Jim Ross gave a health update on the latest episode of his podcast.
The 71-year-old said he hopes to return by AEW Worlds End on December 30 but still has some health issues to address.
Ross said:
I’m taking it a day at a time. I feel great. My leg hurts, all that stuff, that’s nothing new. It’s an open wound and it’s been open for over a year. That ain’t good.
Ross noted that a suspected reason his leg hasn’t healed properly is due to having high blood sugar levels. However, he has been taking insulin injections recently and his levels have come down considerably.
Ross continued:
The medicines that have been prescribed to me are working. Mentally, I feel like I’m back in the hunt competitively. I have no idea what my future is at AEW, I have no clue. And to be very frank about it, I’m not worried about it yay or nay. My work should stand on its own after 50 years for God’s sake, seriously. So, sometimes I worry too much.
Conrad Thompson asked Ross if he hopes to return to AEW by Worlds End on December 30. Ross responded:
I have the corner of my eye thought about the pay-per-view coming up that you just mentioned on Long Island. But that’s a hope that I would be healthy enough and able to work and work to the level that I need to work.
I don’t have a date. It’s just hard to plan. I don’t want to set myself up for dissapointment. If I’m going to do something and I say I’m going to do it then it’s going to get done but I can’t commit to that right now because I still got some ongoing health issues that need to be addressed and they are being addressed.
Ross continued to speak on how important returning to the wrestling business is to him.
When you’re 71 and you’ve spent your whole life in this business, and I have, early 20s when I got into this stuff. No regrets, it’s just in my blood. As long as my heart’s beating that blood, I want to be involved in some way because I still love the wrestling business.
It’s cruel sometimes. It’s challenging more often that not but for some reason, it’s what I love. And now that Jan’s gone, I need something to love. And I’m not being funny here, I need to make sure I got something in the works to fill that void because I can’t replace her, God bless her, I wish I could.
Jim Ross provided a health update on his latest Grillin’ JR podcast.
Ross announced last week that he would be taking time away from AEW as he continues to deal with a radiation wound on his leg from skin cancer treatment in 2021.
On the most recent episode of his podcast, Ross said his condition is improving but he’s still going to miss a few more weeks of television.
“Had a busy week at the doctors,” Ross said to co-host Conrad Thompson on the show. “Trying to get all these little things taken care of. They’re not little things if you let them go. I’m getting better, I think. I’m still going to be off work for a few more weeks.
Ross noted last week that his doctors are hopeful that taking a break from flying could help his leg heal.
“My doctor believes that if I take a few weeks off, I’m not sure how many, we’ll see, it’s gotta heal,” he said. “Being off an airplane for a few weeks will be good for my leg to heal, so what’s what I’m gonna do.”
On his podcast, Ross said he is taking some time off to heal his leg, starting with this week’s AEW programing.
“My doctor believes that if I take a few weeks off, I’m not sure how many, we’ll see, it’s gotta heal,” he said. “Being off an airplane for a few weeks will be good for my leg to heal, so what’s what I’m gonna do.”
Later in the show, Ross said that his contract with AEW has “a few months left” but reiterated he’s only taking a short time off to heal, and that Tony Khan has indicated to him that he would like Ross to remain with the company.
“It’s still got a few months left, and Tony Khan has indicated to me as early as this week, at least to my representative Barry Bloom, he’d like for me to stay,” he said. “I’m not looking to go anywhere. It’s just [that] I need to heal, and that’s all.”
Ross in recent months has been calling main events on AEW Collision. In the past, he’s done commentary for both Dynamite and Rampage, and has taken part in sit-down interviews with talent.
Jim Ross is optimistic he and AEW will come to terms on a deal to keep the legendary announcer in the company.
Ross signed a three-year deal to serve as a commentator and senior advisor for AEW in April 2019. The 71-year-old then revealed in May 2022 that he had recently signed an 18-month contract extension. The deal likely expires sometime in the coming months.
Ross said on this week’s edition of Grillin JR that he spoke with Tony Khan about his contract recently and believes they will reach an agreement.
“I’m very blessed,” Ross said. “Tony Khan has answered a lot of my prayers and I hope to continue working for AEW for the foreseeable future. That’s our goal, that’s Tony’s goal, that’s my goal. Tony and I had a nice chat about my contract last week at TV. Things are moving along well in that regard. I’m sure that between Barry Bloom, my agent, and the legal department at AEW that they’re going to get something worked out. That’s my belief, I’m being positive and optimistic. “
“This is the best scenario for me that I can imagine, working for a young company where when you go to work you feel invigorated, you feel excited, you’re around a lot of great, young talent who want to be stars and this group of talent, boy they work their asses off.”
Ross has been on the commentary team for the main events of AEW Collision in recent weeks. He told Conrad Thompson that he would prefer to do more commentary for the company.
“The only thing I’d like to do more of is call more than just the main event but that’s not my call,” he continued.
A new segment has been announced for AEW Dynamite.
Jim Ross will interview Darby Allin and Christian Cage on Wednesday’s show.
The announcement comes after Cage won the TNT Championship on Saturday’s edition of Collision in a triple-threat match against Allin and defending champion Luchasaurus. It was later announced that Cage will defend the title against Allin in a best two-of-three falls match at WrestleDream on October 1.
AEW Dynamite on Wednesday, September 27 will take place from the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. It’s the final stop before the promotion heads to Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday for Collision and WrestleDream the following night.
AEW Dynamite lineup:
Contract signing for WrestleDream between Swerve Strickland & Hangman Page
We’ll hear from MJF and Adam Cole
Jim Ross sit-down interview with Darby Allin and TNT Champion Christian Cage
Julia Hart vs. Willow Nightingale
Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Matt Jackson vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Austin Gunn
Jim Ross says he’s going to miss being around CM Punk at AEW Collision shows.
Ross spent some time on his Grillin’ JR podcast recently discussing Punk’s departure from AEW and the environment backstage at AEW Collision.
“I’m going to miss him because I enjoyed being around him,” Ross said of Punk. “We have such a small crew that comes on Saturday night, it’s a pretty neat environment, to be honest with you, on Collision nights. A whole lot less people are there. So anyway, he’s too good not to use his skills but, I don’t know, he’s a different cat as everybody realizes, that’s not a revelation either.”
Ross said that while he does not have any inside information on the matter, he feels Punk will likely continue to wrestle.
“One would assume, and that’s all I’m doing, that CM Punk’s next destination could be WWE but there’s no guarantee of that either,” he said.
Ross also spoke about some of the matches he’s called on AEW Collision lately that have impressed him.
“The match quality on Collision has been pretty good. I called the Samoa Joe vs. Penta match, main event of that show, and I thought those guys just turned it up. Samoa Joe is in a different place. He’s as good, if not better than he’s ever been. Penta had the best singles match he’s had in AEW, so those guys were motivated.”
“The Roddy Strong vs. Darby Allin match was nothing short of epic,” Ross continued to say of the September 9 match.
“He’s a fearless kid, I love him. He’s just one of the best homegrown prospects I’ve ever seen,” he continued to say of Allin.
Behind the scenes of the last month of AEW. why stories were kept quiet, why people were not allowed to attend Collision, why this has gone on for 18 months
All of the recent incidents talked about from multiple sides
The promo by C.M. Punk and what happened at the Greensboro show which led to all of his getting out
Different reactions to the promo
The apology that did happen
All In and attendance records plus the updated card with new matches that have not yet been announced
Full coverage of the end of G-1 and the big fall shows for New Japan
Business notes on G-1
Naito has two of the best matches of the year
Koichi Yoshizawa and his role in Japanese wrestling coverage in the U.S.
Saturday’s UFC coverage and where the top stars go from here as well as the business notes
Coverage of the final TripleMania show of the year and storylines behind it
Tammy Sytch update
The most detailed look at ratings for all the wrestling and MMA shows, gains and losses with what groups and why, what segments did the best and worst
Another women’s champion out of action due to surgery
RevPro and CMLL working relationship notes
World Grand Prix notes
Stardom PPV coverage and upcoming tag team tournament
N-1 coverage
New Japan and Stardom business notes
Hiromu Takahashi talks junior heavyweight goals
New Japan PPV shows this weekend
One of the biggest women stars has major surgery and a look back at her career
How the television industry continues to change
Full PWG coverage of the first show since January including some of AEW’s top stars
Update on new promotion opening next month and what well known announcer is in talks to appear
RevPro anniversary show update
WWE & AEW upcoming ticket sales
WWE & AEW streaming numbers
WWE and AEW international ratings
Conor McGregor talks future
Former UFC legend officially retires
Update on Bellator sale
Update on PPV numbers for Diaz-Paul and SummerSlam
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Tuesday Update
WWE
The New York Post has an article on Edge’s 25th anniversary match on Friday’s SmackDown.
The Rock took to Instagram to talk about the recent wildfires in Maui.
