Just as Dorothy said in the “Waffle House Movie” or was it The Wizard of Oz, there is no place like home. Enough already of coughing people, crying babies, anti-deodorites all contained in a flying cylinder known as an airplane for multiple hours. Nonetheless, travel issues aside, I am happy  that WWE has had such success in their autumn, European tour and the live audience that many of you will see on Friday Night SmackDown will illustrate why so many of us enjoy traveling to the England in particular. 

The “Angriest Announcer in the World,” my partner Tazz, actually landed in Manchester on Sunday so he was there an extra day and many of us barely left the hotel in downtown Manchester, the Marriott Renaissance. Tazz was in rare form when I first saw him on Monday as he was enjoying a “pint” and eating, of all things, hummus. I don’t even like bean dip so hummus is definitely out. The only salvation in keeping Tazz from beating up on the housekeeping department in our hotel is that on Sunday overnight, one TV channel played a plethora of NFL games one right after the other until something like 6 a.m.

I missed the NFL coverage but I did get to see plenty of Quincy and Malcolm in the Middle reruns before being able to watch a slew of WWE programming late Monday night, including highlights of the 1989 Survivor Series.

FTR, there are no BBQ places in Manchester than anyone could direct me to, so I reverted to authentic, English fare including one of my favorites, fish and chips, which was served with smashed peas. Ixnay the smashed peas and you’ve got a winner. No salt or pepper results in no taste and reminded me of what I perceive Gerber Baby Food still tastes like … bland.

Let me assure you that if you were somewhat shocked at Jeff Hardy’s actions last week when he got Undertaker disqualified against undefeated, No. 1 contender for the WWE title Vladimir Kozlov then you ain’t seen anything yet. The younger Hardy tangles with Undertaker in a stem-winding main event with extreme rules which essentially means that there are no rules. Considering, at times, that Tazz and I were mere feet away from some of the intense physicality, let me assure everyone on my allegiance to the Oklahoma Sooners Football team and to BBQ aficionados everywhere that this match was nasty. I still can’t believe some of the intensity, and it reminded me somewhat of a match many years ago involving HBK vs. Mankind. You will be the final judge but in my view Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy on Friday Night SmackDown was one of the best TV matches I have seen in a long time.

Jeff Hardy is arguably the hottest competitor in WWE as we speak.

Speaking of Hardys, the often underrated Matt Hardy, you know of whom I speak, the ECW Champion and the United States Champion Shelton Benjamin have a strong, two segment Champion vs. Champion bout Friday night and what’s at stake are the bragging rights and the winner’s share of the purse. I enjoyed this bout a great deal and am all for more two segment wrestling matches on Friday Night SmackDown.

The Brian Kendrick has had a grappling-evangelistic rebirth since arriving onto SmackDown from Raw a few months ago in the annual WWE Draft that was held in San Antonio, not that I am keeping score or still seething about it or any thing like that. When Kendrick added Ezekiel Jackson to the mix, things got really interesting, and it looks as if big things are on the horizon for these two … perhaps even the WWE Tag Team Titles. Kendrick faces Carlito Friday night in a fast-paced one-on-one match, but I suggest you keep an eye out for the large man at ringside, Ezekiel Jackson.

I felt bad for the TV techs that worked the Tuesday night taping in Manchester especially the audio guys, as Tazz and I had one Helluva time navigating through the show with so many audio issues including us not being able to hear each other, well much less others that speak to us in our headsets from time to time. The real killer was we had to turn up our levels so loud so that we could hear each other and ourselves that we may have been a little verbally over the top on this Friday night’s show, but perhaps it will translate into enthusiasm and will not be overbearing.

WWE Champion Triple H and his No. 1 contender Vladimir Kozlov have a contract signing, but it isn’t an ordinary contract signing that’s for sure. Sources say it more closely resembles a WWE.com creative meeting, but I can’t verify that statement. However, did you know that every one who does attend these much talked about dot com meetings have to wear black apparel to appease Dr. Joe E. Styles, EVEN the highly paid corporate executives who tread lightly around the fiery, fade of the Sammartino-like Styles.

Please tell me that I dreamed that Tazz was singing the “Kung Fu Naki” song Friday night on the air. The “Human Suplex Machine” singing jingles is too much. What’s next, The Fink’s private e-mail’s to ring announcer Lilian Garcia?

Here’s a great marketing idea … “Chia Pet” like sideburns on a Ranjin Singh action figure. The Sultan of Sideburns item would be huge globally especially in the Bombay area.

Sources say that The Great Khali is working on an endorsement deal with Listerine Strips that would be the size of Pop Tarts. Kissing all these robust ladies around the world, one could possibly encounter some challenging, international halitosis.

Did you know that WWE Divas have backstage “Kliques” and that there is a pecking order as to who gets in the make-up chair first and can stay the longest? Things aren’t always what they seem, ladies and gentlemen, amongst the lovely ladies of Friday Night SmackDown.

Royal Rumble tickets will be made available Saturday morning at 10 in Detroit for the 2009 Royal Rumble. If you are from out of town check out www.ticketmaster.com. Ah, a nice, brisk Sunday in January in Detroit beats a warm weather city in the winter any time.

Just wondering, but is John Cena returning to action too soon? Watch World Champion Chris Jericho exploit Cena’s neck come Survivor Series, which will be in the shadow of John’s hometown, which may or may not mean a thing as it relates to the outcome of the title tilt.

How great is the college football season this year? It’s been a blast to watch and my Sooners are off this week but are preparing for their nationally televised game on Nov. 22 against No. 2 ranked Texas Tech in Norman, home of the original J.R.’s Family BBQ. It looks like a Big 12 vs. SEC match up in the BCS Title game in January in Miami.

This Saturday the Mrs. and I will likely have friends over to watch the UFC PPV highlighted by former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. former Oklahoma State star Randy Couture. MMA purists hate it that Lesnar was ever involved with WWE, which I find ignorant and ill informed. Lesnar and Couture were both NCAA wrestling stars at great wrestling universities and WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Brisco was instrumental in recruiting Lesnar, among others, when I was heading up the talent department in WWE. Lesnar was a teammate of Shelton Benjamin at Minnesota and they each wrestled for Coach J Robinson, an Oklahoma State alum and personal friend of Brisco’s. Lesnar is in his early 30s while couture is in his mid-40s, which might have an effect on the outcome of this match not to mention that Couture will give up approximately 55 pounds to the intense Lesnar come fight time. Couture is such a great strategist with an amazingly resilient will to compete that the smallest of mistakes by Lesnar could be fatal in this bout. However, I am still leaning with Lesnar, ever so slightly, to win this bout even though I don’t agree with all Brock’s comments about his tenure in WWE when it essentially boils down to the fact that the athletically gifted Lesnar simply did not like the travel involved in WWE.

We have several, new holiday offers up as we speak at www.jrsbarbq.com and I encourage you to check them out as many of them offer FREE SHIPPING!  We also write several blogs per week on our site in addition to answering many of your emailed questions. Order your products from www.jrsbarbq.com and get them shipped in plenty of time for the holidays. Many thanks.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.