Random BBQ'ed thoughts from under the custom made, black Oklahoma hat.
This week's Friday Night Smackdown emanates from the Igloo in Pittsburgh, home of Sid "the Kid" Crosby, yes we watch hockey in Oklahoma, and it is a broadcast that continues to establish rivalries and begin to establish newly drafted competitors to the Friday night brand.
And yes, it's still a hotter show than Monday Night Raw. O.K. so I'm not overly objective about the team for which I play. Is that so wrong? Should a man not be passionate about his brand? Can I not show my feelings? Is it so wrong for a man to cry?
Lighten Up Francis.
The main event Friday night between #1 contender Jeff Hardy and the "disrespected" Chris Jericho is a stout, two segment bout.
Jericho is so talented both athletically and verbally but the verbal aspect of his game is wearing thin on many. It might be akin to taking a long, van trip with Cryme Tyme and a couple of Divas and having to stop for coffee every time one saw a Starbucks. After a few hours, no matter how entertaining the journey was when it started, it would get old.
C.M. (Chicago Made) Punk is looking forward to his return to the Windy City for Judgment Day (what in the hell ever happened to the "E" in Judgment anyway??) in his home town. Punk is attitudinal and talented and needs more mic time because his outspoken nature is entertaining or at least it is to me.
I expect several members of the Chicago Bears, some of them former OU Sooners, to attend the PPV in the All State arena which is one of the most amazing venues in the world to see WWE in person.
Rey Mysterio is elated to be back on Friday Night Smackdown and I can't think of any WWE Superstar who has developed more popularity on the Friday night broadcast than the masked underdog of all peoples. We have a silver, Mysterio mask Rey wore when he returned from injury last year at Summerslam that is beautifully framed for display at J.R.s Family BBQ in Norman. This was a gracious gift from Rey and it is most appreciated. Thanks Rey!
If John Morrison has displayed some young, HBK tendencies at times, then the Shaman isn't the only young Smackdown star who reminds yours truly of other famous wrestlers of yesteryear.
Dolph Ziggler has a little young "Mr. Perfect" in him and I'm not just talking about his hair color. Ziggler is cocky, confident and athletic just like Curt Hennig was.
Big, raw boned Mike Knox reminds me of a young Frank Goodish aka Bruiser Brody circa the mid 70's. Goodish/Brody was a big man who was athletic, quick for his size, had great balance, and a mean streak. Plus the behind the scenes Goodish/Brody was very well read and had a high IQ. Knox at this stage of his game has similar traits.
Only time will tell if Morrison, Ziggler, and Knox achieve the same level of success of the men of which they remind me.
Today I was at our BBQ joint enjoying a sampling of hickory smoked chicken, pulled pork, and chopped brisket (no eye rolling please) and I had the opportunity to meet some WWE fans from the Atlanta area. They had just flown from Atlanta to OKC to attend the graduation ceremony at Oklahoma State which is only a little over an hour and change north of our place. We had a nice visit and they encouraged us to put a J.R.'s in Atlanta. Who knows, some day it might happen.
BTW all foods at J.R.'s Family BBQ are Major League Baseball "approved" which means that newly suspended Manny Ramirez can dine at J.R.'s all he wants with no worries and Manny's first meal is on me. Manny can play baseball but obviously Manny isn't too bright. Of course, even after his hiatus Manny will still make about $34M this year which is a bunch of BBQ. So much for "Mannywood."
Why is Umaga so seemingly hellbent on destroying C.M. Punk? I don't get it. I think dot com guru Dr. Joe E. Styles should dispatch either Stocky Balboa or HOF'er Howard Finkel to get an exclusive with Umaga even if they have to fly to the "ISLE" of Samoa. Sure beats the "ISLE" of Malta this time of year. I guarantee you that "The Fink" could find an inexpensive airfare which would be even less than some executive's lunches in New York City.
