WWE Early week news

[Guest Trivia247]

This past week Jim Ross joined the No Holds Barred radio show to shed light on many different issues in the wrestling business. The No Holds Barred radio show aims to bring the top names in the wrestling business to you each and every week and in an attempt to bring the show into many new markets, we are asking wrestling fans who'd like to hear the show to show their support for us by visiting www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com and filling out the petition listed at the top of the main page. Now let's get into the highlights from our interview with Jim Ross.

 

Jim opened up by talking about his brand new cookbook. He said he always makes time to eat despite having an incredibly hectic schedule. He said Dennis Brent and his wife helped him put the new cookbook together and he's glad to have the opportunity to write a second book. He feels the book is a "guy's cookbook" and it gives people a chance to put together a good home cooked meal without having to go to Culinary school to do it.

 

Jim talked about his one month departure from WWE television. He said he watched the show on Monday nights but he didn't have much time off because he and Dennis Brent worked heavily with Steve Austin on the upcoming Stone Cold auto biography. He says he didn't have much time to go on vacation or take a fishing trip but he really loves being busy and he truly enjoys his job.

 

When the subject of stepping down from Talent Relations came up, JR talked about being 51 years old and having over 30+ years in the business. He said he has a long term plan and as long as he can avoid embarrassing himself, the company, the business and the fans, that he would like to continue being the voice of RAW for many years to come. He mentioned that he brought John Laurniatis in to help him in the office and the story of John trying to take JR's position took on a life of its own. He said he does delegate certain jobs to John as he feels that's what good management is all about. He thinks John is a very solid individual and he's trying to teach him the talent relations part of the job so that when he steps down one day, the company will have someone who's ready to step in and not miss a beat. JR adds that he doesn't see that happening for another 2-3 years and he's very loyal to the McMahon family but he can't deny that somewhere down the road he would like to move back to Norman, OK and attend OU football games on Saturday while still contributing in a lesser role for the WWE.

 

As far as the timing being right or wrong to hold a brand only PPV is concerned, JR says that he doesn't know if there is a such thing as a right time to do it. He said the company made a commitment to go ahead with the brand separation and it may not be the best time to go ahead with any business venture based on the poor economy but he says that the company had to do it at some point and they are going thru with it starting on June 15th.

 

Jim also feels the brand extension is the right move for the company. He says that by splitting the company, it creates less depth with established talent but it also allows guys who weren't getting a shot before to break through and live their dream and show everyone what they can do. He said that key injuries to Stone Cold, Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Edge and others have set back the company's growth but over the long haul it will pay off. He also mentioned that the company has lost The Rock to Hollywood and nobody holds it against him because anyone would jump at the chance to be in his shoes. He said The Rock is loyal to the WWE and he will appear on RAW whenever he can.

 

He talked about being excited to go home whenever the WWE comes to Oklahoma even though he usually gets dragged into a messy creative angle. He says he doesn't ask to be booked on the show but the segments he's been involved in have usually done well in the ratings and if he can help make the show better then he's willing to contribute.

 

Jim said the Ross Report was removed for 2 reasons. The first was because of his poor time management. He said he would work on the Report after Smackdown on Thursday nights and he would sometimes be up until 3am writing it after working a full day at the office and having to be back to work early Friday morning. The second reason it was removed was because the report took on a life of its own and it got to the point where it created negativity that it was never intended to create. He said talent would look at it as a negative if they weren't mentioned in the report plus various websites began analyzing the report and indicating that he was trying to say something differently then what he had written. He says that he tried to be accurate by bringing some truth to the marketplace and he did enjoy doing it, but those 2 factors led to the report being removed. In wrapping up the statement, Jim said he reads things online sometimes and shakes his head because they are very inaccurate. He gave an example about a story stating that he was recently in talks with Sting and at an earlier point Lex Luger. He says he hasn't talked to Sting in over a year and he last spoke with Lex Luger when he left the company to join WCW.

 

He talked about the job of Talent Relations by saying that it offers the best of the wrestling business as well as some of the worst parts of the business. He said it's never easy letting someone go and it makes you feel bad because you know it effects someone's family as well as their career but at the same time you have to understand that it's business and nothing personal. Jim said he has never let someone go for personal reasons and hopes those he's had to cut ties with understand that he was simply doing his job.

 

As far as guys he wishes he didn't have to cut are concerned, JR said he wishes he didn't have to cut anyone but as a recent example he wishes he didn't have to cut D'Lo Brown. He said D'Lo is a class guy, has good character, is very solid in the ring and even though he didn't find his creative hookup in the WWE he says he didn't burn any bridges and it's possible that he could return to the company somewhere down the line.

