Less than two days before he was set to make his anticipated return to AEW, announcer Jim Ross experienced what he called “a bad fall” in his hotel room.
Ross revealed the news in the opening moments of his Grillin’ JR podcast Wednesday, saying he is “still recovering from Dallas” before going into the story.
He joked he was lucky he “went down for the count” and that it was “a hell of a fall.” He said he thinks his discomfort was “a soft tissue thing” but didn’t think he broke anything, indicating he may have not been checked out by medical personnel.
To make matters worse, Ross said he didn’t have his phone to call for help as he had left it in an Uber.
“I didn’t have any way of communicating with anybody. I just went to bed and it was challenging. I’m still sore,” he explained. “It was quite the ordeal. That’s the only negative thing I can say (about the weekend.)”
Despite the injury, Ross still made his Friday meet and greet session as part of Starrcast as well as commentating the last two matches of Saturday’s All In.
More than six years into AEW’s existence, Tony Khan believes Jim Ross remains a vital part of the promotion.
“Jim Ross is an indispensable part of AEW. He’s the greatest wrestling commentator of all time,” Khan told TMZ Sports last week. “I first heard JR’s voice when I was eight years old, and he immediately hooked me with his commentary. He is a great man. He’s done so much in wrestling. He’s the original voice of AEW.”
The 73-year-old Ross underwent colon surgery in May and praised Khan for being “amazingly wonderful” to him during the ordeal. Now that his cancer is gone, Ross is scheduled to be in Texas for All In this Saturday. His role in AEW is to provide commentary for select matches at PPV events.
“He’s been through some really tough health battles, and I think it’s important to stand with Jim,” Khan said. “Jim’s done a lot for AEW and me personally. It means a lot that I can be there and stand by Jim in a tough time for him. And it’s so great to hear that Jim is doing much better now. We’re all wishing JR the best in his recovery. Everyone in AEW loves JR. He has been a huge part of AEW from the very beginning, and it’s great to have him in AEW now as part of the team.”
On his Grilling JR podcast last week, Ross said he doesn’t know which match or matches he’ll be doing commentary for at All In. He would like to be on the call for Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega’s match at the PPV.
All In is taking place from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas this Saturday afternoon.
Jim Ross is officially making the trip to Texas for AEW All In 2025.
On his Grilling JR podcast, the 73-year-old Ross confirmed that he’ll make his return to AEW at the Saturday, July 12 pay-per-view. Returning for All In was Ross’ goal after undergoing colon cancer surgery in May. That surgery was a success, and Ross is feeling “pretty damn good” now that his cancer is gone.
While in Texas, Ross will also be a guest at the Starrcast convention on the eve of the PPV.
“Oh, absolutely, absolutely,” Ross responded when asked if he’ll be at All In. “Yeah, I’ll be there. I want to fly in on Thursday and do our business on Friday. And then I’ll be at the pay-per-view on Saturday.”
Ross is back making convention appearances but will have to miss a scheduled booking at Fanboy Expo in Knoxville, Tennessee due to it taking place on the same weekend as All In.
There have been numerous health challenges Ross has had to face over the last few years, but he’s hoping that the worst is behind him now. The most difficult part of his colon cancer battle was the fear of whether things would work out or not.
“I think fear is the biggest enemy. I have good doctors here in Jacksonville, so that all worked out fine. So I’m just very blessed that I’ve got past the worst part,” Ross said. “So as we stand here now and you and I are talking to our fans and stuff, I’m very happy that I’m where I am health-wise. I’m lucky, very lucky. So — it’s all good, man. You just got to stay positive and move forward. And that’s what I’ve tried to do. Even though there were days where I was wondering if this was meant to be. But, obviously, it is meant to be. Here I am. Here we are. So let’s get on with it.”
In AEW, the legendary Ross’ role is to provide commentary for PPV events. He doesn’t know which matches he’ll be calling at All In, but he would like to be on commentary for Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including an update on Jim Ross, Chad Gable, Dom, Kevin Owens and Pat McAfee, latest on Night of Champions, RAW ratings, a full recap of Dynamite and NXT, plus your Collision recap since Bryan attended the show live! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps: Start: Health updates on Jim Ross, Chad Gable, Dominik Mysterio, Kevin Owens 5:07: Cody Rhodes says he feels he’s at the end of his run as a babyface, Saudi Arabia update 13:52: Pat McAfee taking time off from WWE Raw announce team 17:07: Real American Freestyle Wrestling’s first show off to a slow start 22:18: Ben Askren update 25:08: Don Fale out of the G1 play-in, Dave’s thoughts on Jun Kasai vs. El Desperado 30:09: Ratings, Sedriques Dumas pulled from UFC show this weekend, Jon Jones update 43:36: AEW Dynamite recap 1:03:32: WWE NXT recap 1:09:45: Bryan’s live AEW Collision spoilers
It has been continued good news for current AEW announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross post-colon cancer surgery.
