Jim Ross made his return to AEW commentary at the Double or Nothing PPV event. However, according to what he has said on his latest Grilling Jr podcast, he wasn’t 100% happy with only calling the one bout.
JR was on the call for Jon Moxley vs Kyle O’Reilly for the AEW Continental Championship, and Good Ol’ JR noted that if he knew he was only going to call the one match from New York, then he might’ve pushed Tony Khan harder to get that changed:
“I only call[ed] one match, [and] if I [had known] I was only going to call one match, I probably would have talked to Tony Khan about that. I’d like to have worked another match… I’m not complaining. I guess I am complaining, but I’m not hell-bent… I sure miss doing that.”
Jim Ross AEW Contract Update
The former WWE commentator would also reveal that he doesn’t not have a lot of time left on his AEW contract:
“I don’t have a lot more time left on my contract. I talked to Barry Bloom, my agent… I’m just going to let it play out. I don’t know [if] Tony Khan wants to keep me. I’ve been doing this 50 years… My deal is up. I think sometime in August, I believe that’s true. I just passed the worry-about-it stage. I’m just not going to do it. It takes the fun out of things.”
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He was still able to provide commentary at the pay-per-view, but AEW Double or Nothing weekend was a rough time for Jim Ross.
The 74-year-old announcing legend shared on his Grilling JR podcast that he suffered a fall the day before Double or Nothing that forced him to miss his flight. When the fall happened, Ross did not have his phone near him, which made it difficult to get help. His flight had to be rebooked for later in the day.
“It was not a good travel weekend for me,” Ross said. “I was supposed to get picked up Saturday morning at like 6 a.m. I’ll have a chat with my travel guy regarding that matter. Why would you fly me out at 6 in the morning for a Sunday night show? It makes no sense. You know, I’m not 17 anymore.
“So, anyway, we had the alarm set. My driver was going to pick me up, and all of a sudden, I fell. I hadn’t had a fall in weeks. So I fell and busted my ass away from my phone. I don’t know how you do it. There’s got to be a way to, I guess, just put it in my pocket. Hell, I don’t know. If I had my phone with me, I could have got a little bit of help. As a result of that, I missed my flight.”
Ross said the air travel experience right now is the worst it’s ever been in his life. After getting into New York City on Saturday, he had a beer with Excalibur and saw some people in the hotel lobby. When he got into his room, Ross experienced some issues with his back.
“I got in my room on Saturday night, I think it was. I laid on the bed, put my ass on the edge of the bed, and just relaxed. Well, little did I know, my back was going to go out on me,” he said. “So now I’m in the hotel with my back out and I can’t function. So it was just a horrible experience.”
Ross enjoyed Double or Nothing but wishes that he got to call more than one match (Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O’Reilly). If he knew beforehand that he was only going to be doing one match, Ross would have talked to Tony Khan about it.
On Monday, Ross returned home. He is feeling sore and needs to find a doctor that can help with the weakness he experienced in his legs. Ross said, going forward, he’ll make sure to always have his phone close by.
“Sore. It’s like taking a big hit in the football game,” Ross responded when asked how he’s feeling now. “I’m just sore as hell. But, you know, I asked to go to work. I can’t blame anybody but myself. I’ve got to find a doctor. I got a neurologist now, he’s talking to me about risk area for dementia and all that bullsh*t.
“I have the worst luck sometimes. Golly. But just real sore. I got to find the right doctor that can get me back rolling, because my legs are really weak. And on Saturday morning, one of my legs just went out from under me. It went like a piece of spaghetti. So, anyhow, flying back — I could have stayed home, maybe I should have. But I like working, and I love pro wrestling.”
Jim Ross’ AEW contract status —
Ross noted that his AEW contract, after signing a one-year extension in summer 2025, is coming up this August. He isn’t worrying about the situation and is leaving the decision in Khan’s hands.