Wow...what happened to Charlie Haas? The native Okie and grad of Seton Hall had his most physically aggressive outing in a WWE ring in years this week on Smackdown. Watch this week and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Did you know? Ricky Ortiz is now a member of the Friday Night Smackdown roster? "Sources say" that Ortiz isn't too popular in the locker room but I have no idea why nor do I know if that "rumor" is true. Might be the rally towel.
Edge does color commentary with Todd Grisham and me on Friday night during the Jeff-Jericho main event. Edge has a future at the announce desk after his wrestling days have ended. I've worked with the best in the business over the last 30+ years and I will assure you that Edge could quickly rise to the level of many of the men that I have broadcast with and do so in a short length of time.
ESPN's Rachel Nichols being assigned to go to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to report on the Bret Favre situation feels about as out of place as the Great Khali being selected to read the great works of Hemingway to elementary school kids in the Carolinas. I'm happy that Bret is staying retired even though he would have had a blast playing with Adrian Peterson in Minnesota. I'll bet little Rachel didn't have any BBQ while down in Mississippi.
Curt Hawkins has a new "make over" and wait until you see it. Check that, it's Zach Ryder who has the new "make over" and Ryder wrestles Thursday night on WGN America on WWE Superstars. I guess I answered my own question as to why Hawkins and Ryder needed new looks. Both are much better wrestlers than some folks perceive and now that they are on their own I think we will be pleasantly surprised at how well they both do.
Don't adjust your TV sets, it's just the multiple, color patterns worn by ECW broadcaster Josh Mathews (if that is his real name.) I jest....Josh is a good young man who is going to evolve into a broadcasting fixture in WWE unless he picks up Dusty Rhodes' lisp from working with "The Dream" on broadcasts down in Tampa. Mathews and Matt Striker are fun to listen to on ECW even though Striker is a self professed wrestling nerd which isn't really a bad thing.
Nothing like watching the inmates run the asylum on Raw as WWE Champion Randall Orton and Legacy apparently are doing. GM Vickie Guerrero better grasp the bull by the horns before the "Most Watched Show in the History of the World on Cable TV" implodes.
Speaking of the train wreck known as Raw, why wouldn't WWE officials intervene when Big Show was annihilating John Cena Monday night knowing full well that Cena was on the "injured list?"
When will TMZ report of the alleged relationship between MVP and "The View's" Sherri Shepherd? What, there's no relationship? That's not what I heard. As a matter of fact, Michael Cole inferred to me that the charismatic duo washaving a "Vintage" relationship. Charismatic duo as in MVP and Sherri and NOT Cole and King. Oh, my!
Why isn't WWE.com Shop selling Jerry Lawler T shirts? The King wears new "Kingwear" seemingly every week on Raw almost begging for WWE to sell its first ever Jerry Lawler shirt. Nothing like a man who takes great pains in what he wears on global TV.....a new T shirt every week. Now that's dedication.
Just so you're aware, if Eve and Layla ever do have a real wrestling match T.G. (Todd Grisham) has told me he's going to shriek "CATFIGHT" ala one of my heroes, Joe E. Styles, but I have advised T.G. that he can't follow Joe and to just.......let it go.
This week we return to Dayton, Ohio for our Smackdown taping on Tuesday night. This was the city in 1993 that I broadcast the King of the Ring won by the WWE Hall of Famer and wrestling Icon Bret "Hitman" Hart right before I mysteriously disappeared from the PPV scene for an extended amount of time. I guess I didn't have such a great night as I seemingly joined Henry Hill in the witness protection program after that event. What a chapter that will be in my unpublished memoirs.....BROTHER!!
A couple of my blogs created a little controversey this week on www.jrsbarbq.com but such is life. Read them for yourself and you be the judge. We also sell the world's best BBQ Sauce plus autographed caps and cookbooks on our small, BBQ site as well.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 10:12 AM EST
[Blog This!]
