The gruff voice is unmistakable. Add in the Southern drawl and the excitement of a kid getting a bike on their birthday and you’ve got Jim Ross. JR. Good Ol’ JR. By whatever name you call him, you are talking about wrestling royalty, because he’s thought of as the greatest wrestling announcer of all time. He currently calls All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is also a senior advisor to the brand.
Ross was a mainstay in the WWF, now WWE, for many years. The height of his popularity was achieved between during the heyday of wrestling on television, from the mid 1990’s through the middle of the 2010’s.
He would leave the WWE in 2013, but returned in 2017, for a nearly two-year stint. He wasn’t being used to what he felt were his best capabilities so he left again. On his way out the door for the final time, he was quoted as saying about Vince McMahon, “I still think I can do play-by-play even though others that may surround Vince think I can’t.”
He proved that he could still do it and is still doing it to this day.
ROAD TO AEW
After years of working various jobs in the professional wrestling industry, Ross became the primary play-by-play announcer for Mid-South Wrestling in the early 1980s. Ross first worked as a referee starting in 1974. It was a job he held until 1977 when he transitioned to the promotion’s broadcast team.
In 1982 Ross went on to do commentary for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and World Championship Wrestling. The first NWA World Heavyweight Championship match that he called featured Ric Flair and Ted DiBiase. He left that promotion in 1987.
Ross then joined World Championship Wrestling, which was eventually purchased by Ted Turner. He worked his way up to become the head of broadcasting. But he had a contentious relationship with WCW’s newest commentator and eventual executive Eric Bischoff. Ross demanded he be released from his contract when Bischoff became the executive producer of the WCW.
In 1993 he joined the then WWF, making his on camera debut at WrestleMania IX at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. During his tenure with WWE, Ross was widely regarded as the voice of the company, particularly during the Attitude Era of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The relationship with the WWF/WWE was an up and down roller coaster ride. He was fired and rehired a number of times. He was fired by Vince McMahon, once after an episode of Bell’s Palsy. He would come back when McMahon was indicted and then was fired when McMahon was reinstated.
Along the way to AEW, he was the lead announcer for New Japan Pro-Wrestling on AXS TV from 2015 to 2018, he did some occasional play-by-play for boxing and mixed martial arts.
Ross would make the jump to AEW for good in 2019. In June 2022, Ross switched from full-time commentary on Dynamite to full-time commentary on AEW Rampage. It was a commentary team rotation swap with Taz.
WHY IS HE SO GOOD
There is something so down home and folksy about Jim Ross. Even if you aren’t a fan of professional wrestling, it’s hard not to be drawn to him.
Ross, and this is not a slight on him at all, doesn’t sound like a regular announcer. I think it works better for him that he doesn’t. Buttoned up commentary may fly in football, basketball or even baseball. It doesn’t in wrestling. There’s an irreverence about the entertainment of wrestling, that deserves and demands an announcer that lives the action just like the fans. I’m not a big wrestling fan, but listening back to a few of his calls, I can see why he is considered a great ambassador for the sport.
The action that happens in the ring can be crazy, out of control and hilarious all at the same time. With all of that going on, having the ability to describe it with the ‘attitude’ it deserves isn’t easy, but Ross makes it look like it is. I re-watched a couple of his WWE calls and it amazes me, how he calls the action. There was a wrestler going after the referee, and at the same time another guy was rushing the ring to finish the job. His head has to be constantly on a swivel. Even in the ‘produced’ world of pro wrestling, things can go off script, if you know what I mean. Ross is able to handle those audibles with ease and that southern charm.
He embraces the fact that he sounds different than pretty much every other announcer out there. That drawl separates him from the pack and he is immediately noticeable.
You know an announcer has made a difference, when he is respected so much by the stars of his particular sport. WWE Hall of Famer and Legend Stone Cold Steve Austin has praised Ross to Wrestlinginc.com in 2018. “Jim Ross, to me, with his range, with his storytelling, he paid his dues. I mean, he learned from the ground up. And his inflection and his ability to watch a match, tell a story, get the talent over with the credibility that he had, he was the shining diamond on top of everyone, so always a good experience with Jim.”
Ross’s unique style makes him lovable. It’s like watching a wrestling match with your favorite uncle who is really into it. That uncle just keeps telling you what’s going on, and you just love watching him have a good time. I think “he’s like watching a match with a buddy at a bar” applies here.
CATCHPHRASES
I’ve written about announcers and their catchphrases before, but mainly when it comes to baseball. They can be endearing and really set a tone for what is happening in a game.
The same applies to Ross. He has a whole host of phrases that seem to fit him quite well. None ever feel like a reach. They are all applicable to certain times and events in a wrestling match. Here are just a few.
When talking about how tough a wrestler is, he busts out, “He’s tougher than a $2 steak.” If you’ve ever had a cheap steak somewhere, you know this is an excellent analogy.
If a match or a wrestler is less than entertaining or rough, he busts out the phrase, “Bowling-shoe ugly.” You’ve worn bowling shoes before, so you know that’s the truth.
When a wrestler flees from a fight, Ross busts out, “He is running like a scalded dog!”
Ross refers to matches with lots of contact and aggression as a “Slobberknocker.” He explained that it’s an old Southern football term. When players didn’t wear facemasks and got hit so hard that their ‘slobber’ would fly. Makes sense.
Perhaps the favorite Ross-ism comes when he sees something he cannot believe. In his thickest Southern drawl, he will let loose with “BY GAWD!”. It’s on the tip of his tongue when he sees a feat of unimaginable brutality. He has also been known to use it when a wrestler’s music comes on unexpectedly. Every wrestling fan has their own impression of JR breaking this one out.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ross has had two stints as an announcer in the NFL. He joined the Atlanta Falcons radio broadcast team in 1992. He left after one season, but had a second go-around with the Falcons in 1994.
Outside of wrestling, Ross is known for his barbecue sauce and beef jerky brand, ‘J.R.’s Family BBQ.’
He also hosts his own weekly podcast Grilling JR. He’s recorded over 200 episodes of the podcast.
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