“I don’t have a lot more time left on my contract. I talked to Barry Bloom, my agent. He was in New York, and we chatted about my status. I’m just going to let it play out,” Ross said. “If Tony Khan wants to keep me, he will. If he doesn’t, then he won’t.”
Ross’ role in AEW is to help out with commentary at PPV events. If Khan wanted Ross to do more, Ross would be happy to do that. But Ross is content with his current schedule and feels Khan has been “really good” to him.
Jim Ross is feeling great physically despite currently going through the process of being evaluated for dementia/Alzheimer’s.
On his Grilling JR podcast this week, the 74-year-old announcing legend shared that he just had a “very positive” appointment with his neurologist. They’re concerned about dementia/Alzheimer’s so are putting Ross through some tests. Ross is approaching the situation with a positive mindset and is willing to do whatever doctors suggest, but, given that there’s no cure, he doesn’t really know what the treatment plan would be if he does have the condition.
Ross will be in New York City this Sunday to provide commentary at AEW Double or Nothing. He reacted to the news that Mick Foley will make his AEW debut at the event and discussed how often we could see Foley appear. Ross said he does not know whether Foley has signed a full-time AEW contract.
“I don’t know how much he wants to work,” Ross said. “And if you look at other guys, myself included, we’re used on a limited basis. And that keeps me, in this case, fresher and it gives me a chance to continue to get my ailments addressed.
“I had a very positive doctor’s appointment with my neurologist. Everybody’s getting in on the act, man. So the neurologist and I had an appointment and they took a bunch of blood and ran some tests. You know, I think they’re worried about dementia or Alzheimer’s. And I said, ‘What the hell are you going to do about it?’ It’s not a cure. You know, if there’s meds I could be taking preventively, tell me what they are and I’ll do it.
“We’ll see how it works out. I’m going through a lot of tests now. I don’t feel bad at all. I feel great, actually. But you know, Conrad, let me tell you something buddy. Getting old is a bitch.”
Ross and his old broadcast partner Jerry “The King” Lawler appeared together at Motor City Comic Con in Detroit last weekend, with Ross saying it was a fun experience and the largest turnout he and Lawler have had at a convention. Weekends like this help Ross feel like everything is worthwhile. He’s had a rough few years health-wise, including a bout with colon cancer in 2025.
Dementia/Alzheimer’s —
Dementia is defined as the loss of cognitive functioning to such an extent that it interferes with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, with early symptoms commonly including “forgetting recent events or conversations.” Those who suffer from more advanced forms of Alzheimer’s experience significant memory loss and can have trouble performing routine tasks.
The history of pro wrestling on the Turner Networks
The skyrocketing success and rapid decline of WCW
The television heyday of Georgia Championship Wrestling
How Ted Turner first got involved in pro wrestling
Why Vince McMahon hated Ted Turner and how irrational it was at times
The local TV business in the early 70s
The 1972-74 Atlanta wrestling war, how it started and ended
The start of Gordon Solie and Tony Schiavone on TBS
The growth of TBS
The launching of CNN
How Vince McMahon got on TBS
Why McMahon and Turner had issues during their year working together
The role Jim Barnett played
The death of Mid South Wrestling
The death of Jim Crockett Promotions
The death of WCW
How Barnett manipulated the Crocketts getting on TBS
Vince McMahon’s cable power plays and Turner’s reactions
The signing of Hulk Hogan and rise of Eric Bischoff
Hall, Nash and Bret Hart come to WCW
How Bischoff nearly purchased WCW and how it fell through
A reprint of a 2001 article on the closing of WCW that Ted Turner himself read and praised
Reaction to the death of WCW
Numerous people react to the death
The tribute on AEW television
His exploits in other sports
Rupert Murdoch, Ric Flair, Jane Fonda, Tony Khan and others in sports comment on Turner’s death
Turner’s life after he lost control of the networks
His charitable work
Update on Tanea “Rebel” Brooks
A first look at how UFC is performing and its revenue driven vs. expense for Paramount
WWE cuts continue and are looked at
