Jim Ross Comments on Why He Thinks Raw Gets So Many Negative Reviews Lately

On his podcast Jim Ross (transcript via via wrestlezone) spoke about the recent feedback to Raw being so negative, the XFL, and more…

On him getting negative feedback about RAW and why he thinks that is: “The last two or three weeks, the feedback I get from Monday Night RAW has not been overwhelmingly positive. The show in the eyes of many viewers has been ‘less than.’ Let me try to explain how what I think’s going on here – to enjoy any fictional entity, you have to have an emotional investment in the characters – have to know who the characters are, what their roles are and why I should either like or dislike them. Well in the last few weeks we have seen, now get this – Bobby Lashley, Elias, Dolph Ziggler, Strowman, Nia Jax, Carmella, Charlotte, Daniel Bryan, The Big Show and Dean Ambrose change their persona. ‘I’m a babyface, now I’m a heel. I’m a babyface, now I’m a heel.’ It’s confusing. So if you’re a casual viewer which every entity needs, you expect to get the die-hards. My concern is that sometimes you look at that die-hard list and it’s starting to shrink a little bit. And so if you’re a casual fan and if you haven’t turned your back on them or disregard them that’d be crazy, if you only watch once or twice a month, there’s a good chance you’re completely lost. ‘Now wait a minute, is he a good guy or bad guy?’ It matters to people and those that say it doesn’t matter that you’re a babyface or heel just get over it. It sounds really good on a car trip or over a cocktail. It just doesn’t work that way. So I think that all these turns are having a negative effect on the viewer. It lessens the emotional attachment to all those talents I’ve mentioned and there’s a lot of damn good talent I just mentioned. Are they fish or are they fowl? That’s always the question.”

On XFL CEO Oliver Luck and what he thinks about the towns that were announced for the league: “Vince should be very proud of that hire. Oliver Luck has got a great resume, great background, he’s a football guy, he’s a business man, he’s an administrator, he has been successful in every level in everything he’s done. He has surrounded himself with some very well-bred, well-trained, well-experienced football people. The only surprise omission there was for me Chicago. Gosh, you know if you get the #1 market, the #2 market in size in North America you’re doing pretty good, and not that they’re not doing good those are all good football towns and I love the building deals, the venue deals. So by what I heard and saw on Wednesday morning of the XFL press conference, I was very impressed with the synergy that’s being created there within that particular entity. Good stuff, looking forward to it.”

On George H.W. Bush: “He was a big wrestling fan. He was personal friends with promoter Paul Bosch in Houston, very well publicized, their relationship and also one of my mentors was mentored by Mr. President Bush and that would be Ernie “Big Cat” Ladd. Ernie was also from that Golden Triangle area, in Orange TX I think Ernie was from so Ernie and the former President were very good times at that time. George Bush was also Wahoo McDaniel’s little league baseball coach in Midland, TX when H.W. Bush was out there drilling oil wells in the oil business. A great president, a great statesman, classy man, a good man. A good man, which I believe should be a prerequisite for any public servant. Be a good man or woman, as the case may be.”