Mercedes Mone posted a picture of her and Bayley from NXT TakeOver Brooklyn on X and wrote “Let’s do this again someday.” Bayley responded, writing “I can’t wait. Happy 8th.”
Matches set for Main Event this week include Ricochet vs. Riddick Moss and Nikki Cross vs. Natalya.
ShopAEW announced that DVD and Blu-Ray pre-orders of All In (2018) will begin on August 23 at 1 pm ET and will last for two weeks.
Brody King filed a trademark for his ring name as well as the term “#1 in violence” on August 17.
Jim Ross on X: “GOOD NEWS! MRI came back negative! No cancer in my tibia.”
Other Wrestling
Muscle and Health has an interview with Hulk Hogan, where he talked about being addicted to pills until he turned to CBD. “Then, finally, I just looked at myself and said, “I’m not in pain. I don’t need this,” Hogan said. “My body hurts from all the wrestling injuries, but I’m not in this excruciating pain that I can’t live with. But then the CBD took me to a place where my joints don’t hurt so much when I wake up. When I pick weights up, I don’t have to do four or five sets before things start to become clear. I can tell as soon as the CBD hits my system, it calms everything down. The inflammation instantly went away with CBD. Usually, my wrists are swollen like crazy by the end of the day. Now they’re fine. I noticed an immediate change as soon as I started on it.”
Will Ospreay wrote on X: “True story. Cody asked months after the first one “why wasn’t you on All In”. My reply was “you didn’t ask”. Essentially they forgot to message me to be part of their history. Took long enough but finally part of All In at Wembley Stadium…And I’m not All Elite…I’m Above It.”
The film Cassandro, which focuses on the life of real-life luchador Cassandro, will premiere in select theaters on September 15 and then stream globally on Prime Video on September 22.
WrestleQuest, which was set to launch August 8 before being delayed, launches today.
A sit-down with Kenny Omega is set for next week’s AEW Dynamite.
During Wednesday’s Dynamite,Omega was interviewed by Alex Marvez, who asked about All In. Omega said he would be talking to Jim Ross next week on a number of subjects including Konosuke Takeshita, Don Callis, and All In. Following Blood & Guts last month, The Young Bucks have since decided to move back to tag team competition, leaving Omega as a singles wrestler.
MJF & Adam Cole will also be on next week’s Dynamite talking about the main event of All In, which will see MJF defend the AEW World Championship against Cole. Cole on this week’s Dynamite pitched the idea to MJF on facing Aussie Open for the ROH Tag Team titles at All In’s Zero Hour pre-show event. MJF eventually agreed to the match, issuing the challenge to Aussie Open.
Darby Allin will team with Nick Wayne to take on The Gates of Agony, who are part of the Mogul Embassy with Swerve Strickland and AR Fox, Allin’s future opponents for All In. Britt Baker is also set to take on the returning Bunny, where the winner will advance to the four-way match for the AEW Women’s Championship at All In.
Here is the card so far for next week’s Dynamite, with more to be announced on Friday’s Rampage:
Winner advances to AEW All In Women’s title four-way: Britt Baker vs. The Bunny
Jim Ross sits down with Kenny Omega
MJF & Adam Cole to talk about the main event of All In
Jim Ross made his return to AEW television on Saturday’s Collision.
Ross made his way to the ring prior to the main event, where proceeded to provide color commentary for the main event between CM Punk and Ricky Starks alongside Nigel McGuiness and Ian Riccaboni.
Last appearing on the debut edition of Collision on June 17, Ross has been out of action due to injuries suffered during a fall that took place one day earlier. He later took to Twitter to apologize for his performance that night, where he called the main event.
“I apologize for the way I sounded tonight,” he wrote. “Going to step away to heal. Thanks for your support.”
Ross later said he had suffered a concussion as a result of the fall, and would take time off to recuperate.
In the main event of Saturday’s Collision, CM Punk successfully defended the “Real World Championship” against Ricky Starks. Ricky Steamboat, who served as a special guest outside enforcer, made the count after the referee was knocked out. Starks attacked Steamboat after the match, with CM Punk making the save.
Jim Ross has no timetable to return to AEW but is hoping to be at All In next month in London.
The legendary broadcaster has been off the road since suffering a fall before the debut edition of AEW Collision. According to comments he made recently on Grillin JR, however, other health-related issues are preventing him from returning to work. Ross is still dealing with impacts from his 2021 battle with skin cancer and his doctors are concerned about the possibility of infection if he was to travel.