I am happy to be in NYC because that means the WWE Nation will pack Madison Square Garden Tuesday night for the taping of ECW/Friday Night Smackdown.
Edge is the new #1 man on SD. Who will be his #1 contender going into Judgment Day? One would assume we'll find out this week on SD. Could be one of several individuals. I'm relatively sure GM Teddy Long will settle this matter in the ring.
Don't count out the multi talented CM Punk because of his Backlash loss to Kane. The Chicago Made Punk is being counted on to be a main event player on Friday night. I like his Muay Tai strikes and his toughness. I wish I knew more about him. FTW Kane has beaten many BTP'ers.
Interesting verbal interation between Edge & Christian at Backlash. Made me think of three letters ....TLC.
Many young fans will never know personally how good Ricky Steamboat was back in "the day." Trust me when I tell you that he was the perfect fan favorite. For yours truly to be inducted into the WWE HOF before "The Dragon", among many others, is humbling and embarassing. Any young wrestlers who want an in ring role model should study Steamboat like a hawk. Modeling one's self like Ricky outside the ring isn't such a bad idea either.
For you Foodies who might be wonder where an Okie goes to eat in NYC, stayed in the game. By that I mean that I had BBQ at "Daisy Mae's BBQ" which was voted NYC's "Best." The wet ribs & the collard greens were really good. I shudder to think how well a JR's BBQ would do in the right NYC locale as it relates to how great our food is compared to NY's "Best" in all due respect. I'm just saying.
One would assume that this week's SD will have a different feel because of the 16 or so new faces to the roster. I'm really anxious to see what SD Superstars look at this week's SD as a fresh start, a new season, etc and raise their respective games. No one is immune to improving their professional skills.
Congrats to Christian for winning the ECW Championship. He will provide the ECW fans with some great bouts & can get it done with a variety of opponents.
I still like fellow Okie Jack Swagger's potential. His attitude is questionable but no one with a brain can deny Swagger's athletic skills.
I am not pleased with the way Edge won the World's Title. It does make me want to see Cena vs Show some day but now we will have to hear Edge speak on Edge throughly on Friday nights. Edge may be the best at what he does in WWE but do need to hear Edge tell us incessantly. Several SD competitors have their sights set on Toronto's gift to WWE (I prefer Trish Stratus) and I think several men have the legit chance to seriously challenge the new champion.
Don't miss my blogs on our bbq site www.jrsbarbq.com where we also sell sauces, dry rubs, caps, shirts, cookbooks, etc in our on line store.
And again, I will repeat my infamous statement from Backlash, "I'm a happily, married man" just like my hero and dot com guru the good doctor Joe E. Styles.
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 11:22 AM EST
[Blog This!]
Greetings from under the black, custom-made hat from your BBQ lovin’, tornado dodging, Oklahoma neighbor who is counting down the days until WrestleMania 25 in Houston’s Reliant Stadium while inviting you to join us this week for Friday Night SmackDown on MyNetworkTV as we bring you episode 501.
We will see all eight participants who will compete in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania in an eight-man tag this week on SmackDown. The good news is that Hornswoggle did not enter the “Tazz zone” and attempt to provide guest grunting … or commentary during this bout. “The World’s Angriest Announcer” might not have “cottoned” to Finlay’s son donning headsets. I have thought about it a fair amount and I still don’t see a clear cut favorite going into this high stakes, MITB contest where the prize will be hanging 20 feet above the ring.
New United States Champion MVP has momentum, and has even been compared to new Buffalo Bill Terrell Owens at times, but I don’t even see Montel as a heavy favorite in MITB. One thing we do know is that MVP will actually report for work on April 5 unlike Owens, who told his teammates and fans that he would be at the Bills’ voluntary camp and then no-showed.
The relationship that SmackDown G.M. has with her husband Edge and her “lover” Big Show seems to be more fragile than Michael Jackson’s nose. I don’t “need” to know what goes on behind closed doors, thank you very much.
