JR Talks About King Of The Ring, Trish's Yoga Studio, WWE Kids
Jim Ross has posted a new blog on his official website. You can view highlights of it below or can read the entire blog at this link.
On Monday's King of the Ring Tournament:
As I write this, I have no idea who will be in the King of the Ring Tournament this Monday night on the 3 hour Monday Night Raw TV Special presented by the USA Network. I bring this up for a couple of reasons. One, I wanted to make some predictions, if I could actually lay eyes on a tournament bracket, just as many of us did during March Madness. Plus, I wanted to do a little extra preparation for Monday night and I guess I will have to do it by reviewing the past 17 King of the Ring Winners with the first being Don Muraco, a WWE Hall of Famer. All I know is that all three WWE brands are going to be represented in the perceived 8 man, single elimination tournament that normally would create 7 bouts including the finale.
On Comedy in Wrestling:
Does comedy in wrestling sell tickets or pay per views or is comedy in wrestling simply a "let me up" on the drama or serious presentations of wrestling? There probably isn't a right or wrong answer to this question, but I will gladly provide my personal opinion because, as has been pointed out elsewhere. "J.R. is a master bulls******" (my thanks to whoever proclaimed that one). Comedy in wrestling is best served when it occurs naturally and if it is not a natural act, interesting choice of words, then it must be delivered by someone who has natural comedic timing. Simply writing something that is perceived to be humorous, no matter who says it, is no guarantee that the line will score. I am a fan of comedies in general and many of my favorite movies are comedies?.check out the classic "Hollywood Nights" when you run out of something viable to do, as it is an off the radar comedy classic?but it seems that quite often, comedy in wrestling doesn't work as intended. Does comedy sell tickets or pay per views? No. When organically executed does comedy have a place in wrestling? Hell, yeah.
On Trish Status' New Yoga Studio:
Read a really nice article this week on Trish Stratus's Yoga business that will open soon near Toronto. I enjoyed her definition that Yoga is a "power nap for the mind". Trish will do well as she is a true people person, highly intelligent and a self starter. I recall vividly our first meeting in my office in Stamford where I interviewed her for a job in the WWE that she took and ran with to great success. I always considered Trish one of my most significant hires while I was in the Talent Relations role in the WWE. She was never high maintenance and worked tirelessly to become a better wrestler. I joke about Diva's learning to actually wrestle or to at least become accomplished cat fighters, but all Divas who get into wrestling should be athletic and have the desire to be the best female wrestler ever. Sometimes there is too much emphasis in this area of the business on silicone and not enough on side head locks, not that I am so old that I don't appreciate the efforts of a talented plastic surgeon.
On WWE Kids Magazine:
The WWE Kids Magazine being promoted on TV is a really good idea and one that we are going to provide our young guests when they come into J.R.'s Family Bar-B-Q Restaurant in the near future. I became a fan of wrestling as a youngster and have remained such for the many years since which is the essential concept of appealing more to kids one would assume