 

JR also said it was difficult letting "Dr. Death" Steve Williams go. He said he booked him on a few matches recently to see what kind of gas he had left in his tank. He said the company are at the point right now though where they are trying to bring up younger talent from OVW and they wouldn't be able to offer Steve enough work to make a living. He says he doesn't want to put Dr. Death in a position where he's depending on the company for financial security and they can't provide it for him therefore it's probably best to not do business at this point in time. Jim said that despite having to cut him in the past, the two have remained good friends.

 

Talent should be all over the writing team with new ideas and suggestions in JR's opinion. He said talent are encouraged to offer their feedback on storyline ideas and character development and while some do so, others don't and later complain about it. He adds that if he were a young superstar he would be faxing and e-mailing the writing team all the time. He said there is no such thing as a bad idea and while a talent's concept of the week may not be used right away, it doesn't mean that there won't be an opportunity somewhere in the future to use a suggestion. He noted that Vince is still the heartbeat of the creative team and he has a very young supporting cast. JR feels that passion is one of the most important parts of the job and the heritage of the wrestling business should be learned by everyone who works on the product. JR feels it's hard for some of the writers to understand everything because they've never had the chance to work in territories for different bosses and different companies. He finished his statement by saying that it's not easy to be great 52 weeks per year in 11 different segments per show. He feels the team is going to get better as they develop more experience and he really appreciates the commitment they have given to the company.

 

JR ended the interview by talking about his meals of choice. He asks for everyone to head to their local book store and take a look at the cookbook even if they don't buy it. He says he thinks many fans will enjoy the top 10 lists and the road stories and he had a lot of fun working on the book and hopes everyone will give it a read.

 

The No Holds Barred radio show is hosted by Jason Barrett and George Farmer and airs on 101.5 WPDH in parts of NY, NJ, CT and PA. To listen to the Jim Ross interview visit www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com and while you're there make sure to cast your vote for 1 of the 3 bands who are up for consideration to have their music become the official theme song of the No Holds Barred radio show.

 

Recap by George Farmer

 

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# For those wondering why Goldberg has yet to work any house shows since arriving in WWE, I have finally found out why. When Goldberg signed his contract a few months ago, a deal was reached where Goldberg would only be required to work RAWs and Pay-Per-View events. Because of this, many are questioning whether he should defeat Triple H for the World Heavyweight Title at Summer Slam as planned, since it would hurt house show attendance to not have the World Champion work the shows.

 

# The main consensus among most is that it's pretty much a lock that Booker T will defeat Christian at Bad Blood for the Intercontinental Championship. That was the plan originally, however, officials have become increasingly impressed with Christian since putting the belt on him, so the match could go either way.

 

(Thanks to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

 

# Before Kurt Angle's return to WWE television, there was talk amongst officials that Kurt should be given new theme music. The feeling was that his current music urged fans into chanting "You Suck", which isn't exactly the reaction you want one of your top babyfaces to receive. However, after watching Angle's return on Smackdown, the decision was made to stick with his current music since Kurt proved he is still capable of being over as a babyface despite the chant.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

# Before Kurt Angle's return to WWE television, there was talk amongst officials that Kurt should be given new theme music. The feeling was that his current music urged fans into chanting "You Suck", which isn't exactly the reaction you want one of your top babyfaces to receive. However, after watching Angle's return on Smackdown, the decision was made to stick with his current music since Kurt proved he is still capable of being over as a babyface despite the chant.

They should have Kurt's opponent be the first one out for every match and on his way to the ring he can chant along to 'You suck" while pointing at his opponent.

[Guest buffybeast]

The main consensus among most is that it's pretty much a lock that Booker T will defeat Christian at Bad Blood for the Intercontinental Championship. That was the plan originally, however, officials have become increasingly impressed with Christian since putting the belt on him, so the match could go either way.

 

I will be royally pissed if Booker does not win the IC title this weekend.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

When the subject of stepping down from Talent Relations came up, JR talked about being 51 years old and having over 30+ years in the business. He said he has a long term plan and as long as he can avoid embarrassing himself, the company, the business and the fans, that he would like to continue being the voice of RAW for many years to come.

Right...cause his commentary has been so steller since Paul E left the booth.

[Murmuring Beast 0]

Sadly, the once great man is now embarassing himself.

 

"Double Flapjack!"

 

Excuse Me?

[Guest Trivia247]

# Rumor has it that WWE has contacted both "Big" Sal E. Graziano and Tommy Rich, both of whom were former F.B.I. members in ECW, about joining their version of the stable.

 

(Thanks to Slam! Wrestling)

 

 

# HBK most proud of match with Y2J

Out of all the career highlights for Shawn Michaels -- the three reigns as WWE Champion, the classic Ladder Match at WrestleMania X, the first Hell in a Cell -- he is most proud of his WrestleMania XIX match in March against Chris Jericho.