“I had a rough week on my leg,” Ross said. “I’m not changing doctors, I’m just adding to doctors. I went to my wound doctor, he said, ‘I gotta get you to a specialist who can give you an antibiotic shot.’ I said, ‘Why can’t you do it?’, ‘That’s not what I do.'”
“It’s been a challening week, let’s say. I think we’ve made some improvement, we’ve got a good gameplan but I just need a break, I need a break in the action so to speak and move on.”
Ross first revealed he had been diagnosed with skin cancer on his ankle in October 2021. He underwent radiation treatment and was eventually declared cancer-free that December. Ross has been dealing with the after-effects of the treatment since.
“I don’t have any timetable on returning to work. I gotta get better. I can’t start traveling again when they’re worried about infection and being on an airplane or an airport with an open wound, is not ideal, to say the least. It’ll work out. I’m positive, I’m optomistic and I want to get back to work.”
Ross also revealed he has been dealing with issues related to his sciatic nerve.
Despite his health issues, Ross is hopeful to return to AEW at All In next month from Wembley Stadium in London.
“I really want to make Wembley but right now, that’s what it is, I don’t know if I can but boy, I hope so. I don’t want to say I have a target date but you gotta have some kind of goal, so Wembley is my goal.”
On his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross gave an update on his health after suffering a fall last month.
Ross suffered the fall on the same day of AEW’s Collision premiere episode. Despite being injured, Ross still flew to Chicago to be part of the Collision broadcast. He was on commentary for the show’s CM Punk & FTR vs. Samoa Joe, Jay White & Juice Robinson main event. Ross struggled through the match with a hoarse voice.
Ross noted on Grilling JR that the fall happened when he tripped over his CPAP (machine used to help with sleep apnea) cord while going to the bathroom in the middle off the night. He fell face-first into his end table after tripping.
Ross said he believes he suffered a concussion in the fall. He had headaches, unsteadiness, and blurred vision after falling. Ross admitted that it was a mistake to get on the airplane and fly to Collision. He thought he was doing the right thing for the company, the fans, and himself, but it was the wrong thing for everyone.
I’m feeling pretty good. You know, I think I’m getting better every day. I just had a string of bad luck, health wise, which is very unusual for me because, knock on wood, I’ve been very blessed with good health. But when you get to be 71, and you’re trying to live a young man’s life in a young man’s business and going on the road every week, it can get very challenging. So that’s kind of what I found myself in that situation. But what happened was, you know, it’s a hell of a story, at least it was for me. I got up and not unlike a lot of other people, I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, so I hopped out of bed to go to my bathroom, and apparently I tripped over my CPAP cord. And when I did, I fell face-first into the end table next to my bed and the corner of it hit over here somewhere. So I had a huge knot immediately, eye swelled shut almost immediately. But I was so sleepy and so out of it that I just got back in bed. I think I actually went to the bathroom. Mother Nature won that match, and then I got back in bed.
And then the next morning, when I woke up, that was my flight out to Chicago to do that first show that we’re talking about here, Collision, and that’s all I was thinking about. I woke up and I had a badass headache. But okay, a headache ain’t gonna keep JR out of work. But I had a bad headache, which was a result of the concussion. And my only thought was, ‘I gotta finish packing and get on the road.‘ That’s kind of what I did, but I was very unstable. Everything was very foggy, and I’d have been better off staying at home period, but hard-headedness and being stubborn, and I felt like I had a commitment that I’d made that I wanted to fulfill.
So I got dressed rather slowly. And my driver, I have the same driver that drives me to the airport [and] picks me up, brings me home every week, he knows if I’m not standing there ready to go, to come upstairs where I live. But I was downstairs waiting and on a little unsteady ground, and flew to Chicago. And as the day went on in Chicago, my voice kept going in and out, and I don’t know what the hell that was. I thought, ‘Well, I’ll get over it. I’ll drink a lot of hot tea or hot coffee or whatever — hot something, and make that work for me.’ But it was just too much to overcome. And I apologize for how I sounded. I didn’t intend to sound that way. I didn’t want to sound that way. And I know I disappointed a lot of people. I disappointed me. I don’t think it made anybody in AEW real happy how I sounded, but I was doing the best that I could.
