Grilling JR - JR Joins The Kiss My Ass Club: 11.26.01 Raw Watchalong [Show Notes] (Patreon)

This is going to be an episode. 20 years ago on November 26th…the WWF visited Oklahoma City for a Raw is War episode and we got a lot to unpack.

As we get into this … and boy there’s a lot to get into … we’re going to be 2 Raws removed from Survivor Series 01 which we covered just last week.

The Raw in between Survivor Series and this show is remembered for being what is thought of now as a reset.

Let’s run through that as everyone gets their Peacock machine fired up so we can watch along.

Raw features the return of Jerry “the King” Lawler as Paul Heyman … with the Alliance being killed off … is fired by Vince McMahon. We’ve talked about this in our archives so be sure to check out the Jerry Lawler episode … but there’s always been stories of heat between Lawler and Heyman. Did Lawler have some type of perverse enjoyment of replacing Heyman as kind of a tit for tat?

Something we’ve never talked about … Lawler had already signed an agreement with a start up promotion run by Jimmy Hart called the XWF. It’s reported in the Observer that this also was a last minute deal. What do you remember of this?

You got some shots in at Paul physically when he was fired on that Raw. Were you sad to lose him as a partner even though it was Jerry coming back?

Also debuting at the end of Raw was “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. From the Observer: “The signing of Flair in a deal verbally agreed to by Flair and lawyers for Time Warner at 7:30 p.m. on 11/16 but not officially signed until the lawyers sent the contract to the Charlotte Coliseum at 4:30 p.m. the day of the show, is to play Vince McMahon's adversary, who will be the point man in setting up the break into two separate promotions because the two will be unable to get along as 50% owners.”

How down to the wire is it? Did the WWF have any hand in Ric’s negotiations with Time Warner?

That Raw features Vince McMahon attempting to strip Steve Austin of the WWF Title due to him being with the Alliance and rewarding it to Kurt Angle since he helped the WWF win. Flair interrupts as 50% owner and we know the rest. What we don’t know is that it’s written in the Observer that Austin turning babyface here was categorized “as a power play by Austin and Jim Ross.” What role did you play in getting the Austin as the babyface and McMahon as the heel story started again?

Lawler and Flair were gigantic babyfaces in Greensboro. That same Raw features Mick Foley’s write off while on the WWF plane with Vince. Were you sad to see Mick go?

So you’re at ringside for the introduction of the “Kiss My Ass Club” when William Regal has to do it to “save his job.” Jim…you know the next week is in Oklahoma City. Is the thought running through your head, “ah shit Vince is going to want to do this next week to me?”

3-2-1!

Dave Meltzer in the Observer recaps the episode were going to watch by talking about the complete negative reaction to this episode and it seems like the WWF - now without the Parents Television Council working against it - and the viewership drop was going to start being more risqué. Was that a point of emphasis around this time?

The show opens with Vince & Flair talking about how Flair doesn’t like to be disrespected. Ironic.

Vince & Kurt come out and Angle cuts this goofy promo and it ends with Vince talking about how Steve Austin is going to join the Kiss My Ass club tonight. You think anybody believed that was going to happen?

Ric Flair informs what is really the Alliance B-team that if they interfere in each other’s matches they’ll be suspended. Does having more than one authority figure make it tough to tell a logical story?

Christian vs. Jeff Hardy - 20 years later Jeff is having a career resurgence on Smackdown and Christian is diving off balconies. Amazing what these 2 have done in their careers isn’t it Jim?

The story is that Hardy has a concussion and is trying to work through it. This is the beginning of the split of the Hardys as Lita and Matt and Jeff aren’t on the same page. Did they need to split do you think?

Christian gets the win in 3 minutes and the Hardys continue the angle in the back.

RVD and D-Von Dudley are up next for the Hardcore title and RVD gets the win in just over 3 minutes.

Regal is hilarious here trying to get some protection to go to the bathroom….and Regal pisses green all over Big Show. Audience of one right Jim?

Trish and Stacy now are in a Bra & Panties match for the Women’s title. This show screams Vince Russo does it not?

3 minutes later Trish rips Stacy’s shorts off and man oh man is that underwear tiny. Trish retains.

The Rock comes out and the tournament to merge the World Title (which is the former WCW title) with the WWF title is silly because everyone knows it’ll come down to Rock vs. Austin. And then Rock starts talking about all the animals that want to anally penetrate Vince McMahon…is this edgy for the sake of edgy or is this just not good?

