12/6 Hoss Report

[Guest CanadianChris]

Greetings from under the black 200X Resistol hat as our Armageddon card begins to take shape, and as I prepare to head to Houston for the Big XII title game Saturday night between Oklahoma and Colorado.

 

Random thoughts and opinion ...

 

Many of us had a lot of fun Monday night in Austin, Texas, with the OU fight song, my being such a huge Sooners football fan and being in the arena of our biggest rival, the Texas Longhorns. The fight song was booed when I was introduced, which we all expected, and then I could not resist having some fun with the UT fans in attendance by displaying the upside-down "hook 'em Horns" sign after they began a healthy "OU Sucks" chant. It was all done in the spirit of fun even though some folks reported it otherwise. Those cynics should try a cup of Sanka and attempt to rediscover their sense of humor.

 

RAW had some bright spots from where I was sitting and is still a work in progress, but I did enjoy much of the in-ring product, which is generally my personal focus. More talents need to continue to be provided opportunities to move up, and it looks like that is the case. I like the long-term planning I am hearing about, and I think that we are very close to RAW becoming an even more viable broadcast, much sooner than later.

 

SmackDown! was headlined by the awesome Fatal Fourway involving Edge, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, as these four continue to deliver the goods on the Thursday night broadcast. SmackDown! seems to have a different philosophical approach creatively than does RAW, which certainly does not necessarily mean that one concept is wrong and the other is right. But they are different in their own way, which is a good thing for our fans over the long haul.

 

Bottom line here is that everyone involved in the process of putting together great TV shows is working diligently to do just that. Our business has always been talent-driven, and it always will be. The goal is to obviously get more talent to elevate to main-event status and create more "box office" and make new stars. That game plan is in place, but there is no quick fix or short cuts in this process, even though all of us would like for it to have happened "yesterday." I sincerely believe we are "thisclose" to accomplishing some great things creatively, and it looks as if 2003 is going to be a breakout year for many deserving talents.

 

Both Perry Saturn and the Godfather have been provided early releases from their WWE contracts to explore other options. Both talents are good men, and it would not surprise me one bit to see them back here competing again some day. We learn early on in this business to "never say never."

 

Hulk Hogan's autobiography hit No. 13 on The New York Times Bestseller List, and as I said here last week, it is an entertaining and quick and easy read. I hope you check it out, and I am sure you will enjoy this much-anticipated look at the Hulkster's career through his eyes. Hogan has been very aggressive with his book signings and has been traveling with his old friend and confidant Jimmy Hart at many of these appearances.

 

I have also read Jerry "the King" Lawler's book for a second time and thoroughly enjoyed it again. This one will be available in a few weeks from Simon & Schuster, and I am sure will be very successful. You are going to hear about things from Lawler that will really shock some, as virtually nothing in his life has been deemed to be "off limits." Both Hogan and the King's books make great holiday gifts.

 

Rey Mysterio had successful knee surgery Thursday in Birmingham, Ala., by Dr. Jim Andrews. The 'scope procedure will keep Rey on the sidelines for about a month or so as he is expected back in January and will being doing his therapy in San Diego, his hometown. Rey has been a spark for WWE since signing with the company and joining SmackDown!

 

Tajiri has a severely sprained ankle and will be out of action for a couple of weeks. Tajiri will be a part of the RAW tour of South Korea and Japan in January, as he will be in Japan for the birth of his child and is not leaving the SmackDown! roster as best I know. Tickets for all three of these events are virtually sold out from what I understand.

 

Edge is having some challenging times with his injured knee and will not be wrestling this weekend or next at live events as a result of it. His injury will not require surgery at this time, but a little rest and a lot of rehab is what has been prescribed. Edge has really elevated his game and has made the most of the opportunities that have come his way. There is no doubt in my mind that this young Toronto native will continue to improve and will be a consistent main-event-level talent for many years to come.

 

Tommy Dreamer had to have some stitches in the bridge of his nose Monday night after RAW.  Brock Lesnar is working through a broken rib and a sore knee.

 

It looks as if Rhyno, Jazz and Mark Henry will all be medically cleared to return to work shortly and will, in all probability, start back soon after the first of the year, barring any setbacks. Mark Henry will be at The World in New York City's Times Square this Monday night to host RAW.

 

The Undertaker is feeling much better after some much-needed rest but is still bothered by his elbow that would be well served to be 'scoped to remove the loose bone chips that have been causing it to lock up. I am not sure when Taker will return to action, but I assume he will be geared up in time for the Royal Rumble in January.

 

Billy Gunn has demonstrated some improvement in his shoulder condition and has regained some feeling in his hand. His radial nerve, which affects the movement and feeling in his little finger, is still problematic. No timetable on when Billy will be able to return to work.

 

Bradshaw is scheduled to travel to Afghanistan later this month to visit our troops there. The big Texan has seemingly traveled more miles for WWE since becoming injured with a torn biceps than when he was healthy!

 

Randy Orton is due back in the ring around mid-February from shoulder surgery. I would suggest he will be uniquely received by our fans when he returns after hearing his "updates" from time to time on RAW.

 

Lita had a positive meeting with neck surgeon Dr. Lloyd Youngblood this week and seems to be on target to return to the ring in May 2003. Lita has stepped up her workouts somewhat but still has not been cleared to jog or obviously take any "bumps" as of yet.