John Cena has essentially “guaranteed” that he will win the World Title at WrestleMania from Edge and Show, and knowing Cena to be a man of his word, I think one can take that bold prediction to the bank. It’s akin to Joe Namath’s famous guarantee that his New York Jets would win Super Bowl 3 over the Baltimore Colts many, many years ago. I don’t have time to explain this famous moment in sports here and now, kids, so Google it when you get a minute … or ask The Fink who is a life-long, die-hard, Jets season ticketholder.
BTW, our congratulations go to The Fink for being the final inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame in the 2009 class. Howard went from being an usher in the New Haven Civic Center to the WWE HOF, which is a heck of a journey. We tip our hat to you, Fink, and know that Mean Gene will knock it out of the park when he inducts you. But beware of any run-on’s by your arch rival Harvey Whippleman, who may try to besmirch your moment in a renewal of a rivalry that is akin to Sammartino-Watts, Austin-McMahon, and J.R. vs. various diets.
Rey Mysterio faces Chavo Guerrero this Friday night on SmackDown in a renewal of a SmackDown rivalry that has deep roots and even deeper family roots in the annals of Mexican wrestling. I know that there are many fans that hope Rey goes to WrestleMania and wins the Intercontinental Title from JBL, and then gets drafted back to SmackDown on April 13’s Annual WWE Draft that will be held this year in Atlanta.
Hey, did you know that “12 Rounds” starring John Cena debuts in theatres this Friday? One would almost have to be living under a rock with the AIG executives to not know that.
Cena, who chatted with Jay Leno earlier this week on NBC, will be on Friday Night SmackDown this week from what I understand, which is always a good thing.
Jeff Hardy has demonstrated, in small increments, just how extreme Jeffrey Nero Hardy can be when properly motivated, and this Friday night Matt Hardy gets the same opportunity. Hardy vs. Hardy will be a hard match to follow at WrestleMania, especially since Extreme Rules have been put in play.
This Extreme Rules match will be a better contest than many of us saw from the USA’s “all-star team” in the World Baseball Classic won earlier this week by Japan. Congrats, Japan, and it is too bad that you could not play a true American all-star team because of money, greed, and politics, which seems to be three, prevalent traits of our country’s society these days. The hardballers needed a “bail out” in the tourney, but got no such boost from their governing body.
So now we know … the unification bout for the tag titles between Miz/Morrison and Carlito/Primo will now be a Lumberjack match. Will all the Lumberjack’s be required to wear plaid shirts like in the old days? I’m a little bit of a Miz/Morrison “lean” in this tag bout at WrestleMania. At times, Miz/Morrison remind me of the Midnight Express and at times they hearken back to the days of Perfect/Ravishing Rick Rude to my veteran eyes.
Have you caught the Legends Roundtable this month on WWE 24/7 On Demand about Texas Wrestling? It is really a great show hosted by HOF’er Gene Okerlund with panelists that include Michael P.S. (No I DON’T go to Dog the Bounty Hunter’s hair stylist) Hayes, Dusty (If you Will) Rhodes, Cowboy (I’m single again ladies) Bill Watts, and yours truly, your shameless, BBQ hawking Okie. There is some lively discussion on this show and some big time footage that I know longtime, die-hard wrestling fans will love.
Man, did Randy Orton up the ante or what this past Monday night when he AGAIN got physical with Triple H’s wife, Stephanie, but this time only mere feet from the handcuffed-to-the-rope Triple H. Orton has essentially gone “all in” for you Texas Hold ‘Em buffs out there and the third-generation star may have gotten so deep inside The Game’s head Monday night that Triple H may simply want to destroy Orton more than retaining the WWE Title at WrestleMania. We’ll have more on this intensely personal issue on Friday Night SmackDown. Is Orton truly suffering from his own sick, March Madness? Or is there a method to Orton’s madness in the form of Orton’s Law?
