Jim Ross Reflects On Struggling With Former Member Of The WWE Commentary Team

Legendary wrestling personality and current AEW announcer Jim Ross opened up about his professional challenges working alongside former WWE announcer Todd Pettengill in the mid-1990s.

Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross candidly discussed their lack of chemistry as a commentary duo, despite maintaining a good personal relationship.

“The irony of that is that we got along great. He’s a good guy and he was intelligent and funny, but he didn’t have a lot of product knowledge, and he looked at wrestling like it was some kind of comedy series or something along those lines.”

Ross acknowledged that Pettengill’s lighter, comedic style often clashed with his own serious and traditional approach to wrestling commentary. Known for his deep respect for the sport’s storytelling and competitive spirit, Ross admitted he found it challenging to adjust to Pettengill’s perspective.

“We just didn’t have good chemistry, and that’s partly my fault, I should have loosened up, as they say in the wrestling business. But I had my style, and I thought it worked for me and that it worked for the business, so I steered the course.”

Despite their differences on-screen, Ross emphasised that their professional struggles never turned personal.

“We didn’t have great shows together, and it’s not because we didn’t like each other.”

Ross explained that their disconnect stemmed from differing visions of how professional wrestling should be presented, rather than any animosity.

Which WWE Star Did Jim Ross Would Return After Leaving In 2004?

Jim Ross spoke about how he predicted that Brock Lesnar would return to WWE after leaving the promotion in 2004. Ross spoke about Lesnar’s brief run in the NFL following his WWE departure and thought that while he was a good player, he didn’t have what it takes to make the 53-man squad of the Minnesota Vikings. Ross thought that Lesnar would return to wrestling when he needed money as he knew of Lesnar’s desire to buy a farm.

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