Vince McMahon apparently not allowing Jim Ross to sign a new contract with AXS TV means the announcer will not be calling Wrestle Kingdom 13 this coming January.
The pro wrestling world is currently in a state of change. There was a time not too long ago where different promotions simply would not work with one another. Everyone saw everyone else as the enemy. That is no longer the case. New Japan works with Ring Of Honor, Lucha Underground has teamed with Impact, and even WWE has collaborated with other companies.
Not only does that help said promotions and the business as a whole, but it is also good for the wrestlers taking advantage of it. You need look no further than The Elite for a great example of that. Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and the rest of that group have basically been competing for every promotion under the sun. Well, aside from WWE, of course.
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One man who has managed to work for other companies alongside WWE is Jim Ross. However, according to The Wrestling Observer, good ol' JR has recently hit a bit of a stumbling block. Apparently, Vince McMahon has not allowed Ross to resign with AXS TV in 2019. That means the most iconic voice in wrestling history will not be calling the action at Wrestle Kingdom 13 this coming January.
Dave Meltzer explained that McMahon allowed JR to continue working for AXS TV alongside his WWE work in 2017. He also let him resign with the company that carries New Japan in the US in 2018. However, the WWE chairman will not extend that courtesy into 2019. All is not lost, though. JR's current WWE contract runs out at the end of March 2019.
The current assumption is that Ross will sign a new contract with AXS TV once his current WWE deal has run its course. If that does happen, he will be free to call the action for New Japan and Ring Of Honor's massive Madison Square Garden show on April 6, 2019. If that does happen, Mr. McMahon will likely be kicking himself that he didn't make Ross's contract just one week longer.