin for the United States Title on Friday Night SmackDown. This one is red-hot and arguably the best match of the week on WWE TV, not that I am unbiased or anything. The Unique Enigma and the Gold Standard (big day for nicknames) rocked Norfolk.

Another match that was shockingly competitive and extremely physical was undefeated Vladimir Kozlov colliding, literally, with Festus. Vladimir, from Russia, battled Festus, who has “kin” in Georgia, in an extension of the civil conflict currently on going in Europe. By Georgia, I meant the state of Georgia, as in the Peachtree State of Georgia.

The Brian Kendrick Experience continues to impress WWE insiders and outsiders alike with his SD winning streak, even though many are also talking about Kendrick’s advisor, Ezekiel Jackson -- no relation to Reggie or Jessie. Trust me, Kendrick doesn’t need Zeke to win, but it sure as heck doesn’t hurt.

BTW, and before I forget it, Edge is acting like a deranged, psychopath with a career death wish even when the TV cameras aren’t rolling. Upon seeing Edge this week, he looked to me like he had not slept in days, hadn’t shaved, and someone reported that the most unpredictable and dangerous man in WWE was, allegedly, smelling a little “gamey."

Regarding The Undertaker vs. Edge inside Hell in a Cell Sunday, I’m going with The Deadman. Check out Taker’s track record at SummerSlam and I think you will agree. Nonetheless, if this match goes as I visualize it, this Sunday could easily be the last time we see both Taker and Edge for a good while. It’s as if the Cell is a living entity and is anxiously awaiting its next two victims. Keep your eye out for a couple of newcomers to this week’s Friday Night SmackDown as both showed promise. You can and always will be the final judge of that.

Word on the street tells me that long time N.Y. Jets fan, WWE Legend, the first-ever employee of WWE, and Future Hall of Famer  Howard Finkel, who is now somewhere around the No. 2 or No. 3 guy at WWE.com, has purchased seven, that’s right seven, No. 4 Brett Favre jerseys AND multiple pairs of green and white No. 4 PJ’s. I look for these “game worn” items to make it to WWEShop.com around the holidays.

How many of "The Family" do you think will show up on Friday Night SmackDown after their experiences on the hottest show on Friday nights last week? You might be surprised.

One of my fondest memories of SummerSlam’s past was working the WWE RADIO call of the event with the late, great WWE Hall of Famer Gorilla Monsoon. We were left to our own devises as we had our own food, beverages, ashtrays, and the opportunity to do an entire PPV by just rolling along having fun and truly telling audio stories.

I am really liking the R-Truth vignettes we have been seeing on Friday Night SmackDown, and there is another scheduled for this Friday night as well. R-Truth has had one helluva life and the mere fact that he is alive and wants to vie for a main event position on Friday Night SmackDown is amazing.

Triple H is actually scheduled to wrestle Friday night on SmackDown just two days before his WWE Championship defense against the 7-foot-3 Great Khali. Khali has “bowling shoe ugly” but dangerous offense, and one could question the wisdom of the WWE Champion wrestling 48 hours before a major title defense.
 
The King of Kings said he was going to focus on Khali’s legs in their match Sunday, and if that holds true, I’m picking the 12-time champion to retain. In the 20 previous SummerSlam events, the WWE title has changed hands three times.   

What match do you think will steal the show at SummerSlam? I have my thoughts but I would love to know yours.

If you find the time, be sure to check out our newly designed Web site at www.jrsbarbq.com as we finally launched it this week. The popular Q&A aspect of the site is back and I hope that many of you will take advantage of it.

Both of our J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q Restaurants are doing super and for that, we are very grateful. We have some new caps, shirts, and autographed cookbooks for under $10 each now available on the site. It’s never too early to think about the holidays. You can also purchase our products right here at WWEShop.com. 

See you in Indianapolis on Sunday and in Moline on Tuesday. Does any one know a good BBQ joint in Moline?? 

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.