 

All other injured WWE talents seem to be progressing very well, according to our medical staff. I can only imagine if we had everyone under contract healthy, and physically and mentally ready to contribute to both brands. I have to believe lots of problems would be solved if that were the case. It doesn't matter if it is the NFL or Broadway, talent is the key to making everything happen.

 

Looks like the Tough Enough 3 finals will be at The World on Thursday, Jan. 23, LIVE on MTV. I have my own thoughts on this group of talents, and I don't think it is going to be easy to pick a winner out of the remaining contestants. As I said early on, the male talents seem to be much stronger than their female counterparts this go around.

 

Ohio Valley Wrestling will be holding a tryout camp in Louisville, Ky., on Feb. 23-28, 2003, that will be open to the public. WWE talent agents will be on hand to personally evaluate the athletes. For more info on this first-ever tryout camp, log on to OVWrestling.com for all the details on the costs, etc. This could be a great opportunity for any male or female with the goal of being in WWE.

 

I hear that Bret "Hitman" Hart is improving a great deal after being taken down with a stroke several months ago. I have not spoken to Bret since 1997, I am sorry to say, but as I have said before, still look forward to catching up with him some day. I like seeing Lance Storm using Bret's finisher, the Sharpshooter, and I feel Bret would approve of his fellow Canadian utilizing the maneuver that the Hitman made famous.

 

Our agents are spending a great deal of time with many of our talents in the ring prior to every event in hopes of improving everyone's in-ring skills. This current group of agents are the best we have ever had and we hope this process continues to pay significant dividends for all of us.

 

Ed Bark, the longtime TV writer of the Dallas Morning News, was at SmackDown! this week in Dallas getting background on a story he will be penning soon about his experience with WWE.

 

I thought Bill DeMott and Albert both had great nights of TV this week on SmackDown! I hope this is a positive sign of things to come for both athletes, who each have the ability and potential to help us a great deal.

 

We have three outstanding female prospects currently in OVW: Linda Miles, Jackie Gayda and Nikita Fink. All have demonstrated great potential, but as is the case with most young talents, are being challenged with the mental nuances of the business. Focus and familiarity with the product and the business in general will help these three continue to improve and hopefully make it to the primary roster sometime next year. There is certainly no lack of hard work and that is where it all starts in my view.

 

Hurricane and Stacy Keibler will be traveling to the U.K. next week for promotional work. These two are certainly excellent representatives of WWE and their efforts are greatly appreciated by all.

 

Kanyon appears to be doing very well in OVW, working his way back into shape and improving his timing that was affected by his absence from the ring due to injury. I expect Chris to rejoin the primary roster soon after the first of the year. I hope he gets the "break" he deserves.

 

I look for Shawn Michaels' in-ring schedule to increase somewhat, especially if his back continues to respond well to the physicality he is currently experiencing. I love HBK's "old-school" ability to tell a story in the ring and personally prefer this style over any other style out there. Shawn has the ability to be an awesome teacher to our younger talents.

 

We certainly appreciate all the WWE Superstars who braved the freezing weather Thanksgiving morning to participate in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Triple H, Victoria, Hurricane, the King (or Jerry "the RING" Lawler, as Al Roker misread), Sgt. Slaughter (who wore the largest pair of camouflage coveralls I have ever seen), the Coach, Lilian Garcia and Vince McMahon should all be commended for their efforts. Despite the cold weather, everyone seemed to have a great time. Arriving back home after the parade in lovely little Norwalk, Conn., I was welcomed by a warm house and the unbelievable aromas coming from my wife Jan's kitchen of turkey and her world-famous cornbread dressing (stuffing to you Northerners).

 

Paul Heyman is slated to record "Off the Record" on TSN this weekend in Toronto. Heyman will be with the Big Show in Hamilton at a live WWE event Saturday night as well as Sunday at 5 p.m. in the Nassau Coliseum. "Happy" Heyman has been a very positive addition to our live events and is a valuable asset to the Big Show's presentation.

 

Tough weekend for old J.R. last week as my Sooners were thumped by the rival Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater. No excuses, as simply the better team on that day won the game. However, for a college football fan and Oklahoma native the atmosphere was amazing and now the Sooners are challenged to rebound and attempt to defeat the Colorado Buffaloes for the second time this season Saturday in Houston. A victory would put the Sooners in the Orange Bowl with a Big XII title around their waist, which is a helluva accomplishment considering the Big XII is America's toughest college football conference. Both teams have some key players injured, and this one I feel will come down to the fourth quarter and who makes the fewest mistakes. The point spread of OU being favored by seven seems wrong to me. I will gladly settle for a one-point victory in this championship game.

 

We head to beautiful Knoxville, Tenn., this Monday live for RAW, which is always a pleasure for yours truly.  Then on Tuesday we hit the Philips Arena in Atlanta, which is always a lively crowd it seems, for the SmackDown! taping. Hope you check out our broadcasts next week as we continue to build momentum for Armageddon on pay-per-view, live from Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, Dec. 15.

 

Take care.

 

J.R. (Boomer Sooner!!)

[Guest eirejmcmahon]

Blah, blah, blah.

 

Your product fucking sucks, recent creative steps have proven that you have NO idea how to right the sinking ship and your refusal to reward those who DO bring it in the ring flies in the face of the constant backstage bullshitters who crow and waffle about the talent needing to bring it to the next level.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

RVD mentions...Zero.

 

Now that HHH is done with him no point in talking about him ever again.