A crazy note about the income of just four of TKO’s top executives and how it compares to the pay for UFC and WWE athletes. This is absolutely shocking
Nick Khan’s new contract with TKO
Why so many cuts were made this year and more notes on the pay cuts
New Day bid farewell
WWE & UFC first quarter financials looked at
More talk regarding Middle East shows, Zuffa Boxing, and complaints regarding WWE and UFC
Backlash preview, business notes and odds
Notes on AEW Double or Nothing
New Japan Dontaku coverage
Nico Ali Walsh on Nick Khan’s testimony before Congress
NOAH big show notes
The most detailed look at the TV ratings from the pro wrestling and MMA shows this past week
Fantastica Mania Mexico
CMLL vs. MLW at Arena Mexico notes
Grande Americano vs. Grande Americano
Lots of injury updates
Who in AEW was set for a major push that is now on hold
Champion Carnival down to final four
Cuatrero convicted in domestic violence case involving Stephanie Vaquer
Raja Jackson case coming to a close
Former WWE wrestler murder case makes pub again
Worldwide YouTuber numbers
Dana White talks McGregor’s return
Notes on Roman Reigns and his schedule
When did Nick Khan learn Vince McMahon was being investigate for sex trafficking
Finn Balor competes at WWE WrestleMania 42. (Image credit: WWE)
WWE
Finn Balor told Stephanie McMahon that, while he loves Japan, he doesn’t think he wants to wrestle there full-time again before the end of his career:
I always kind of imagined myself going back to Japan to finish my career in Japan. I didn’t want to leave Japan, but I kind of wanted to roll the dice with WWE and give it a try. And like, if I had a year at NXT and then it didn’t work out, I would have happily went back to Japan.
I like how everything [in Japan] is just exactly as you see it. There’s no bullsh*t. Like, people are straight with you. It’s ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. Everything’s clean, organized. Maybe I was immune to the politics because I didn’t speak the language so good. So I was kind of ignorant to that stuff, you know? And obviously, when you look back on any time, romantically, you always kind of hold that up.
I fell in love with Japan, but I don’t want to go back to wrestling in Japan, I don’t think. I’d love to go back to Japan and spend time there. When we go back with WWE, it’s absolutely incredible. To perform for WWE in Japan, that’s the dream.
Maybe we can set up an NXT Japan. [Triple H] might need a right-hand man to run it. Me and Shinsuke [Nakamura] I think would do a good job over there, right? God, that would be incredible. Go back to my dojo training days.
DJ Bootleg Kev shared that his friend Jelly Roll was “very self aware” that fans would not like him getting involved in the Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton WrestleMania 42 story:
I’m pretty comfortable in saying this. I’m really close to Jelly Roll — he was very self aware that he was being pushed into a storyline that he probably didn’t need to be pushed into. And he was pushing, he was being very vocal about wanting to be involved in a storyline that is still playing out currently that was more comedic.
And he was like, ‘Guys, if you put me into this thing, I promise you it’s going to cook. It’s going to f**k.’ I was there at SmackDown in Phoenix and I heard him having these convos with certain people at WWE. And they still decided to – and, look, if you’re him, you’re like, ‘Hey man, if you’re going to push me into the main event of WrestleMania, I’m not going to say no. But I don’t think people are going to [like it].’ And then to me it wasn’t even him so much, the McAfee thing was like – it was just weird. It just made no sense.
I would say the same thing my dad said, which was cool. ‘You can go into it, but you have to be the best.’ And that’s easier said than done, but I think they could certainly do it, those two.
Jimmy Hart, Diamond Dallas Page, and Fallon Henley have recorded interviews for future episodes of Rhodes’ “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast.
From my side, I’m just having fun. And the fact that one of the biggest organizations in the world, the TKO Group, has this major beef with me – they won’t even let me be in my brother’s WWE matches because they hate me so much. And so it’s pretty wild how much under their skin we are. And to me, yeah, it’s just been a fun journey. I enjoy sh*t talk. I like when people make fun of me. I’m easy to make fun of. You know, I’m able to make fun of myself, so the beef to me is just fun and entertaining for everybody.
