WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke with Rolling Stone’s Kenny Herzog, and the legendary announcer spoke about a number of topics including WWE’s current state, bringing in Sting and booking the WWE Royal Rumble, Jeff Jarrett’s success with international wrestling, and much more. You can read a few excerpts below:
J.R. on the Current State of the WWE:
“I look at WWE more like they’re reloading rather than regrouping. But I do think it’s a transitional period, and it’s creating a lot of talk, because the fans are unsure of where the future’s leading. Somebody’s gotta replace John Cena. Who’s it going to be? So there’s a lot of unknown, but I don’t perceive it to be overtly negative. In this case, the talents didn’t go to another wrestling company. Some of them just got old. Some of them just got injured.
Here’s the deal: As a football team, you’re always obligated to develop a backup quarterback. So, I think the mistake the WWE’s made is that they haven’t developed that backup quarterback as readily as they would have liked. But it isn’t formulaic. You gotta have a real good eye for talent, and you gotta create the right kind of people. I think it’s a unique time in the business, and it’s a unique time to study it.”
J.R. on Jeff Jarrett’s Model for New International Partnerships
“I think, quite frankly, it has a very viable chance to survive. It’s a new business model. Some people of the old-school wrestling fraternity will have their doubts. I believe it has outstanding potential. The key is simple: There has to be a level of trust established with all these promotions that the money and all that stuff is going to be above board, the talents are going to be treated professionally and the financial partnerships are going to be upheld. But I think [Jarrett] does have a good chance. There’s a lot of brands around the world that want to get exposed in the U.S.A. That’s what he’s trying to provide. It’s so new, there’s no precedent for it, so it’s one of those things where you gotta just see how it’s going to evolve. If wrestling fans are the least bit unsatisfied with what they see on a regular basis in this country, then they’re going to be looking for alternatives.”
J.R. on What Will Make This Year’s Royal Rumble a Success
“A lot of things depend on how healthy some of the guys are that are hurt. I would say you have a chance to have someone emerge from the Rumble that’s going to be your next big thing. With that said, my feeling is that Roman Reigns wins the Royal Rumble. He has a great look. He has the confidence of the promotion, so I think he’d be a great potential winner. How he does it is another issue. Does he come in during the middle of the match and just dominate? Last year, he did that. I don’t think it was followed up on like they probably would have liked for it to. If you’re going to have [Brock] Lesnar be the champion at WrestleMania, and then the winner of the Royal Rumble meets the champion, then you would have the match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, and there’s where you would pass the torch.”
For more with Jim Ross in Rolling Stone, click here for the complete interview.
