AEW’s Jim Ross Admits He Enjoys Major WWE Change
Jim Ross may be All Elite, but he still supports WWE as a Hall of Famer who spent a long time with the company.
As a lifelong pro wrestling fan who did a lot of different jobs in the business, Jim Ross is an example of a wrestling lifer. While he first became known nationally with the NWA and later WCW, he really became a bigger name when he joined WWE in the early 1990s.
For over 25 years, Jim Ross was associated with WWE as the company’s lead announcer on television and pay-per-views while also having an incredible run as the Head of Talent Relations who signed many of the biggest names in company history.
In early 2024, former ESPN talent Lee Fitting replaced longtime WWE Director Kevin Dunn and Fitting was named as the new Head of Media & Production. Jim Ross knows a lot about television production since he’s been on TV for over 30 years, so he was asked on his Grilling JR podcast if he thinks WWE’s product looks different with Fitting in charge.
“I think so. They seem to be less ‘haha,’ as Patterson [Pat Patterson] would say, and more serious presentation. I think fans respond to that better because you’re not trying to drill them with so much weak storyline.”
“Storylines based in reality, people can relate to that a lot easier than pure fiction that is sensationalistic and people can’t totally invest in. I’m not familiar with this gentlemen, but if he’s the one responsible, he’s done a good job because you can tell it’s a little different, and one that I enjoy, quite frankly.”
How Long Will Jim Ross Stay With AEW?
When All Elite Wrestling launched in January 2019, one of the first big names associated with the company was legendary announcer Jim Ross, who wasn’t being used by WWE much in those years. While JR appeared on TV regularly for a few years, he has had health issues and has not been used as much at 72 years old.
On a recent episode of his podcast, Jim Ross revealed that he signed another deal with AEW for one more year while Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer added that it’s a “great, great deal” because Ross makes more money in AEW than he ever did during his WWE run.