I tell ya, AEW’s TV shows, and I know people expect us to ballyhoo it, to put it over – it’s easy to put it over when it’s good. And their 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 and letting us support him and get behind him and all that stuff. So he’s very resilient, and I like his approach a lot. So we’ll see how that materializes over the next few weeks. I plan on being in New York in a couple of weeks. And I’m excited about this card. It’s loaded, man. It’s got some good sh*t on it.
During an interview with Bootleg Kev, Swerve Strickland recalled seeing WWE star Oba Femi at the gym and telling Femi that, if it were up to him, Femi’s debut would have been winning the WWE Championship:
I met Oba at the gym and I said, ‘If I had the pen, your debut would be winning that belt.’ I was close because his debut was against Cody. And [Femi] was like, ‘How did you do this, man?’ I was like, ‘I just call it how I see it, it’s you, bro.’
There’s a time and a place for it, for sure. Once again, it always comes back to the connection to the fan base. Like, how much have you connected with the fan base to warrant your level of involvement in said space in wrestling? You always got to listen to the fan base. They’re going to tell you what they’re receiving well.
They’re like children, they cry when they’re getting something they don’t want. Or they’re going to cry when they want something. And then you feed it to them and they’re going to be like, ‘Oh, that satisfied me. You answered what I was [looking for].’ It’s the same way. They’re going to tell you when they don’t like it or they’re not digesting it well.
Yeah, we’ve been in GCW together and we’ve talked a bit. He’s younger than my son! If I lose to him, how can I look my own boy in the eye? [laughs]. But he really is a prodigy. You have this young protege and an average old vet. But even though I’m average, what I have in spades is passion. That’s what I’ve had for 28 years. That’s hard to beat.
Kasai, who is known for being a death match wrestler, described his BOSJ inclusion as a win-win:
I mean, if you eat your favorite food every day of the week and eventually you get sick of it. So for a misfit toy like myself to be in a top flight tournament for BOSJ it’s different for the tournament, and it’s different for me. So it’s win win.
Former WWE commentator and sometimes man for AEW in the booth Jim Ross recently discussed the cuts to the WWE roster following WrestleMania 42 this year. The former WWE Head of Talent Relations noted that while a lot of talents are signed to ‘5 year deals,’ these are not literally ‘you’re signed for five years’ deals, there is (by default) always a cut clause in them.
Speaking on the latest episode of his Grilling Jr podcast, JR would note: “I think probably most of them [the recently released talent] probably got a 90 day out, meaning they get paid for 90 days and they’re free to go where the hell they want. So essentially when you sign those five-year deals, a lot of them have outs, all of them have outs of some sort, and if they don’t? You’re stupid…and WWE is not stupid.”
Jim Ross on 5 year WWE deals
JR also clarified that these ‘5 year deals’ that a lot of talent reportedly signed back in 2024 don’t automatically mean you’re around for the full 5 years: “Just because you got a five-year deal, it doesn’t mean you got five guaranteed years to pay at this particular rate. If I’m a talent, I like the five-year deal, cause it gives me a little bit of security, but it’s not guaranteed unless you negotiate that in your deal, that “I got five years guaranteed and my contract ends in 2032 or something.”
Usually WWE releases have a 90-day no-compete clause if they were main roster contracted talent. NXT talent will usually have a 30-day clause where they cannot appear on another televised competing product.
Jim Ross says he doesn’t believe Aleister Black has burned his bridge with AEW.
Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross referred to Black as a “main event” talent and said he and Zelina Vega are “two keepers.” However, Ross suggested that Black take some time off before returning to the ring.
Ross said:
“I like Aleister Black. I think he could do himself a favor by simply stepping away for a while. He’s got a 90-day no compete anyway. How much can you improve in 90 days, Aleister? That’s my question to you.”
Ross said he’s not sure why Black has had conflict with management previously, but encouraged him to not be so critical.
