Jim Ross Blog: JR Talks Raw, WrestleMania 28, GM Storyline, Natalya’s Gimmick and Wrestling / NFL Bounty Stories

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Jim Ross had plenty to say as always in his weekend blog update, touching on Monday Night Raw, WrestleMania 28, Rock-Cena, Punk-Jericho, Taker-HHH, the GM Storyline, Natalya’s gimmick, and the NFL Bounty controversy / pro wrestling-related bounty storylines.

Says Ross:

I expect Monday’s Raw to be stellar. Very curious to see how Rock/Cena, HHH/Undertaker, and Punk/Jericho are followed up and in what form that followup takes.

This Monday’s RAW in Boston will obviously be WM28 heavy as it should be.

Thoughts on Natalya’s flatulence, TV persona? Likely not something that I would have thought of but I can’t recall any time that Ms Neidhart has been in more discussions or the subject of more questions that she is now. Hopefully, this new found notoriety will lead to bigger and better things for her. She has lots of talent.

What’s your take on the General Manager storyline? If it leads to something at WM28 that provides an opportunity for more talents to punch their dance card at the big event, then I’m all for it. As it stands, I’m not overly interested in who or who is not either General Manager as I am focusing on other bouts and issues for April 1.

Thoughts on NFL Bounty controversy? Distasteful, unnecessary, embarrassing, and will come with a heavy price from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. I’m all for playing hard, physical football but intentionally trying to hurt another player is pathetic. Expect stiff, eye opening sanctions/penalties. This isn’t just a New Orleans Saints issue either.

Who’s the best WWE Diva? Assuming this is referring to wresting and if so I’d suggest that would be Beth Phoenix. Like many fans, I’d love to see Beth face @Kharma but I have no idea if that will be at WM28 and could be saved for after April 1 when it would possibly get more focus. Obviously, the talents would love for it to be as a part of WrestleMania and I can’t blame them for that.

Will any WCW fixtures such as Sting and DDP ever get inducted into the WWE HOF? I’d say that there is a good chance that happens. More and more talents who earned their proverbial stripes outside WWE will be inducted in years to come.

Who wins, Rock or Cena at WM28? Don’t know…don’t want to know…but Cena should have the edge going into the match but, without question, Rock will have a HUGE homefield advantage. The question will linger about how much ‘ring rust’ Rock may have come April 1. I’m less concerned about that than most but it’s still an issue worth addressing.

Speaking of WrestleMania…nicest compliment I got this week on the subject and this was via Twitter @JRsBBQ is that my voice defines WrestleMania. That covers a bunch of ground and I’m certainly not worthy of that accolade as many voices have provided the sound track for WWE’s premier event. Nonetheless, it was very nice to read. Thanks.

Best ‘Bounty’ pro wrestling storylines? There were tons used in the territory days. @DustyWWE had many on him including Terry Funk which was classic and one that fans may not remember that was big in Mid South was a bounty that Colonel Buck Robley placed on Ken Mantell. I refereed a portion of that one, got mangled in the process which brought in Ernie Ladd as a special guest referee to help me and The Big Cat then turned on Mantell. The final ‘Bounty Hunter,’ no it wasn’t Dog the Bounty Hunter, was Terry Funk who Mantell beat in an amazing match in New Orleans to earn the right to get his hands on Buck (“Nobody Calls Me Yellow!”)

Concerned that Taker vs. HHH is their 3rd Wrestlemania bout? Heck, no. Their history is a vital part of the fabric of WWE, their first match was 11 years ago, and the way the match ended last year with Undertaker being carted out of ‘his event’ adds to the drama. These two, great professionals will make it a daunting task for any one to follow them assuming that they don’t go on last which would surprise me.

The mere fact that it is quite likely that HHH vs. Taker will NEVER happen again is enough for this fan to want to see WM28.

Thoughts on Jericho vs. Punk? They have many similar traits that I like and respect. I appreciate each man’s journey to the big dance. I respect that even though many ‘experts’ said that neither would ever ‘make it’ that each persevered and have earned star status. However, at the end of the day, their match isn’t, in my view, about who is the best in the world but rather who will leave Miami as the #1 man in WWE, the WWE Champion.

Would I rather call a an acrobatic oriented match or a more traditional, ground oriented bout? I do like them both but any match that is paced so fast that the fans can’t react to all that they see or understand what they see disconnects me. Wrestling at too fast a pace is one of the most common problems young wrestlers have. I’m not advocating plodding and boring but smart pacing with peaks and valleys while utilizing logic do take precedence in my opinion.

CB’s Slant: Also, Ross wants us to tell you about the annual CAC Banquet that helps raise awareness and funds to help those suffering from Cauliflower Ear:

If you have the time, check out http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org for all the info on the annual CAC Banquet to be held in Las Vegas on April 16-18 at the Gold Coast Hotel. It’s one of the truly fun events of the year and I’m looking forward to the seminar I will conduct on Tuesday April 17 and of course the banquet on Wednesday night April 18. Please consider joining the organization and you will find all the details at the CAC website.

I’m always surprised that more wrestling websites don’t help support CAC as it is a non profit organization that does so many wonderful things for those in need.

CB is an Editor for Pulse Wrestling and an original member of the Inside Pulse writing team covering the spectrum of pop culture including pro wrestling, sports, movies, music, radio and television.