A WWE veteran and legend has spoken about a particular point of frustration he still experiences in AEW. The individual in question, Jim Ross, works for the Tony Khan-led promotion as a broadcast personality.
Good Ol’ JR has been involved with AEW since the year of the promotion’s foundation. While he has witnessed the Jacksonville-based company grow and succeed as a legitimate brand, he has also been around for some of the promotion’s more questionable business and programming decisions.
While appearing on the latest edition of Eric Bischoff’s 83 Weeks podcast alongside fellow AEW announcer Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross confessed that to this day he has a tough time keeping his frustrations in check when he observes such debatable business and booking choices, especially since he is not in the position to rectify them.
“Here’s what I had to deal with—and I still deal with—when I can’t affect something I see that I know is wrong. I don’t handle it well. I get angry. I get frustrated, and I lose my god**** patience, which is something I don’t need to do anymore. It’s not my call. But some of us are just wired that way. I know this is not going to work. I know this is wrong, but I can’t fix it. I’m just going to stand back here in my thoughts, because I know that maybe I’ll be standing here when the second thing is head-on and collides in a crisis.”
JR conceded that although not every show will meet the desired mark, he enjoys a lot of what he sees in wrestling currently. He then weighed in on how toxic and out of hand arguments regarding pro-wrestling can turn on social media.
“I like what we’re doing more often in the wrestling business. Not all the shows are going to be…. Yeah—especially going on social media, which feels so toxic. And I’m relatively sure that everybody watching this touches social media in some form or another. You’re on Twitter, you’re on Instagram, or you’re involved in Facebook or whatever it may be.” [H/T- Ringside News]
Jim Ross on Darby Allin’s AEW World Title run
All Elite Wrestling shocked fans last month when it booked Darby Allin to dethrone MJF as the AEW Men’s World Champion. Since then, the daredevil has embodied the spirit of a fighting champion, and has defended the belt against a number of opponents, his most recent retention coming against Sammy Guevara on Saturday Night Collision.
On a recent edition of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross heaped praise on Darby Allin, and argued that the promotion’s current storyline with the face-painted fan-favorite is one of its most important programs till date, explaining:
“People cheer for the underdog, and whether he’s a champion or he isn’t, he’s the underdog. Just look at the scales. AEW’s TVs lately have been very good. And what they’re doing with Darby, they’re not doing anything more important on their television than featuring Darby Allin.” [H/T PWMania]
Darby’s ride as World Champion will continue this Wednesday against Speedball Mike Bailey, and if he survives, he will move on to Double or Nothing 2026 for a Title vs Hair match against MJF.
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Edited by Anurag Mukherjee