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I don’t know what it is that drives Vince McMahon to make the decisions that he does. I watched RAW Monday night, like everyone else who was watching it hoping my phone would ring. Alas, my phone did not ring and I am no richer than I was before it started. I finally enjoyed a night of RAW as it was a good program until the end that is. I was amazed that Vince felt he had to try some grand stand play to get out of giving away a million dollars a week. I found the whole thing, the McMahon way of thinking, as the reason why the WWE isn’t going to ever get to an even higher level than it has already achieved. I can think of a half a dozen things that could have been done to stop giving away the millions. They were never obligated to give the money away for any length of time to begin with. I am at least grateful that I got to see a good RAW again.
I have noticed many opinions in regard to the Jim Ross issue and how it was handled. As has been the case of Vince, it was handled as many things have been in that company are cold and callously. If I am Jim Ross I let emotions overcome me and I acted in an unprofessional way publicly. I can tell you when you are making the kind of money Jim Ross and or Jerry Lawler are making no one is going to have sympathy because you have to change riding partners anymore. The WWE has split up married partners and live-in partners before. You really think they aren’t going to break up Bert and Ernie if the need be? I understand that My Network TV wants Jim Ross on their program. It’s clear that they realize exceptional talent when they see it. I hope that now the emotions have settled down deep Jim Ross realizes that his move was a compliment and, even at this stage in his life, WWE needs him to help carry the company.
I am glad to see that Jim Ross appears to now be grabbing the bull by the horns and is going to make things work with my long time friend Mick Foley. If he ultimately cannot be happy in his new position then he should graciously walk away from this business and focus on his other ventures. He should do so proud of what he has accomplished and know that he is right up there with the greats of all time who have ever called this game. I can tell you for my money I will be a lot more inclined to watch Smackdown now that Jim and Mick are calling it.
I sometimes wonder if we will ever see a really great promo again. I remember the early days when I first started watching wrestling. It was great to listen to guys like Dusty Rhodes, Ole Anderson, Ric Flair and Tommy Rich cut promo’s. I don’t have as great memories of WWF promos as there weren’t all that many that stuck out in my mind. In NY the actions of someone seemed to do a lot more to draw the house than the words associated with it. In those days many of the emotional promo’s came from Bob Backlund who wasn’t the most compelling guy and could only be taken so seriously with that Howdy Doody face of his. A number of things that happened in WWF when I started watching took place in Roger’s Corner or Pipers Pit.
When you saw promo’s from guys who were just flat out brilliant, like Dusty Rhodes and Ole Anderson, you either wanted to love them or hate them. Will we ever see those kinds of promos again? I say "no we will not". If you don’t give the talent a chance to look into their heart and take their God given abilities and emotions they will never be able to give you that something special that, in many cases, filled arenas. If it wasn’t that it was their ability to BS with the best of them. Whatever it was, it came from within. Now it comes from an emotionless room with a bunch of people who just don’t get it.
I worked in the late nineties with many of the cast members of the original Andy Griffith Show. I tried to get them to improvise and they just couldn’t seem to do it. I said "listen, in wrestling this is easy, just give me a time and a topic, I can talk until I need to stop". They said "listen we read what other people write. We are actors". If they were in the WWE I don’t think they would be selling out arena’s either.
The photo with this article is of The Fantastics Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers at WrestleReunion 2. As a referee these guys were always so easy to work with. They were still in great shape when they showed up for our Reunions.
This has been a piece of my mind
