
After leaving Oklahoma on Friday and touring the “Little Apple” of Manhattan, Kansas, on Saturday, leaving my coat in an airport hotel in Kansas City, sitting next to an obsessed fan on a Southwest flight from K.C. to Phoenix, seeing SmackDown steal the show at Cyber Sunday, and becoming a sailor for two hours during the Halloween edition of Friday Night SmackDown taped in San Diego, yours truly is finally back at home base in Norman, Oklahoma ready for some J.R.’s Family BBQ and a big-time college football game as Oklahoma plays Nebraska this Saturday night.
Cyber Sunday was an interesting event in Phoenix, BTW it’s always good to see WWE fan and current Phoenix Sun Shaquille O’Neal, and without question the two Friday Night SmackDown main events stole the show. That’s the story of the “Angriest Announcer on Earth” and yours truly and we are, by golly, sticking to it.
It has been a long time, as a matter of fact I can’t remember when, since I saw two, BIG men as in super heavyweights have a better outing than did Undertaker and Big Show this past Sunday. They moved more like thoroughbreds than Clydesdales and I assure you that both men were being overtly physical. Trust me on that one. Big Van Vader in his prime was the closest thing to the type of athleticism that we saw Sunday from ‘Taker and Show as they beat the hell out of each other.
Much like what Tazz would love to do to ECW’s Matt Striker but that’s another story for another time.
Triple H and Jeff Hardy had yet another strong match at Cyber Sunday. I read on the ‘net, not Dr. Joe E. Styles’ vaunted WWE.com, where some self-proclaimed “experts” thought that this particular match wasn’t as good as their No Mercy bout which is arguable I suppose as everyone has a right to their opinion, but I really liked the WWE Title bout at Cyber Sunday. Younger wrestling fans get bored so easily these days with their short attention spans and need for instant gratification and seeing two guys wrestling multiple times over a few pay-per-views must mentally challenge them.
How would the video game generation have made it through one of the riveting YEAR-LONG series of matches some of the great ones had back in the day?
Mickie James popularity was certainly underscored or she logged on a bunch on WWE.com as I was somewhat surprised that Mickie won the Diva Halloween Costume Contest at Cyber Sunday. Mickie is a ‘net favorite and has been for quite some time, so perhaps I shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was. The money in the proverbial locker room area was on Candice Michelle or Kelly-Kelly. I would have bet a bottle of delicious J.R.’s Original BBQ Sauce that a cat fight would have ensued after the winner was announced in the costume contest and, gosh, what I would have given for the Pharaoh of the Fade, Dr. Joe E. Styles to have been there to shriek, just one more time, those immortal words that used to echo throughout the ECW Arena/bingo hall … CATFIGHT!!!
BTW did I tell you that The King “loves” Kelly-Kelly but that he won’t love her quite as much when she turns the ripe, old age of 25?
Friday’s SmackDown, which airs on Halloween, is quite the broadcast. For the first time in years, yours truly broadcast a WWE program without my black hat. Yes indeed boys and girls Ol’ J.R. will be a sailor this Friday night, which was quite the sight to behold I must say. “The Angriest Man in the World,” Tazz, aka Sgt. Hulka, dressed as a Marine. We did have some good laughs during the evening and I think that WWE fans will see a different side of both of us as we get into the Halloween theme this Friday Night on MyNetwork TV.
To the best of my knowledge, WWE has never featured a Casket Match on SmackDown, but you get one this Friday in the spirit of ghouls and goblins. As the old school wrestling announcers used to say when I was a kid (no jokes, please) “this could be a main event any where in the country.”
Was that Howard Finkel rocking out at a recent AC/DC concert in the Northeast? Here’s a little known fact, but The Fink is one of WWE’s most versed rock historians who once won a free style dance contest at Hebrew school in 8th grade. Rumor has it that many of the NFL touchdown dances are influenced by our own, beloved future Hall of Famer who I hear may return to sporadic ring announcing duties in the near future.
Also, to dispel any other ’net rumors out there The Fink does NOT hate Lilian Garcia. Glad we got that cleared up.
Friday Night SmackDown gets a visit from the outstanding young tag team of Miz and Morrison this week. These two dudes are really good, but don’t take my word for it, just ask them. Can you say woodshed boys and girls because that’s where the brash pair are likely to wind up come Monday Night Raw in Tampa when they face DX … BROTHER!!
I honestly think that younger brother Primo is making older bro Carlito better. The WWE Tag Champs are a breath of fresh air in an otherwise lethargic; overall tag team scene in WWE, but there seems to be light at the end of the tag team tunnel.
Rumors have it that an internal investigation is on-going regarding Ranjin Singh’s bodacious side burns that seemingly grow by the second. “They say” that illegal, follicle fertilizer may be enhancing the growth of the prodigious ‘burns.
Who in the hell is “they?”
Brian Kendrick is fast.
Ezekiel Jackson is big.
Together they might some day be tag champions.
Friday night the trios of Matt and Jeff Hardy along with Rey Mysterio who meet Kane, Mark Henry, and MVP have one Helluva wrestling match (we can say wrestling, right?) This match alone is worth watching the show notwithstanding Undertaker’s Casket Match and seeing little Jimmy Ross in a sailor suit. The Hardy brothers and San Diego’s own Rey Mysterio are an amazing combination.
Plus it’s cool to hear ring announcer Justin Roberts pronounce Rey’s name and roll a million R’s.
There is trouble a brewin’ between WWE Champ Triple H and undefeated Vladimir Kozlov. Tune in Friday night and see what I mean.
When does Maria get her title opportunity at Michelle McCool? I guess the SmackDown G.M. has been too busy to set a date.
OK Brie Bella, what’s the deal with you going under the ring so often? Come clean or you’ll be forced to make a six-hour car trip with Tazz and he’ll and make you keep track of the curse words he spews toward his fellow man.
Do you think any little kids in the WWE Universe grow up and want to become “Druids”? BTW is there a “Druid” school? Maybe it’s located in downtown “Parts Unknown” right next to the “Kennel from Hell” down the street from the “Oddities.” Or, then again, maybe not.

This week yours truly answered a ton of your e-mails on our Q&A section of www.jrsbarbq.com plus I write several blogs there each week on a variety of topics. We are also doing a brisk, holiday shopping business of which we are thankful and have a great selection of items priced at under $10 all of which will make super holiday gifts. I hope you will stop by for a visit.
See you Friday night on SmackDown and if you’re around a TV on Saturday, yours truly will be on the Oklahoma sideline when the Sooners take on old, rival Nebraska on ESPN at 7 CT.
Boomer Sooner!
J.R.
Editor's Note: You can read Jim Ross' latest update on the Oklahoma Sooners' matchup with the Nebraska Cornhuskers on OU Insider.


Being one of Undertaker's Druids would be a dream come true.
Steve Barnes10:25 AM EST