Wrestling: Jim Ross - A Career Retrospective

Once again the WWE pay-per-view has come around rather quickly. So quickly in fact that this is the second one within the month of October. We’ve already had our Superstar of the Month, Curt Hennig, to coincide with the Battleground event earlier this month. So, rather than making the name of this piece irrelevant by holding two superstars in a single month, this time we have a little twist.

Jim Ross: A Career Retrospective

I’m sure everyone who is reading this is aware of the fact Jim Ross and the WWE parted ways just over a month back. I don’t think there’s any doubt if you ask anyone who grew up watching the WWF in the 1990’s who the greatest wrestling announcer of all time is, they will all say Jim Ross. Even many old school guys recognize that Jim Ross is up there with the greatest.

As always though let’s take a run through his long career. Being that he is an announcer I’m not going to include matches during the piece as normal, however, at the end I will put a list of some of the matches he has called. It’s the least that we can do here at The Wrestling Mania to honor a legend who was at one time one of the most important figures within the World Wrestling Federation as it was called.

Being born and raised in Oklahoma it must have been almost impossible not to at least hear of Danny Hodge growing up and that man’s story is enough to capture any youngsters attention. After finishing up at college Jim Ross would find himself refereeing for Mid-South Wrestling. As the company became the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1986 Ross also moved up the ladder and would help Bill Watts behind the scenes as well as solidifying himself as the lead announcer for the promotion.

For the next year and a half of it’s existence Ross would call matches for names that would go on to be the biggest stars in the business such as Ted DiBiase and Jake Roberts, as well as established stars such as Ric Flair. In 1987 the UWF was purchased by Jim Crockett Promotions (Later World Championship Wrestling) and Jim Ross was kept on and over time edged in as the lead commentator as Gordon Solie, who just happened to be the man Ross himself considers the greatest of all time, was starting to wind down his own career at the booth.

Teaming up mostly with Bob Caudle for pay-per-views Ross would be calling events such as Starrcade ’87 and ’88 as well as the famous Ricky Steamboat versus Ric Flair match from Chi-Town Rumble. When his old boss Bill Watts gained a level of control in WCW J.R. also rose further up in the ranks. Watts would leave the company in 1993 followed quickly by J.R. who asked for his release not liking the way the company was structured.

The WWF would be his next stop, and it was one Hell of a ride for him there. Starting at Wrestlemania IX and then going on a literal roller coaster of a ride during his tenure there. Ross would be on the main commentary team for Monday Night Right Raw for the majority of the time all the way up until 2010. There was a lot of turmoil while he was with the WWF, I feel this isn’t the place to go into the controversy surrounding his dismissals though.

Instead we’re concentrating on the positives that he brought to the company on a whole. It is no secret that he was extremely influential in the mid-late 1990’s as far as which wrestlers came into the WWF. J.R. was not just a commentator but in charge of Talent Relations as well, which was a full time job in itself. Stars such as Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Brock Lesnar, and Kurt Angle all came into the roster under the recommendation of good ole J.R.

Sitting in the booth at ringside Jim Ross was considered the voice of the WWF and the WWE when it went through it’s brand change. His running commentary helped give life, emotion, meaning to matches and characters that came onto the screen each week or month on pay-per-view. To me at least it’s almost unfathomable to imagine anyone else calling Stone Cold versus The Rock at Wrestlemania or the Hell in a Cell with Mick Foley and the Undertaker.

So beloved by the whole of the audience he could even be brought into story-lines to gain instant popularity for a babyface saving him from a heel and naturally instant heat for said heel beating up on the poor announcer who suffers from bells palsy. Triple H has broke his arm. Jack Swagger broke his ankle. Hell, Kane even set him on fire once. Not to mention that utter deranged and disturbing sit down interview he did with Mankind where he ended up getting the mandible claw.

When he stepped down from the commentary booth in 2010 it wasn’t for good and he made several appearances since, probably most notably at the Wrestlemania XXVIII match between the Undertaker and Triple H with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee. Fans were happy to have him back on the biggest show of the year to call one more epic encounter.

September 2013 saw his official retirement from the WWE. My first thought when I heard the news was ‘bah gawd’ we’re going to get one heck of an autobiography, hopefully. No matter what has been thrown at him life from illness to crappy hands in the WWE or even back in WCW, Ross has always made the most of it and earned the respect of his peers and fans alike through doing so. When the greatest announcers of all time are brought up, Jim Ross’ name will forever be in the mix.

Matches:

Mid-South Wrestlefest 1985:

Ric Flair Vs. Ricky Steamboat – Chi-Town Rumble 1989:

Wrestlemania IX:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2A1e3N7qd4

Undertaker Vs. Mankind – King of the Ring 1998:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKny0KW4ODM

Stone Cold Vs. The Rock – Wrestlemania XVII:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQG8N-SriWA

Shawn Michaels Vs. Triple H – Summerslam 2002:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG4KF8AigkU

Chris Benoit Vs. Triple H Vs. Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania XX: