Foreign Object Friday: JR's candy dish

Jim Ross and his candy dish
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Since it's SummerSlam season I figured why not take a look back at an infamous moment from the year 2000. I remember it clearly now but had forgotten about it until hearing Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson talk about it on a recent Something to Wrestle With podcast.

Tazz had been harassing good ol' JR, to the point that Jim Ross ended up with glass in his eye after Tazz damaged Jerry "The King" Lawler's rental car. These actions lead to a matchup at the annual summer event.

The night of SummerSlam 2000 there was a candy dish on the announce table. At one point during the Tazz-Lawler match, the referee took a bump and went down. Tazz verbally assaulted JR and warned him he'd choke out the King and then come after Ross. Tazz locked in the Tazzmission finisher and as he and Lawler dropped the mat, JR popped up. The King was out, but he and Tazz were close enough to the ropes that JR was able to crack the former ECW Champion over the head. The dish shattered and glass and candy littered the ring. Lawler pinned his unconscious opponent.  

Despite it being "sugar" glass used in the incident I imagine it still hurt like hell. It was one of the more unique foreign objects I recall being used in a match. 

Bring back JR

JR!
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

It was great hearing Jim Ross call the main event at WrestleMania 33. It's been way too long since JR has been a part of WWE programming. Ross announced on his podcast, The Ross Report, that he's signed a new two-year deal with the WWE, but will do a few projects with them and continue working with New Japan. But with Mauro Ranallo's recent departure, now is the perfect time to make JR the voice of SmackDown Live.

While announce teams may not necessarily make or break the deal when it comes to watching a show, adding JR to any WWE product will get my attention. If the commentary gets too boring/annoying etc. I will mute the TV and just watch the action. That would never be the case with JR, as he is the voice of at least a couple generations of wrestling fans.

When he was at WrestleMania it was clear he hadn't missed a beat. It was great having a familiar voice back on the air. The voice of WWE (sorry Michael Cole, I really don't mean any disrespect) is back. It's time to utilize him more.

The Return of the Voice

Jim Ross, good ol' JR
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

No, I'm not talking about the singing show on NBC.  I'm sure it's still on the air, but I don't watch.  What I'm talking about today is the big news that Jim Ross is returning to the world of professional wrestling.  Known by this generation as "The Voice" of the WWE (or wrestling in general really), JR is set to call a pay per view after the start of the new year.

Global Force Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that Ross will do play by play for Wrestle Kingdom 9.  It's set for January 4, 2015 in Japan.  People here in the United States can watch through a variety of cable and satellite options at 2 a.m. EST. According to GFW's website, you can also watch via the Flipps app on iTunes and Android.

Mick Foley & JR
Photo courtesy: WWE

I'm excited that JR is going to be involved with the show.  I've missed him on Monday Night Raw and WWE pay per views.  He brings a level of intensity and professionalism to the industry that quite frankly hasn't been close to being duplicated anywhere else.  His ability to tell a story during a match is unbeatable.  Since he's left the WWE, I've been a regular listener and big fan of The Ross Report on Podcast One. 

This event is still a couple of months away.  I'll be honest, it's been the most exciting news to come from GFW since Jeff and Karen Jarrett announced the promotion earlier this year.  I truly hope that it's a show that focuses more on wrestling and less on the entertainment.  I don't think anyone will knock Vince McMahon and company from the throne, but I'm still waiting for someone to lay claim to the second in command spot. 

Good luck to JR, the Jarretts, GFW, and NJPW.  Fans have something to be excited about in 2015.  Thank you for that.

Bah God! JR is Retiring

Good ol' JR, Jim Ross
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

The WWE has announced that long time announcer Jim Ross is retiring.  Although Good Ol' JR hasn't been a regular part of WWE programming for quite some time, this news is sad to me.  I've been following JR since his days in Mid-South/UWF and always found him to be the best in the business.

I watched him as he headed to WCW and brought their announce team up to par.  I have always been a wrestling fan, but the WWF was always my favorite company.  You can imagine my joy when I was watching Wrestlemania IX and Ross came out to call the show.  It was heaven.  This was right before the Internet and the spoilers that came along with it, so seeing JR there was a legit surprise.

His ability to tell a story and call the action of a match is amazing to me.  My former broadcast colleague during our days with All American Pro Wrestling, Chris Hagstrom has idolized JR for years too.  In fact, it was his tweet that I first saw announcing Ross' retirement.  Chris said it online and I agree, not only is JR the voice, but the heart of the WWE.