Sources say that HBK will take another bold step forward this Friday night as it seems that Shawn is obsessed with getting in and staying inside Undertaker’s psyche and tormenting the Demon of Death Valley from now until April 5. I’m not sure if it will be Friday night on SmackDown or next Monday in Dallas on Raw, but I would bet a slab of J.R.’s slow-smoked, Hall of Fame Ribs that ‘Taker will seek and find some retribution on the confident “Mr. WrestleMania” before the two men face each other in Houston. There is no match at WrestleMania that I look more forward to than this battle of WWE Icons.
Chris Jericho is likely to feel about as welcome Monday in Dallas on Raw as Denver Broncos’ QB Jay Cutler does in the Mile High City these days when the brash Jericho meets my former broadcast partner Jerry Lawler in a one-on-one match. Lawler, who has never wrestled at a WrestleMania, will likely look at this contest as the King’s personal WrestleMania, especially after Jericho put a huge gash in Ric Flair’s head on Monday night.
Speaking of the King, Jerry and I handled the commentary on the Legends of Wrestlemania video game which is available now. Its old school commentary that I think you will enjoy and being able to pit this who’s who against one another is awesome. Many have wanted to see a Stone Cold vs. Hulk bout for years, and on this video game you can see them compete in a variety of ways.
Our Q&A section of www.jrsbarbq.com has been updated in addition to me writing multiple new blogs on our site over the past several days. We’ve also got some great deals on JR’s BBQ products that I would be pleased if you checked out including autographed cookbooks, caps and much more including our sauces and hot selling JR’s Beef Jerky and Dry Rub.
Be well everyone and thanks for stopping by and keep counting your blessings.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 09:05 PM EST
[Blog This!]
Even though I am still battling pneumonia, I was able to stay coherent (no wise cracks please) and enjoy Monday Night Raw in my overstuffed, recliner from our home in Norman even with tornadoes in the area.
What a start to Raw with the Jericho/Flair interaction. Jericho’s sucker punch lead to Flair’s demise which resulted in 11 staples inserted in “Naitch’s” head. Nice job Chris and I hope that you are proud of your actions. I am surprised that jerry Lawler didn’t intervene but King has so much respect for Flair that Lawler knew that if he did intervene on Ric’s behalf that flair would have likely been offended. It’s this thing called pride that so many of the old school guys have and that the younger generation in wrestling still doesn’t “get” yet.
Next week in Dallas, I plan on being there live to see King take on Jericho in a one on one match with Lawler going in as the underdog against the younger Jericho who, for some perverse reason, has issues with Legends and WWE Hall of Famers. Jericho need not under estimate The King who still wrestles several times a week on the independent circuit and will not enter the squared circle with any ring rust I can assure you.
One thing that can be said of the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WM25 is that there is no clear cut favorite and that the high stakes match is wide open and anyone’s to win. If all 8 men leave that environment without significant injuries it will be miraculous.
HBK has firmly proven that he is not intimidated, afraid and is somewhat defiant of the Undertaker as these two icons prepare for their historic one on one match at WM25. Both men have Texas roots and competing in front of what is expected to be over 70,000 in Reliant Stadium will be a defining moment for each, future Hall of Famer’s career. There is no match on this year’s WM25 card that fans I run into on the road ask about more than this one. If this match closed the show at Wrestlemania it wouldn’t offend me but I expect a Championship Match to bring down the curtain on WM25.
I see that Santino’s unibrow has returned. How stable is a man who wants to compete in a 25 Diva Battle Royal in the hopes that he would be named Miss Wrestlemania? Does Marella think that distinction might look good on a job resume?
More people watched Raw on cable TV Monday night than any other program for the 6th consecutive week. Oh, my!
Monday Night Raw really kicked Fox’ Bill O’Reilly’s backside which give new meaning to the no spin zone.
