WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

Booker T As Smackdown GM: “I think that Booker T will do a nice job as Smackdown General Manager as he seemed comfortable in his role Friday night. I also thought the two man booth of Michael Cole and Josh Matthews did well. Some three man combinations have and can work but my preference is a two man broadcast team not just for WWE but for football, hoops, and baseball.”

Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar: “I was talking to WWE HOF’er Jerry Brisco Friday on my way back from his stomping grounds of Stillwater and we got to talking about HHH vs. Lesnar at Summerslam. We both agree that the match will likely be off the page thanks to the personal issue that is brewing and the fact that both men will be of the mindset to steal the show. I expect a smart, physical contest from two men who are comfortable in the spotlight and with pressure on them to deliver in a big way.”

WWE Recruiting Olympic Athletes: “Had lunch Friday with former Olympic Wrestling Coach Lee Roy Smith who is a huge asset to our recruiting efforts with amateur wrestlers throughout the nation. Lee Roy is also the Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame … WWE officials along with Mark Henry are in London at the Olympic Games doing some important due diligence for WWE Developmental. Stay tuned.”

WWE.com recently interviewed former two-time NCAA wrestling Champion and WWE fan Jake Herbert, who is competing for the gold medal in the 185 lb. weight class at the Olympic Games in London on  August 11th. Here are some highlights:

WWE.com: Has the Warrior influenced your game plan on the mat at all? Have you considered wearing tassels or trying to gorilla press opponents?

[He dressed up as Ultimate Warrior for Halloween a few years ago]

Jake Herbert: (Laughs) That’s how I try to run out there. I try to run out like Ultimate Warrior. I do a lot of pacing, I pump myself up a lot. I like to think when I go on the mat and I wrestle, I block out whatever happens. When I wake up, my hand’s raised, [and] I look all over, there’s blood everywhere and a guy who’s crying, and I’m not responsible for anything. I unleash my inner warrior. (Laughs)

WWE.com: Clearly, you’re a sports-entertainment fan.

Jake Herbert: Huge, yeah.

WWE.com: You practiced judo as a child before finding wrestling. Have you ever considered trying to make the jump to sports-entertainment?

Jake Herbert: I wouldn’t mind it. I was just talking about that to people today. They’re like, “Aren’t you too small?” because I’m only 185 pounds and most of the guys are like 240, 245 pounds. I was just joking with my coach today that maybe I could be like Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart and be one of the managers. I could jump in and wrestle people, which I think would be awesome.

WWE.com: What would your hypothetical finishing maneuver be, if you ever found yourself competing at WrestleMania?

Jake Herbert: I love the Spike Dudley Acid Death Drop. It’s one of my favorite moves, especially with me being a smaller guy compared to all those other guys out there. I think that would have to be one of my finishers. It’d have to be a double, where I hit him and he falls down, I pick him up and do it again. A double dose, if you will.

WWE.com: You went pretty deep in the catalogue with that one. We don’t get too many Olympians referencing Spike Dudley’s finisher by name.

Jake Herbert: He’s one of my favorites. I was a huge fan of D-Generation X and then turned on to ECW. It’s sport entertainment. It’s awesome. I read Kurt Angle’s book, “It’s True, It’s True,” right before the Olympic trials. So that was really cool because it went from his regular wrestling career to his sports-entertainment career.

WWE.com: Did you take any lessons away from the book?

Jake Herbert: He had a lot of injuries and he was really banged up going into the trials, and I was the same way, so I think if he could do it, I can do it to. I want to be just like him. He was one of my heroes growing up.

WWE sent out a survey this week regarding a new Saturday morning television show that appears to be in the works:

“Imagine a weekly, half hour WWE television show on Saturday mornings that included highlights of the best action and funniest moments from recent WWE events and from the past. The show would feature fun segments with WWE Superstars both in the ring and behind the scenes to give viewers a chance to get to know them even better. Every episode would also include one action-packed match featuring different WWE Superstars each week.

Based on this description, please rate the following show titles on a scale of 1-5 (5-excellent; 4-good; 3-neutral; 2-fair; 1-poor):

WWE Saturday Morning Slam
WWE Jakked
WWE Amp’d
WWE Supercharge
WWE Turbocharge

We are live on tape from Orlando, Florida and your announcers are William Regal, Byron Saxton, and Jim Ross.

Dusty Rhodes is in the back and he says that being a champion on any level is a great accomplishment. NXT needs that future and guidance to have someone to move up and gain that elusive dream of being the champion. The first NXT champion is about to be crowned. We are down to eight and we will have a Gold Rush Tournament to determine the first NXT Champion. The eight men in the tournament are Richie Steamboat, Bo Dallas, Leo Kruger, Seth Rollins, Michael McGillicutty, Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, and Justin Gabriel.

Dusty says that the tournament begins right now.

We see the NXT Title belt on the stage.

We see footage from two weeks ago when the men in our first match met in the ring and we saw Leo Kruger get the win.

Match Number One: Richie Steamboat versus Leo Kruger in a Gold Rush Tournament Quarterfinal Match

Steamboat with a rollup at the start of the match followed by a leg sweep and lateral press for a near fall. They lock up and Steamboat backs Kruger into the corner but Kruger slaps Steamboat and then Kruger runs to the floor. Steamboat follows after him and Kruger with a forearm to Steamboat. Kruger tries for the sleeper but Steamboat avoids the hold. Steamboat with chops to Kruger and Leo goes to the floor.

Kruger teases returning to the ring but he goes back to the floor. Steamboat with punches and forearms in the corner. Steamboat sends Kruger into the turnbuckles and then he chops Kruger. Steamboat with an Irish whip but Kruger has the referee get in the way and Kruger claims to have injured his knee.

Steamboat gets suckered into the trap and Kruger with a forearm to Steamboat. Kruger with a forearm to the back and he slams Steamboat’s head into the mat. Krugerwith a suplex and he stands over Steamboat and poses followed by a knee drop for a near fall. Kruger with a cravate followed by a snap mare and then Kruger starts to work on the neck.

Steamboat with punches and chops but Kruger with a spinebuster and he gets a near fall. Kruger waits for Steamboat to get up and he tries for the sleeper but Steamboat with a snap mare. Kruger punches Steamboat to stop Steamboat’s momentum. Kruger punches Steamboat in the ribs followed by an Irish whip. Steamboat with kicks to the head.

Steamboat with chops that echo throughout the building. Kruger with a knee to stop Steamboat. Steamboat with clotheslines followed by a back body drop. Steamboat with a flying back elbow into the corner and then he goes up top for a missile drop kick and he connects. Steamboat gets a two count.

Kruger applies the sleeper but Steamboat briefly gets to the ropes. Kruger is able to get Steamboat into the center of the ring and Kruger gets Steamboat onto the mat. Steamboat gets enough strength to get back to his feet and he escapes by getting to the ropes. Kruger with knees to the back. Steamboat avoids the sleeper and hits the wrap around clothesline for the three count.

Winner: Richie Steamboat

We see the brackets for the tournament and Steamboat advances to face the winner of Bo Dallas and Jinder Mahal. The other tournament match we will see tonight is Seth Rollins versus Drew McIntyre. The winner of that match will face the winner of Justin Gabriel versus Michael McGillicutty.

We go to commercial.

Match Number Two: Big E. Langston versus Adam Mercer

They lock up and Langston with knees to the midsection and Mercer goes down. Langston with a back breaker and he holds on to Mercer for another back breaker. Langston hits a third back breaker. Langston sends Mercer into the corner and connects with shoulders in the corner. Langston with a running shoulder into the corner and Mercer is down again.

Mercer with a jawbreaker or two but he runs into a punch from Langston and then Langston runs over Mercer. The straps are down and it is time for the Big Ending and Langston gets the three count.

Winner: Big E. Langston

We go to commercial.

We are back and Raquel Diaz says that Audrey Marie doesn’t know how to work a ramp. She tells Audrey to look. Raquel says that she looks extraordinarily beautiful tonight is because the Exfoliating Ugliness Tour starts tonight.

Match Number Three: Audrey Marie versus Raquel Diaz

They lock up and Audrey with a side head lock. Raquel with a forearm to the ribs but Audrey holds on to the side head lock. Raquel with a hot shot to Audrey and she gets a near fall. Raquel with a half nelson and chin lock on Audrey and she gets another near fall. Raquel runs her boots across Audrey’s face. Audrey gets a near fall.

Raquel slams Audrey’s head into the mat. Audrey with a jackknife cover but Raquel bridges. Raquel gets Audrey on her shoulders for the Gory Special followed by the Gory Bomb for the three count.

