Jim Ross Recalls Tully Blanchard Being Unhappy In Jim Crockett Promotions, Boss Man Leaving For WWF

On a recent episode of Grilling JR, Jim Ross discussed NWA Bunkhouse Stampede and the backstage happenings including Tully Blanchard being unhappy, Big Bubba Rogers leaving for WWE where he began Big Boss Man and more. Some highlights are below.

On Tully Blanchard being unhappy: Yeah, he became very withdrawn in the sense that he didn’t feel seemingly did not feel or want to be part of that NWA team. It was over and anytime you have an issues of money I remember that’s some good advice Vince gave me back years ago when I was doing the payroll. You know the one thing you can’t allow to happen JR is to be late. So even when I had Bell’s Palsy even when we’re on these long trips we’re overseas wherever we are the payroll got done and whether I was sick or not I made sure that the talent got paid on time. Because, if you want to start unrest have the checks be late. It ain’t cool. Quite honestly that’s not a revelation it’s the same in any business isn’t it?”

On Big Bubba Rogers jumping to WWF: “Ripples probably there everybody’s more worried about themselves and Bubba’s future, but they have to factor themselves into the scenario because if it happened to Bubba it could happen to me. That was a big loss. Bubba got over and you know when he was with Cornette that was a great pairing. Isn’t it ironic that so many guys when they get with Cornette they get better? That’s fact. So, yeah, that was a loss. Bubba at one time when his back was okay and he was healthy he was as athletic a super heavyweight as I ever saw… The fact he was a legit prison guard was added to the story. But, he was such a sweetheart of a guy really a cool guy. I got to know him working for Cowboy working in that territory. I just thought he was phenomenal. He was booked with One Man Gang and sometimes those big super heavyweight matches one big guy against another big guy leave a little to be desired.”

On Ric Flair vs. Road Warrior Hawk at Bunkhouse Stampede: “I was really looking forward to that match. I thought it’s going to be fun, different. You know it’s going to be very interesting to see how Ric lays it out and you know Ric’s calling the plays in that match. He called the plays in all his matches that’s what great heels do. They lead the way. There’s nobody better than Flair in laying out a match and making sure that his adversary got shine and looked good. The sad part of that to me which always aggravated me was the fact that so many of Ric’s matches that would end up in a non-finish. But the problem was as I was going to say, he never got closure on some of these big matches because it was always, not always but it was more often than not a non-finish. I don’t know who that helps quite frankly.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Grilling JR with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.