“He seems to run afoul of the establishment from time to time and I don’t know why that is. I’m not there to work with him in that regard, so I don’t know why that is, but whatever it is, my advice to him would be to get over it. Don’t be so critical of things. Just be critical of your own work and making it better.”
Conrad Thompson asked Ross why Black’s run in AEW wasn’t more successful, and Ross answered that he feels Black looked at his time in the company as a “step down.”
“I don’t think he wanted to, Conrad. I don’t think he was happy there. I think he looked at it as a step down. He’s in the minor leagues or some s–t. But that’s that WWE mentality rubbing off on you, and that’ll happen. It’s unstoppable and it can’t be helped. That’s kind of how I looked at his situation.”
Ross continued:
“I like his game a lot and his wife is a hell of a hand. You’ve got two keepers in those two people.”
Asked if he feels Black has “burned his bridge” with AEW, Ross responded:
“No, I do not. But I think that his chances are running out. Trust is a big thing. Reliability. Are you reliable? There is I’m sure a small faction of some in the wrestling business that believe he’s missing something. I don’t disagree with that. But he’s not missing his attire, his look, his work ethic. So whatever his downfalls are, they seem to be stimulated from things outside the bell-to-bell. But I like the guy. I’d hire him in a heartbeat.”
Black’s initial run with WWE lasted from 2016 until he was released on June 2, 2021. He debuted in AEW the following month. Black left AEW in February 2025 after it was reported that his contract had expired. He returned to WWE in April 2025 and was part of WWE’s post-WrestleMania 42 roster cuts a year later.
The full episode of Grilling JR is available below. The player is cued to his comments about Black.
The son of “Sycho” Sid Vicious has said his father’s induction at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony was “disrespectful as hell.” Jim Ross, who called Vicious’ matches in WWE and WCW, agrees.
Vicious was technically inducted into the so-called Legacy Wing of WWE’s Hall of Fame. As such, he had no induction ceremony at the Hall of Fame, just a video package being aired and a shot of his family in the crowd.
Vicious’ son Gunnar thought his father deserved better, and Ross doesn’t blame him.
“If my daddy was going into the Hall of Fame, I would want them to have the biggest presentation that they could produce,” Ross said on an episode of Grilling JR.
Ross was also disappointed that Vicious was limited to a Legacy Wing induction. “Based on previous years’ criteria, by a variety of talents, Sid was overqualified to go into the Hall of Fame,” he said. “[The Legacy Wing] is a joke. It’s just one way to give somebody a payday or some recognition, I understand that, but a guy who headlined WrestleMania a couple of times, a multi-time champion, he deserved and earned [it].”
Ross acknowledged that Vicious wasn’t always the easiest wrestler to work with. “Was Sid a pain in the ass?” he asked. “Yeah, sometimes. No doubt about it. He was moody. He had a lot of pride, and some who worked with him closely may say that he had too much pride because he became a pain in the ass to work with, but does that mean he doesn’t deserve to be in the regular Hall of Fame? No. He should’ve been in the regular Hall of Fame.”
Regardless, Ross is happy Vicious will be remembered. “Sid’s legacy, whether he’s in the Hall of Fame of Legacy Wing, he’s never going to be forgotten,” he said.
Bron Breakker was perceived as a WWE WrestleMania headliner after his official transition to Raw in 2024. This year, Oba Femi changed the dynamics with his main roster debut which quickly escalated into a feud with Brock Lesnar at his first WrestleMania.
On the latest edition of Grilling JR Podcast, Jim Ross discussed Femi being a part of the World Championship picture at WrestleMania 43. He highlighted that his current positioning is impressive and if done right he could also headline the event. Out of Logan Paul, Breakker and Femi, Ross selected the latter to capture the title first.