Continue...

 

(Thanks to WWE.com)

[Guest Trivia247]

# It appears as though talks between WWE and Sting have died down to the point where most don't expect a deal to be reached anytime soon. The ball is reportedly in Sting's court at this point as WWE officials are said to have a tremendous interest in signing the former five-time WCW Champion.

 

Thanks to 1wrestling.com & The Pro Wrestling Torch)

 

# For those who've been wondering what Mick Foley's role in WWE will be following Sunday's Bad Blood PPV, it appears that Foley only signed a short-term deal and this may be the only committment he made to the company. Foley asked for the job in order to have an outlet to promote his new book and officials agreed to let him ref the Hell In A Cell match to add more mystique to the match, which it previously lacked.

 

# For those wondering why Goldust was not at RAW last night, his grandmother, the mother of Dusty Rhodes, passed away the night before.

 

(Thanks to 1wrestling.com)

 

Although it wasn't obvious, Mick Foley's return on RAW didn't go exactly as originally planned.

 

During the segment where Foley was unsure about whether he'd take Triple H's advice about backing out of the Hell In A Cell match at Bad Blood, Foley requested that Al Snow be the person to fill the role that ended up being filled by Spike Dudley.

 

The reason the change was made is because Snow had already flew home to Ohio following the InsurreXtion PPV, since he was unaware that the company were planning to use him for RAW until Monday (when he had already arrived home).

 

(Thanks to The Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter)

Edited June 11, 2003 by Trivia247

[Guest Trivia247]

# It appears as though talks between WWE and Sting have died down to the point where most don't expect a deal to be reached anytime soon. The ball is reportedly in Sting's court at this point as WWE officials are said to have a tremendous interest in signing the former five-time WCW Champion.

 

Thanks to 1wrestling.com & The Pro Wrestling Torch)

 

# For those who've been wondering what Mick Foley's role in WWE will be following Sunday's Bad Blood PPV, it appears that Foley only signed a short-term deal and this may be the only committment he made to the company. Foley asked for the job in order to have an outlet to promote his new book and officials agreed to let him ref the Hell In A Cell match to add more mystique to the match, which it previously lacked.

 

# For those wondering why Goldust was not at RAW last night, his grandmother, the mother of Dusty Rhodes, passed away the night before.

 

(Thanks to 1wrestling.com)

 

Although it wasn't obvious, Mick Foley's return on RAW didn't go exactly as originally planned.

 

During the segment where Foley was unsure about whether he'd take Triple H's advice about backing out of the Hell In A Cell match at Bad Blood, Foley requested that Al Snow be the person to fill the role that ended up being filled by Spike Dudley.

 

The reason the change was made is because Snow had already flew home to Ohio following the InsurreXtion PPV, since he was unaware that the company were planning to use him for RAW until Monday (when he had already arrived home).

 

(Thanks to The Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter)

# Lance Storm was said to be quite upset backstage at RAW last night due to his match with Scott Steiner being cut short due to the Women's tag match running longer than it should have. This led to Lance not even having an entrance to the ring, and was basically portrayed as nothing more than a jobber throughout the match. Normally, Lance isn't one to complain, but you really can't blame him for acting the way he did.

 

(Thanks to 1wrestling.com)

 

 

# Dragon's ultimo goal: to wrestle at MSG

Born in Japan, Ultimo Dragon has lived for the last 16 years in Mexico City. He didn’t let borders keep him from becoming a worldwide cruiserweight phenomenon. And the No. 1 goal he has left in sports entertainment is equally global: he wants to wrestle in the international mecca of sports entertainment, Madison Square Garden.

Continue...

 

(Thanks to WWE.com)

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

*Reads*

 

Mmm hmm

 

*Reads*

 

Mmm hmm

 

*Reads*

 

Mmm hmm

 

... ok, so the WWE are morons.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

# Rumor has it that WWE has contacted both "Big" Sal E. Graziano and Tommy Rich, both of whom were former F.B.I. members in ECW, about joining their version of the stable.

 

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

[Guest Trivia247]

# Rumor has it that WWE has contacted both "Big" Sal E. Graziano and Tommy Rich, both of whom were former F.B.I. members in ECW, about joining their version of the stable.

 

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

Guess they don't want Tracy Smothers and His JawJacker

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I was wondering why they haven't signed Sal E. yet. I mean, he's big and talentless, so the WWE should have had him squashing cruiserweights a year ago.

[Adam 0]

I was wondering why they haven't signed Sal E. yet. I mean, he's big and talentless, so the WWE should have had him squashing cruiserweights a year ago.

HES GOT NUNZIO UP ON HIS SHOULDERS BAH GAWD!!!