So after that show was over, I went back to the announcers’ locker room, where we all dress, all of us, collectively, a little community place, and I sat there for a little bit and thought, ‘Man, I can’t keep doing this. I don’t feel good. Something’s not right. I got here, I did the best I could. But boy, I need to get home.’ So good old Rafael Morffi, who’s taken care of me so much on the road over the years, helped me get back to the hotel. I tucked myself in, and I didn’t even get undressed that night. I wanted to make sure I could not waste any time making that flight the next morning. So I flew home, headache and all, and I’ve been here ever since. I’ve been out of the house a few times to go to Publix, go to the grocery store, maybe two or three times in the last several weeks. Other than that, I’ve got people that are helping me get groceries or whatever I need, prescriptions, things like that. But I was too unsteady to drive and sure as hell too unsteady to walk around a grocery store. So I had my housekeeper buy me a little cane, which I’m embarrassed to say I’ve used a little bit, not outside, but here in the house to help me get around so I don’t have any more falls.
Ross said he’s very lucky that he woke up after the fall and that he didn’t bleed out. He had a lot of blood on his pillowcase when he woke up.
Ross said he doesn’t have a return date for when he’s going to get back on the road, but he will be back in AEW. Ross said he appreciates Tony Khan for being patient with him and encouraging his good health.
But as far as going back on the road, I don’t have a return date. Tony Khan’s been very nice as far as, ‘Take all the time you need, and if you want to take several weeks off or the summer off, or whatever you’d like to do, just get healthy.’ So I appreciate the fact that he’s being patient with me and that he is encouraging my good health because that’s really the main thing, and it gives us all an eye-opener. There’s nothing more important than our health. And so many times, we take it for granted. I have for years. So I’m gonna be a little bit more aware of my health, I’m gonna be a little bit more aware of how I take care of myself, but in the meantime, I’ve been here at home.
Ross said it’s heartwarming that fans, along with wrestlers in both AEW and WWE, have reached out to support him after the fall.
Doctors told Ross that the way his voice sounded on Collision may have just been because of the stress of his injury.
AEW announced last month that Ross would provide “expert analysis” as part of the Collision broadcast team. Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness are the commentary team for the show, with Ross slated to join them during main events.
Jim Ross has apologized for how his voice sounded on Saturday’s AEW Collision debut.
Ross posted a photo of himself sporting a black eye on Saturday, but said he would still make it Saturday. He worked the main event, but his voice sounded hoarse for much of the match.
Following last night’s show, the veteran announcer posted on social media that he is “going to step away to heal.”
“I apologize for the way I sounded tonight. Going to step away to heal. Thanks for your support,” JR wrote.
He said the black eye was the result of suffering a fall. It is not clear for how long Ross will be stepping away.
Along with Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness, Ross was announced on Friday for the commentary team for Collision. He also continues to be on the broadcast team for episodes of AEW Rampage. He also missed an episode of Rampage earlier this year after enduring a hectic travel schedule that week before.
Despite suffering a black eye, Jim Ross is still headed to Chicago for the premiere episode of AEW Collision.
The 71-year-old Ross posted a tweet revealing that he suffered a black eye in a fall on Saturday morning. Ross wrote that he’s still going to Chicago to be part of the Collision premiere. The show is being held at the United Center tonight.
AEW has announced that Ross will provide “expert analysis” as part of the Collision announce team. Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness are the commentary team for the show, and they’ll be joined by Ross for the main event.
The return of CM Punk headlines Collision’s debut tonight. He’s teaming with FTR in a trios match against Samoa Joe, Jay White & Juice Robinson.
Collision airs live on TNT from 8-10 p.m. Eastern time. Here’s what’s been announced for tonight:
CM Punk & FTR vs. Samoa Joe, Jay White & Juice Robinson
TNT Champion Wardlow defends against Luchasaurus
We’ll hear from The Acclaimed
Miro in action
Willow Nightingale & Skye Blue vs. Toni Storm & Ruby Soho
Kevin Kelly is joining AEW in a weekly commentary role.
In advance of the show debuting this Saturday, AEW has revealed the announce team for Collision. Kelly and Nigel McGuinness will be doing commentary for the show, and they’ll be joined by “expert analysis” from Jim Ross.
Tony Khan tweeted: “#AEWCollision debuts TOMORROW NIGHT on @TNTdrama at 8pm ET/7pm CT at the @UnitedCenter in Chicago! We’re going to have a great announce team on Saturday Nights with your new weekly commentary team @realkevinkelly + @McGuinnessNigel, joined by expert analysis from legend @JRsBBQ!”
Kelly is familiar with both of his Collision broadcast partners. He’s previously worked with McGuinness in ROH and Ross in WWF/WWE.
“Set your DVR’s or better yet, just watch LIVE! I’m thrilled to be working with my mate Nigel again and my old boss JR,” Kelly wrote on Twitter.