“He’s (Oba Femi) got a better shot at it than anybody you and I can probably name right now, because he beat the monster. And he’s unique. His look is unique. He’s very impressive in that regard. Oba Femi being the champion at next year’s WrestleMania is going to be dependent upon how fast the company can build total confidence in his ability. He’s got to stay reliable. He’s got to work on his game. He ain’t ready. But you got to run with a guy if you’re making that kind of commitment. And the first commitment they’ve made with him is him beating Brock Lesnar. It’s very possible. I can’t name you anyone currently on the roster that has an extremely better chance of being the champion at WrestleMania next year than Oba right now. He’d be my slight favorite in the horse race.”
Ross cited Paul to be the ‘best worker’ out of the group, and remarked on how wrestling is in Breakker’s DNA, automatically making him a powerful contender.
“The best worker of the group is the Paul kid. He’s the best talent bell to bell. Putting a match together. He’s still going to be perceived as somewhat one dimensional, because the son of a b*tch looks like a Greek god and people draw their assumptions on his physique rather than his fundamental soundness. Breakker is a, I love his game because he’s a legitimate tough athlete that has the pro wrestling DNA flowing through his veins. If I had to make a pick, Oba is going to be one, and maybe Breakker will be one A. But you damn sure don’t want to pass over on Steiner’s kid.”
Femi and Breakker competed on NXT before making their main roster moves. Meanwhile, Paul’s path differed, he was involved in a couple of feuds with Sami Zayn and The Miz before officially transitioning to a full-time WWE star.
At WrestleMania 42, Femi defeated Brock Lesnar, strengthening his stance as ‘the next big thing’ in WWE. Following their match, Lesnar removed his gloves and boots signifying retirement.
Breakker returned at the Premium Live Event after nearly two and a half months away to recover from hernia surgery. He speared Seth Rollins and cost him his match against Gunther at the PLE.
Illness has kept legendary pro wrestling broadcaster Jim Ross away from the AEW announce booth for a long time. And, although he’s going to be gone a little longer, he does expect to return in the near future.
Ross discussed his health in a conversation with Conrad Thompson on an episode of his Grilling with JR podcast. When Thompson asked about a return, Ross said he would not be at Dynasty this weekend.
“Probably next month, because I don’t think I’m going to go to Vancouver,” Ross said. “It’s just a hard trip, and that’s the only thing that I have issues with in my life, is traveling, cramping and my legs hurting and all that. So I’m up for anything, but flying that far is daunting, shall we say. But I feel good. I feel really good. I feel better than I have in a long time, and I should be back at a more normal schedule sooner than later.”
Ross has missed time with a number of serious ailments in recent years, including battles with both skin and colon cancer, though he announced he was free of those conditions last June.
“I’m doing good. I feel good. I’m feeling better every day,” Ross told Thompson. “It’s just a process. I didn’t know how sick I was.”
Jim Ross believes Vince McMahon will be involved with WWE WrestleMania 42.
During the latest episode of The Grilling JR podcast, Ross and his co-host Conrad Thompson discussed Triple H’s recent comments that there was “no real clear moment” he took over WWE creative, and that McMahon was still an influence during times he was supposedly gone from WWE. Ross said he believes McMahon will be “instrumental” in this year’s WrestleMania.
Ross said:
“No matter what his other issues may or may not be, all that stuff, it’s still Vince. And I think anybody that’s listening to this that have worked in WWE know full well it’s all about Vince and it will remain that way until they bury him.
He’s an awesome influence. And how’s it going to hurt for Vince to chip in with an idea or two and a general direction? He was always very good with that.
He was always really good at picking out somebody that he wanted to get over and having a plan to make that happen. And I think that’s kind of where we are right now. There’s some massively marquee matches. And I think that Vince is… he’s in the kitchen and he’s making pies and we’re going to see how his pies taste sooner than later.”
Asked if he feels McMahon will return to WWE in any creative capacity, Ross responded:
“Absolutely. No doubt about it. I don’t even have no question in my mind. It’s the old cliche, where there’s smoke often times there’s fire and there’s been a lot of smoke regarding VKM in WWE and what his future may or may not be and how he can still contribute.
