The Mystery Behind the Move: Jim Ross and WWE Smackdown
By Ed Pena
Jun 28, 2008
In the world of professional wrestling, there's only one man universally recognized as the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. We're not talking about wrestlers. We're talking about play by play announcers. And in a field with such legendary names as Gordon Solie, Vince McMahon, Lance Russell, Boyd Pierce, and Joey Styles, one name stands out above all the rest. Good Ol' JR. Oklahoma's Jim Ross is the best announcer in wrestling history.
The Mystery Behind the Move: Jim Ross and WWE Smackdown
So why wasn't JR told in advance he was moving off Monday Night Raw and onto Smackdown? Why would WWE Chairman Vince McMahon treat Ross like that? Ross was obviously crushed by the lack of respect he was shown, blogging the morning after the live broadcast, "I am not happy with this surprise development." Later that day, however, he wrote a second blog vowing to make Smackdown "kick ass."
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Ross' former color commentator in both WCW and WWE Monday Night Raw is Paul Heyman, the former ECW owner and also former creative team member who is always surrounded by controversy. Heyman's clashes with WWE Chairman McMahon and on-air confrontations with Ross give him a unique perspective on both men and their personalities.
Now working on screenplays and NewsCorp's flagship broadband television show "The Heyman Hustle", the man dubbed "The Mad Scientist" posted a blog on The UK Sun giving some insight into both men's dealing with the other.
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Here's a key excerpt:
"I'm not surprised Vince McMahon didn't tell JR. I'm not surprised Jim Ross was disrespected. I'm not surprised they stuck a camera in his face to capture the real life turmoil going through his head when a bombshell just got lowered on him.
I'm surprised Jim Ross was surprised!
There's a lot to say about JR in this situation.
He knows Vince as well as anyone, besides Stephanie, Shane and Kevin Dunn.
He's been at the office at 7:30am when Vince wanted to handle something right away and not wait "til the lawyers get in".
He's been there at 10pm, still waiting for Vince to finish working out so they can conclude their 6 pm "end of the day" review of items. Jim Ross knows how Vince thinks, how he reacts to things, how the man operates.
So Jim Ross is surprised when Vince abuses him on live television?
What clues did Good Ol' JR miss?
Was it the way Vince dogs him on the plane and would encourage HHH to join in on the fray? Was it the way Vince has, on multiple occasions, demonstrated the desire to send him out to pasture?
Psssst... when they try to replace you three or four times, they don't all of a sudden change their mind and say: "Hey! He's our type now! We want him long term!"
Maybe I'm surprised that JR was surprised because I personally wouldn't have stayed if I was propped in a hospital bed with part of my colon in a medical waste container awaiting word on cancer and watching my boss do a 12 minute skit about pulling my head out of my arse.
So why is JR surprised? How could he be caught off guard? How could ever think a swerve wasn't coming, a curve ball being thrown, a disruption to any "normalcy" wasn't being contemplated?
Did Jim Ross dare Vince McMahon by publicly stating in advance "I have no interest in switching brands"? Maybe. It certainly didn't DISSUADE Vince from doing it. But I think the cross Jim Ross must bear is a little heavier than that.
Jim Ross, in my opinion, has cut a Faustian Bargain in life." Check here to read the entire blog. More her at the Heyman Hustle.
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