Rock doesn’t really mention Jericho or Angle or really Austin. Jericho seems quite insignificant.

Any issues with trying to put this product over?

Jericho interrupts for everyone and continues to build him and Rock.

Edge vs. Test for the IC title as you call Test a full-blown Hoss. A little over 3 minutes and it ends in a DQ when a ref eats a spear. Scotty 2 Hotty & Albert chase off Test…which makes Edge look very weak don’t you think?

Regal and Show go a minute before Booker T…who’s supposed to be fired and out of a job…jumps the rail and Regal knocks Show out. Is any of this logical?

Vince and Taker talk in the back to set up what happens later on with you I guess?

Then we see Lance Storm…mopping floors. Jim…you’re paying this guy at minimum 6 figures and this is what creative came up with. Was Storm just not liked?

The Rock vs. Chris Jericho & Kurt Angle is scheduled and in the only appearance of the night in front of the crowd coming off his big debut…Ric Flair comes out and adds Kane to the match to team with Rock. How do we have this big angle and debut and this is Flair’s only appearance?

Jericho gets pinned in 7 minutes after a DDT. Odd to not use an actual finish here is it not Jim?

Here we go…what we’ve all been waiting for. Austin comes out for the Kiss My Ass club segment and he doesn’t really get the pop you would expect. Do you think that had anything to do with the fact that the last time you were in Oklahoma he beat the holy hell out of you and the fans haven’t forgotten it yet?

How does this get brought up?

When are you pitched it?

You wrote in your book … “My wife, daughters, family, and friends gathered ringside to see their husband, father, and friend get on his knees and canoodle the shaved, tanned, tensed buns of his boss for “entertainment.”

You also wrote in your book that Vince liked to do ass tricks.

Could you had told him…hey Vince…go fuck yourself?

Did Austin have any issues with this?

Out of nowhere you’re dragged into the ring and it seems like the Undertaker is out to save you but instead turns on you.

Did Taker have any issues?

The show closes with Vince wearing your hat and parading around the ring. Is this…supposed to be entertaining for viewers?

Taker’s turn is one of many turns and really all the top people had been turned within the last couple of weeks…Jericho heel…Austin face…Vince heel…Angle to heel to face to heel in a matter of 24 hours…and Taker now a heel. All this switching is just a sign of bad creative is it not?

From the Observer: “The final segment, which lasted some 20 minutes, saw Undertaker turn and forced Ross's mouth to touch Vince's behind. Reportedly Ross was very upset about the angle. Anyone with the slightest bit of dignity, something a television performer in WWF has to check at the door when signing his contract, would be upset. The fact it was seemingly clear to the employees that he was is a bad sign. Most of them at times have to allow themselves to be humiliated, sometimes for good reason and often just because management gets off on humiliating the Tazz's and Big Show's of the world for reasons ranging from annoying the wrong person to being a highly paid underachiever. As VP in charge of Talent Relations, he has many times been put in angles, particularly in the Vince Russo era, designed to humiliate him, particularly when Russo tried to get him removed as an announcer and have Michael Cole accepted as the main host (think about that decision in hindsight), and done them because it's a combination of his job and not wanting to set a bad example for employees. So there he was being ordered to do so, even though portrayed as defiant, in a city where he was the point man in promoting the show with his contacts as the local boy makes good in the media, and in front of family members and friends that he almost never gets to see.”

It’s just a whole lot. It’s uncomfortable. Is this one of your worst moments in your career?

From the Observer regarding a Tulsa house show: “Jim Ross announced the match. Actually a mixed reaction for both Austin and Angle both, which was a surprise. Test and Regal both interfered but Austin scored the pin to retain with the stunner again. Angle disappeared at this point, leaving Test and Regal to be Austin's post-match foils. They doubled on him until Ross slid a chair to Austin, who cleaned house with it. Show ended with Austin, Earl Hebner and Ross all drinking a beer in the ring.”

Does this make it all better?

You’re the head of talent relations and so it’s one of those things that if you do it the talent

should have no issue doing it. Was that where the thought process was?

This was the final part of your book regarding this … “He was dancing around the ring while Limp Bizkit played over the speakers. The chairman was like a kid in Disneyland, hopped up on sugar after meeting his favorite character. I swear he wasn’t this happy the day his company went public. The man was literally doing laps around the ring while holding his junk, slapping his own ass with my hat. And we went off the air to end the show.”

What was your family’s reaction to all this being there?