He’s a big picture guy and that takes a lot of detail work and planning, but he can do that. He can make all that happen. And you know he’s hungry.
I don’t think there’s any doubt in my mind that Vince will be instrumental in this year’s WrestleMania as far as creative is concerned.”
Thompson asked Ross to clarify that he believes McMahon will be involved with WWE creative for this year’s WrestleMania, and Ross responded:
“Yeah. He’s not going to wait on anything. As John Wayne would say, we’re burning daylight. Something’s going to happen. And I believe that McMahon will be able to contribute to this year’s WrestleMania.“
“There’s a lot of smoke out there right now and I think through the haze that Vince McMahon will rise again to some level. And this may be main events, this may be titles or whatever, I don’t know, but I can’t see this much talk and speculation about Vince for there not to be something there. It may not be as active as I perceive that he might, but I don’t know. I just think that he’s going to be involved in WrestleMania in some shape, form, or fashion.”
Asked if he felt Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro would formally welcome McMahon back into the fold, Ross responded:
“Absolutely. They would not be good businessmen if they weren’t willing to entertain that idea. Because they realize that McMahon’s the guy that built the whole damn thing. He has a vision that nobody else has.”
Ross’ comments about Vince McMahon’s involvement with this year’s WrestleMania begin around the 25-minute mark of the episode.
Months after his retirement from WWE, John Cena received a major career-changing suggestion from wrestling veteran Jim Ross.
Ross recently opened up on his Grillin JR Podcast and suggested WWE utilize Cena in a commentary role amid his WrestleMania 42 return as the PLE’s host (H/T WrestleTalk).
“I’d like to hear John’s commentary. He’s smart, he’s got a way with words. I’m curious as to how he might do in that role. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s got the talent for it. But I don’t know if he would be content with that or not,” Ross said. “But he would do a good job, no doubt about that in my view.”
Last year in December, 2025, Cena tapped out and lost his retirement match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Focusing on his Hollywood career, Cena has remained absent from WWE television since then.
John Cena opens up about his potential new WWE role
A few days ago, while taking part in the Q&A panel at MegaCon Orlando 2026, John Cena opened up in detail about his potential new WWE role.
“These panels are great because I always give one piece of information that the world catches and then it makes the headlines the next day. This is that moment,” Cena said. “I am working diligently to try to figure out my next path as a contributing, useful member of WWE. I think I might’ve cracked the code, and I think we have something. And if the stars align and everybody signs off, I will be a whole lot more integrated in the system, and I’m very excited about the road ahead. And I’m just crossing my fingers that it works.”
Jim Ross doubts that his friend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will make a return to the ring at WWE WrestleMania 42.
Speaking on his Grilling JR Podcast, the AEW commentator was asked about Austin potentially appearing at Mania. Ross believes Austin’s presence would help elevate the show, but he doesn’t see Austin getting too physically involved.
“To wrestle? No. To make an appearance or to shoot an angle or something along those lines, I could see that potentially happening,” Ross said. “But as far as Steve having another match, I don’t see it. I’m not being pessimistic or a negative Nelly or a negative Nelson, whatever.”
Austin’s in-ring career took a toll on him physically, particularly affecting his back and knees. And from what Ross knows, Austin is focused on trying to take care of his health right now.
“That’s not where his head is and he’s trying to take care of himself health-wise. You know, we just forget these guys are not Iron Man. When they’re hurt, they’re hurt. And Austin’s got that bad neck. He’s having bad knees. I don’t think it’s worth the risk, quite frankly,” Ross said. “I think that’s how Steve would look at it and I know him pretty well, but I don’t think there’s any chance. There’s a chance obviously that he could do something, but do I think he’ll wrestle? No way in hell.”
Austin will be appearing at the WWE World convention surrounding WrestleMania 42. He’s not fully closed the door on ever having another match, but Austin doubts that it will ever happen. The last time Austin wrestled was when he came out of retirement to face Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. He did make a very brief appearance at WrestleMania 41 last year, announcing the night two attendance.