No one seems to know what historic feat that Intercontinental Champion JBL is going to accomplish at WM25 but JBL beating Rey Mysterio isn’t a gimme. Oliver Stone-like conspiracy theories abound on this history making feat but my sense is that we will have to wait until Wrestlemania to see if this is indeed something JBL will pull off or if this is just lip service to take Mysterio’s mind off the prize at hand.
For those that might, for some insane reason, think that Randy Orton is “cool” for assaulting Stephanie McMahon for the SECOND time, this just in….RKO is not cool. Three men handcuffing one is not cool. Three men beating up on one person is not cool. One man second rope, DDT’ing a woman is definitely, NOT cool. But here is the issue….if Orton can maintain his calculating attack and stay in one piece between now and April 5, there is a viable chance that HHH will be much more focused on maiming Orton than retaining the WWE Title at which time HHH’s 13th title reign becomes very vulnerable.
There is never a good time to be ill but I have been able to keep up with all March Madness hoop action especially keeping up with my Oklahoma Sooners Men’s and Women’s teams. OU men play Syracuse later in the week and WWE has plenty of ‘Cuse alums on staff including my friend Michael Cole. I expect to hear plenty from the Orange fans if their Big East powerhouse beats the Sooners this week.
We have updated our Q&A section of www.jrsbarbq.com and I have written a couple of new blogs there this week as well. Plus we have some great deals on J.R.’s BBQ Products in our on line store on our website.
Check back with us later in the week for our regular, Smackdown blog. Take care.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 12:33 PM EST
[Blog This!]
Many thoughts come to my mind when I think of this Friday night’s 500th episode celebration of SmackDown. Some fans may not remember that yours truly was the first play-by-play voice of SmackDown when it debuted on Thursday nights on the UPN television network on Aug. 26, 1999 in Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri.
I can remember several facets of that somewhat chaotic and stressful TV taping day which was, to be exact, Aug. 24, 1999. Apparently the term “network TV” had many on edge, even though when the show came on the air it was going to be business as usual as far as I was concerned.
After the Owen Hart tragedy, Kemper has never been one of my favorite places to work, but let me make one thing perfectly clear about that statement. It has nothing to do with the fans of K.C. who have been loyal fans of the genre since the Central States Wrestling days of yesteryear.
We produced a live Raw as usual the night prior to the first SmackDown taping, and everyone would have to gear up to go again 24 hours later. That’s not a new development nowadays, but it was back in ’99. With all my administrative duties as Vice President of Talent Relations and being the voice of Monday Night Raw, I was somewhat concerned how I was going to hold up with the addition of another project to do every week. Luckily for me, Michael Cole was prepared and ready to go as the voice of SmackDown and he started his long and admirable tenure on the network broadcast with show No. 2.
The first SmackDown featured a main event consisting of The Rock challenging the new WWE Champion, Triple H. HBK had returned to WWE and had been named “Commissioner” and named himself as the special referee for that first SmackDown main event. For the record, Referee/Commissioner HBK delivered some “Sweet Chin Music” to Rock as The Great One was about to “layeth the SmackDown” on Triple H with a “vintage” (Sorry, Michael Cole, but I couldn’t resist, Pal) “Peoples Elbow.” Triple H then pedigreed the future movie star at 9:43 of the main event to retain the WWE Title.
Do you remember who the WWE Tag Team Champions were at that time? Stay tuned for the answer.
This program also featured a skirmish between ring announcer Tony Chimel and former ring announcer Howard Finkel. Thanks to a manipulative Chris Jericho, this then lead to an altercation between The Fink and Ken Shamrock that allegedly saw the World’s Most Dangerous Ring Announcer “soil himself.” By the way for you trivia buffs, Fink came to the ring that night to confront Sir Anthony Chimel using the music of Ultimate Warrior.
The Hall of Fame duo of Pat Patterson and Jerry Brisco also got in on the action that night, which was always a treat for me to see. Plus, Mankind battled Shane McMahon on the first SmackDown, which saw Shane upset the Mandible Claw expert thanks to his future brother-in-law Triple H’s interference.