During his most recent podcast with Conrad Thompson, the 73-year-old said, “The cancer’s gone which I’m very happy to say. I’m blessed that my health has returned and I’m feeling pretty damn good.”
On last week’s podcast, Ross also said he was feeling good despite being sore, saying it was realistic that he could be part of AEW All In: Texas on July 12th. He reiterated that this week, saying “I’m tired of sitting at home and I’m excited about the opportunities that await.” He then said his plan is to be at the pay-per-view.
Ross had surgery in late-May, getting the cancer removed from two places in a less invasive surgery than expected. He spent nearly a week in the hospital recovering.
Ross said AEW head Tony Khan was “amazingly wonderful during my illness” and “has certainly taken good care of me and I plan on being reciprocal and doing my best to take care of him in my role going forward.”
Jim Ross is on the mend and still planning to attend AEW All In: Texas at Globe Life Field next month.
During the latest episode of Grillin JR, the legendary broadcaster shared an update after undergoing colon cancer surgery late last month. Ross says he’s getting better one day at a time.
“Just trying to heal and get better, and that’s kind of my goal right now. Taking it a day at a time,” he said.
Ross says doctors are confident they got all the cancer during surgery.
“I had a meeting with my surgeon earlier this week. He’s very happy, which makes me very happy. I’m sore from the surgery, my abdomen is real sore, but I’ve endured worse. I’m feeling pretty good, actually.”
Ross said he has a follow-up appointment scheduled for next month, but believes the worst is behind him.
“I believe they got all the cancer, which is great. I’m very blessed in that regard. I was scared to death for a while, I have to be honest with you. Because it’s one of those mysterious things — did they get everything they needed to get? Are we okay? But I have a really good surgeon who’s taken great care of me, so I feel very blessed.”
Following his diagnosis but before surgery, Ross stated he still plans to attend AEW All In: Texas on July 12. When asked if that goal might be too ambitious, he responded:
“No, I don’t think it’s too ambitious — I think it’s realistic. I’m hopeful that’s what happens. I’d love to be a part of that event, and see the fans, and see the talents. I miss the talents a lot. I’ve been kind of isolated here at home.”
“I’m feeling pretty good. I hope to make it to Texas. My plan is to be there, so we’ll have to wait and see. I’d love to show up and do a match or two. That’d be cool. I don’t want to get too ambitious, but my plan is to be there and to participate. I want to play. I want to get back in the game somehow, some way, and contribute to the success of AEW.”
Following the news of Ross’s diagnosis, Dave Meltzer announced that the Announcer of the Year award in the annual Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards will be renamed the “Jim Ross Award” going forward. Ross responded to the honor:
“That’s very cool. I’m very blessed and very honored to have that happen. I’ve been following Meltzer’s work forever, seems like. Since my days working for Cowboy (Bill Watts). Cowboy Bill was the one who introduced me to Meltzer and Bill took a lot of pride and had a lot of faith in Dave’s opinion, and let’s not forget it is an opinion, but it’s a valued opinion, in my view. So, that’s pretty cool.”
Ross has been voted Announcer of the Year 13 times in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards. He won the award six years in a row from 1988 to 1993, then four years straight from 1998 to 2001, and again in 2006, 2007, and 2012. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1999.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the death of Jordan Breen, an update on Jim Ross, Valhalla cut, Slim Jim new WWE sponsorship deal, Dominion line-up, Arena Mexico, UFC preview for Saturday, the RAW report, mailbag and more.
A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps: Start: Jordan Breen passes away 8:37: Jim Ross back home after colon cancer surgery, Valhalla’s WWE contract not being renewed, R-Truth chants during Raw 15:15: Chris Jericho performs at Crusherfest, WWE & Slim Jim extend partnership 19:26: NJPW Dominion lineup and other notes, Arena Mexico notes 25:57: UFC 316 is this weekend 30:48: WWE Raw recap 50:53: Mailbag
The WWE Hall of Famer announced back on May 15 that he had been diagnosed with cancer yet again. Despite this, Ross has stated that he has no plans to retire from pro wrestling, though he may slow down.
“I’m thinking I’ll really slow down after the surgery. I’ll talk to the doctor, and see what he says. I’ll try to really slow down when this is over. Make a few autograph appearances, which I love to do, and see what Tony Khan’s got ready for me in AEW,” he said on a recent episode of his podcast. “I could still do my schedule I had, but I don’t know if anybody else believes that. I believe it. I still would love to do the pay-per-views in AEW, but I don’t know if Tony will want me on, I don’t know.”