I had always hoped his current hiatus from the company was temporary.  Michael Cole has evolved and I must admit is so much more tolerable since dropping the heel character, but I don't think the company has anyone on the radar who will ever fill JR's shoes (or hat for that matter).

He's been mocked, fired, and mistreated through the years, but in my opinion JR always persevered.  That's just one more thing I admire about him.  His emotion and passion for his job behind the scenes and on air has inspired me for years.  I still consider him a hero in the business.

In closing, without a doubt, I'd have to say my favorite JR memory (at least the one that immediately pops into my head) is from the King of the Ring 1998, the classic Hell in a Cell match between Mankind and the Undertaker.  JR's emotion that night was off the charts.

JR, thanks for the memories and the inspiration.

Boo: Happy Birthday Kane!

Kane's Debut
Photos by WWE.com

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I've blogged about Kane before, but I can't let the 15th anniversary of his character introduction pass without acknowledging it and updating my thoughts on the Big Red Monster.  I was in the Savvis Center (now Scott Trade Center) in St. Louis the night Kane debuted at Badd Blood.

We all know the story by know, Kane was the younger brother of the Undertaker who had been burned and lived a miserable life.  He was brought to the WWF by Taker's former manager (and later revealed Kane's father) to destroy the dead man.  That night he did just that as he ripped the doors off the Hell in a Cell cage, entered the ring and tombstoned a shocked Undertaker.  This enabled Shawn Michaels to win the first ever HIAC (which still holds up as one of the best of all time).

Brothers of Destruction
Raw 1,000
Photo by WWE.com

Kane went on to feud with the Undertaker off and on his entire career in the WWE.  They teamed up as the Brothers of Destruction and won tag team gold on more than one occasion.  They're most recent feud in 2010 was during Kane's World championship reign in which the Monster got the upper hand on his brother.  But at Raw 1,000 the brothers once again reunited.  It's been the last sighting of the Undertaker so far this year, and ironically again it was in St. Louis.

I think the Kane character has lasted so long because the WWE got behind him and Glenn Jacobs (the man behind the mask) has really embraced it.  The monstrous, evil Kane hit the scene at the right time.  The WWF was struggling in the ratings war with WCW.  I've always enjoyed the monster heel version of Kane, but really as he's evolved through the years I can't say there hasn't been a phase that I haven't liked.

Kane & Lita wedded bliss
Monday Night Raw
Photo by WWE.com

We've seen Kane fall in love and even get married (to Lita) and then divorced.  He's set legendary announcers (JR) on fire.  Kane even, for reasons no one is quite sure of, has destroyed baseball legend Pete Rose on more than one occasion.

For years, Kane went without the mask, but earlier this year (or maybe late last year) returned with a new look.  He initially came back as evil Kane feuding with John Cena trying to get him to embrace the hate, which never really worked.  He picked up in my view an upset win over Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 28.

Team Hell No with Edge
Friday Night SmackDown!
Photo by WWE.com

More recently, he got embroiled in the love square with AJ, Daniel Bryan, and CM Punk.  I'll admit at first, I wasn't sure why he was participating in this angle, but I've gotta tell you I love where it's gone so far.  The Anger Management vignettes in the beginning of this angle were high quality entertainment.  Kane and Bryan are the unlikely tag team champions, and as Team Hell No are destroying the competition.  My only worry for the duo is over saturation, which is a legit concern in this day and age of wrestling.

Glenn's early days as demonic dentist Isaac Yankem to the fake Diesel (and even the Christmas Creature) put him on the path to Kane.  It's a role he has done well with.  Congratulations and enjoy continued success.

Raw Memories: #5 May God Have Mercy on Our WWF Souls!

Raw Memory #5:
Shane & Stephanie take over

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I know it's easy to criticize the way Vince McMahon and company booked the WCW and ECW "invasion" angles.  I've talked about it before.  But one of the most memorable nights during that time period came in July 2001.

Shane McMahon was the "owner" of WCW at the time.  During the course of the show, Kane and Chris Jericho were in a match against Lance Storm and Mike Awesome when the WWF stars were attacked by ECW notables Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer.  WWF guys like Taz, the Dudleys, and Raven came down to make the save, but it was a set up. Paul Heyman left the commentary desk to announce that ECW was back and several former members of the roster hit the ring.

Now through the night, fans were lead to believe that ECW was there to fight both WCW and WWF.  Even though the WWF guys didn't get along with WCW stars, the two teams attempted to put their differences aside and unit.  It worked briefly.  But eventually things came to a head again and when Shane explained to Vince that ECW had a new owner, Vince nearly lost it.  You see, more of his flesh and blood was out to get him.  Stephanie McMahon sauntered past daddy and joined the WCW and ECW guys and gals in the ring forming the Alliance.

