Good Ol' J.R.

I want to begin this week's column with a special plea to remember those less fortunate than others. Alicia's House, a food bank that serves the South Chicago area, could use your help. Many families, who would not normally have a good meal, will have Thanksgiving dinner because of the generosity of many that read this column on a weekly basis. Thank you for sending your donations to Alicia's House at P.O. Box 1232, Beecher, Illinois 60401.--Percival

Many have called him the best at what he does. A few have had judgment calls on his ability to get the job done. Most respect the man that this week’s column praises.

He was born just 56 years ago and grew up in Oklahoma, where he attended school and college. He was a team player that thought of others before himself but never dropped the ball he was carrying. His early years of professional wrestling were spent as a third man in the ring … a referee.

He was called upon to be a color commentator because of his talent of talking and people listening to him. Eventually, he landed a job with Bill Watts and the UWF promotion until it was bought out by Crockett Promotions in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He became part of a team that featured Tony Schiavone and the late Gordon Solie.

J.R. watched and listened to the masters of our business and developed a character of his own with paraphrases that have become household jargon. His ability to call a match in his own unique way set him aside from all others. In the years that followed, Jim went to the WWF / WWE and teamed up with legends like Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan and Jerry Lawler.

His debut was at Wrestlemania IX. The event took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, "An Event of Epic Proportions." It was built around the main event featuring the unstoppable Yokozuna challenging Bret Hart for the WWF Championship.

He even had a stint in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, run by Jim Cornette, and gave that company a great deal of success with his presence at ringside. He was also associated with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons as a broadcaster for their games.

Being able to change hats at a moment’s notice and be on top of all that went on in that field is one of the traits of J.R. as he keeps himself abreast of events in a worldwide element and is able to get access to many items that most people can not do.

Jim Ross developed a special BBQ sauce in his spare time after moving from Connecticut back to his home state of Oklahoma. Over the next few years, he turned that sauce into two very successful restaurants near the Oklahoma City area.

On special Thursdays when he can find time out of his new schedule as anchorman on Friday Night Smackdown with WWE, J.R. does an appearance at one of his eateries and invites the public in for lunch at a discounted rate. To top that off, he invites a radio station from Oklahoma City to do a live broadcast from there. A few weeks ago, he had a surprise guest in former Olympian and Junior Heavyweight Champion, Danny Hodge.

They spent the better part of the afternoon talking and going back to J.R.'s start in the business when he rode with Danny through a multi-state area run by LeRoy McGuirk. Many great stories were told, and I wish that I could have been a church house mouse to hear them.

Jim Ross has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and was brought in by Stone Cold Steve Austin. He also has been given Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Stanley Weston Award for broadcasting excellence. Also in his resume are multi-time winner of the Wrestling Observer Best Television Announcer. He is also in their newsletter Hall of Fame (1999).

J.R. talked a lot about coming out to the Cauliflower Alley Club for a lot of years but was not able to do so until 2008. He finished his Monday Night Raw taping in California and made the short run to Las Vegas this past June. Along with another first timer, Steve Austin, they were the flame that lit up this years annual buffet.

J.R. was asked to present Steve "Dr. Death" Williams with his award and did it with every bit of class that only he could deliver. Before the buffet, J.R. was kind enough to meet and greet the fans and other wrestling personalities that had come to Las Vegas to be a part of the first midweek gathering of the CAC.

I was very happy to get a chance to speak with J.R. and will treasure those moments until I can no longer draw breath into my lungs. He also met with Bill White, 2006 Cribbage Champion and former wrestler. For him to take time to speak to us was quite an honor.

If you haven't visited his online store or read his blogs, which are far better that I can write, please go to www.jrsbarbq.com and be delighted by his works and incredible talents. If you haven't seen his cookbook or tasted his sauce, you have been missing a super treat.

Thank you, Jim Ross, for meeting with me and treating me like one of your family.

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers

2003 BWC Hall of Fame Inductee
2004 CAC Hall of Fame Inductee
2006 LWA Hall of Fame Inductee
2007 TCCW Hall of Fame Honoree