Ross has had surgeries in recent years to remove cancer, first in 2021 for skin cancer and in 2023 to remove cancer from his hip.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with part one of a two-part show. We’ll talk the death of Salman Hashmikov, Jim Ross, the Janel Grant/John Lauranitis situation, Linda McMahon, Double or Nothing news and notes, Best of the Super Juniors, the RAW ratings and what we can determine, and more. We had a late night situation come up that necessitated ending the show before the RAW and NXT reviews, but we will be back Thursday afternoon to recap both those shows. We apologize for the inconvenience. A packed show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps: Start: Salman Hashimikov passes away 8:18: Jim Ross update 10:55: John Laurinaitis flips against Vince McMahon in Janel Grant lawsuit 18:58: AEW Double or Nothing/WWE Google trends, Ospreay/Hangman finish 29:00: NJPW BOSJ updates 33:02: Ratings 48:12: BJ Penn arrested
The inimitable Jim Ross gave a direct update on his surgery for colon cancer, saying on X Wednesday night that it was a “success.”
Ross’ friend and podcast co-host Conrad Thompson had given an update Tuesday via former AEW employee Rafael Morffi that everything went well, but this is the first time Ross has shared anything himself since going under the knife. He said with the surgery complete, “Now we be begin to rehabilitate.”
Ross tweeted it took place Wednesday, but Thompson said Tuesday that they hoped they had removed all the cancer. Ross had previously noted the cancer was found in two places, that he would be in the hospital for six days, and that it was a less invasive surgery.
The 73-year-old first announced his diagnosis on May 15th, the latest in a string of various health issues he has had to battle the past few years. He is still under AEW contract and has been complimentary in the past about the treatment he has received from both Tony Khan and his family.
Despite the recent diagnosis, Ross does not want to retire, but said on the aforementioned podcast that he was going to “really slow down after the surgery.”
“I’ll talk to the doctor, and see what he says. I’ll try to really slow down when this is over. Make a few autograph appearances, which I love to do, and see what Tony Khan’s got ready for me in AEW,” he said, adding he would still love to be part of the AEW pay-per-views but was unsure if Khan would want him to do that.
Happy to say that today’s cancer surgery was a success. Now we be begin to rehabilitate.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm is back with tons to talk about including an update on Jim Ross, the death of Rick Derringer, Billy Jack Haynes update, RAW from Monday night, AEW PPV lengths, and tons more. A fun show as alway so check it out~!
Jim Ross underwent colon cancer surgery this morning — and doctors are hopeful that all of his cancer has been successfully removed.
Conrad Thompson, Ross’ friend and podcast co-host, shared an update this afternoon informing fans that everything went well with Ross surgery. He asked everyone to keep the 73-year-old legend in their thoughts and prayers as Ross begins his road to recovery.
“Just heard from [Rafael Morffi] that JR’s surgery went well and they hope to have successfully removed all of his cancer this morning!,” Thompson wrote. “Please keep @JRsBBQ in your thoughts and prayers as he begins his recovery!”
Before surgery, Ross kept a positive attitude by tweeting that he was “ready to kick this cancer out on its a**!”
Ross announced his diagnosis on May 15. Even though he’s had to endure several health problems over the past few years, Ross has no plans on retiring from pro wrestling right now. He would love to continue in his role contributing on commentary at AEW pay-per-view events. Ross said this week that Tony Khan and the Khan family have been amazing to him ever since he joined the company.
“I don’t plan on retiring, I plan on getting healthy and getting well and doing something for somebody and we’ll see how that works out,” Ross said.
Jim Ross provided an update on his health during a live episode of Grillin Jr on Monday.
Ross revealed earlier this month that he has been diagnosed with colon cancer and would be having surgery in a week or two. On today’s podcast, Ross noted that the cancer is located in two places and that he’ll be going in for surgery tomorrow morning.
“Getting ready for surgery, and that’s always stressful but I’ve prepared myself mentally and physically to endure the situation,” Ross said on the show.
Ross said doctors have told him he’ll be in the hospital for six days. He noted that he’s not in any pain and that doctors will perform a less invasive surgery, although he wasn’t entirely sure what that would entail. While Ross said he plans to slow down following the surgery, he feels he can still work the same schedule he previously had in AEW.
“I’m thinking I’ll really slow down after the surgery. I’ll talk to the doctor, and see what he says. I’ll try to really slow down when this is over. Make a few autograph appearances, which I love to do, and see what Tony Khan’s got ready for me in AEW.”