Jim Ross was solo on commentary for the match and most of the night.  His colleague, Heyman, was busy with the storyline in the ring.  This was the time when Jerry Lawler was away from the WWE.  So the emotion that JR puts into the announcing comes through and helps illustrate the dire straights that the WWF was facing.  The show ends with him uttering the famous phrase "May God have mercy on our WWF souls!"  I don't know why but that quote has stuck with me and really punctuated the helplessness JR and the other WWF stars were feeling at the time.  For a period of time it felt like WCW and ECW might actually get one up on Vince and company.  Unfortunately that quote and JR's telling of the story is one of the few highlights of the whole "invasion" angle in my view.

Honorable Mention:
Edge says goodbye

Honorable Mention: The end to one of the greatest careers in the history of the WWE came on April 11, 2011 when the Rated R Superstar said goodbye to wrestling.  Edge's retirement wasn't a total surprise to me, as I figured he'd start winding down his career.  I think what shocked me was how quickly it was over.  Literally, eight days prior he was defending the world heavyweight title (successfully too) against Alberto Del Rio.  As far as I can remember I think Edge is the first reigning World heavyweight champion to retire.

Edge gave an emotional and honest account of why he was hanging up the boots.  It's something that I respect.  I enjoyed the Edge character, especially when he was a heel and teaming with Christian.  But he was one of those guys who fans really got to see grow and evolve into one of the company's all time greats.

It was bitter sweet seeing him go.  He's a great performer on one hand, but on the other Edge's retirement opened the door for others waiting for a chance in the spotlight.  I think it's fair to say that in 2011 CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and Mark Henry climbed up the food chain in the WWE hierarchy.  Plus Christian finally got (a brief) run as the world champion.

Announcers in the Ring

Hulk Hogan & Mean Gene!

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

Very soon, I will be making my professional wrestling debut.  I am not a wrestler though.  I am merely a commentator with All American Pro Wrestling.  But recently, I was signed to a match against Mike Masters.  It's not a common practice, but we've seen plenty of wrestlers become announcers.  I know I'm obviously not going to be the first announcer to step through the ropes and prepare for battle.

The first time I remember it happening was in the 1980's.  "Mean" Gene Okerlund did interviews during WWF Superstars and other shows for the company.  He was a big time Hulkamanic too.  So when Mr. Fuji and George "the Animal" Steele challenged Hulk Hogan and Okerlund to a match, Gene reluctantly said yes.

If my memory serves me correct, I think this was a direct release to Coliseum Home Video.  Before the match, they should Hogan and Okerlund training together.  They were "hanging and banging" in the gym and at one point, I believe Mean Gene carries Hogan on his back up a flight of steps.  The match is basically Hogan vs. the heels, until Gene is accidentally tagged in during a high five montage.  His time in the ring was brief and he pretty much avoided any kind of contact.  The faces win after Gene thwarts Mr. Fuji's salt toss attempt and kicks him in the gut.  Hogan slams his partner on top of the laid out heel and pushes down on his back for extra leverage.

The Fink vs. Harvey Wippleman

In the 1990's legendary ring announcer Howard Finkel engaged in a series of tuxedo matches with manager Harvey Wippleman.  The object of course is to strip your opponent from their tux.  The contact was limited in the contests, and the two looked like a couple of kids in a school yard rolling around.  Of course the stripping of the two was not exactly pleasant for viewers.  Nearly 20 years later, I still don't understand the motivation for this feud or the need for such a match.

JR. vs. Michael Cole (from WWE.com)

More recently Jim Ross has engaged in battle wrestling Triple H, Tazz, and Jack Swagger among others.  Of course his feud with Michael Cole boiled over into the ring with JR and Jerry "the King" Lawler taking on Cole and Swagger in a tag team match, and the two going at it one on one as well.  My hat is off to JR (if I wore one) for his efforts.  He's not a wrestler by any means and considering the health issues he's had in the past, I commend him for stepping into the ring and doing battle.

Jonathan Coachman and JR had some battles too and of course he had matches with Stone Cold Steve Austin among others as well.  Eric Bischoff I guess also fits into this category of announcers becoming managers becoming wrestlers.

I think that's it though.  I'm racking my brain and I've checked a few online sources, but have come up short.  I don't recall Joey Styles, Tony Schiavone, or Mike Tenay ever wrestling.  Correct me if I'm wrong of course.  And please, wish me luck as I prepare for my match with Mike Masters on January 14th.