The first SmackDown felt like a Monday Night Raw show inasmuch as it included lots of attitude and surprises. With that said, the best news for me was when Michael Cole tagged in and took my chair at ringside the next week. I mean, how much BBQ can an Okie eat?!
Another memorable SmackDown that I was involved with was the Thursday after the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. I think we had been in San Antonio the night before for Raw when the attacks occurred on Tuesday morning while we were in our hotel rooms in Houston after flying Monday night. The Tuesday night taping for SmackDown was postponed until Thursday at which time we went live. I am not 100 percent sure, but I think that was the first time SmackDown ever aired live. I remember being a part of that broadcast, which some speculate was the first public assembly of its kind since the 9-11 attacks. I felt very proud to be an American that night, and to be able to be a small part of helping Americans take their mind off the tragedies of the week while watching WWE.
Another significant SmackDown moment for yours truly also occurred in Houston, the home of this year’s WrestleMania. It was in June of 2008, and it was my first Friday Night SmackDown after being “drafted” from Raw the night before in San Antonio. At the time, that was not one of my favorite moments of my 30-plus year career, but in hindsight it has become one of my career highlights. I had discovered my comfort zone, a kiss of death in any profession, on Raw, and had broadcast more than 600 episodes of WWE’s top-rated cable TV program and did not want to leave my “TV home.” Sometimes we old-schoolers resist change, which is not a good philosophy as I have learned. Even though I miss working with The King at times, I am honored to have been able to forge a new broadcast relationship with the man I fondly call “The World’s Angriest Announcer,” Tazz. Our team has been able to see the Friday Night SmackDown ratings set new records on MyNetworkTV and dominate our target demographic by reaching thousands upon thousands of males every Friday night.
Speaking of that first night on Friday Night SmackDown, I do remember that many of the fans inside the Toyota Center booing me when they heard my entrance music, which is the Oklahoma University fight song, “Boomer Sooner!” That reception, a reaction toward OU and not me personally … or at least I hope that was the case, really made yours truly feel “great” about my new TV home (only kidding). Seriously, what did help me get settled in was the kind words that Triple H, who also got drafted the night before, said about me when he came to the ring at the top of the show to address the SmackDown fans, not to mention sitting beside Mick Foley who I had known for years.
With all that said, this Friday night is a milestone event in the annals of WWE, and one of which I am proud to be able to participate. I was diagnosed this past Saturday with pneumonia, but not even pneumonia was going to keep me from being a part of SmackDown No. 500. This broadcast felt like a PPV, while we were taping it Tuesday night in Corpus Christi, Texas, and I think you will really enjoy it Friday night on MyNetworkTV.
On another Texas oriented note, it gave me great pleasure to see the Von Erich Family be announced for induction into WWE’s Hall of Fame. I knew all the Von Erich sons except Jackie, and will look upon their induction with pride, especially considering all the challenges the family has faced over the years, not to mention all the contributions that the Von Erichs and World Class Championship Wrestling have given us fans. I can’t wait to see what Freebird Michael Hayes wears for this special occasion as he will induct the Von Erichs, and I understand that Kevin Von Erich will accept on his family’s behalf. Word on the street has it that P.S. Hayes is consulting with Dog the Bounty Hunter’s hair and wardrobe people for the classic voice of the Freebirds’ special appearance at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.
Thanks for stopping by this week for this special look at Friday Night SmackDown, as we celebrate number 500 this Friday night. I also appreciate all of you who check out www.jrsbarbq.com especially those that are taking advantage of the great offers we now have in our online store. If you would like to read more of my blogs and/or ask questions, then check out our ever-growing Web site. Be well and count your blessings. Boomer Sooner! J.R.
P.S:. The WWE Tag Champions on the first SmackDown were Undertaker and Big Show.