“I could still do my schedule I had, but I don’t know if anybody else believes that. I believe it. I still would love to do the pay-per-views in AEW, but I don’t know if Tony will want me on, I don’t know.”
He also noted that he’s received calls from Tony Khan, Steve Austin, and others.
“I was at home and I got a call from Steve Austin. And when we got off the phone, I looked at my phone and we talked for 43 minutes. 43 minutes. And here’s what your friends do. They call you, they talk to you, and at the end of the conversation, they tell you they love you. That’s what Steve did. So that’s what I got. And that cheered me up. And it made me feel strong and vibrant.”
“Tony Khan called me, which was nice. You know, the Khan family has done an amazing job of taking care of JR since I signed with their company. He’s very talent friendly. Maybe too friendly at times.”
Asked if he had the chance to check out any of the wrestling shows this weekend, Ross responded, “I did not. I was sleeping.”
“I don’t plan on retiring, I plan on getting healthy and getting well and doing something for somebody and we’ll see how that works out,” he continued.
When asked about the possibility of attending AEW All In: Texas later this summer, Ross was optimistic he’ll be there.
“Hell ya, I think so. Why not?” JR responded.
The full episode of Grillin JR is available below:
Diagnosed this week with colon cancer. Surgery being scheduled in the next week or two. I appreciate your concern and support. 🙏
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer returns with tons of news including the death of Maxx Justice, updates on Jim Ross and Sabu, Darby makes it to the top, what happened with Collision, Smackdown recap, ratings, all the latest from Mexico, UFC and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps: Start: Maxx Justice passes away, Jim Ross announces colon cancer diagnosis 11:41: Dave Meltzer’s thoughts on Sabu and his last match 16:45: Darby Allin reaches the top of Mt. Everest, AEW Collision issues 21:48: WWE Backlash numbers, LFG winners 27:52: Ratings 33:59: Notes on CMLL/Arena Mexico, AAA Triplemania Regia, AJPW Champion Carnival winner 37:04: UFC notes 42:38: Lineups for the week 49:12: Dave Meltzer’s AEW Collision notes 55:13: WWE SmackDown recap
Former WWE wrestler Tatanka announced that he’ll be attending the company’s Saturday Night’s Main Event episode in Tampa, Florida on May 24 with his wife Michelle and their sons Jeremiah and Joseph. He’ll presumably be one of the legends shown in the crowd or making another cameo on the broadcast.
As was announced when her weekly run on SmackDown ended in March, Lilian Garcia will be the ring announcer for Saturday Night’s Main Event. She expressed her excitement for the May 24 show in an Instagram post today:
9 more days until I’m back on the mic inside a wrestling ring in front of the best fans in the world! @wwe Saturday Night’s Main Event on @nbc @peacock can’t get here soon enough!! Let’s gooooo!!
In my personal opinion, it’s good for the business, it’s good for the fans. I think it’s a very, very good opportunity for the Mexican wrestlers, the younger wrestlers and in general the Mexican wrestlers. Because this door is bigger [than] any other opportunity in the world… I am sure this is the best opportunity for all Mexican wrestlers, brother. I want to see more wrestlers here in WWE, you know? Like, luchadores, obviously. But to be honest, man, and serious, I think it’s good for the business, bro. I don’t know when it starts. I don’t know how is the real formula for this project, but just I feel in my heart this is a good business.
The National Hispanic Media Coalition is honoring Mysterio at their 2025 Impact Awards Gala in Beverly Hills, California on Friday, June 6. He’ll receive the Legend Impact Award.
All Elite Wrestling joins fans around the world in sending love and support to Jim Ross as he battles colon cancer. J.R. is a valued member of the AEW family, and we stand beside him during his journey toward recovery.
Zach Gowen thanked AEW and Tony Khan following his match against Ricochet on Dynamite last night: “Thank you @AEW for welcoming me into your locker room and being so kind. Thank you @TonyKhan for giving me a chance to live out my dream one more time”
Lee Moriarty will defend the ROH Pure title against Matt Mako at DEAN~! 2 in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday, May 24. The show is a tribute to Dean Rasmussen, a poster from the DVDVR forum who passed away in 2023. Action Wrestling and AEW are partnering together for the event.
Alberto El Patron will defend his AAA Mega Championship against El Hijo del Vikingo at Lucha Libre AAA’s show at Juan de la Barrera Olympic Gymnasium in Mexico City on Saturday, May 31.
The NWA has announced an addition to the main event for this Saturday’s Crockett Cup event. Originally, Thom Latimer was set to defend his NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship against Rhino. It will now be a three-way match with Latimer vs. Rhino vs. Colby Corino.
