JR Blog: WWE Stars Robbed In South Africa, The “Good Old Days”

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com. Jim Ross blogs about a number of topics, including his relationship with JBL, whether Hulk Hogan will ever appear on Shawn Michaels’ hunting show, the production of UFC live e vents, the hurting boxing industry and more. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:

WWE Stars Robbed In South Africa: “Yes I heard about the WWE talents who had items from checked baggage stolen upon arrival in South Africa a day or so ago. I never checked valuables and put things like my CPAP machine and meds in my carry on. Always wore that damned hat. Old school rules say wrestlers never check their gear. Never.“

Jobber Matches: “Would I endorse the return of ‘enhancement matches?’ Absolutely. Perhaps one or maybe two within a two hour wrestling program. Why? A new star might be discovered, the focus of the commentary would be to better acquaint the viewer with the primary subject in the ring, and it would extend the shelf life of many talents. Plus, getting skilled ‘journeymen’ wrestlers on TV seems like the right thing to do. Who knows who clicks with an audience?“

“The Good Old Days” “Do I dislike PG wrestling? No. Absolutely not. A TV rating does not a good, TV wrestling show make. Talented individuals involved in compelling stories makes for a good, TV wrestling show. Does PG essentially mean ‘no attitude?’ Not in my view. If one only enjoys wrestling for blood and crass behavior then I question how big a fan of wrestling some actually are.”

“Can today’s rosters be utilized like the rosters of the late 90’s and early 2000’s? Nope. Without the benefit of a viable, wrestling territory experience, many of today’s younger talents are still learning on the job. Their predecessors, by and large, learned their craft in a wrestling territory. I know that excludes the Rock who was a 3rd generation talent as that’s a different ball game, more often that not. Many of today’s wrestlers are being fed a little at a time in hopes that they will break away and take the ball and run with it.”

“Many young talents do NOT yet know how to fully manage their in ring persona’s. That takes time and an inherent aptitude for the genre. The ones that acquire those skills will be the big earners.”

“For many fans who yearn for the ‘old days,’ wrestling will likely NEVER be the same. Is that an overwhelmingly negative statement? It’s not meant to be as time will tell where the stars of tomorrow will take us. I’m optimistic of the future but it seems that some aren’t.”