WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross spoke
with USA Today about the
WWE, his one-man shows and more. Check out some highlights below:
On announcers being told not to
“yell” at the audience: “[Vince] told me many times not to yell at the
audience. My interpretation of yelling: I got excited, I was emotionally
invested in the fans, and my style was that of an old school sportscaster. If
the moment merited raising one’s voice or tone or inflection, I did that
organically and naturally. It just happened. Sometimes, Vince didn’t share my
timing, obviously, so he would tell me not to yell at the audience. He may have
been right on some of those occasions, and I think that sometimes I was right.
That was my style. That was how I worked. I presented the product with a little
bit of gusto, and a little bit more fuel in my tank…I don’t think that my
yelling was the reason [for his WWE departure], per se – I was there 20 years. I
had done everything from broadcasting to administration to becoming an executive
vice president. I had a lot of health issues that had to be addressed, or I
wouldn’t be here talking to you right now. It was time that I needed to get away
from the weekly grind of travel, and the pressure with my job description, and I
was not the type of guy who was going to take myself out of the
game.”
On how his idea of the ideal
wrestler: “For the face, I’d do Austin on the mic, body of Ricky
Steamboat — you want someone that’s big enough to be believable, but small
enough to be vulnerable — and the ring skills of Shawn Michaels. For the heel,
I’d do the Rock on the mic, body of Triple H, and the ring talent of Ric
Flair.”
On Stephanie & Triple H
eventually taking over WWE: “I think they’re going to be great leaders
because they have an inherent love and understanding of the genre. I don’t think
anyone can lead WWE without understanding the two key components of talent and
television. This is a different field than being the president of the New
England Patriots, for example. Bob Kraft is smart enough to leave the football
operations to Bill Belichick and company, and he’s also smart enough as a
businessman to hire really good people to manage the other aspects of the
business. I think that Triple H and Stephanie will have good instincts on which
people to surround themselves with. More importantly, I think they’ll have
thorough understanding of the core business as far as to assemble a team of
wrestlers, prepare them, manage them, and produce compelling television. This is
not like a job for them — it’s not like going to a headhunter and hiring an
executive. This is their life, and I’ll take my chances any day with somebody
who has that kind of passion in managing a company.”
