Jim Ross Details Specific WrestleMania Request From WWE Legends

Jim Ross has revealed candid details behind his involvement in a famous WrestleMania bout.

The legendary WWE Hall Of Famer is widely considered as the voice of the Attitude Era by wrestling fans but was forced to spend time away from the commentary table after suffering a bout of Bell’s Palsy in late 1998.

Ross made a triumphant return to a thunderous ovation at WrestleMania 15 in Philadelphia on 28th March 1999, taking his place alongside long-time partner Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler to call the main event bout between ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and The Rock for the WWE Championship.

Speaking during a recent edition of his podcast ‘Grilling JR‘, the Oklahoma native explained that both Austin and The Rock specifically requested that he was the main man behind the announce desk for their highly anticipated bout:

“There’s another reason you don’t quit. Another reason you don’t give up in the fight. It’s another reason you don’t unsaddle your horse and put it in the barn, and call it a career. That’s how I look at it.

That was a surprise. I didn’t ask too any questions. You’re not bringing me down there to be an usher because I got a nice suit. So I was happy for the heads up, and happy to do any assignment that I was assigned. Especially that main event.”

Ross declared that his friendship with the men he had signed to WWE played a key role in their request and highlighted the importance of adding emotion to the broadcast as a key factor in his success:

“You know, I signed both of those guys. They’re both friends of mine. They’re both valued talents. It was good for me to call their match, for me and for them. Because they knew that I was going to have an emotional attachment to their presentation.

And I wonder today if today’s announcers still make that emotional attachment to the majority of their matches. I don’t know how you could, to be honest with you. But Austin and Rock were a different situation.”

Jim Ross Reveals Surprise Role In WWE Acquisition

Despite departing WWE in September 2013 after hosting an infamous WWE2K14 Roster Reveal panel, Ross would go on to play a hand in WWE signing a future main event talent two years later.

The 72 year-old’s first assignment following his unexpected departure from WWE was to serve as an English language commentator for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 and Ross recently revealed that he strongly recommended that Triple H sign Shinsuke Nakamura to a WWE contract.

H/T: 411Mania for the above transcription.