Jim Ross Blog: Buddy Rose, Swagger's Potential, Mysterio Very Happy
Jim Ross has posted a new blog entry, which you can check out at JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights from this entry:
- I was really sorry to hear of Buddy Rose's passing this week at the age of 56. When you get to my stage of the game, I'm 57, deaths of one's peers can bring on a variety of emotions. Buddy Rose was one of the most underrated wrestlers of his generation and could literally have a solid match with virtually any one. Buddy's weight became an issue but also encouraged the infamous "Blow Away Diet" that was featured on WWE TV programming on a semi regular basis back in the day. Buddy wrestled as the "Masked Executioner" in the first bout of the first Wrestlemania. Buddy was a funny guy from my dealings with him and had a good head for the business. I always enjoyed the rare opportunities I had to visit with Buddy usually when we were in Portland. I told Tazz on our ride down to Portland from Seattle a few weeks ago that I hoped that Buddy Rose and Ed Wiskowski would show up at the Rose Garden to say hello to the "boys." They never came to the Rose Garden on our last trip there, as best I know, and now Buddy is gone. Our condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Playboy Buddy Rose.
- After staying step for step with John Cena on Raw a couple of weeks ago and having a really solid title bout at Backlash, more people are seeing that my fellow Okie Jack Swagger is the real deal and in time could evolve into a major, PPV headlining WWE star. Any one with a brain can see that Swagger is an amazing athlete which still means a great deal to me. Swagger may never become an accomplished "song and dance man" but then again he might but Swagger will always be able to wrestle and as time goes on Jack Swagger, from Perry, Oklahoma, may well become of of the best hands to come along in WWE in quite some time. I will also, in the spirit of full disclosure and honesty, admit that I am not totally unbiased when it comes to this young man from Oklahoma University and from my boyhood hero Danny Hodge's home town.
- Rey Mysterio told me he was elated to be back on Friday Night Smackdown. Rey is arguably the most popular Superstar to ever appear on the Friday night broadcast. I can only imagine the # of masks, etc that WWE will sell with Rey's imagine via the Friday night show.
- From what I can ascertain, the brand separation is going to truly become three, separate entities which was the original concept. I like the concept as it allows many wrestlers to get a chance at the big time that one roster would not facilitate any where near as quickly. I do know that at Judgment Day in Chicago that all three brands announce teams will be at ringside broadcasting their respective bouts. I look forward to the competition between announcers but not to the degree of all that "A" show, etc B.S. that encourages dissension and too much conversation between announcers about things that have zilch to do with embellishing the skills of the wrestlers.