Ross - Slobberknocker - my life in wrestling

Copyright 2017 by Jim Ross with Paul OBrien

Foreword copyright 2017 by Vincent K. McMahon

Afterword copyright 2017 by Steve Austin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Sports Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Sports Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Sports Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Sports Publishing is a registered trademark of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.sportspubbooks.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Brian Peterson

Cover photograph courtesy of Craig Hunter Ross

Print ISBN: 978-1-68358-113-0

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68358-114-7

Printed in the United States of America

To my best friend, biggest fan, and the love of my life my wife Jan. I miss you dearly.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

We would like to take a moment and offer a special thank you to Scott E. Williams, who passed away suddenly on August 17, 2016. He was forty-six years old.

Scott was instrumental in the foundation of this project, from gathering facts and source material to interviews which appear in this book. There are no words for the appreciation we have for him, his hard work, and his writingnot only on this project, but the numerous wrestling books he wrote during his career.

We lost a good one, and his memory will live on through his family, friends, and stellar work.

Thank you, Scott. We miss you.

FOREWORD BY VINCENT K. M C MAHON

When Jim Ross first came to work for WWE back in 1993, little did I know then that nearly a quarter century later JR and I would still share a bond built on mutual passion for the business we loveand even more importantly, an enduring friendship based on respect for each other.

For the better part of two decades, The WWE Universe has embraced JR as The Voice of WWE. It is JRs voice that painted the pictures, crafted the stories, and created a whole new dimension to all our favorite superstars each and every Monday night. Indeed, JR was our tour guide through an era that changed sports entertainment forever. In fact, JR is still considered by most to be the greatest announcer of all time.

Jims contributions behind the scenes were equally as impactful. As head of Talent Relations, Jim proved an insightful, creative, and dedicated senior executive, signing a plethora of legendary talent during his tenure who were essential to building WWE into what it is today.

No one appreciates what Jim Ross has done for WWE more than I do. His contributions to our industry are as legendary as his character, and will leave an indelible mark for generations of WWE fans to come.

WRESTLEMANIA XV: 1999

Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.

That John Wayne quote stuck with me so much over the years that I even had it printed on my coffee cup at home. The Duke always faced down his fears; always won in the end. But as I hid backstage at Philadelphias First Union Center, I didnt much feel like saddling up at all. As a matter of fact, I was so terrified of what was about to happen that I began puking in the sink in front me.

What am I doing here? I thought to myself between heaves. The biggest professional night of my life and I was alone, in full tuxedo, having a Tony Soprano-like panic attack in an empty shower room. By my time, the main-event was next and I knew I would soon have to leave my hideout and go before the world. Twenty thousand in attendance and millions watching at home was a scenario that I had dreamed about as a boyand worked hard to achieve as a manbut this night it terrified me.

WrestleMania XV, March 28, 1999, was, at that point, the biggest night in our business. World Wrestling Federation was on fire and its two top stars, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rocktwo of my all-time most memorable signeeshad independently lobbied management for me to return and announce their main-event match. Their stratospheric professional rise intersected starkly with my own personal low. While Austin and the Rock were demolishing box-office records and pay-per-view buy-rates, I had been off TV a few months after suffering a devastating family bereavementand my second bout of Bells palsy. Because of the resulting facial paralysis, I had been primarily working from home as I wanted as few people as possible to see the way I now looked.

This grand entrance back to pay-per-view was going to be the first time anyone other than close family and friends would see me. I was vulnerable, self-conscious, and sick with worry.

The paralysis affected my speech, and I had no idea if I could still do the job I loved the way that I loved to do it. As much as I wanted to return Austin and Rocks faith in me, I certainly didnt feel ready. Not one little bit. I made my living from telling stories as a commentatorcoloring in with words that the audience was seeing in pictures. How could I do that when I had to literally hold one side of my face up to help me enunciate; to simply be understood?

As my time drew closer I couldnt help feeling that this was all a huge mistake. I just wanted to run out of there; make my way home where I knew I could hide or avoid people if I wanted to.

I wanted to find Vince McMahon, the Chairman and owner of the company, so I could tell him that I couldnt do it. But to admit such a thing would be admitting weakness, and the Chairman detested weakness and negativity from anyone around him. McMahon believed in the old law of the jungle: that only the strong survive, much like my father had instilled in me as a boy.

So I left the shower room and walked the busy corridor with my head down. I tried to block out the sounds and noises coming from the packed arena. I was merely hoping to get through my performance without stinking up the joint. I didnt want to embarrass myself, my family, my company, or the two Superstars who requested my presence on their biggest night. And I didnt want to disappoint Vince.

Everyone was expecting the Good Ol JR that theyd come to know, but I knew that the version of me that was walking to the curtain wasnt what people remembered.

I got to the packed Gorilla Positionthe waiting area just behind the curtainand made an effort to keep my head down, blend in, and review my bullet-pointed notes. I made a list on my first day as an announcer and the practice of bullet-pointing had followed me every day since.

I peered up to briefly exchange glances with Austin and the Rock. Both men were already where I was trying to get to: in the zone. Rock flashed his million dollar smile and Austin was painted with that look of dogged intensity that became his trademark. They werent talking. Not to me, not to anyone. They were focused and looked confident. I wanted to give them their space, and I certainly did not want them to be able to detect my apprehension of my return to ringside. They had enough on their plate without me adding to it.

People passed with greetings of Good luck JR and Welcome back JR as I distilled all my nervous thoughts down into one line of comfort: get through this match and you wont have to endure this stress ever again.