On Saturday morning, Jim Ross posted a picture to Twitter with a black eye following a fall he endured hours beforehand. While he still made it to Chicago, Ill. to commentate the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) debut of Collision, viewers noted that his voice sounded hoarse and gruff throughout the broadcast. It was obvious to most viewers that he was pushing through the event, and after evaluating himself afterwards, he was less than satisfied with his performance. As a result, Ross took to Twitter to announce that he would be stepping away from the promotion to heal.
Ross has taken leaves of absence throughout his time with AEW in the past, including in 2021 after being treated for skin cancer. At the moment, there is no timetable for his return, but his self-awareness received praise from wrestlers and fans on social media in order to keep the focus on the matches and its wrestlers.
The event, which took place at the United Center in Chicago, was primarily commentated by Nigel McGuinness and Kevin Kelly, and Ross joined the duo for the main event – CM Punk and FTR Victorious against Samoa Joe and Bullet Club Gold. Additionally, it marked the debut of AEW Collision on TNT, an acquisition that was first announced at the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront event last month.
At the time of the Upfront, AEW programming had reached over 23 million viewers across TBS and TNT through AEW: Dynamite, AEW: Rampage and AEW: All Access. With the addition of AEW Collision, the promotion looks to further augment that number, but will be without Ross for the time being as he heals from his injury.
Ross formerly worked as the primary play-by-play announcer for the promotion, but switched to working as a commentator in a rotation last June. He previously worked with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling along with other promotions and is one of the sport’s most recognizable voices.
