Grilling JR

On this episode of Grilling JR, JR and Conrad go back 20 years to revisit Royal Rumble 2002, which we also recently covered on over on Something To Wrestle! We hear JR’s take on HHH winning the Rumble after returning from his quad injury. Plus, the guys discuss the brand split, the nWo coming in, the XWF, Ric Flair getting back into the ring, and more!
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[@Jmeezy11]

Me too. This is the beginning of HHH “Getting his pushhhhh”. Gotta have that pushhh. Love when JR fires that out during the pod

[@Rschr101]

Beginning of the end.

[@ChaseBAmerica1st]

Puuuuush

[@lildevil7786]

The push of dominance

[@dalebrewer1286]

I need a CAke push

[@chadfletcher1681]

Really enjoy listening to Conrad and the legendary greatest commentator and historian Jim Ross, not only in commentary and talent relations, but also in football and boxing and generally life, a voice I will never forget, so many memories I have listening to the podcast and I like the way every different segment has as advertised as great movie posters

[@MrFunnyHandsInYourPants]

Ahhh this is the rumble I went to with my dad. We had a great time there and I reminded him of this event 20yrs later

[@delbertprince5302]

Great explanation about Shawn Michaels from Jim Ross……

[@DaRealPatrickP]

Around time 36:54 I am not hearing the video they play at all .

[@silverbullet9442]

Did they ever do an episode 144? I feel like they jumped from 143 to 145

[@salbrodg8363]

They did jump idk why they do that 144 comes after 143. Several episodes are like that

[@erikchamberlain4076]

What happened to Jim's eye!???

[@Ft.Gagiano]

He had a falling insident at home. Check out the rumble 97 review. J.R. explains it.

[@MikeyMike-uu3fe]

@@Ft.Gagianois he really smoking a cigarette too lol Is JR a long time smoker??

[@jackiemoon5906]

1:00:13 god I can’t stand how much JR overrated good ole “dr death” Steve Williams

[@mikeypitt8315]

Cause he was his buddy.

[@GregOGrady84]

Sour grapes from Meltzer no way, Isnt he supposed to be a "journalist" though?

[@Tasiturne]

If the intro doesn't work for you brother you Can skip to 7:56 😉

[@AndyLifeInVideo]

Now _this_ works for me, brother!

[@silverbullet9442]

I hated the story/psychology of the Flair vs McMahon Street Fight, McMahon, a "non wrestler" character, absolutely obliterated and schooled one of the greatest wrestlers of all time for the majority of the match. Flair seemed lucky to sneak out that win. That makes no sense. Flair should have wiped the mat with McMahon and have McMahon get in some sneaky offense. McMahon was being toyed with in matches vs Austin and Hogan yet had almost no trouble beating up Ric Flair. The story being told in that match ruined it for me and I'm surprised so many people liked it.

[@silverbullet9442]

@Chris A. just giving my take on the match, it didn't upset me. I didn't lose sleep over it.

[@silverbullet9442]

@Chris A. but yes the last several minutes were fun, the match should have had more of Flair destroying Vince, not the other way around.

[@MikeyMike-uu3fe]

I clicked on the video Then I usually just FF to the middle and see what there talking about..right AM I TRIPING OUT BECAUSE I SEE JIM ROSS Black Eye and all More then that And he’s smoking a cigarette?? TELL ME I DIDNT JUST SEE THAT LOL

[@silverbullet9442]

Conrad discusses how this 2002 ppv is the only one with a higher buyrate than the 2001 version. That's because it's in January so it's actually a follow up to and a better representation of the previous year than the calendar year. So the 2002 Rumble gets the same rub or aura of 2001 because it's merely weeks after 2001. So the 2001 Rumble is more of a representation of 2000 than of 2001. So from a fan perspective if 2001 was so great then that makes fans more inclined to purchase the January 2002 ppv.

[@Rschr101]

It took a couple months, but after Mania 18 and that horrible Brand Split, the fans started disappearing overnight.

[@DeanMoxley87]

I understand that

[@minimalchill]

wat

[@justinturley7071]

not to mention the grocery store skit took place on December of 2001. Man what happened in this opening segment?

[@Godzilla1982]

"Lets take a listen" *total silence*

[@stephencollins1783]

Yeah haha, copyright issue maybe? kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4OqgqidhtWdsJo

[@Godzilla1982]

@@stephencollins1783 I'm sure that's what it is, which sucks. I really miss the wild west days of the internet

[@mikeypitt8315]

"let's take a listen"...to the sound of silence.😅

[@bryanqueensberry6215]

JR fell? Bet he knows how to fall. As he used to say in commentary how the hell do you learn how to fall? I wish JR the best in his health but he needs to quit smoking. I was kind of surprised to see that he does. & didnt Michael Cole call the supermarket brawl? Wasnt that on Smackdown? & if it involves Austin even if Stone Cold took a dump in the ring JR would be ecstatic! Turd! Turd! Turd!

[@anto-mac]

AEW have a horrible tag division this myth needs to stop FTR are fantastic other than that the rest are average at best

[@MrStrawberry86]

I'm still waiting on maven to come back and win the rumble

[@QuesT23]

Man that 02 Rumble Austin entrance pop was amazing.