This week, rumors surfaced regarding a potential Austin appearance on Raw next Monday given that the date coincides with his 3:16 gimmick. As of now, WWE has not announced Austin for the show.
Jim Ross believes that both Chris Jericho and Powerhouse Hobbs will be in the men’s Royal Rumble match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
On the most recent edition of his Grilling JR podcast, Ross spent time talking with co-host Conrad Thompson about who he expects to be in the Rumble matches. He said Jericho is too smart not to get himself booked on the show.
“Hell yeah. Absolutely. He’s too smart not to get himself booked on this show for his return,” JR said when asked if he thinks Jericho will be in the Rumble. “He’ll get a big pop.”
“I’m especially excited about ‘Big Willy,'” JR continued, referring to Powerhouse Hobbs.
“I don’t know if it’s a secret or not. He’ll be in the Royal Rumble, I think. Why in the hell would you sign a guy this close to a major event and then not utilize him? And that’ll be a new face. And he looks great.“
Ross also revealed that Hobbs recently called him to thank him for advice he’s given over the years.
“He called me a day or two ago, thanking me for my help over the years. I said, ‘Well, my phone number isn’t going to change, big fella.’”
Ross and Thompson later stated that they do not have any inside knowledge about whether either Jericho or Hobbs will be in the Rumble.
The full episode of Grilling JR is available below. JR’s comments about Hobbs and Jericho begin around the 13-minute mark.
The longtime announcer wrote on Monday that he will miss this week’s Dynamite in Orlando after suffering a fall. According to Ross, he was stuck in his living room for hours following the incident, but was still able to watch the college football playoffs.
“Great #CFBPlayoff game tonight! Congrats to @IUHoosiers for an amazing win vs @CanesFootball. My trip to Orlando for @AEW Dynamite is postponed due to an untimely fall that saw me lying on my living room floor for 5 hours. I’ll be watching!,” he wrote.
Ross has battled a number of health issues in the last few years. Last year, he said his cancer was ‘gone’ and was looking forward to returning at AEW All In that August. He did do commentary for that event, but also revealed he had suffered ‘a bad fall’ just days before AEW’s biggest show of the year.
For several months now, former World Champion Chris Jericho has been heavily rumored to leave All Elite Wrestling and make his return to WWE. While speculations suggested Jericho would return on the January 5th, 2026 episode of Raw, it unfortunately did not happen. Now, amid Jericho’s WWE return speculations, Hall of Famer and current AEW commentator Jim Ross has addressed the veteran’s future, suggesting that his leaving AEW would hurt the brand.
Speaking on the latest edition of his Grilling JR podcast, Ross claimed, “I think it’s WWE or nothing for [Chris] Jericho. He’s happy. He’s got a lot of influence in AEW, basically, to simplify, he books his own angles. He works with the creative guys, and they communicate well. Chris [Jericho] doesn’t come empty-handed; he always got a plan. But I think his goal, if it’s to leave AEW, he’s got a great deal. I’m under the impression, he’s got a great deal, then I think it’s WWE or stay where he is. I don’t think the TNA thing plays into it but I could be wrong. Money changes a lot of opinion, sentiment. I hope he doesn’t leave.”
“He’s such a valuable member of AEW. He does a lot of things, people don’t see, helping talent, counselling talent, coming up with ideas, and so forth. And I think Tony Khan needs guys like Chris Jericho to contribute ideas,” Ross stated.
“Him leaving would hurt the brand to a degree. No doubt. You can’t lose a talent like Chris Jericho and say that, ‘Oh well, we’ll just move on, it doesn’t matter. We got other guys that are ready to step up,’ and I hope that’s true. But, bottom line of it is that he’s got options, and that’s a smart guy.”
Recently, Fightful Select also noted that, unlike other previous AEW departures, there has been no internal memo suggesting Jericho’s AEW exit. Jericho was last seen in action at AEW Dynasty 2025, losing the ROH World title to Bandido.
