NWA & WCW

Jim Ross was born in Fort Bragg, California, on January 3, 1952. He grew up in Oklahoma and attended Northeastern State University, where he first broke into the world of commentary through the university’s radio show. This experience soon led to Ross being offered a broadcast position for the NWA Tri-State territory. When the promotion was rebranded to Mid-South Wrestling, Ross was promoted to lead play-by-play commentator.

In 1987, Jim Ross joined Jim Crockett Promotions as a color commentator while continuing to work with the NWA. When NWA and WCW parted ways, Ross remained with WCW and worked his way up the company’s corporate ladder. However, Ross butted heads with the company’s newest commentator, Eric Bischoff. When Bischoff was promoted to executive producer in 1993, JR immediately requested and was granted his release from WCW.

JR Goes To WWE

Ross made his televised debut for WWE at WrestleMania IX. He served as the primary voice for WWE’s pay-per-views in addition to replacing WWE broadcasting icon, Gorilla Monsoon. In January 1994, Ross suffered his first attack of Bell’s palsy and was fired from WWE. However, he was soon brought back into the fold when Vince McMahon was indicted by the US government.

In 1996, Jim Ross turned heel for the first time in his wrestling career. He cut a promo on Vince McMahon, claiming that he and the rest of the WWE offices were responsible for so many stars leaving the company. Ross then introduced new versions of Diesel and Razor Ramon, who had recently left WWE for WCW. The angle was poorly received by fans and soon dropped altogether.

WWE Hall of Famer

After over a decade with the company, Ross was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. His voice became synonymous with pro wrestling, and his encyclopedic knowledge of the sport made him an invaluable asset backstage. To this day, Jim Ross is widely regarded as one of the greatest commentators in pro wrestling history for his work in WWE.

Though he’s most known for his work behind the commentary desk, Jim Ross wasn’t afraid to get a piece of the in-ring action. In 2011, he and Jerry Lawler feuded with Jack Swagger and Michael Cole, culminating in a Country Whipping match at Extreme Rules.

WWE Departure & Brief Return

In 2013, Jim Ross departed from WWE. Two years later, he began working as an English language commentator for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He also made appearances across the independent circuit for promotions such as WCPW.

Ross briefly returned to WWE at WrestleMania 33 and spent another two years under contract with the company. He elected not to renew his contract in 2019, feeling as though he wasn’t being utilized to his full potential

All Elite Wrestling

On April 3, 2019, news broke that Jim Ross had signed a deal with the brand-new promotion All Elite Wrestling. JR’s presence helped give the young company some notoriety and much-needed credibility. In his first four years with AEW, JR served as a commentator for the company’s flagship show, AEW Dynamite. Now, Ross primarily works during AEW Collision in addition to working backstage.