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Posted By	Discussion Topic: Ross Report: Lawler, Big Show, Rikishi, Wrestlemania, etc.
Froy King Shit *board owner*	posted on 03-10-2001 @ 12:28 PM
O&A Board Veteran Registered: Feb. 01	I'm headed to Memphis for Saturday night's backup NBC XFL game between the Maniax and the Chicago Enforcers. I'm looking forward to working a football game with the legendary Dick Butkus, one of my all-time favorite NFL players. Then it's on to Los Angeles for Monday's RAW IS WAR. SmackDown! will be taped Tuesday in Anaheim, and both events are sold out. There is a chance I will then attend Rick Bassman's Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) event Wednesday in Santa Ana but that's not etched in stone. I hope I can make this one as UPW has several outstanding prospects training in Southern California. Rikishi has a busted eardrum that will require surgery, which is scheduled for Tuesday. Rikishi was injured on SmackDown! during his confrontation with Stone Cold Steve Austin and is expected to be out of action until WrestleMania. Bob "Hardcore" Holly has swelling in his C5-C6 vertebrae and will be inactive for at least two weeks. Holly has been experiencing tingling in his arm and underwent an MRI, which detected the problem. Scotty Too Hotty is expected to be inactive for four to six weeks. Edge's sore back is improving and he will return to television Monday but will miss the weekend's (non-televised) house shows. "Tough Enough" begins taping next week, in conjunction with the World Wrestling Federation and MTV. Tori has been added to the staff of this program, with Tazz, Al Snow, Jacqueline and Dave Taylor. We feel we have assembled a diverse group of trainers to work with the wannabe Federation Superstars. I think this show is going to run 13 weeks on MTV. Unusual house show bookings this weekend because of a variety of injuries, etc., but I'm anxious to get the reports back on the single matches involving Bradshaw, Faarooq, Christian and Grand Master Sexay. All are normally in tags, but not this weekend. Lita is in the United Kingdom doing promotional work in support of our May 5 Insurrextion event in Earl's Court in London, to be broadcast live on Sky Box Office. Lita and Trish Stratus are both unbooked this weekend due to promotional obligations but will return to television Monday in LA. Terry Gerin, formerly known as Rhino, is getting some house show work this weekend but still has no firm start date on RAW or SmackDown! I'm not sure what his ring name is going to be. The young man from Detroit has dropped more than 20 pounds and is in excellent condition. The embattled Big Show is working to improve and had a very solid weekend of house shows last weekend. The big guy has miles to go but at least he's finally pointed in the right direction. He knows what we expect from him. Oklahoma City's April 3 SmackDown! taping sold out in two hours, and for the record, I have no more tickets if you're a friend or relative reading this. K-Kwik should be back from a broken rib in another 2-3 weeks. Ideas are being discussed for D'Lo Brown and Chaz, and I feel something positive will come out of this in the next few weeks. Perhaps in time for WrestleMania, but not necessarily as a team. I'm sure both men are really ready to return. Stay tuned. Commissioner William Regal should make for some entertaining television as Regal's verbal skills just seem to keep getting better and better. Kane was featured in a new Stacker II commercial, filmed this week in LA. Stone Cold will guest on Jay Leno's "The Tonight Show" on Wednesday, March 14 on NBC. Leno, along with most of America it seems, is having a field day with the XFL. First Clinton's presidency and now the XFL. It's a comedian's wonderland! Triple H's Flex Magazine photo shoot will be rescheduled for after WrestleMania. Damn, I'm tired of the snow and cold weather here in Connecticut! I'm begging to live in warm weather. Ah, someday. I thought Test and Kurt Angle had a helluva outing on SmackDown! Angle is extraordinary and Test seems to be ready to move up. Federation Superstars will be all over Houston and the AXXESS fan festival during WrestleMania weekend. Again, for the first time, fans from all 50 states will attend WrestleMania X-Seven at the Reliant Astrodome. Selected seats are still available. Several Federation Superstars, including the Hardy Boyz and Lita, will appear on "Off the Record" on Canada's TSN soon. Tapings will be on March 17, prior to our event in the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Triple H's book signing for "WrestleMania: The Official Insider's Story" went very well Wednesday at WWF New York. I hope you will check out this book, which really takes an interesting look back at the Federation's biggest event. Trish is appearing this week at Snowjob 2001 for Much Music in Kamloops, British Columbia. The overwhelming deluge of e-mails in support of Jerry "The King" Lawler and the Kat seem to be lessening. I admire the passion demonstrated by fans on behalf of Mr. & Mrs. Lawler, but, man, did I get some colorful messages! I think some folks have their facts a little confused based on what I've read. However, most are just loyal fans who have their hearts in the right place and want to express themselves. I'm not sure e-mailing several individuals within the Federation on this matter was the best strategy but I could be wrong. I'm often asked, "Do you miss working with the King?" Of course I do! He's the best I've worked with over the longest period of time in my career. It was also reported on the Internet that he and I had not talked, which is totally wrong as we have spoken numerous times on the telephone, including three times the day after he left Tucson! We are friends and I wish this matter had never occurred. Period. I thought Paul Heyman did a solid job for a guy who has not been regularly on the air in about 10 years. Timing only comes with working together and I'm sure Paul and I will continue to work hard to improve over the next several months and will, hopefully, mesh as well as the King and I did over time. Heyman and Lawler are totally different types of people and, therefore, their broadcasting styles will be different as well. Both are true students of the business, although from different eras and backgrounds. Bottom line, from where I sit, is that both are very intelligent individuals and have the unique talent to be heard and to entertain our fans. Who's to say the King will never be back? Who's to say there is not room for both? I do not know what the final disposition of this matter will be, but I've got a feeling it's going to be an interesting ride. I learned long ago to never say never in this business. The XFL and NBC are certainly providing yours truly with plenty of interesting copy for the book I want to write some day. I'm happy I've gotten into the habit of keeping thorough notes over the last many, many years. This XFL adventure has been a very unique experience for yours truly that should contribute to a good read some day. Seems as if the WrestleMania card is getting closer to being finalized and it looks strong. This event seems to bring out the very best effort in our current talent roster. The Rock-Austin main event is potent. Looks as if it's going to be Undertaker vs. Triple H, also. Not to oversell or to be too shill-like, but I still think this show will provide its share of surprises. No firm word on when we will see Shawn Micheals on Federation television. He will be in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday to launch the first day of ticket sales for an upcoming RAW. Take care and I'll see you here next week. JR ~Matt/Froy from Jersey The Hell Hole Official Protector of Gay Marco & SwampJunk...if he ever decides to post. Also providing total immunity to Fayth

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