Steve Austin Show - Jim Ross Interview (Nov. 24, 2015)

The Steve Austin Show
Host: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Guest: Jim Ross
Release Date: November 24, 2015

Recap by Corey Freedman

Top Newsworthy Items

– Austin’s guest today is Jim Ross.

– JR offers thoughts on today’s commentary and why he wouldn’t fit in with today’s product. He believes that today’s commentary team has little wiggle-room as they are generally told what to say and when.

– J.R. believes that WWE needs to build Sheamus into a serious/credible/vicious heel for him to get heat as the WWE World Hvt. champion.

– JR notes that Buff Bagwell’s recent comments about him are untrue and that he never had any agenda against Bagwell.

Subjects Covered (w/timestamps)

0:00 – Introduction
7:30 – Sponsor Ads
10:08 – Start of interview with JR/college football discussion
24:04 – Survivor Series main event thoughts
32:25 – General commentary thoughts
40:25 – Sponsor Ads
42:20 – Return from ads/JR’s BBQ
45:45 – More general commentary thoughts
58:40 – Relationship with Jerry Lawler
1:02:55 – Rousey-Holm
1:14:00 – Interview wrap-up
1:17:20 – Taz’s comments on Rousey-Holm being fixed
1:18:45 – Buff Bagwell’s comments about JR
1:21:35 – Concluding thoughts/Match of the week
1:27:00 – Show end

Show Highlights

Introduction: Austin starts by shooting the breeze for a little with the listeners. He talks about recording the interview with Jim Ross, getting settled on the Broken Skull Ranch, and birds pooping on his trucks. He also talks a bit more about Broken Skull IPA, available at the El Segundo Brewing Company, and some of his t-shirts.

Start of JR interview: Austin welcomes Jim Ross to the show. The two talk a bit about their plans for Thanksgiving. JR talks about his mother’s cornbread dressing being his favorite part of the holiday meal. They spend a good bit of time talking about college football. JR talks about his Oklahoma Sooners and the rest of the college football playoff picture.

Survivor Series thoughts: JR starts by mentioning that Seth Rollins’s knee injury left WWE in a tough spot and that it was most likely a no-win situation. He originally thought either Dean Ambrose or Roman Reigns would turn heel and join The Authority. He continues that one of the keys going forward is making Sheamus a “badass” that acts more like a smart/sadistic heel. JR also makes the point that commentary plays a huge role in helping the fans take Sheamus more seriously and as a legitimate threat.

Commentary thoughts: Austin asks if, in today’s climate, it is possible for commentary to even have the credibility to get Sheamus over a top-level heel. JR believes they have the ability but they need to be produced/structured differently. Austin and JR both agree that JBL plays both heel and babyface too much and should be strictly a heel announcer. JR talks about not specifically having a problem with how much stuff the WWE tries to sell during broadcasts, but he has a problem with the timing of those moments. He says that if Vince McMahon wants something said, it’s going to be said. Austin asks why JR feels he wouldn’t fit in with today’s product/production, and JR responds by comparing it to a football coach that had success with a system that simply wouldn’t translate to the current climate. JR does note that he certainly misses calling wrestling matches.

Return from ads/BBQ: JR talks a bit about where to get his BBQ products.

More commentary thoughts: JR starts by talking about some advice that Bill Watts gave him before his first show. He says that all he told him was to call it like a legitimate sport and like a shoot. Watts wanted JR to call the match like it was real which meant calling all of the holds/moves and always treating it like the audience thought it was a legitimate fight. He also talks about making sure the distinction between heels and babyfaces was extremely clear (e.g. a heel and face could do the same thing, but he would call them completely differently). Austin asks how Watts would critique him. JR notes that Watts was always constructive even though he could “bark” at times, but Watts was always looking for ways the product and commentary could improve. He also talks about the most important part of the job being to get talent over. JR feels like he hit a stride with his commentary when Mid-South Wrestling became the UWF.

JR/Lawler: JR starts by saying that when he and Lawler got in the booth to record stuff for WWE2k16 that it honestly felt like they hadn’t missed a beat. He talks a bit about the great relationship he and Lawler have had throughout the years. JR credits Lawler a lot for his natural abilities as a broadcaster. He also notes that Lawler is a much better heel than a babyface.

Rousey/Holm: JR starts by talking about the amount of distractions Ronda Rousey had leading up to her fight against Holly Holm at UFC 193, starting with the conflict between her mother and coach. He thinks she needs to seriously evaluate who is in her inner circle. He also talks about the potential to book the re-match. As far as Holm is concerned, JR believes she can draw money and should be fighting regardless of whether a rematch with Rousey is in the plans. He also talks about the potential of expanding the main event picture in the women’s division if Holm were to lose before a re-match with Rousey as that would then add another fighter to the mix. Austin and JR agree that a Miesha Tate-Holly Holm match would be exciting and could draw good numbers. The two talk a bit about being surprised at the amount of people who were happy to watch Rousey lose.

Taz’s comments: JR simply states that Taz’s job is get listeners for his show and to get people talking, and that he probably doesn’t actually think the fight was fixed. Austin also suggests that perhaps Taz wanted to take a jab at Dana White for his derogatory comments toward pro wrestling.

Buff Bagwell’s comments about Ross: JR says that he had no reason to have an agenda against Bagwell and that the decision to let him go was not JR’s. He notes that his agenda was never to sabotage anyone’s career and that Bagwell has the story wrong.

Concluding thoughts/MOTW: Austin’s match of the week is WrestleMania 24 Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair. The reason Austin chose this match this week is that Michaels and Flair do not look to the crowd to get approval but rather they maintain focus only on each other. He feels that too often wrestlers look/pander to the crowd too much. Austin talks a bit more about Broken Skull IPA.

Score & Review

Score (8.5): This was a solid episode of the Steve Austin Show. The show features two titans of the industry having an insightful conversation, mostly geared towards commentary. JR has Dave Meltzer on his show this week to review Survivor Series, so he and Austin did not spend really any time talking about the show itself. Most of the show focuses on commentary, but they also touch on some other hot button issues such as the Rousey-Holm situation in UFC. If you are looking for thoughts on Survivor Series and the current product, this episode features very little of that, but this episode has an entertaining, free-flowing discussion about the business with two people who know it very well.