Why My TV Has a Mute Button

Cole, ugh.

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter
(All photos from WWE)

I am beyond disappointed in the outcome of the "Michael Cole Challenge" from the November 14 episode of Monday Night Raw.  I figured the whole thing would be gimmicked and a way to make JR look bad, and unfortunately I was right.  I know no one from the WWE will actually see this post, but I'm going to vent and share my thoughts and feelings anyway.  I hope you'll read all of it and post your thoughts as well.

JR busts a move!

First of all, what is the point of the countless humiliating jabs taken at Jim Ross?  The man is a Hall of Famer, but more importantly, JR is a LEGEND.  He is the greatest commentary of all time as far as I'm concerned, and he is the voice of a generation.  That voice has been silenced by an obnoxious, over the top heel character played by Michael Cole.  Seriously, WWE, what are you thinking?  Response to this new version of Michael Cole is overwhelmingly negative.  I sometimes watch with the TV muted because I do not want to hear the constant bickering between Jerry Lawler and Cole.  This hurts your product.  Not one time have I ever muted the show while JR and the King were on the announce team.

I believe that the current state of announcers can be attributed to a drop in ratings.  I have no proof of this, but who wants to hear the crap spewing from Michael Cole every week.  And yes, I get it, he's playing a character, I just can't understand why the WWE would want to create such an annoying figure and run the risk of people not listening to the show or worse, changing the channel.

So here are a few hypothetical questions I have for the WWE creative teams.

If Triple H is the COO of the WWE, shouldn't he have more clout than the Raw General Manager?

The fans clearly love JR, so why wouldn't Teddy Long then hire Ross and replace Cole with him on Friday Night SmackDown!?

I'm just weighing in, Cole's character sucks!

I understand the need for a heel announcer, but why develop such an irritating character who does more to put himself over than the action in the ring?

Maybe there's something bigger here.  Maybe JR doesn't want to come back to full time commentary.  I just don't like the way they're keeping him off TV.  There's no need for the constant fat jokes.  For a company that vows to put an end to bullying, there are a lot of characters on that show who seem to be bullies to me.

Put Cole with Brodus Clay, it could work

Now, what would I do with Michael Cole?  Glad you asked.  I've talked about it before, I'll say it again. Make him a manager.  Previously I would have paired him with Jack Swagger, but I like the fact that he's now with Vicki Guerrero.  The WWE is touting the return of Brodus Clay.  I'd make Cole the official mouthpiece for the big man.  The two would work well together.  Cole could do the talking, and Clay would be the brawn who bails his manager out of trouble.  I'd also turn Mason Ryan back to a heel. I think he'd be better off. The WWE could repackage Michael McGillicutty and David Otunga and turn them into a legitimate tag team.  Then they'll kill two birds with one stone and have another tag team to compete and create a new manager.

I know wrestling is a work.  But it seriously disappoints me that Michael Cole is now viewed as "the Voice" of the WWE.  His heel character on the announce team is over the top and obnoxious.  It would be better served as the leader of a heel stable.

Share your thoughts here or on Facebook or Twitter.  And be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel.

3 Heads Are Not Better than 2

From WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

I've complained before about the character Michael Cole has developed into.  I partly blame him for this, and partly the WWE brass.  It was bad before when he and Jerry Lawler were feuding.  But the August 1st episode of Raw, he was out of control.

When Jim Ross returned to the show on July 25th, I was certain that Cole would be moved to SmackDown!  But that wasn't the case.  The constant bickering between Cole, Ross, and Lawler is beyond annoying.  There is a way to be a heel announcer and Cole is not doing it right.  I don't remember Jessie Ventura and Vince McMahon arguing non stop during Superstars.  Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan had their spats, but it was never to this extreme.

courtesy: WWE

Raw and SmackDown! have nearly become unwatchable, or at least unlistenable (not sure if that's a word or not) but you know what I mean.  I like the idea still have having Cole become a manager.  That way we're exposed to him a lot less.  Let the King and JR handle the announcing duties.  I could tell during the show Monday night that JR wanted to do his job, but got sidetracked by the obnoxious things coming out of Cole's mouth.  Why does management think this is what fans want?  I have not heard one person say they enjoy the work of Cole as a heel.  Not one.  

Besides, I think you can still do a wrestling show without a heel voice.  If the team puts over the talent and does it without burying the other guy, then it's mission accomplished.  I would argue that the "heel" announcer is usually more of a cheerleader for the bad guys than the "face" announcer is for the good guys.

Okay, that's my rant.  I know you've heard it before, but I had to get it off my chest again.  Post your thoughts here, on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.