Episode 370: Tough Business
Grilling JR
Podcast Heat
4.7 • 6.1K Ratings
🗓️ 7 May 2026
⏱️ 64 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of Grilling JR, Jim Ross and Conrad Thompson dive into some of the biggest conversations shaping the wrestling business today. JR explains why taking wrestling to new venues and fresh markets is a smart move for the industry, and how changing the atmosphere can re-energize both fans and talent alike.
JR also reflects on his relationship with Ted Turner, sharing stories about Turner's loyalty, leadership, and the support he showed throughout JR's career. The conversation then turns to the realities of wrestling contracts, as JR breaks down why a five-year deal doesn't always mean a guaranteed five-year run in today's business climate.
Plus, JR gives his thoughts on the evolving "TKO playbook," how corporate decision-making is reshaping the wrestling landscape, and why reducing the number of house shows may ultimately help preserve talent health and extend careers. All that and JR takes us inside the pages of his incredible book, "Business Is About To Pick Up" for his telling of the historic WrestleMania 25 match between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today's episode comes to you from the Blue Chew Studio right now and you buy two months of |
| 0:05.4 | Blue Chew Gold. |
| 0:06.4 | You get the third for free with the promo code J.R at Bluetooth. |
| 0:10.2 | You get the third. It's Wednesday, and you know what that means, AEW Dynamite, and then grilling JR with the host, |
| 0:31.9 | the voice of professional wrestling, ladies and gentlemen, WWE Hall of Famer, your friend in |
| 0:36.4 | mine, good old JRr jim r jim |
| 0:38.8 | how are you man oh thank you very much that rousing ovation everybody no seriously we're glad |
| 0:44.7 | you're with us and uh we're gonna have some fun the next few minutes i promise that |
| 0:49.6 | yeah man what a uh what a fun night you know normally we get two hours of a e w on wed |
| 0:54.0 | we got over three hours tonight it was a very special edition we got not only Man, what a, what a fun night. You know, normally we get two hours of AEW on Wednesday. |
| 0:54.7 | We got over three hours tonight. It was a very special edition. We got not only dynamite, |
| 0:59.0 | but collision. They had an overrun, but it included a title defense from Darby Allen, |
| 1:04.8 | successful against Kevin Knight. He threw down the gauntlet for MJF and said, |
| 1:09.5 | Hey, I'll give you your title match. If you'll put your hair on the line. Andlet for MJF and said, hey, I'll give you your title match. |
| 1:10.9 | If you'll put your hair on the line. |
| 1:13.2 | And then here comes Okada saying, hey, I want Darby next week. |
| 1:16.1 | So we know next week, it's Okada getting a title shot against Darby Allen. |
| 1:22.0 | And before that, this Saturday night on collision is Garvey Allen and The Bastard. |
| 1:32.7 | How about that? What do you think of this, this new innovation they're coming up with this |
| 1:36.9 | weekend? It's going to be going down, I think at 7 o'clock central, 8 Eastern. It's going down |
| 1:42.7 | this Saturday at Palm Beach Gardens, but it's in a golf arena. |
| 1:47.7 | It's got a sofa center. |
... |
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