Jim Ross Blogs on Michael Cole, Jericho, Orton and more

- Jim Ross has posted a new blog entry, here are the highlights…

On Michael Cole: Most people understand that Michael Cole is changing his on air persona to become more of an antagonist and more caustic. That's simply the creative direction that he's moving and I actually feel that if and when he masters that dynamic that it can add something unique to the TV presentation. Conflict at the announce table is entertaining to me as some of my best days doing PXP were when the King was a villain and Paul Heyman was simply being himself....and I mean that in a positive way. Think of how effective JBL was on commentary and he certainly never positioned himself as a 'good guy.' Point is that controlled conflict helps facilitate most broadcasts as long as the talent and what we are seeing on our TV screen remains the focus and it doesn't become about the broadcasters

On HHH: Had a great talk with HHH in Chicago who is also looking good but I do not know his future plans re: returning to the ring. The Game has a very bright, insightful mind for the business. I like his personal business philosophies on wrestling. HHH was interested in my upcoming trip to FCW this week as the future of WWE rests largely inside the four walls of the FCW Training facility.

On Chris Jericho: No I do not think that Chris Jericho is leaving WWE for good but I do think that Chris will continue to focus on Fozzy not to mention promoting his upcoming, 3 disc, WWE DVD (Awesome BTW) which might necessitate that he not appear on weekly TV on a regular basis. Stepping away from the weekly grind isn't a bad thing for anyone and allows one to recharge their batteries and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

On Randy Orton: Randy Orton becoming WWE Champion is a positive in my view. Orton appeals to the young, male demo better, arguably, than any one in WWE. Orton's demeanor and in ring stylings are somewhat 'Attitude Era' oriented of which many fans miss. The pressure of being the WWE champion is pronounced and how the competitive Orton handles that stress and the demands on his time will help define this title reign. I really enjoy Randy's work and hope to see him in some viable, one on one bouts going forward. If he is still the WWE Champion come WM27, Orton's contributions to the biggest PPV of the year will be significant. One can almost see the wheels turning as to who the WWE Champion might face for the title in Atlanta...if his reign lasts that long. TBD.

On The Hart Dynasty: Emailer...I do not agree that the Hart Dynasty got 'buried' Monday night. Or Sunday night. The Tag titles are cold and the tag team scene in WWE just now seems to be picking up some notoriety. The Hart Dynasty is still as relevant as any tag team in WWE including the new tag champions of Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre who are just embarking as a team and have to create some team synergy to not to come off as two individuals who happen to be tag champs. I think the tag team business is much like the talent rosters in general and that would be that its going through a transitional period of which is a slow moving process of reloading and repositioning several talents to see who can get the job done. I look at transition as a positive because that means that a company isn't dormant, stagnant and is attempting to evolve. Some things will work and some things won't.

I think it is awesome that Cole has an actual personality now. Cole was hilarious on NXT this week, he even has a name for his fans. Thats right, he called them the "Cole Miners".

I certainly will agree with JR that an announce team with the face/heel dynamic is lot more fun than the regular announce team but I have a very hard time buying Michael Cole as a credible heel after being humiliated on a constant basis by other Superstars for the past 10 years or so.

With that said, I have to admit that Michael Cole and CM Punk were simply hilarious on NXT.