Ross Report for March 29, 2002
Greetings from under the black Resistol hat while wishing everyone a Happy Easter and hoping that my Sooners can win a few more basketball games over the next few days.
Injury report:

Kevin Nash was thought to have torn his biceps but an MRI showed only a deep bruise. He has continued to work through his injury.

Triple H has a small fracture on his left kneecap (patella) but is working through the discomfort after consulting with Dr. Jim Andrews.

Hollywood Hulk Hogan continues to work through a nagging rib injury.

Chris Benoit reports to Heartland Wrestling Association in Cincinnati on Monday, April 1, and will hopefully be released to return to work sometime in May, as it now stands.

Mike Awesome may be released as early as next week to return to work. He will also need to work in Cincy or Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville, Ky., to knock off the ring rust.

Kanyon is still five to six weeks away from returning from ACL surgery.

Mike Sanders has two broken bones in his foot and will be sidelined for approximately six weeks at HWA.

Eddie Fatu is about a week, maybe two, away from recovering from a calf muscle pull.

All other injured talents are progressing as scheduled and previously reported.

Random thoughts:

The brand extension seems to have captured the interest of many of our fans as indicated by Monday's RAW rating being so strong. In preparing cards for non-televised events (house shows) for the month of April, I have been challenged to come up with the best lineups possible based on the new individual rosters for RAW and SmackDown! Even though this new system will cause some short-term growing pains, I can already see how it is going to positively affect our talents and provide opportunities that some may not have received at this time. New stars have to be created and developed. Established stars have to stay healthy and continue to improve as well. I am looking forward to new rivalries and storylines being established and developed. A new RAW set is being constructed along with new RAW music for the show open, I am told. I expect to continue to broadcast with Jerry "The King" Lawler on Monday nights, while Michael Cole will be getting a new partner for SmackDown! Of course, that could all change by Monday night!

Several of our other television programs will be gaining new looks very soon also. This includes new formats and new announce teams.
I really like what I have heard of these significant improvements to our broadcast vehicles other than RAW and SmackDown! Plus, I am going to be interested to see how some of the new faces are going to be introduced over the next few weeks/months to our audience, especially totally new talents. A great deal of thought has to go into how talents who have been here in the past are reintroduced on our broadcasts, also. To me, this is a very key area we collectively have to capitalize on and really deliver. The old cliche, "you only get one opportunity to make a good first impression" really comes to mind when thinking of these talents and how they will be brought into the mix. One thing is for sure, there are lots of outstanding young talents available to us and they all seem to be ready and willing to play ball with the big boys.
I expect us to react to the growing pains of the brand extension by making a needed trade here and there or to strengthen a particular roster with the addition of some new faces from our developmental areas. The draft, much like the NFL draft, is a very subjective piece of business with several right ways to get the job done. If you ask 10 people who they would have drafted for RAW and SmackDown!, you probably would get 10 different, but viable, answers. As I have discussed, it looks as if the cruiserweight division will be a feature of SmackDown! while the hardcore division will be featured on RAW. We are all in a point in time where change is definitely going to be the order of the day.
The May European tour will be comprised of the RAW roster and, hopefully, the Undisputed World Wrestling Federation Champion.

Our August 10 event in Melbourne, Australia, will be a SmackDown! tour, but will also feature the Federation Champion, who along with the Women's Champion, will/can appear on both RAW and SmackDown! events.

Chris Jericho and his band, Fozzy, will be playing at The World, the World Wrestling Federation New York nightclub, on Friday, April 5.

Last night's live event at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., was the highest grossing non-Pay-Per-View in Federation history for that venue. More than 18,000 fans turned out for the event, headlined by HHH/Hogan versus the nWo in a Handicap Tag Team Match. Our other live event, in Jacksonville, Fla., was also a strong event, headlined by Ric Flair versus the Undertaker, Kane versus Kurt Angle, and Edge versus Chris Jericho.
The Federation Superstars are now off until Monday's RAW, or Tuesday for the SmackDown! talents, and will be able to enjoy the Easter weekend with their families.
Stone Cold Steve Austin is due back at TV this Monday and we will then, hopefully, address his "free-agent" status. Will Austin declare for RAW or SmackDown!? The Rattlesnake should really be full of "P and V" after taking a much-needed break over the last couple of weeks.

Kane's promo on SmackDown! was a classic moment for the big fella, who I feel can be a long-term, main-event star in this company for years to come. With some subtle changes to this athlete's persona, I think Kane is money in the bank. As I have said here many times, let him talk more and watch the Big Red Machine grow into one of our most viable top-level hands.

Rob Van Dam seems to be ready to elevate, too, based on the fan reactions I have experienced over the last few weeks.

The addition of Rico to the duo of Billy & Chuck seems to be helping the Tag Team Champions.

Will Bubba Dudley soon become a huge fan favorite on RAW or will he continue his controversial ways? And what about brother D-Von over on SmackDown!? Same goes for the APA with Bradshaw on RAW and Faarooq on SmackDown! New opportunities are going to be provided these two deserving talents as well.

Next weekend's house shows in Salt Lake City and Denver and will be headlined by Austin vs. Undertaker, Kane/Bradshaw vs. nWo, and RVD vs. X-Pac, among others. Meanwhile, in Davis and Fresno, Calif., shows will be headlined by HHH vs. Y2J for the Federation Championship and Edge vs. Angle among other contests. The SmackDown! crew will also be performing at live events on Monday nights, beginning April 8 in Yuma, Ariz., while the RAW talents are in Phoenix doing RAW that same night.

As impressive as the young stallion Brock Lesnar is -- and he will no doubt become even more impressive in the very near future -- Randy Orton may be just as good. Not sure if Orton is headed to RAW or SmackDown!, but I suspect Flair and Mr. McMahon will do some "recruiting" for this young man's talents when the time comes. If I stay on RAW with the King, I hope Orton signs with Flair.

Speaking of Flair, the Nature Boy's pending interaction with Paul Heyman should be some classic stuff.

Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio Jr. have verbally agreed to terms with the Federation, and we hope to have them officially signed in the next few days.

Both are very gifted in-ring performers.
Seven new talents have been offered contracts for our developmental program. When they sign, we will update you.

I spoke briefly with Scott Steiner on Thursday and we are in the process of obtaining more information on his dropped foot ailment. We would like to add him to one of our rosters, but his health and the long-term affects of his foot condition are our main concerns.

We have an interest in signing former ECW star Dawn Marie, and we will be meeting with her soon to discuss this matter.

Obviously, the look and presentation of our two primary television vehicles will be drastically changed beginning with our next broadcasts. Should be an interesting journey and some good TV. Stay tuned. Have a great Easter weekend!

J.R.