As you read this, I am in Miami, Florida where I anxiously await Thursday night’s Oklahoma vs. Florida National Championship game from Joe Robbie Stadium to be televised on Fox. Nonetheless this week’s Friday Night Smackdown features SD General manager Vickie Guerrero looking to erase the embarrassment of last week that she experienced at the hands of HHH. The vindictive G.M. is forcing The Game to wrestle three times in three, very challenging bouts against opponents not yet advertised.

A Tables Match, Handicap Match, and a Last Man Standing Match are all on tap for the Cerebral Assassin come Friday night.  

There is an established adage in the WWE and that is “don’t cross the boss” and if any one should know that better than anyone it would be the former 12 time WWE Champion. Expect Mrs. Edge the throw the “kitchen sink” at the man I think might well win the Rumble Match IF he is still able to compete in it.

After last week’s impromptu, in ring confrontation, The Undertaker faces the United States Champion Shelton Benjamin Friday night on TV in a bout that will provide a platform for the Gold Standard to make his case for being the man who will win the Rumble, according to Benjamin himself. Benjamin has the skill set to give the Undertaker problems but beating the future WWE Hall of Famer is never easy for any one as the Deadman’s 16-0 record at Wrestlemania would indicate.

If Shelton Benjamin, arguably the best pure athlete in the WWE, truly wants to hunt with the really big dogs on an on going, regular basis this is his chance. 

There has certainly been an ugly metamorphous as it relates to the personality of Michelle McCool since she lost the Divas Title to Maryse. Will we see yet another side of McCool this week? Something tells me that the worst is yet to come for adversaries of the self proclaimed, “Wronged” Ms. McCool.

It just feels like there are some interesting days ahead for the Smackdown Divas. Or perhaps I should say that it feels like business is about to pick up with the ladies of Friday night.

Sources say that Chavo Guerrero is not pleased to be referred to as a “Go Fer” which HHH has called the 3rd generation star over the past few weeks. Chavo is also not looking for a post WWE career in the coffee business based on his inability to keep his Aunt Vickie happy with his “Starbucks” skills.

MVP’s luck can’t get any worse can it? The former U.S. Champion is wrestling these days like the OKC Thunder are playing basketball in the NBA….not good. MVP is 0 for 2009 if you are keeping score at home. MVP is too talented to be losing so much.

THE Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson have earned a WWE Tag Title opportunity and get their shot this Friday night against the Brothers Colon, Carlito and Primo. It seems like that there should be several tag teams vying for the coveted WWE Tag Titles on the Smackdown brand.

It is interesting how Edge is approaching the WWE Title match his wife has scheduled for him against Jeff Hardy at the Royal Rumble in Detroit. Something just doesn’t feel quite right about this situation but I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is. Jeff Hardy is the hottest entity in the WWE today but something tells me that darker days lie ahead for Jeff who has seemingly invigorated the WWE Title. On the other side of the coin, Jeff loves living on the “edge”, no pun intended.

As an avid viewer of Monday Night Raw, I am really intrigued with the business relationship that HBK has established with JBL and how it may ultimately affect the John Cena vs. JBL World Title Bout at the Rumble. Knowing Shawn Michaels for his entire career since the 80’s when he debuted in Bill Watts’ Mid South Wrestling, I know that Shawn, deep in his heart, would love to wear World Title gold one more time. How this scenario works out is going to be interesting.

I thought that the TV cameras catching Kelly-Kelly speaking with Randy Orton a week ago on Raw about an alleged rendezvous that they had was jaw dropping. Mr. RKO should have learned by now that a woman scorned isn’t a good thing.

Perhaps the King will offer to counsel Kelly-Kelly through this ordeal but with Kane seemingly involved, maybe not.

Yours truly is looking forward to heading to Detroit later this month for the Rumble pay per view. The Motor City will always hold a special place in my heart as that was the city at WM23 that I was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

That distinction and our Hall of Fame rings are really special to me. “The Joe” will no doubt be rocking come Sunday January 25.

Speaking of the WWE Hall of Fame, I wonder when we will be getting any info on who might be inducted this year at WM25 in Houston. Will this year’s class have a “Texas flavor” as last year’s class in Orlando certainly had a “Florida flavor?”

Howard Finkel is not a native Texan but I hope “the Fink” gets a Hall of Fame nod this year at an event that he has been a part of since its inception. I think Howard, who was the very first employee hired in Vince McMahon’s WWE, is the only performer to be a part of every Wrestlemania. That’s an amazing distinction. Good luck Fink.

There is nothing to the rumor that if Fink gets the nod that his predecessor Lilian Garcia will induct Howard. Out of professional courtesy, I won’t go into any more details on this matter. 

This Tuesday night we will tape Friday night Smackdown in Omaha, Nebraska which is just a hop, skip and a jump (don’t ask me to demonstrate) from my home in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma and Nebraska football fans have a long, storied but respectful rivalry that goes all the way back to the Dr. Tom Osborne and Barry Switzer days of coaching their respective teams. Nebraska coach Bo Pelini is a friend of mine who served on Bob Stoops’ coaching staff one year and did a wonderful job with the ‘Huskers this season ending with a bowl victory over Clemson.

Tazz and I are flying into Kansas City and driving up to Omaha on Tuesday morning for the double header taping. I like visiting Omaha especially if Tazz and I get to eat at Charleston’s or Mahogany Steak House where, as usual, I will likely pick up the tab. Hey, the former dominate ECW Champ does the driving so the least I can do is buy a meal.  I want to spend a week in Omaha some year during the College Baseball World Series…..and no that’s not on my “Bucket List!”

Will any one in Omaha bring any “World’s Angriest Announcer” signs to celebrate my partner’s appearance Tuesday night? I’m just saying. I don’t “think” that they would be confiscated. The sign police love “JR’s BBQ” signs….really.

Many thanks to those of you that remembered my January 3 birthday and sent us best wishes to www.jrsbarbq.com over the past several days. Your sentiments are much appreciated. I hope you will make our small but ever growing website one of your regular stops as we do several blogs each week along with answering your Q&A’s.

Be well every one and count your blessings every day.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.