Winner: Raquel Diaz

After the match, Raquel gets some lipstick and puts an ‘L’ on Audrey’s forehead.

Briley Pierce is in the back with Paige and he asks Paige about what Raquel did. Paige says that we will see about the Raquel Diaz ugliness tour.

We go to commercial.

Match Number Four: Hunico and Camacho versus Mike Dalton and Jason Jordan

Hunico and Jordan start things off and they lock up. Hunico gets to the ropes and Jordan releases the hold. They lock up again and Jordan with a fireman’s carry followed by a waist lock take down. Dalton tags in and he connects with a double sledge from the turnbuckles followed by a rollup.

Camacho distracts Dalton and Hunico with a drop kick and he gets a near fall. Camacho tags in and he kicks Dalton followed by a punch and another kick. Hunico tags back in and he hits a slingshot hesitation kick on Dalton. Dalton punches Hunico but Hunico with a knee. Dalton with a rollup for a near fall.

Hunico with a reverse chin lock and Camacho tags back in. Camacho kicks Dalton and then he hits a butterfly suplex and gets a near fall. Hunico tags back in and Camacho with an elbow to the head. Dalton gets a double spike hip toss but Jordan breaks up the cover. Camacho and Hunico double team Dalton while Jordan takes the referee’s attention away from what happened in the ring.

Hunico chops Dalton and Camacho tags in. Dalton gets tossed into the air but Dalton counters a power bomb by Camacho into a rana and gets the three count.

Winners: Mike Dalton and Jason Jordan

We go to commercial.

We are back and we see footage from last week’s match between the participants in the second quarterfinal match where Drew McIntyre earned the victory over Seth Rollins.

Match Number Five: Seth Rollins versus Drew McIntyre in a Gold Rush Tournament Quarterfinal Match

They lock up and Rollins gets away from Drew. Drew with a forearm to the back and punches. Rollins avoids a slam and Rollins with kicks to the leg. Rollins with forearms in the ropes but the referee stops him. Drew takes care of Rollins and kicks him in the back. Drew with a European uppercut to Rollins followed by a head butt. Rollins with a drop kick to the knees.

Rollins with a head scissors to Drew followed by a single leg drop kick and Drew goes to the floor. Drew ducks down when Seth thinks about a dive to the floor. Drew hides under the ring and Rollins tries to pull him out but Drew pulls Seth into the corner of the ring.

Drew wraps Rollins’ arm in the ropes and then he wrings the arm. Drew with a hammer lock and belly-to-back suplex while keeping the hammer lock applied and Drew gets a near fall. We go to commercial.

We are back and Drew with a kick but Rollins with a kick of his own. Drew with a running forearm to the head and he gets a near fall. Drew kicks and punches Rollins in the corner. Rollins blocks a punch and connects with punches of his own. Rollins has his arm driven into the mat and Drew gets a near fall.

Rollins rolls to the floor but Drew with a chop to the chest and then he drives the arm into the ring apron. Drew punches Seth and Seth punches back but the punches lack the power of Drew’s. Drew with short arm clotheslines in the corner.

Rollins counts a short arm clothesline and then hits a DDT and both men are down. Rollins with chops and kicks to Drew followed by punches and a back heel kick. Rollins with an enzuigiri and then Rollins clotheslines Drew over the top rope to the floor. Rollins with a suicide dive onto Drew.

Seth brings Drew back into the ring and Seth sets for the running forearm into the corner and he connects. Drew hits a devastating lariat but Drew can only get a two count. Drew kicks Rollins in the corner and connects with a head butt. Drew with an Irish whip but he runs into an elbow. Drew goes to the turnbuckles but Drew catches him and hits a tilt-a-whirl back breaker but Rollins kicks out in time.

Drew sets for the Future Shock DDT but Rollins escapes. Drew with shoulders in the corner and he tries for the Future Shock DDT again but Rollins gets his foot in the ropes. Drew puts Rollins on the top turnbuckles and Drew sets for a belly-to-belly superplex but Rollins knocks Drew off the turnbuckles. Rollins goes up top for the Phoenix Splash but he rolls through. Rollins avoids a boot in the corner from McIntyre and Rollins hits Black Out to get the win.

Winner: Seth Rollins

We go to credits.

Source: PWInsider.com