[@Rschr101]

Pulling for ya JR. This was the year of HHH, also the year the ratings never recovered and we lost Rocky to Hollywood and Austin left because of injuries & terrible creative choices. Cool Rumble but I think Triple H winning was predictable and him beating midcard Jericho at Mania was even more obvious.

[@danielescalera6638]

It was also the year we got introduced to Brock Lesnar

[@Theempiresf49]

Kane last year as masked kane aswell

[@chadhullraidenstrife4143]

I bet jr Grill the best burgers

[@justinturley7071]

Actually Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler called the grocery store skit on SmackDown. You and Lawler called the Church skit.

[@dillowman8]

Thank you Conrad! Finally somebody other than myself says that this is their favourite version of Undertaker! Your reasoning was mine as well! The realism Factor, the reality aspect.

[@delbertprince5302]

Great research from Conrad……

[@OmegaRedFan]

Stop eating!!!!

[@patrickmilner4149]

If they knew that Flairs, Hogan's, Nash and Hall's contracts with Time Warner were expiring, couldn't they have at least waited until December of 01' to start the Invasion angle? It would have made more sense and could have been a better angle if they had those big names if they had at least waited until then

[@kingjay239]

Let's be honest, had Those 3 guys been available it would have been a bit harder for Vince to completely bury WCW. So I think Vince knew he needed to take the opportunity in order for him to bury the name of WCW a lot easier,

[@robbiesilverwolf]

Would all the people like Jericho, Edge, or RVD been given screen time if they did bring them back then?

[@thecount2030]

There's a lot of what ifs regarding that angle. The true answer is nobody would really know. The WCW guys who were able to establish themselves during the invasion angle may have not gotten the opportunity months later.

[@daniellouis925]

Did he have his eye removed?

[@VelvetMetrolink]

It's a black eye from a fall.

[@gnarkill7884]

Jr have a black eye?

[@oceanshrugs9235]

1:03:24 is when the rumble watchalong starts

[@oceanshrugs9235]

1:05:03

[@user-oo8un3ch4b]

My absolute favourite Royal Rumble of all time. Looking forward to this

[@Rschr101]

Definitely the last great Rumble.

[@suitedandbooted363]

01 was better

[@MrBooBeeDoo]

Nah, last greatest was 2010. After that, the Rumbles went to shit.

[@woodser]

Since when did Jim smoke?

[@philiphaller1018]

Always!

[@Godzilla1982]

Shocked me too when I found out. Wish he'd quit!

[@DERRTYCHYBO]

Since forever. Listen to how gravelly his voice has become. Thats from years and years of smoking

[@rpsullens911]

It's a way to control chronic pain and anxiety as anyone would be in his situation. Medical Doctors can prescribe Medical Marijuana.

[@MikeyMike-uu3fe]

It’s kinda weird seeing JR smoke lol I guess he’s just someone you didn’t expect too

[@ShadyBwady]

JR why do u smoke

[@OmegaRedFan]

shut up

[@paulwinstanley904]

He owns a weed company…

[@ShadyBwady]

@@paulwinstanley904 cigarettes?

[@coreyortiz9913]

what happened to his eye

[@VelvetMetrolink]

Black eye from a fall.

[@coreyortiz9913]

@@VelvetMetrolink damn I feel bad for him and I wish he didn't smoke. JR is favorite announcer of all time

[@JesseGelatnis]

@@VelvetMetrolink "a fall"

[@OmegaRedFan]

aew not good jr stop lying

[@BEEFSERPENT]

hope i'm wrong but i just have a feeling jr isn't gonna make it through this year if he doesn't quit smoking RIGHT NOW

[@ChaseBAmerica1st]

Maybe if he gets his booster he'll be gooder

[@philiphaller1018]

He has skin cancer not lung cancer. It doesn’t make a difference

[@Godzilla1982]

@@philiphaller1018 it absolutely makes a difference. I wouldn't want skin AND lung cancer

[@Colafy]

who thinks shit like this

[@ChaseBAmerica1st]

@@Colafy Karens

[@silverbullet9442]

Sue me but I think the 2002 Rumble match is overrated. It's solid and the highlights are entertaining but there's not much else after that. It's good but it lacks the depth, intricacies, and overall story of some of the really great Rumble matches. Shocked Meltzer rated it so high especially one year after the far superior 2001 match.

[@Godzilla1982]

I don't think the Rumble itself was overrated, but the whole Maven thing definitely was. I never saw any upside in Maven, and there was never really much of a payoff for the whole thing with Taker...would have preferred Taker being more of a long term presence in the Rumble match.

[@Rschr101]

The ending was obvious and predictable. As was the main event of Mania that year. Just a sign of things to come from Stephanie's lack of creative.

[@Godzilla1982]

@Chris A. and Maven was gone what, a year later? All that investment they put in him for nothing. Dude couldn't hang.

[@Godzilla1982]

@Chris A. at least Nidia was good looking. Maven looked like a goof. And I'm reasonably sure Maven never "main evented a PPV", unless it was just being in a Rumble or Survivor Series match. By that logic Virgil main evented in 1992.

[@Godzilla1982]

@Chris A. and as much as you say i hate him, your dubious claim of being straight stands out like a sore thumb for how far up his ass you are. 🤷‍♂️ He lasted maybe two years and did one, two things of note. At best. Not much of an investment. But now you'll tell me how great he was and how you loved pretending to groom his eyebrows or something and this will continue until one of us gets bored.