This day in wrestling history, April 4, 1993, marked the date of WrestleMania IX. It also marked a special note in wrestling history as we were introduced to someone who would become a beloved member of the professional wrestling community.
Imagine making your public debut on the grandest stage of them all, the Showcase of the Immortals? It’s a terrifying thought, but it also brought us one of the best commentators professional wrestling has ever had — Jim Ross.
Leaving WCW
Jim Ross joined Jim Crockett Productions after Jim Crockett bought the Universal Wresting Federation and absorbed it into JCP. Ross started as color commentator alongside Tony Schiavone. Ross continued to add to his skills, eventually working his way up to the top play-by-play man for the NWA.
He continued as the play-by-play man when Ted Turner purchased JCP and it became WCW (World Championship Wrestling), and eventually became the head of broadcasting. It was during this time that a contentious relationship between Ross and the promotion’s newest commentator and future head, Eric Bischoff.
Ross has said that Bischoff, “who reported to me, did a really good job of selling himself” to executives of Turner broadcasting (The Monday Night Wars DVD).
Eric Bischoff reportedly claimed that Ross mistreated several employees below him, including himself, and when he was promoted that was why Jim Ross left and joined the WWE for less money.
WWE debut
After joining the WWE, Ross took part in a handful of recorded episodes of Wrestling Challenge, but commentating WrestleMania IX was his first appearance in front of the WWE audience. Last year in the inaugural episode of Grilling JR, he talked about leaving WCW and his WWE debut. One of the cool topics was how Vince McMahon treated him after the show ended.
(Special thanks to 411mania.com for the transcript.)
“He hugged me. He said, ‘I’m sure glad you’re on our team. Glad you’re here.’ I hadn’t heard that in a long time. You never got that in WCW. I got plenty of “atta boys’ from TBS executives that were entertained by my work. (WrestleMania 9) was a glorious day after all the bullshit I had put myself in a position to endure. Getting knocked down a few times. At some point, you’ve got to fight. I got my ass up and said, ‘Fuck this. I’m getting tired of this shit. I’m unhappy and I’m not gonna do it anymore.’ I felt like when Watts went out the door, he tossed me the anvil. I could do nothing to change the perception of who Jim Ross was for a certain group of people. I never had any doubts that I couldn’t broadcast. I didn’t care what the people in WCW said. I knew they were wrong.”
Pretty awesome for a debut. Just wish McMahon wouldn’t have gotten to the point he took JR for granted and reportedly treated him poorly on several occasions and fired him a couple of times. Though he does appear happier in AEW.
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